I’ve consistently said here that the Bundy group is in the wrong. With all that said, I think the police used excessive force (in my name) against Finicum. (With ‘police’ meaning anyone authorized to use deadly force.) A shot to the thigh would have sufficed, especially at point blank range. I know that the emotions of everyone involved in that scene were off the charts, but still. These are the situations where we ask that the police act with professionalism and restraint.
It does look like Finicum did pull out something shaped like a pistol, and I assume that it was in fact a pistol. Even then, the person who shot him had ample time to make a leg shot first. That person is only a few feet away with ample support also a few feet away. I think that the chest shot was a dick move.
I don’t know what I would have done if I were that officer in the same situation, so it’s a dick move for me to criticize, I admit. But that video looks very bad for the government, IMO.
