Cops gun down legal carrying citizen

[50PoundHead]

already seeing media dragging his name through the mud to justify the shooting... As if having a criminal record is enough justification for killing someone

If you're talking about the Minnesota case, it was for an expired license. But yeah, Castile seemed to be a stand-up guy who was hardly a thug. He's been described as those who worked with him as Mr. Rogers with Dreads.

Here's a little aside. Mrs. 50# got stopped by two cops on the same force last year for the same violation: broken tail light. Now Mrs. 50# is not prone to overstatement except when talking about my clutter, so I take her at her word. Her description of the stop is eerily similar to what happened to Philadro Castile sans gunfire. The officer asked for her license and insurance information. She usually carries both in her purse, but she had moved her insurance card to her glove compartment and told the officer she had to go into it to retrieve the information he had asked for. As she turns toward the compartment, she sees a fellow officer on the passenger side with his hand on his holstered firearm. I don't know if it was the same exact set of cops, but that's f*ckin' nuts.

[gilesfan]

When I've been pulled over, I keep my hands on the wheel until the officer instructs me what to do. I think that is pretty much mandatory at this point.

I read that the Minnesota guy fit the description of armed robbery suspects. That could be after the fact bull****, but I believe that is why he was pulled over and the cops were on high alert.

[sturg33]

If you're talking about the Minnesota case, it was for an expired license. But yeah, Castile seemed to be a stand-up guy who was hardly a thug. He's been described as those who worked with him as Mr. Rogers with Dreads.

Here's a little aside. Mrs. 50# got stopped by two cops on the same force last year for the same violation: broken tail light. Now Mrs. 50# is not prone to overstatement except when talking about my clutter, so I take her at her word. Her description of the stop is eerily similar to what happened to Philadro Castile sans gunfire. The officer asked for her license and insurance information. She usually carries both in her purse, but she had moved her insurance card to her glove compartment and told the officer she had to go into it to retrieve the information he had asked for. As she turns toward the compartment, she sees a fellow officer on the passenger side with his hand on his holstered firearm. I don't know if it was the same exact set of cops, but that's f*ckin' nuts.

I was talking about Alton

[50PoundHead]

When I've been pulled over, I keep my hands on the wheel until the officer instructs me what to do. I think that is pretty much mandatory at this point.

I read that the Minnesota guy fit the description of armed robbery suspects. That could be after the fact bull****, but I believe that is why he was pulled over and the cops were on high alert.

As do I and as did Mrs. 50#. And it appears that is what Castile was doing as well and informed the cops he was reaching for his wallet. Castile's biggest mistake seems to be the fact he announced that he had a weapon and a conceal/carry permit.

[gilesfan]

As do I and as did Mrs. 50#. And it appears that is what Castile was doing as well and informed the cops he was reaching for his wallet. Castile's biggest mistake seems to be the fact he announced that he had a weapon and a conceal/carry permit.

Yep, you might be right, which is a shame bc typically this actually puts officers at ease. (concealed holders don't have records) This officer seems woafully inadequate to handle the pressure of the job. You could just tell after the fact. In the La shooting, the officers tried other measures before gunfire and gave the guy several chances to obey.

[weso1]

Ok, thanks for clarifying.

You're welcome. I felt like it needed clarifying after Obama stated that these are not isolated events.

[Julio3000]

If you're talking about the Minnesota case, it was for an expired license. But yeah, Castile seemed to be a stand-up guy who was hardly a thug. He's been described as those who worked with him as Mr. Rogers with Dreads.

Few things scream "dangerous criminal" like the words "montessori school cafeteria manager."

[50PoundHead]

Few things scream "dangerous criminal" like the words "montessori school cafeteria manager."

Well, Maria Montessori was an educational rebel. It only follows.

I think one of the problems in Minnesota is that the state is extremely racially isolated. We have this reputation as the Land Where Walter Mondale is President, but we're also the state that put Michelle Bachmann in Congress. There is a ton of racial tension in the state and a lot of folks grow up no differently than I did in the 1960s in that they have little, if any, exposure to other races. It's changing in the urban core and the inner-ring suburbs (where my domicile is located), but the fast-growing outer-ring suburbs are almost completely white. Interesting that a lot of our outstate regional centers are becoming more diverse with the need for unskilled labor (especially in areas that have food processing plants). Given this dichotomy, racial tension has been rising and this incident will only add fuel to that.

[Oklahomahawk]

Well, Maria Montessori was an educational rebel. It only follows.

I think one of the problems in Minnesota is that the state is extremely racially isolated. We have this reputation as the Land Where Walter Mondale is President, but we're also the state that put Michelle Bachmann in Congress. There is a ton of racial tension in the state and a lot of folks grow up no differently than I did in the 1960s in that they have little, if any, exposure to other races. It's changing in the urban core and the inner-ring suburbs (where my domicile is located), but the fast-growing outer-ring suburbs are almost completely white. Interesting that a lot of our outstate regional centers are becoming more diverse with the need for unskilled labor (especially in areas that have food processing plants). Given this dichotomy, racial tension has been rising and this incident will only add fuel to that.

Now now Fitty, if you can't prove this "racial tension" stuff with actual statistics then you don't get to use it.

[50PoundHead]

Now now Fitty, if you can't prove this "racial tension" stuff with actual statistics then you don't get to use it.

I think, and hope, you are kidding. I work around legislators and there's more dog-whistle rhetoric tossed about than I care to admit.

[weso1]

I believe racial tensions are very high right now, mainly promulgated by those who seek to segregate this country into tribes.

[Oklahomahawk]

I think, and hope, you are kidding. I work around legislators and there's more dog-whistle rhetoric tossed about than I care to admit.

Extreme sarcasm my friend. It's one of the few things I can still do well. :)

[50PoundHead]

Here's a little more on the Falcon Heights shooting. Myron Orfield is cited in the article and the guy is really sharp. He's spent most of his career as an academic and one-time legislator on the subject of urban/suburban development with deep analysis as to how that has affected racial isolation. If anyone is interested, he has written several books on the subject.

Anyway, here's Minneapolis StarTribune's columnist Jon Tevlin's piece on the tragedy: http://www.startribune.com/tevlin-ro...ies/386148501/

[jpx7]

Obama today said that these shootings are not isolated. That is patently false.

It's hardly "patently" false.

[weso1]

It's hardly "patently" false.

patently false

[weso1]

What's shameful is that this over the top rhetoric and fanning the flames of known falsehoods could lead to more black people being murdered if police officers become less willing to patrol certain areas the way they need to be patrolled.

I think black lives matter could be a good thing if they would concentrate on larger and more important issues facing the black community. Police shootings will eventually all but end anyway as non lethal technology continues to improve.

[njc108]

What's shameful is that this over the top rhetoric and fanning the flames of known falsehoods could lead to more black people being murdered if police officers become less willing to patrol certain areas the way they need to be patrolled.

I think black lives matter could be a good thing if they would concentrate on larger and more important issues facing the black community. Police shootings will eventually all but end anyway as non lethal technology continues to improve.

I actually sort of agree with you. BLM should focus less on everyday protests. If they do it do it at popular white malls during peek shopping times such as Black Friday. Also blacks should boycott. A full week from our black entertainers (Especially during Football season oh people will flip lol) to cashiers. All blacks stay at home and dont buy anything. Hit the US economy!!!

Ultimately I think a race war is coming.

[The Chosen One]

There isn't a race war coming.

But at some point there needs to be some accountability.

[njc108]

From both sides. But things like this just makes me think there will be no peace until we have this war.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.2705351

[jpx7]

known falsehoods

What "known falsehoods"? You're stating your own personal fictions as obvious fact here.

Systemic racism is a real phenomenon, even if you want to presume a total absence of racist intent on the part of current actors, because history is an emergent process and current events are inextricably impelled, informed, and—at least partially—governed by past events. And in this country's past, there were a lot of events that treated people of color as non- or less-than-, and those populations still experience the ramifications of that in spite of our collective and individual best and worst attempts to overcome our checkered national history.

But you don't even have to look at history: metrics of the here and now show that, whether individual actors intend prejudice, the criminal justice system in the US disadvantages people of color, specifically African-Americans. Naturally, there aren't easy answers to this problem (though there are some pretty easy first steps); but blind-eying the whole issue—or worse, condescendingly claiming bad-faith on the part of the other, as you seem to be doing in this thread—is the height of counter-productivity.