This… what… Oh god. The video made me feel physically sick.
That person was not a threat. He was homeless and mentally ill. He was just picking up his things - is that a reason for killing someone? Just moving a little? How is that a “tense standoff”?
If this had happened in Finland, the police wouldn’t even have their guns out. They’d talk to the suspect first, try to de-escalate the situation if necessary.
In Finland, the police force use a gun a total of 40 times a year (in total, not per person). And that includes just pointing gun at something. Actually shooting at a person happens very rarely, not even once a year. As far as deaths go, the police in Finland have killed three (3) people during the 21st century, so that’s three kills in the last 14 years. Three.
Las year, the police had to use their guns a few times (as in, more than usually), but both times they shot the men in the foot. They survived, obviously, and all was well.
So why can’t American police forces apply the same kind of sane policies? Believe it or not, it’s possible to deal with criminals (or suspects) without automatically killing them.
