General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I fully understand that this post is likely to draw very intense personal criticism but, at my age, [View all]Martin Eden
(12,863 posts)People are way past fed up with all the racial bias and killings at the hands of police officers repeating in an endless cycle of tragedy, with no apparent change in sight. Emotions are running high.
However, I found your OP to be reasonable and logical. None of us can know what was in the mind of the police officer. Was he intent on killing the fleeing suspect from the start -- or in that split second as Adam raised his hands was the officer uncertain whether the gun might still be in the hand which had carried it throughout the chase?
Eight tenths of a second is not much time at the end of a winded pursuit to make a snap judgment whether or not the hand being raised was about to fire the gun it held up to that point.
The video evidence may or may not show the officer failed to follow police training, but anyone who claims to know what was in the mind of the officer at that moment is not being reasonable or logical.
Was the killing a tragic mistake, or intentional murder? Personally, I don't know. That question will likely be decided by a jury.