this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2024
612 points (84.6% liked)
US Authoritarianism
789 readers
740 users here now
Hello, I am researching American crimes against humanity. . This space so far has been most strongly for memes, and that's fine.
There's other groups and you are welcome to add to them. USAuthoritarianism Linktree
See Also, my website. USAuthoritarianism.com be advised at time of writing it is basically just a donate link
Cool People: !thepoliceproblem@lemmy.world
founded 8 months ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Felony murder would perhaps work if you were directly involved. For example, if the guy had been active in a shootout with the cops with his friend, or e en if he was then only one shooting at the cops and his friend was shot and killed, then yeah sure I get it. But here, the only common thread in the incident is the robbery, the surviving kid ran into the woods to escape while his friend actively engaged the cops. They weren't acting together at that point. Otherwise, yeah I agree that there also should have been safe guards in place since he was a minor at the time as well.
If there's a 2-man team of a spotter and a sniper, the sniper is pulling the trigger and the spotter is calling the shots, then sure, charge the spotter with murder too.
In virtually every other case, there are already crimes for what the other person did. Use those existing crimes.
This also makes me think of SWATting. Yeah, it's awful to do that. But, 99% of the blame for a successful SWATting should fall on the cops. Someone makes a claim over the phone, and as a result you kick down a door and charge in, guns blazing? SWATting wouldn't work if cops could go to prison for kicking in the door at a house where nothing was going on. If that were a risk, they'd stop and verify the facts before making a decision that could ruin their lives. The only reason it works is that cops are given immunity for just about everything, so there's no real downside to shoot first and verify assumptions later.
Charging the kid for his buddy getting killed by the cops is some kind of black mirror garbage that can only happen in a world where cops can face no responsibilities for their actions. If we lived in a world where cops could face responsibility for their actions, the cop could get charged with murder. Now, he'd easily beat that murder charge because he was acting in self-defense, as the guy he shot was shooting at him. How twisted is it that the person who actually fired the killing shot could claim self-defense, but the person who was running away at the time can't make that claim because he wasn't the one who actually fired the shot?
You can find videos on YouTube of the father of the hyper paranoid and reactional cop. He's been doing seminars for over a decade telling young recruits that 'THEY WANT TO KILL YOU, SHOOT FIRST, THE CITY WILL BAIL YOU OUT!"
I can't remember his name, but any idiot good with YouTube and Google can find it.
I posit if you're that much of a frightened and paranoid pussy, you shouldn't be a cop. But that's just me.
Yeah, I've heard of that guy. He's one of the many reasons why the US police suck so much. But, he can only influence cops in a world where cops can't be held legally responsible for their actions. If cops could be charged with murder / manslaughter people would avoid his course because they'd get sent to prison for following his advice.