Death of Rayshard Brooks (Atlanta, White: employment, college, legal)

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

My understanding is that Brooks stole the other officer's taser, which had been discharged once. Brooks discharged it a second time in the direction of the pursuing officer.

Correct. Once the second shot was fired, the taser became useless at that point.

IMO this is too much of a "bang bang" kind of play to hold the officer criminally liable. It would be one thing if Brooks discharged the taser, then the foot pursuit continued for a whole city block, and then the officer fired shots. But there appears to be only a fraction of a second between the time Brooks turns and fires the taser and the time the officer shoots him.

That's the "officers shouldn't be expected to count to two" argument we've already heard several times.

This is sort of like watching a football game and yelling at the quarterback for missing a receiver running wide open up the seam when the full blitz is coming at him. It's easy to evaluate the field from your living room with instant replay and a panoramic view of the playing field, but it's not so easy with a helmet on and only 2.5 seconds to make decision before a 275-lb defensive end coming off the edge breaks your ribs.

Actually, it's more like an official ripping off the helmet of a player who's getting into a fight and bashing him in the head with it, instead of just throwing the penalty flag.

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

I don't recall the exact quote where he said that. What I recall is Howard saying that Brooks fired the taser while running away and thus missed the officers by a wide margin.

Doesn't matter if it missed by 1 inch or 1 mile. It was indeed deployed at the officer. That isn't up for dispute. Even Howard admits that.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by ronricks

Doesn't matter if it missed by 1 inch or 1 mile. It was indeed deployed at the officer. That isn't up for dispute. Even Howard admits that.

Actually, since it apparently didn't come very close to hitting them, and since that was the last shot the taser had, it does matter.

[Blondy]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

So in addition to being unable to count to two, cops are unable to follow the rules...while using deadly force to enforce their own interpretation of the rules.

It happens.

Just happened in the Ahmaud Arberry case.

The father who was a retired LEO/DA investigator said there were 2 shots fired. He was standing right there when 3 shots were fired.

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Actually, since it apparently didn't come very close to hitting them, and since that was the last shot the taser had, it does matter.

Paul Howard's mental gymnastics won't work here. Same if it had been an empty gun there is no way to know.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

My understanding is that Brooks stole the other officer's taser, which had been discharged once. Brooks discharged it a second time in the direction of the pursuing officer.

IMO this is too much of a "bang bang" kind of play to hold the officer criminally liable. It would be one thing if Brooks discharged the taser, then the foot pursuit continued for a whole city block, and then the officer fired shots. But there appears to be only a fraction of a second between the time Brooks turns and fires the taser and the time the officer shoots him.

This is sort of like watching a football game and yelling at the quarterback for missing a receiver running wide open up the seam when the full blitz is coming at him. It's easy to evaluate the field from your living room with instant replay and a panoramic view of the playing field, but it's not so easy with a helmet on and only 2.5 seconds to make decision before a 275-lb defensive end coming off the edge breaks your ribs.

The term is "armchair quarterback." Kind of like the, "well he should have shot him in the leg" experts.

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

The police officer who fired the shots should be charged with a crime. Charging him with murder is a huge mistake. If a jury is following the letter of the charge, there is no way he should be convicted. They should have charged him with manslaughter.

That's the point. Howard is trying to play both sides. Appease the "woke" crowd of Atlanta and trying to get an acquittal for the officers by overcharging them. It's all a political grandstand for him to help his re-election chances. This is why he contradicts himself.

I think we can all agree on one thing: These officers will not be convicted.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Correct. Once the second shot was fired, the taser became useless at that point.

You are applying WAY too high a standard here. You are making it seem like a "One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi, Four Mississippi" situation when in reality the discharge of the taser and the officer's gun were almost simultaneous.

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Actually, it's more like an official ripping off the helmet of a player who's getting into a fight and bashing him in the head with it, instead of just throwing the penalty flag.

No, actually, it's more like trying to decide on whether to swing at a fastball. In your mind, it's more like catching a pop fly where the ball is suspended in the air for several seconds while outfielders duke it out over who's going to catch it.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by ronricks

Paul Howard's mental gymnastics won't work here. Same if it had been an empty gun there is no way to know.

Yet again with the "officers shouldn't be expected to count to two" defense.

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

That's the point. Howard is trying to play both sides. Appease the "woke" crowd of Atlanta and trying to get an acquittal for the officers by overcharging them. It's all a political grandstand for him to help his re-election chances. This is why he contradicts himself.

I think we can all agree on one thing: These officers will not be convicted.

A good DA doesn’t overcharge to get an acquittal. But when you throw the alphabet of charges at someone it’s so that at least something will stick.