The George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests and police conduct

[BigRedBuster]

10 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

I am still not sure how this type of behavior, almost 3 months later in Chicago, helps the cause:

It doesn't.  And it appears to me to be a bunch of people being opportunistic and doing nothing but wanting to destroy and steal things.

 

It's disgusting.

[knapplc]

14 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

I am still not sure how this type of behavior, almost 3 months later in Chicago, helps the cause:

 

https://home.chicagopolice.org/crime-video-archives/looting-civil-unrest-videos/

 

Why do you think this is "the cause" that Black Lives Matter is about? This doesn't belong in this thread.

 

This is like posting the video of George Floyd being murdered and asking how this helps the Police's cause.

[BigRedBuster]

1 minute ago, knapplc said:

 

Why do you think this is "the cause" that Black Lives Matter is about? This doesn't belong in this thread.

 

This is like posting the video of George Floyd being murdered and asking how this helps the Police's cause.

It's not the cause of BLM.  But, I believe these people are using the unrest around the country (which stemmed from the George Floyd death to do this.  Like I said, they are being opportunistic and it's disgusting.

[DevoHusker]

13 minutes ago, knapplc said:

 

Why do you think this is "the cause" that Black Lives Matter is about? This doesn't belong in this thread.

 

This is like posting the video of George Floyd being murdered and asking how this helps the Police's cause.

 

It does belong here. WTF does looting in Chicago (or anywhere else) have to do with proving there is racism in police forces?

[DevoHusker]

5 minutes ago, BlitzFirst said:

There will always be opportunists that take advantage of situations.

 

All black people are not the exact same...some may be using BLM selfishly and opportunistically.

 

 

We should be smart enough to see that this is the case here and reserve lumping them in with the movement.

 

If not for the BLM movement and protests after the death of George Floyd, that have continued for 3 months, you think that random/varied groups of people in Chicago would be busting in to Miracle Mile storefronts and looting? 

 

This looting footage looks just like other footage from the protests from all over the US. 

[DevoHusker]

8 minutes ago, BlitzFirst said:

 

All black people are not the exact same...

 

 

But, according to you, all cops are 

[knapplc]

13 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

 

It does belong here. WTF does looting in Chicago (or anywhere else) have to do with proving there is racism in police forces?

 

So all Black people are members of BLM? And what any one Black person does is reflective of BLM?

 

This is a thread about Black Lives Matter, the movement. Just rando videos of Black people don't have anything to do with this.

[DevoHusker]

27 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

It's not the cause of BLM.  But, I believe these people are using the unrest around the country (which stemmed from the George Floyd death to do this.  Like I said, they are being opportunistic and it's disgusting.

 

BRB said it better than me

[Danny Bateman]

 

[Moiraine]

2 hours ago, Danny Bateman said:

 

 

 

They're going to claim they thought he was reaching for a weapon.

[Enhance]

Referencing the Blake shooting...

 

I watched the 13-second YouTube clip of what purportedly shows his shooting. It's really difficult to make out what all is being said, but here's what can be seen/heard based on my perspective:

• Police with guns drawn on an unarmed man (Blake)
• Blake walks away from police and around the front of his car while police and everybody else are yelling; police still have their guns drawn
• You can hear one person (likely a cop) screaming "don't you do it, don't you do it" as Blake walks to his driver side door, opens it up and leans inside the car (it looks like his arm may have been reaching for something but it's difficult to make out, although he definitely leans into the vehicle)
• One cop (the closest to the door) grabs the back of Blake's shirt as Blake reaches inside, and then unloads several shots into his back

 

We have few details of what happened prior to the video other than police being called to that area for a domestic dispute. Did police try to properly de-escalate? Did the situation warrant them to draw their guns? And then why did Blake walk away from them and into his car?

[Moiraine]

12 minutes ago, Enhance said:

Referencing the Blake shooting...

 

I watched the 13-second YouTube clip of what purportedly shows his shooting. It's really difficult to make out what all is being said, but here's what can be seen/heard based on my perspective:

• Police with guns drawn on an unarmed man (Blake)
• Blake walks away from police and around the front of his car while police and everybody else are yelling; police still have their guns drawn
• You can hear one person (likely a cop) screaming "don't you do it, don't you do it" as Blake walks to his driver side door, opens it up and leans inside the car (it looks like his arm may have been reaching for something but it's difficult to make out, although he definitely leans into the vehicle)
• One cop (the closest to the door) grabs the back of Blake's shirt as Blake reaches inside, and then unloads several shots into his back

We have few details of what happened prior to the video other than police being called to that area for a domestic dispute. We also don't exactly know why Blake was choosing to walk away from police (who had their guns drawn) and then reach inside his vehicle. Did police try to properly de-escalate? Did the situation warrant them to draw their guns? And then why did Blake walk away from them and into his car?

 

 

 

If he was unarmed, why are their guns drawn? If their guns hadn't been drawn they could have easily subdued him before he got to the vehicle, with pepper spray or batons or by tackling him. 
 

It seems unlikely even if he did have a gun that they would have known it ahead of time, and therefore it doesn't make sense that they're pointing guns at him. 

[BigRedBuster]

12 minutes ago, Enhance said:

Referencing the Blake shooting...

 

I watched the 13-second YouTube clip of what purportedly shows his shooting. It's really difficult to make out what all is being said, but here's what can be seen/heard based on my perspective:

• Police with guns drawn on an unarmed man (Blake)
• Blake walks away from police and around the front of his car while police and everybody else are yelling; police still have their guns drawn
• You can hear one person (likely a cop) screaming "don't you do it, don't you do it" as Blake walks to his driver side door, opens it up and leans inside the car (it looks like his arm may have been reaching for something but it's difficult to make out, although he definitely leans into the vehicle)
• One cop (the closest to the door) grabs the back of Blake's shirt as Blake reaches inside, and then unloads several shots into his back

We have few details of what happened prior to the video other than police being called to that area for a domestic dispute. We also don't exactly know why Blake was choosing to walk away from police (who had their guns drawn) and then reach inside his vehicle. Did police try to properly de-escalate? Did the situation warrant them to draw their guns? And then why did Blake walk away from them and into his car?

I've watched the video a number of times.  I have a problem with police shooting someone in the back.  BUT....WTF was he thinking?  Police have their guns drawn.  LISTEN TO THEM!!!!! and at least stop, explain to them you were there to break up a fight (witnesses testified to this).

 

For the police sake, I hope they did everything they could to deescalate the situation before the video was started.  But, since it's not on video, this whole thing is now going to blow up again.

 

And....why didn't at least one of them have a taser so they didn't have to use lethal force? (assuming that would have even been appropriate)

[Danny Bateman]

11 minutes ago, Enhance said:

Referencing the Blake shooting...

 

I watched the 13-second YouTube clip of what purportedly shows his shooting. It's really difficult to make out what all is being said, but here's what can be seen/heard based on my perspective:

• Police with guns drawn on an unarmed man (Blake)
• Blake walks away from police and around the front of his car while police and everybody else are yelling; police still have their guns drawn
• You can hear one person (likely a cop) screaming "don't you do it, don't you do it" as Blake walks to his driver side door, opens it up and leans inside the car (it looks like his arm may have been reaching for something but it's difficult to make out, although he definitely leans into the vehicle)
• One cop (the closest to the door) grabs the back of Blake's shirt as Blake reaches inside, and then unloads several shots into his back

 

We have few details of what happened prior to the video other than police being called to that area for a domestic dispute. Did police try to properly de-escalate? Did the situation warrant them to draw their guns? And then why did Blake walk away from them and into his car?

 

This is the same sequence I have seen, albeit you described it in much greater detail so thanks.

 

It's certainly driven the typical "he should've listened to the police" crowd out of the woodwork and to an extent, that's true.

 

So of course, we need more context on exactly how this unfolded. But my question at this point is if the situation needed to be de-escalated and police were fearful enough for their safety to have their weapons (multiple!) drawn, why wasn't Blake cuffed and sitting on the sidewalk as is typical in such situations?

 

My tiny civilian brain cannot fathom why they both drew their weapons and yelled orders at him AND proceeded to let him walk around to the drivers side of the car, open the door, reach back into the vehicle and ultimately shoot him in the back?

[Moiraine]

4 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

I've watched the video a number of times.  I have a problem with police shooting someone in the back.  BUT....WTF was he thinking?  Police have their guns drawn.  LISTEN TO THEM!!!!! and at least stop, explain to them you were there to break up a fight (witnesses testified to this).

For the police sake, I hope they did everything they could to deescalate the situation before the video was started.  But, since it's not on video, this whole thing is now going to blow up again.

 

 

While I agree, people (I don't mean you) use this all the time to take all blame away from police and put it all on the person. The police are supposed to be the responsible party. Stupidity, belligerence, and running away do not deserve death as a punishment. There are a million other options. 

And I don't think they did everything they could. They had time to use force without guns, while he was unarmed. He was walking calmly to the vehicle. There was time.