George Floyd case - Officer arrested for Murder

[PHD]

I was a cop for 10 years. I'm not going to speak on race. But, until you've walked in those boots, you will never understand the range of emotions. I was fearful at times, I was grateful when a little kid came up with hs mother and said "thank you for your service," I was horrified at the attrocities I saw, I cried when I had to put an animal down. I suffer from PTSD from the job.

Until you have done it, don't judge harshly. I am not saying right or wrong. Most likely wrong... but don't jump.

And, yes. I think "wrong." I'm a white middle-aged male retired police officer.

 

[Planogirl]

Why does anyone assume that people were OK with the armed idiots in the government building? I was horrified and still can't believe that it was allowed. That doesn't mean that I will accept violence from someone else. I can understand it to a degree but I will never accept it.

Besides some are saying that many of the instigators and more violent individuals are anarchists who are taking advantage. Ugly situation.

 

[PHD]

Why does anyone assume that people were OK with the armed idiots in the government building? I was horrified and still can't believe that it was allowed. That doesn't mean that I will accept violence from someone else. I can understand it to a degree but I will never accept it.

Who are you referring to "armed idiots?"

 

[Planogirl]

Who are you referring to "armed idiots?"

Those who protested to open things up and brought their AK47s along for fun. They were mentioned a few times previously.

 

[Planogirl]

Double and unnecessary post

 

[PHD]

Those who protested to open things up and brought their AK47s along for fun. They were mentioned a few times previously.

Oh. Sorry. Thought you meant the cops.

And hey, this will be my last post because I hate gun ownership debates, but as long as I'm allowed to have a shotgun in my house for home protection and a handgun that I can carry concealed for self protection, and store them safely and securely, I'm OK with that. I don't see a need for a large capacity weapon.

EDIT: I also have 2 Rotweilers, so the shotgun may not be necessary... they love me

 

[pahoben]

They knelt peacefully. It didn’t work. Maybe now people will pay attention.

The KKK bombed buildings with children inside. Target will be ok.

You are excusing the police officer. Anything that includes a “but” in the sentence is justification for what happened. And there is zero justification for it. And if you don’t see that black men are systemically and unfairly targeted by police, mostly white police, then you live a different world than I do.

If you don’t think racism by whites is a cause for the unjustified murder of blacks, than say these names out loud and explain what happened.

George Lloyd
Breonna Taylor
Ahmaud Arbery

————

I’ve stayed quiet about the riots on here because after reading some of these comments, people just don’t want to get it. And be very clear, there is a difference between rioters and looters. Do not lump them together. Look at those three names above. Those are one we’ve found out about in the last TWO weeks. What should black people do to get your attention? You say peaceful protests, but when Kapernick took a knee that was wrong. How do you get more peaceful than that?

And for anybody who doesn’t think racism is alive and well, I’ll leave with you this. If police don’t want riots, maybe they need to change the way they approach these situations.

View attachment 497939

I will answer as honestly as I can, you may not like my answer “but” I am writing this in good faith.

I have lived many places in the world including years in Equatorial Africa. I have been shaken down for money by police many many times including most recently a couple months ago. I have been targeted sometimes because of my race, sometimes because of my nationality, and sometimes at least initially because I happened to be in the most convenient car on the road. My firm belief is that no matter the reason for an LEO speaking with you the best strategy is to show respect and comply with their requests in a reasonable manner. It is in all cases a high risk situation for the civilian but showing attitude or being non compliant increases risk dramatically.

I have West African friends in the southern US that have never had a problem. One was stopped for speeding recently and he was sure he was over the blood alcohol limit. He is a respectful person and was respectful during the stop by a Caucasian officer and the guy let him go with no DUI even though it was clear he had been drinking and to which he admitted. It is very unusual now for DUI’s not to be pursued. If his behavior would have been aggressive or confrontational he would certainly have spent the night in jail. I believe that African Americans do tend to be more aggressive during interaction with police and their risks are increased because of that.

No race has a monopoly on bad people nor good people. I know that simple labels can in no way adequately represent a complex human being. So long as this racism/oppression paradigm is a major part of US politics then nothing will improve. Everyone that lives in the US is fortunate relative to other places in the world and that is why so many people from every continent do all that they can to immigrate to the US.

No doubt some policemen have poor anger control skills and revel in control (very large number of human beings in LE). If I interact with that type of policeman I wouldn’t have to do much in the way of attitude to provoke him and receive retribution. It doesn’t matter black or white, male or female, you will receive retribution-out of control rage is rage no matter who provokes it. The best you can do is just say yes sir no sir and do not escalate the situational stress.

BTW the definition of riot is-
Definition of riot
1a: a violent public disorder specifically : a tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons assembled together and acting with a common intent
b: public violence, tumult, or disorder

 

[Hikergirl]

They knelt peacefully. It didn’t work. Maybe now people will pay attention.

The KKK bombed buildings with children inside. Target will be ok.

Oh we are paying attention but not in the way you seem to think.
If you think rioting and looting helps your message then you’ve got a lot to learn.
You can start with the very basics that most of us learn in childhood- 2 wrongs don’t make a right.


As for paying attention, again how about pay attention to the actual statistics instead of posting a mad face because you don’t like the truth being pointed out.

 

[Darklord77]

And for anybody who doesn’t think racism is alive and well, I’ll leave with you this. If police don’t want riots, maybe they need to change the way they approach these situations.

I love your attachment from Robert Reich, whoever that is. Big difference in the "MAGA protestors" at the state capitols and the rioting hoards we've seen the last few nights. The "MAGA" people weren't burning, looting, and assaulting police. To call these thugs protesters the last few nights is an insult to actual protesters exercising their rights.

 

[Darklord77]

I don't see a need for a large capacity weapon.

Define large capacity weapon? I have a handgun? Some consider that a large capacity weapon. I have three handguns that can hold 15+ rounds. They make magazines that can hold 30 rounds in a handgun. When bad guys don't see the need for large capacity weapons then I will change my mind. Until then..........

 

[Dole_whip_doll]

To those talking about “race motivated”.....how do you know?

motive is about what someone thinks, so unless you’re able to read minds, no one can know what someone is thinking when they act. That is why I have a problem with indictments, trials, evidence relying so heavily on motive. There is absolutely no way to accurately determine it without everyone having a chip in their head we can take out and read. Heck they may even say they did something because Xyz, but they are the only person that will ever know what happened.

Also, if people would just learn to cooperate with the police and go along peacefully to resolve whatever, I don’t think we’d see so much of this. Yes this cop did something he shouldn’t have and should be punished. But if everyone, no matter race or color or gender or whatever would just put on the cuffs and go “downtown” then it can be resolved without any violence.

 

[Darklord77]

I was a cop for 10 years. I'm not going to speak on race. But, until you've walked in those boots, you will never understand the range of emotions. I was fearful at times, I was grateful when a little kid came up with hs mother and said "thank you for your service," I was horrified at the attrocities I saw, I cried when I had to put an animal down. I suffer from PTSD from the job.

Until you have done it, don't judge harshly. I am not saying right or wrong. Most likely wrong... but don't jump.

And, yes. I think "wrong." I'm a white middle-aged male retired police officer.

Unfortunately to police in a large urban area people eventually take on many of the traits associated with sociopaths. I'm not saying that they are full blown serial killers in the making, but develop these traits over time as a way to cope.

 

[Darklord77]

To those talking about “race motivated”.....how do you know?

I'm glad you brought this up. The officer's wife is a minority. Well soon to be ex-wife. I honestly don't think race had anything to do with it. Just a bad police officer that made a really bad decision.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Hmmm

https://twitter.com/x/status/1266741059163389952

https://twitter.com/x/status/1266742854266900483

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Why does anyone assume that people were OK with the armed idiots in the government building? I was horrified and still can't believe that it was allowed. That doesn't mean that I will accept violence from someone else. I can understand it to a degree but I will never accept it.

Besides some are saying that many of the instigators and more violent individuals are anarchists who are taking advantage. Ugly situation.

I love your attachment from Robert Reich, whoever that is. Big difference in the "MAGA protestors" at the state capitols and the rioting hoards we've seen the last few nights. The "MAGA" people weren't burning, looting, and assaulting police. To call these thugs protesters the last few nights is an insult to actual protesters exercising their rights.

The point is that that we’ve been told over and over the protestors who rushed the capital were not the same people who were protesting the lockdowns. “Don’t group them together”, “They don’t speak for us”. Yet when it’s this, suddenly people can’t separate the groups. They’re all “thugs”.

And it doesn’t matter who it is, the sentiment is the same. The police reaction to the two different groups is disproportionate. You think if police had intervened with the MAGA protestors, they would have just laid down their assault rifles and gone peacefully? We’ll never know because they weren’t confronted the way Black Lives Matter protesters were.

——
As for anybody who doesn’t believe this is about race, you’re deluding yourself, but there is nothing I can say to you. Georg Floyd didn’t resist arrest and he’s still dead, so that “they shouldn’t resist arrest” doesn’t work. Breonna Taylor was in her own home and not even the person they were looking for. Justify those two and then you can tell me these aren't race related.

And @pahoben - that a cop would actually let somebody go who’s been drinking and appears over the legal limit, makes me sick and it makes him a bad cop. My cousin was killed last year by a 3x DUI offender and left two 3 year olds orphaned. So if that’s your example of a good cop, keep looking.

 

[mnrose]

Exactly. The true Minnesotans are those good people, black, white, Asian and every other color of the rainbow, out there sweeping and cleaning behind the out of state interlopers who caused all the damage the last few nights. The line of black men protecting a lone policeman who was cut off from his unit. These are Minnesotans. We have a spirit that is hard to define. We KNOW we have work to do in the area of social justice and to keep other George Floyd's from happening. We are not ignorant of that. But, we do not condone the violence and looting. That is being driven by outside forces bent on taking advantage of our shared grief at the unjustified murder of Mr. Floyd to sow *******. EVERY SINGLE PERSON arrested in St Paul last night was from out of state. EVERY SINGLE ONE!

 

[robinb]

I love your attachment from Robert Reich, whoever that is.

He was the Secretary or Labor between 1993 and 1997.

 

[Darklord77]

And it doesn’t matter who it is, the sentiment is the same. The police reaction to the two different groups is disproportionate. You think if police had intervened with the MAGA protestors, they would have just laid down their assault rifles and gone peacefully? We’ll never know because they weren’t confronted the way Black Lives Matter protesters were.

You can't compare the two groups. MAGAers were not looting, pillaging, setting cars and buildings on fire, and assaulting police. Police did not have to intervene with those protesters because they were mostly conducting peaceful and legal protests. Lets clear something up, these were not BLM protesters the last few nights. I'm sure BLM does not condone general unlawful conduct like we have seen on the news. To compare these groups and their protests is like wondering why an apple doesn't taste like an orange. I'm sure if the MAGA crowd started to burn and loot, our friend's in the news would have lumped all anti-lockdown folks in that group. Not only does CNN stand in front of a burning building and proclaim the protests were peaceful, but they never scolded the "protesters" for not social distancing like they did with the MAGA crowd. It's really comical.

 

[Darklord77]

He was the Secretary or Labor between 1993 and 1997.

LOL! That makes him an expert I guess. Maybe we should get the former Sec of Education to talk about medical precautions during the pandemic. LOL

 

[robinb]

LOL! That makes him an expert I guess. Maybe we should get the former Sec of Education to talk about medical precautions during the pandemic. LOL

You asked who he was so I Googled it for you. I knew he was a former Secretary of Labor, but not the dates. Now you know.