Georgia Tech student's (LGBTQ leader) death by police shooting brings on violent protesting.

[Baitball Blogger]

About the shooting: It sounds like the student was suicidal and this may have been a suicide by cop. He is reported to be intoxicated and welding a knife. But if it was a knife, why the violent reaction?

Not all the facts are in, but I think it's interesting that reaction to police excessive force seems to be universal.



http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/18/us/georgia-tech-protest-slain-student/index.html





snip


The shooting
Schultz, a fourth-year computer engineering student at the school, was shot Saturday night after police responded to a 911 call at 11:17 p.m., with the caller reporting a suspicious person on campus. The caller said the person -- described as a white male with long blond hair, white T-shirt and blue jeans, possibly intoxicated -- was holding a knife and possibly a gun.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Schultz made that 911 call.

The later demonstration began with a "core group" of about a dozen people chanting "This is not OK" and unfurling a banner that read "Protect LGBTQ," according to Xincheng Shen, a doctoral student at Tech who attended the earlier vigil.

Schultz was a leader in the school's LGBTQ community.


snip:

About the shooting:

CNN)Violence erupted late Monday on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta after a vigil for a student shot and killed by police.
Attendees at the vigil for Scout Schultz said that gathering ended quietly after less than half an hour, and about 20 minutes later a separate gathering developed with chanting, marching and, ultimately, confrontations at the campus police headquarters.
A campus police car burned after its windshield was smashed, and videos taken by people at the scene showed police handcuffing individuals who had been forced to the ground.

Georgia Tech said in a statement late Monday that about 50 people had marched to the police station. Three arrests were made and two officers received minor injuries. Those arrested were charged with inciting a riot and battery of an officer, Tech said, although it did not say whether the three were students.

[Not Ruth]

1. Slightly related discussion

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9608078

[Hoyt]

2. They had pretty good video on the news, right up until shooting. I wish police would come up with

better way to handle these things, but I'm not sure they had much choice once the student advanced on a policeman (might have even been a policewoman). He said something like "you are done" and then made a pretty aggressive move. At that point the video was obscured by a tree.

One of the problems is that the student apparently called the police to start with reporting someone with a knife and "possibly a gun." So, police were on alert for an armed person when they arrived. The police kept yelling, "put the knife down" (it turned out to be a small pocket tool) and I even heard one of them say "it doesn't have to end like this," or something like that.

There has got to be a way to handle these things when someone doesn't have a gun and isn't trying to stab the policeman. Of course, the police don't know that when they arrive.

Heck, train them to lasso the person, stun guns, wax bullets, bean bags, loud sounds, calm talk (which I think they were trying in this case), dart gun, or something. But, since the police apparently didn't have those alternatives, I just don't think they had a lot of choice when the student moved aggressively. Now, if they had something else to use and didn't, it's a different story. Not sure a bullet to the chest was necessary, but darn that's a tough call from what I saw.

I found myself practically yelling at the TV, just put it down and put your hands up -- PLEASE.

Point is, I'm not sure a riot was justified. Apparently this student was a campus leader among LGBT students, and they were really upset the night of the shooting and I'm sure the next day.

These tragedies are just going to happen more often because so many people are armed today. You practically have to assume your pastor is wearing an ankle holster or has an AR15 under his robe, nowadays.

On the other hand, so many people are hurting.

Just Damn.

[sarah FAILIN]

3. He called 911 on himself

He also said he had a gun.

I feel bad for the cops that have to live with this selfishness. It would've been good if they could have stunned him, but it didn't work that way.
Maybe this will shine a light on mental illness.

[Not Ruth]

4. There is nothing that you can do quickly that is non lethal that would not risk the lives of police

And bystanders

Even a water cannon combined with a sonic boom could injure the target and bystanders. And of course, the "gun" that was called in was a problem.

[pnwmom]

5. Isn't this what tasers are supposed to be for? They can be shot from a safe distance.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/nypd-cops-zap-knife-wielding-man-taser-midtown-article-1.3393817

Police said Gonzales waved the knife and screamed, “I would have no problem stabbing a police officer!” when they caught up with him on Eighth Ave. near W. 56th St.

Cops used the Taser and took Gonzales into custody. It was not immediately clear if the stun gun was effective, but the weapon’s prongs could be seen sticking out of Gonzales’ sweatshirt as he was brought to an ambulance.

[sarah FAILIN]

6. You have to be close with a tazer

My son tells me you have to be close enough for 2 electrodes to hit flesh because the current travels that way. If 1 misses, it doesn't work.
They also have to deal with the gun he claimed to have even if that was a lie.

[pnwmom]

7. 15 feet isn't that close. But if he said he had a gun, yeah, they had reason for concern.

15 feet
TASER devices are electroshock weapons that use electrical current to disrupt muscle control, stopping an attacker dead in their tracks. TASER devices can be used both close and far range. Upon firing, TASER devices shoot two metal probe darts a distance of 15 feet to reach an attacker before he reaches you.
Pros and cons of TASER versus Stun Gun, which is better for you.

https://www.stun-gun-defense-products.com/buy-stun.../TASER-Versus-Stun-Gun.html

[sarah FAILIN]

8. 15 feet is close to me

Less than a car length, but what my son meant is that you can easily miss with 1 of the prongs so it wouldn't work.
The guy called 911 on himself and claimed the person he was reporting had a gun. He didn't tell them it was himself he was reporting when he called. They figured that out later.