Using the FBI's category of 'justifiable homicide' (defined at the link) Steyn found that last year, cops killed 410 Americans.
Not a big number? Compared to what?
By comparison, for the years 2012 and 2013 in England and Wales:
No fatal police shootings.In the Netherlands:
The average for the last 35 years is three dead and 15 injured.In Germany, a nation of 80 million people, police in 2011 fatally shot six persons. In Denmark, police shot 11 people in 11 years,...
Steyn also mentions that in Germany, the cops expended a grand total of 85 bullets last year (in confrontations with the public.) And German cops utilize the "warning shot."
So about those full-auto M16A2's.......compared to what?
I love your blog but justifiable means justifiable. Don't blame the cops for defending themselves and others from the shitbags of society.
ReplyDeleteThere have been a couple of instances in the last 20 years where I questioned a "justifiable" homicide: Ruby Ridge and the UW-M shoot.
ReplyDeleteNever really thought more about it until these numbers came out.
You have to admit that--at least on its face--the numbers are startling.
If the devolution of society requires law enforcement to adopt paramilitary equipment and training, it would be sheer folly to not do so simply because it offends the delicate sensibilities of those of us old enough to have experienced a gentler bygone era of American history.
ReplyDeleteThe adoption of concealed carry is an overt recognition that law enforcement in America is overwhelmed and the citizenry is faced with an increasing probability of having to defend itself in their homes and on the streets. Adoption of this evolving reality certainly requires critical thought and an uncomfortable hardening of the heart, but this is our reality.
All lethal use of force should receive an honest review, but it is an option that should never be removed from the table.
Umnnhhh...you made a leap from 'lethal use of force' to 'paramilitary equipment/training.'
ReplyDeleteWe're talking about cops here, not Marines. Vests, yup. semi-auto AR's, yup. I'll even go along with tear-gas.
Not "paramilitary." If it's that bad, call in the National Guard. They are the Army.
By the way, MORE guns aren't needed. It's better USE of them, by cops:
ReplyDelete"Almost 70% of the attackers had planned to attack the police even before the encounter
"Most of the attackers practiced with their weapons - often more than police do
"The attackers usually shot first and had a better hit percentage (68%) than the police (39%)"
--FBI report, quoted at Ace of Spades: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/351271.php