Why did they waste time verifying? The police should have eliminated the threat before any harm could be done. Seconds count when you're keeping people safe.
Why did they waste time verifying? The police should have eliminated the threat before any harm could be done. Seconds count when you're keeping people safe.
I get that you're being sarcastic and find the police response appalling, but the sad reality of Poe's Law is that there are a lot of people who would unironically say this and would have cheered if the cops had shot this kid, either because they hate black people or because they get off on violence and police shootings are a social sanctioned way to indulge that taste.
We all know the cops will go for the easy prey:
* Even hundreds of cops in full body armor and armed with automatic guns will not dare to engage a single "lone wolf" shooter doing a killing spree in a school; the heartless cowards may even prevent the parents from going inside to rescue their kids: Uvalde school shooting incident
* Cop on a ego trip, will shoot down a clearly harmless kid calmly eating a burger in his own car (not a stolen car): Erik Cantu incident
* Cops are not there to serve the society, they are not there to ensure safety and peace for the neighborhood, they are merely armed militia to protect the rich and powerful elites: https://www.alternet.org/2022/06/supreme-court-cops-protect-...
All of your examples are well known not because its normal and accepted but because they are exceptions. For every one bad example there are thousand good ones, that's humans for you.
Doesn't mean they are perfect or shouldn't criticised but claiming that's all they are doing isn't reasonable either.
If you look at actual per capita statistics you will easily see this.
The statistics are indeed quite telling.. and chilling!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_killings_by_law_enfor...
In the United States, law enforcement officers shoot and kill more than 1,100 civilians each year, with a significant number of these incidents involving unarmed individuals, particularly among Black Americans who are disproportionately affected. The FBI has begun collecting data on these use-of-force incidents to provide better insights into the circumstances surrounding police shootings.
Police killed more than 1,300 people in the U.S. last year, an estimated 0.3% increase in police killings per million people. The increase makes 2024 the deadliest year for police violence by a slim margin since Mapping Police Violence began tracking civilian deaths more than a decade ago.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/26/police...
There is no national database that documents police killings in the U.S., and the report comes days after the Justice Department removed a database tracking misconduct by federal law enforcement. Researchers spent thousands of hours analyzing more than 100,000 media reports to compile the Mapping Police Violence database.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_...
In 2025, the U.S. has experienced significant gun violence, with 11,197 shooting deaths reported through September 30, along with 20,425 nonfatal injuries. The year has seen a total of 341 mass shootings, resulting in 331 fatalities and 1,499 injuries.
Shootings have happened in all 50 states, at all times of day, and in locations as varied as schools, gas stations, gyms, Walmarts, and homes. Some involved handguns, others rifles or shotguns.
10.3 million guns have been sold across the U.S. in 2025 through September 30.
https://www.thetrace.org/2025/10/shooting-gun-violence-data-...
Mass shootings in the United States are incidents where one or more individuals use firearms to kill or injure multiple people, typically in public settings. The frequency and definitions of these events can vary, but they have been a significant concern in recent years, with the U.S. experiencing more mass shootings than any other country.
GVA has recorded 325 mass shootings in the U.S. this year through three quarters. Those have resulted in 309 deaths and 1,490 injuries.
Mass shootings in the last quarter included the high-profile shooting at a New York skyscraper, as well as the shooting of 29 people, 26 of them children, at a church in Minneapolis. Two children, aged 8 and 10, were killed in that incident.
>incidents involving unarmed individuals,
Someone being unarmed doesn't mean they can't be deadly. They could be driving a vehicle or otherwise physically assault somebody which would justify deadly force.
Otherwise 1100 is actually quite low compared to the total gun death and per capita in which blacks are over represented compared to all other groups. That includes black on black and black on cops.