After the tragic death of Daunte Wright who was stated to have been accidentally shot by a policer officer, many protests started to emerge in an attempt to bring justice and social equality. Although the protests were at first peacefully marching to raise awareness to the situation, they soon became disorderly and riotous, leading to over a hundred getting arrested. Protestors were sighted thrashing fences and barricades as well as throwing objects such as bottles at police officers near the Brooklyn Center Police Department. Eventually, a curfew was called in an attempt to promote safety and ease the tensions that many citizens faced.
As for how the incident unfolded, Mr. Wright was pulled over initially for having an expired registration sticker on his car but it was later discovered that he also had "hanging air fresheners in the rearview mirror" which is considered illegal as it can potentially obscure the view of the driver. It was also revealed that Mr. Wright had an arrest warrant issued on him because of a "gross demeanor weapons charge". Shortly after, Mr. Wright was told to put his hands behind his back and to not resist while he was being handcuffed. Mr. Wright then shakes away from the cop and tries to get back into his car when he was suddenly shot after being told that the officer was going to tase him for being uncooperative. Mr. Wright proceeds to get back into his car and drives off, shortly crashing into another car and leading to Mr. Wright bleeding out. The cop later stated that she thought she was reaching for her taser and not her firearm.
The officer who shot Daunte was arrested and said to have committed second degree manslaughter, calling for her appearance in court. Normally, people tend to serve ten years in prison along with a $20,000 fee for committing such an action, but the officer posted for bail and only walked away with losing her job. Many still believe justice wasn't served and that she should pay a heavier price for the actions she committed, adding fuel onto these violent protests.
Questions to consider:
Are these protests against the police justified?
Should the cop should pay a higher price for her actions?
Do you believe the shooting was unintentional?
Sources:
2 comments:
Based on the premise that the shooting was unintentional, it is clear that there is a problem with police equipment placement if something like this can happen. A deadly weapon should not be able to be mistaken with a non-lethal one. Police equipment should be designed taking into account the stress an officer might experience during an encounter, as stressful situations leave higher risk for human-error, and error should not lead to a loss of human life. Police training should also be modified to place higher emphasis on de-escalation instead of focusing on guns and violence.
If the shooting was intentional, then that also indicates a problem in the police system. So, the question of intent shouldn't matter because either way, the death of Daunte Wright signifies a problem with the police system that needs to be addressed, as do the countless other wrongful deaths by the hands of the police.
As for the consequences of the officer, I believe that bail is not enough. Someone was killed, and she shouldn't be able to walk away practically scot-free.
This article discusses the differences between a glock and a taser and the question of officer intent: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/how-veteran-officer-could-have-mistaken-glock-taser-fatal-shooting-n1263976
I find it very strange and worrying that a police officer can mistake her taser with her firearm. These lethal weapons should be used carefully, and the error resulted in a fatality that should have never happened. I don't want to go so far as to say the shooting was intentional, but considering the amount of training police officers go through, I feel a bit shocked and disappointed by this mistake. This has just been one of the many unjustified shooting incidents we've seen lately, and the protests will not stop unless people see that change is implemented. As Pariya said, perhaps something needs to change internally, within the police departments, and police officers should be educated further by the gravity of their actions. For the police officer's intent, it is difficult to say; I don't think bail is enough for her actions, but I don't know the entirety of the situation so it is difficult to say. However, it is certain that these incidents are occurring far too often for people to call them "accidents," and something is intrinsically wrong in our police jurisdiction.
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