Mother of shot suspect: Cops “did their job right”

3 thoughts on “Mother of shot suspect: Cops “did their job right””

1. I'm interested in hearing Cleanville Tziabatz's analysis of this story.

2. Nothing wrong with a good shoot. They happen all the time. I'd want to hear the guy who got shot's story before pronouncing a firm tentative judgment, but the burden is on him to come up with a real good story, or video, and that seems unlikely.

   On sort of a broader analysis, unlike many who are considered anti-LEO (and, btw, I don't consider myself anti-LEO), my issues with the current crop of policemen has a lot more to do with honesty issues than force issues. It is true that force issues and honesty issues often blend together, because the asserted justification for the force level is suspect, but once I believe the asserted justification, I am usually okay with the force level. On the other hand, if I perceive even a small level of police dishonesty, even in the absence of force, I have a strong negative reaction to that. I have a strong negative reactive even when I perceive that the issue of police honesty is "off the table" because of some there is some kind of informal presumption that the policeman is telling the truth and the suspect is lying.

   As an example, I witnessed part of the Rodney King riots in Oakland, but did not join in. I thougt the use of force against Rodney King was in a grey area. Not clearly justified, but not clearly unjustified.

   For me, it is not about level of force, primarily, but about credibility. I didn't feel that badly about Mr. Mineo's bottom, but I did feel bad because I got the sense he was falsely testified against.

   This may make me unique among police critics. I don't know.

3. On a related note, yesterday, the grand jury have decided that police were lying about the circumstances in the Angel Alvarez case (which Prof. Moskos blogged about last August).

   Do I mind that they shot Mr. Alvarez? Maybe, maybe not, don't have enough facts, never will.

   Do I mind that they lied about Mr. Alvarez shooting at them? YOU BET YOUR BOOTS, BOOTSY COLLINS.

   I am trying to show others how to draw these types of distinctions.

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