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Cop Who Shot Air Force Member Cleared

2585 Views 30 Replies 14 Participants Last post by  phaed
I didn't see this posted anywhere and if not for being related to one of the attorneys representing the Airman, I don't know that I would have ever heard about it.

Long story short, person (Davidson) got out of his car holding (excuse me...brandishing) his wallet and after "refusing" to comply with the officer, was shot once in the abdomen. On appeal to the US Ct of Appeals, the court found that...

After careful consideration and review of a video recording of the shooting, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Davidson, we conclude that a reasonable officer in Hancock's position would have feared for his life.
Link to updated story w/ dashcam video:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...waving-wallet-graphic-video-article-1.2995182

Moral of the story: Keep your damn hands where they can be seen!

A couple of things that bug me. One: After the officers obviously determine that they shot an unarmed man, they did NOTHING to render aid. That seems to be REALLY f*ed up in my mind. And two: I wonder if this would have gotten more (any!) publicity had Davidson been a black man?
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When you do not comply with an officers commands, you should expect to get shot.
Been a while SongDog. How have you been?

Bad shoot. I have nothing else to say. Watch the video for yourself. Bad shoot.
Yep, very bad.
When you do not comply with an officers commands, you should expect to get shot.
Get out of the vehicle and show me your ID.
BANG!
2
Cop reasonably thought he was dealing with a drunk or drugged driver.
Driver had a small black object in his hand.
But cop could not get a good look at it.
Suspect holds object in manner typically used to handle a pistol just before the shooter aims it at the target.

Cop shoots, immediatly upon seeing that, without waiting for suspect to actually aim it at him.

But, notice that's exactly what the suspect does once he got S hot and has fallen to the ground. He grabs that wallet with a two hand modified isosceles hold and aims it at the Cop.

Play stupid games, when stupid prizes. It ain't fair, but it's not a summary execution along the road either.
It's a reasonable mistake for the cop to make.

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Gunsmoker, is there a protocol I don't know about defining how to handle one's wallet when unexpectedly shot during a traffic stop? If there is I doubt that I would be able to recall it and comply, having a fresh smoking hole in my person and all.
But, notice that's exactly what the suspect does once he got S hot and has fallen to the ground. He grabs that wallet with a two hand modified isosceles hold and aims it at the Cop.
And this time he was not shot. The cops reactions were all over the board.

Sorry, no bueno from start to finish.
I've always cringed at the thought of how so many common objects that unarmed people carry with them daily can be mistaken for small handguns, or sometimes knives.
Since black is the most popular color of personal electronics these days, it's a real risk, if anybody is faces a cop who considers you to be a suspect (something you might not even be aware of; I was once the subject of a "felony stop" at gunpoint for driving a car that fit the description of an armed robber's car. A white 4-door sedan (???? One such vehicle went by the road about every minute).

Anyhow, when I had to replace my phone's protective case recently, I intentionally chose to get some color OTHER than black. I got one that was primarily red, with some blue mixed in as well.

When it's time to replace my wallet, I won't be going with a black one. I don't care about matching my shoes and belt. I'll go with a color that isn't easily mistaken for a gun in my hands.

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Same video as posted in the original post...
I could have sworn that when the original post was made it was just a short video. I do not remember seeing the entire video available. Could also be the CRS kicking in.
I'll go with a color that isn't easily mistaken for a gun in my hands.
Regardless of what color you choose, how it's perceived by the state's agents is entirely up to them, not you. The better alternative is not to pop out of your vehicle with something in your hands.
Regardless of what color you choose, how it's perceived by the state's agents is entirely up to them, not you. The better alternative is not to pop out of your vehicle with something in your hands.
The better alternative is not to give a select class of people the illusory power to murder others in the first place
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