MaggieD
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2010
- Messages
- 43,244
- Reaction score
- 44,664
- Location
- Chicago Area
- Gender
- Female
- Political Leaning
- Moderate
This is a sad day in America - a sad week. Part of the problem also is that the media finds the officers guilty before any real understanding of what happened is known. I don't know what happened, but what I heard on the video was that the officer was adamant that the person in the car was reaching for something. I don't understand why he pulled the trigger at all and especially more than once, but I also believe that these officers fear for their lives. The problem truly is much larger than just black vs. white. Until we start seeing that and understanding that the root cause of these terrible events is more encompassing than simply race, we will have these types of events continuing.
I dont think many of us understand what happens psysiologically when a cop (or anyone) goes into self-defense mode.
When our adrenalin starts pymping, the BEST we can expect to do is defer to training -- hope our muscle memory takes hold and our brain can keep up. Often it can't. We automatically go into self-preservation mode. We develop tunnel vision. Our fine motor skills are out the window. We start hyperventilating to prepare us for fight or flight. We start sweating profusely to prepare us for extreme physical exertion. All this and more completely controlled by our autonomous nervous system.
Itsnot like cops get much practice so they can be calm, cool and collected. They don't work in war zones. Don't shoot many people, IF ANY AT ALL. Hell, a large number of cops never draw their service revolver and point it at another human being.
One only had to watch that guy's girlfriend's video and listen to that cop to know he was a complete mess. COMPLETE MESS. And we judge him from our armchairs.