Joe Biden has called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, moments after shocking police video was released showing an Illinois officer fatally shooting Sonya Massey after she called police fearing a home intruder.
In his first public statement since dropping his bid for re-election, Biden said the shooting of Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, by white Sangamon county sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, in her home in Springfield, after a dispute over a pot of boiling water, “reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not”.
Biden, who is recovering from Covid at his home in Delaware, said Massey, “a beloved mother, friend, daughter and young Black woman … should be alive today”.
My assessment of a typical police officer is that it is someone that:
Because of this victim mentality, they have created a strong cultural value of protecting their own. In their minds, it’s good guys (police) vs bad guys (citizens). This results in an authoritative approach with the main tactic being lethal violence and protecting each other from the consequences of the policies that handicap them. The last thing I would want is to be around a police officer that is triggered into fight-or-flight mode. At that time, everyone becomes enemy and they are the law.
I have been in life or death situations as the person that has to maintain control, so I have an idea of what it is like to be in a police officer’s position. The main ideas that I consider are that (1) I have no idea who will be dangerous until they become dangerous, and (2) I am ultimately responsible. As such, when I interact with police, I take that into account. When I get pulled over, I have a system. While pulling over, I am already pulling out my wallet and placing it on the dash. Once I’m pulled over, I take the keys and place them on the dash as well. I open all of the windows and sunroof, place my hands on the steering wheel at 10 & 2, and wait for them to approach the car. If I have any weapons in the car, I tell them what and where they are as they arrive to the vehicle1. I then only conduct behaviors they ask of me and announce what and how I plan on doing. For example, if they ask me for my registration, I tell them that it is in the glove compartment and ask them if it is okay that I go in there to get it. When they give permission, I do that slowlyyyy making sure that they can see everything that is in my hands at all times. I absolutely give no attitude whatsoever. Btw, my car has a a front- and rear- view dash cam recording, so I have my own evidence.
I’m not saying cops are awesome and we should kiss their asses, but I’m also trying to be compassionate for their position given the situation we are all in during those interactions. Like I said, the last thing I want to do is trigger a cop into fight-or-flight mode. Unless someone is in serious physical danger, it is not the time to stand up for your rights using any form of aggression, verbal or physical. Stay quiet, only answer if you have to (e.g. what’s your name?), do not admit to violating any laws whatsoever, and comply with legal orders. If they violate any of your rights, there’s a chance they gave you a get out of jail free card. For example, if you clearly told them not to come into your house and they do anyway, then any evidence they get cannot be used against you. Make sure you have your own cameras recording! On the other hand, if you try to physically prevent them from doing something, you’re fucked whether you were in the right or not.
Regarding the murder of this lady
She was innocent as fuck. There was no need to even have the firearm out even when she had the pot of boiling water. He could have easily dodged it from that far way. If anything, he could have used a taser or stepped back. Still, do what you can to stay alive in those situations. If you are mentally present with a cop in your house, do not give them any reason whatsoever to fear you anymore than they already do. Whether you were in the right or not, you can’t fight for police reform when your already dead.
Also, while I’m ragging on them, they had terrible muzzle awareness. The murdering cop stepped in front of the other cop’s muzzle several times, while the other cop didn’t point their firearm elsewhere when that happened. WTF.
1: I have been pulled over several times while carrying a firearm in the vehicle. In all cases, what they did was get the firearm, unload the magazine, and clear the chamber. They were super chill about it.