Cop hits guy with squad car

[Jer]

You are welcome to argue with me just don't present silly analogies that don't remotely apply to the situation as fact. You guys are welcome to think/say whatever you want but in a situation where a guy is lucky at best and a danger at worst I'm not sure why we're applauding his actions & calling him a hero in a time when those who wear a badge can ill afford yet another black eye.

[Jer]

I absolutely know that. It might seem foolish to try, but in the rare event I get lucky and convince him, I'll end up a hero. We all take risks.

Hey, as long as nobody innocent is harmed in the attempt... have at it. lol

[Irving]

You are welcome to argue with me just don't present silly analogies that don't remotely apply to the situation as fact.

This is what you are doing. You're comparing his actions to a situation that never existed. There was no person crouching behind the wall. The wall didn't have re-bar in it. No innocents were involved at all. So why even bring up the what-if's at all? It's too easy to say, "Well, if there was a double stroller holding twins just behind the wall, you'd all be singing a different tune." Sure, that's probably true, but that's not what happened, so why go to the effort to present it? I think it's okay to be happy about things that worked out, instead of worrying about events that never took place. There is enough stuff that does go wrong every day to spend time on the stuff that doesn't.

[HoneyBadger]

This is what you are doing. You're comparing his actions to a situation that never existed. There was no person crouching behind the wall. The wall didn't have re-bar in it. No innocents were involved at all. So why even bring up the what-if's at all? It's too easy to say, "Well, if there was a double stroller holding twins just behind the wall, you'd all be singing a different tune." Sure, that's probably true, but that's not what happened, so why go to the effort to present it? I think it's okay to be happy about things that worked out, instead of worrying about events that never took place. There is enough stuff that does go wrong every day to spend time on the stuff that doesn't.

This is a good point, but I think the hypotheticals do serve to point out that it is unlikely that the cop in question knew all the answers as he charged in at a relatively high speed.

I think the outcome is good, but it is purely speculative to presume that you knew it would end exactly this way.

[Irving]

If the cop knew all the answers, he would have called in sick that day and let someone else get into that situation.

[HoneyBadger]

If the cop knew all the answers, he would have called in sick that day and let someone else get into that situation.

That's why I keep getting the crap piled on me at work... I never call in sick!

Either way, I think we can all agree that hypotheticals have limited application to this scenario.

I think we can also agree that the scenario presents a very difficult and complicated decision that does not necessarily leave much time for deliberation before action.

[Graves]

You are welcome to argue with me just don't present silly analogies that don't remotely apply to the situation as fact. You guys are welcome to think/say whatever you want but in a situation where a guy is lucky at best and a danger at worst I'm not sure why we're applauding his actions & calling him a hero in a time when those who wear a badge can ill afford yet another black eye.

Jer welcoming somebody to an argument??!






























Jk lol.

[Chad4000]

This is a good point, but I think the hypotheticals do serve to point out that it is unlikely that the cop in question knew all the answers as he charged in at a relatively high speed.

I think the outcome is good, but it is purely speculative to presume that you knew it would end exactly this way.

this

[Aloha_Shooter]

This is a good point, but I think the hypotheticals do serve to point out that it is unlikely that the cop in question knew all the answers as he charged in at a relatively high speed.

You never know all the answers when you have to take action. This is as true of law enforcement as it is of combat. I think the best measure of the situation was his Chief of Police's initial reaction was "oh damn" but the Chief supported the cop after carefully considering the overall situation and facts. This coming from a position that is usually politically appointed (just look at the scurrilous remarks from the Milwaukee Chief of Police as a contrast!) and a time when police are coming under increased scrutiny and (undeserved) criticism. It would have been very easy for the Chief to take his officer to task but he didn't.

[Dave_L]

Bad guy down, no good people hurt. We can play the "what if" game all day but the reality is that his actions ended the situation with no innocents being hurt. Can't we just leave it at that?

If we want to guess on possible outcomes before taking action, why are there high speed pursuits? That endangers the public on lots of levels. The cops shouldnt even pursue if that happens because there *might* be a pedestrian somewhere crossing the street that might get hit, or maybe a mini van full of toddlers gets smashed? Too many what ifs, better just not act.

ETA: If innocents get hurt, there are consequences to that officer. Obviously, this cop felt the potential risk of that was overruled by the threat in front of him. That why he gets paid to be a cop, to make those choices.