More Thoughts On Charlotte
Yesterday I posted an essay on the Charlotte, North Carolina officer involved shooting, or OIS, titled The Nexus of Survival. I received quite a lot of positive comments on the piece, but I did get critical comments by Zen Cycle (not, I presume, his real name!) that are worth discussing a bit further.
(If you’d like to read his comments in full, they are available on FaceBook). Mr. Cycle made reference to a VERY unfortunate incident earlier this year where a black special needs worker (who, by the way, in the video, at least, seems like the nicest, most caring individual EVER), in the process of trying to control an autistic man who,people at the scene, thought might have had a gun. When the police arrived, the worker followed instructions, got on the ground as directed, put his hands up and STILL was shot by police! I’ve seen the video and there is NO doubt that’s what happened. Cycle’s point was that you can cooperate fully with police and STILL get shot. While that statement is undeniably true, but, hopefully rare, I responded as follows:
“Hi Zen Cycle,
I’ve seen the video of the incident you’re referring to. The officer (who, admittedly, is not the world’s best shot) was trying to shoot the mentally challenged escapee, who appeared to have a gun. In fact the 911 call that summoned the officers claimed the young man had a gun. Now having said that, do I think that NO individuals are ever shot by police in error? The answer is no, because human error, no matter how trained and prepared the officer is, can never fully be eliminated. I still feel that the odds are VERY much in your favor if you cooperate. Of course, THE most effective thing a person can do to avoid risk is to not break the law (and not to enter into suspicious or compromising situations) in the first place. By the way, a more light hearted but still VERY true take on these problems was a skit by Chris Rock done several years ago. If you haven’t seen it, it is very worthwhile, as it speaks very perceptively to these issues. Thanks.”
Mr. Cycle responded that he was unconvinced by my arguments, saying that, in the special needs worker shooting case, the police should have figured out that there there really wasn’t a gun. He referenced another OIS, the Philandro Castile case, and lastly, pointed to a recent Chris Rock interview, where the comedian voiced concerns about being profiled.
I responded as follows:
“Hi Zen Cycle,
A few further thoughts:
Whether it appeared, in retrospect, to be a gun or not, the initial call said the autistic man HAD a gun. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure, would be to get CLOSE to the individual to get a better look at it, something a responding officer might rightly be wary of in case it did turn out to be real!
Now, I personally don’t feel that “on the beat” police work is the right “fit” for the officer involved here. Being “trigger happy” is NOT a trait you want in that circumstance. However, I just can’t buy the idea that it was DELIBERATE. That scenario would have to involve thinking along these lines: “Wow! Here’s a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to shoot a black man on the ground! I better not let a chance like this pass me by! BLAM!” That just DOESN’T seem tenable to me.
Now, I don’t think any one can maintain that NO one is ever shot by the police in error. As human beings, officers can make a mistake. I do think it is rare however. It seems to me that in an arrest situation, the arrestee has only three options: 1) Cooperate 2) Try to run away 3) Fight it out with the police. I don’t know how any responsible individual can advocate for options 2 and 3.
Next, I will pass on commentary on the Philandro Castile incident, as the shooting was NOT actually caught on video, and, unfortunately, is a “he said/she said” type of case.
Lastly, I read the Mother Jones piece on Chris Rock. I am saddened by what he has said in the article, as he is a very smart and perceptive person. However, his justifiable concerns about profiling don’t change the basic common sense truth of his initial video, which, somewhat humorously, cautioned young men to behave carefully when confronted by the police. If that video were to be shown to at risk youth, I think: 1) They’d enjoy it. and 2) They’d learn very important things.”
In conclusion, what both of us have been discussing is, undeniably, a many faceted problem, with no easy answers.