Cops shoot mentally ill man who was complying (all caught on video)

[Stan.Dupp]

The mother of the Schizophrenic man had called 911 asking for trained EMT or police to help with dealing with her son, who became agitated after an argument. You can see on the video he is pacing back and forth outside, then sits in a swivel chair. When the police arrive you see him back away from them, and witnesses claim when he was told to freeze after getting up he stopped and didn't move an inch, and that was when the police opened fire on him. The police claimed he had a knife, but witnesses say he didn't have a knife. I have watched this video several times, and in my opinion there was no justification for shooting this man. This just seems to be more of the same from police (untrained and trigger happy).

The video is in the news article: http://gawker.com/dallas-cops-shoot-...tre-1447471140

[Stan.Dupp]

"Took several steps towards them with a knife raised in an aggressive manner."

That's what the officers say. The video shows differently.

The shooting is bad enough, but without surveillance of them the cover up might have worked. That'd be horrific to get away with it - how many incidents like this don't have video?

[acp5762]

Well although this sort of incident happens quite often it's always unfortunate. From the start the Officers had information that Bennett was Mentally Ill and would most likely be combative and apparently his mother gave police dispatchers information that Bennett was armed with a knife. So Officers are going into this situation with the idea, "Guy is nuts and has a knife" Obviously the Police did a poor job in this incident. The video doesn't show obvious signs that Bennett had a knife or lunged towards officers aggressively.

[Stan.Dupp]

Originally Posted by acp5762

Well although this sort of incident happens quite often it's always unfortunate. From the start the Officers had information that Bennett was Mentally Ill and would most likely be combative and apparently his mother gave police dispatchers information that Bennett was armed with a knife. So Officers are going into this situation with the idea, "Guy is nuts and has a knife" Obviously the Police did a poor job in this incident. The video doesn't show obvious signs that Bennett had a knife or lunged towards officers aggressively.

Yea I think the mother made the situation worse by saying she thought he had a knife. The father says in the video he didn't. But it still boils down to lack of training, and flat out lying by police and being caught on a surveillance camera in that lie. This just causes the public to be more distrusting of cops when they are lying.

I really think that police officers should be required to obtain liability insurance so that if they are sued, it doesn't come out of the taxpayers pocket.

It looks like the civil rights groups have already filed a suit on this. I am pretty certain it will be settled out of court for some unknown amount, and the taxpayer yet again, will have to foot the bill for this reckless behavior.

[Kloie]

This is just sad and awful. I don't understand why police don't have to be insured when a cleaning service or a lawn service has to be to get a good contract. So sad this had to happen! Mental illness is still a dark over looked and shamed illness.

[acp5762]

Originally Posted by Stan.Dupp

Yea I think the mother made the situation worse by saying she thought he had a knife. The father says in the video he didn't. But it still boils down to lack of training, and flat out lying by police and being caught on a surveillance camera in that lie. This just causes the public to be more distrusting of cops when they are lying.

I really think that police officers should be required to obtain liability insurance so that if they are sued, it doesn't come out of the taxpayers pocket.

It looks like the civil rights groups have already filed a suit on this. I am pretty certain it will be settled out of court for some unknown amount, and the taxpayer yet again, will have to foot the bill for this reckless behavior.

Officers carrying Liability Insurance. That's actually a comment I've heard before. I think it could happen if Police Officers were independent contractors instead of public servants. The only problem with Police being Independent contractors would be citizens would have to pay for police services out of their own pocket instead of through taxes. I wonder what it would cost a citizen to report a stolen vehicle and then it be recovered and even possibly an arrest of the perpetrator(s).

[threepeckeredbillygoat]

Come on, cops wouldn't lie. Say it aint so.