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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crim...-in-shooting-death-of-15-year-old/ar-BB1etcMY
Five Oklahoma police officers are being charged with first degree manslaughter after shooting a 15 year old male that had just robbed a convenience store. The owner locked the kid in the store as police arrived. Police addressed him over the loud speaker to show his hands. He climbed out of the drive through window, removed a gun from his waist, dropped the gun, then reached into his back pocket. He was then shot 13 times. Police rendered aid, but he died at the scene. An accomplice was charged with murder for taking part in the robbery but fled before police arrived.
Man, I really don’t know how I feel about this one. He committed armed robbery, had a gun when he climbed out of the window, but dropped the gun. He was shot because he reached into his back pocket to retrieve a cell phone. He appeared to be trying to surrender, lifting his shirt to show he had nothing in his waist, and he did have his hands up prior to reaching into his pocket.
Honestly, I can see both sides to this one, hence the thread. He was armed, but he looks scared and obviously made a fatal mistake. I don’t agree with the murder charge for the accomplice. He should be charged with first degree robbery, but being charged for murder because the police shot the other suspect is fucked up. I can understand why the officers perceived a threat at the moment he reached for the phone, but why would he go for a second gun after dropping the first one? If he was going to shoot at the officers, he would have just used that one. In my opinion, this was a bad shoot, however, does this warrant charges? I don’t know. All six officers on scene fired at the same time-with one of them firing a less lethal round-he was not charged.
According to Graham v Connor, the litmus test is whether a reasonable officer, given only the information officers had at the time of the shooting, have made the same decision. Officers knew he robbed the place, knew he had one gun, and didn’t know what he was reaching for. Graham also weighs the seriousness of the crime(very serious), the presence of a weapon, but Graham also looks at whether the suspect is actively resisting arrest or fleeing-neither of which occurred. Police stated he did not follow commands to keep his hands up.
I just don’t know about whether charges are warranted. I keep going back and forth on this one. The family definitely has a lawsuit. I don’t think the officers will be convicted in this case because of his actions prior to being shot-the armed robbery, but I don’t have definitive feelings either way. If he had reached into his pocket at a faster pace, I wouldn’t have an issue with the shooting. I do think that these would be the correct charges in this instance, and would have been the correct charges in the Floyd case imo, but they opted for overcharging due to immense pressure due to emotional feelings and fear of further riots, which is never a valid reason to file charges.
Five Oklahoma police officers are being charged with first degree manslaughter after shooting a 15 year old male that had just robbed a convenience store. The owner locked the kid in the store as police arrived. Police addressed him over the loud speaker to show his hands. He climbed out of the drive through window, removed a gun from his waist, dropped the gun, then reached into his back pocket. He was then shot 13 times. Police rendered aid, but he died at the scene. An accomplice was charged with murder for taking part in the robbery but fled before police arrived.
Man, I really don’t know how I feel about this one. He committed armed robbery, had a gun when he climbed out of the window, but dropped the gun. He was shot because he reached into his back pocket to retrieve a cell phone. He appeared to be trying to surrender, lifting his shirt to show he had nothing in his waist, and he did have his hands up prior to reaching into his pocket.
Honestly, I can see both sides to this one, hence the thread. He was armed, but he looks scared and obviously made a fatal mistake. I don’t agree with the murder charge for the accomplice. He should be charged with first degree robbery, but being charged for murder because the police shot the other suspect is fucked up. I can understand why the officers perceived a threat at the moment he reached for the phone, but why would he go for a second gun after dropping the first one? If he was going to shoot at the officers, he would have just used that one. In my opinion, this was a bad shoot, however, does this warrant charges? I don’t know. All six officers on scene fired at the same time-with one of them firing a less lethal round-he was not charged.
According to Graham v Connor, the litmus test is whether a reasonable officer, given only the information officers had at the time of the shooting, have made the same decision. Officers knew he robbed the place, knew he had one gun, and didn’t know what he was reaching for. Graham also weighs the seriousness of the crime(very serious), the presence of a weapon, but Graham also looks at whether the suspect is actively resisting arrest or fleeing-neither of which occurred. Police stated he did not follow commands to keep his hands up.
I just don’t know about whether charges are warranted. I keep going back and forth on this one. The family definitely has a lawsuit. I don’t think the officers will be convicted in this case because of his actions prior to being shot-the armed robbery, but I don’t have definitive feelings either way. If he had reached into his pocket at a faster pace, I wouldn’t have an issue with the shooting. I do think that these would be the correct charges in this instance, and would have been the correct charges in the Floyd case imo, but they opted for overcharging due to immense pressure due to emotional feelings and fear of further riots, which is never a valid reason to file charges.
