Plainclothes Chicago police officers fired nearly 100 gunshots over 41 seconds during a traffic stop that left one man dead and one officer injured last month.

Plainclothes Chicago police officers fired nearly 100 gunshots over 41 seconds during a traffic stop that left one man dead and one officer injured, according to graphic video footage a police oversight agency released Tuesday.

Five officers from a tactical unit who were in an unmarked police vehicle surrounded an SUV last month driven by Dexter Reed, allegedly for failing to wear a seatbelt. Video shows the 26-year-old Black man briefly lowering a window and then raising it and refusing to exit the vehicle as more officers arrived, yelled commands and drew weapons.

  • Cethin@lemmy.zipEnglish
    52·
    7 months ago

    I do agree they chose to put their lives on the line so should accept the risk before putting other civilians at risk. I also think police should generally be unarmed, because it’d force them to de-escalate and not give them the ability to easily end lives.

    That said, never? There are times where it’s OK. Even the most civilian friendly police forces in the world still occasionally see the need to shoot someone. There are people who just need to be stopped before they cause more harm.

          • Cethin@lemmy.zipEnglish
            2·
            7 months ago

            What are you talking about? It’s significantly more likely that someone will cause harm to a non-cop than a cop, or that harm will be caused by a non-cop than a cop as well. The way policing works is totally fucked, but there is absolutely a need for something. 99.9% of the time it should be de-escalation, but to pretend like that 0.1% is nothing is so ignorant. You can hate cops and be reasonable.