@jsl76 very kind of you to suggest what I should be learning to assist my students... but I suspect you don't know my knowledge or training... and might, as a student, not think you want to go around suggesting what teachers with more experience than you should want to learn. For context and background: I've been training for 15 years, teaching for 6. I've been attacked with a real, very sharp, knife in training and in demonstrations, by someone who knows what they are doing - and not only have I not been cut, they haven't either and nor has anyone else around me been harmed. The same goes for my students. My teacher has been teaching for 40 years - and he has taught 100s of students the same capability. Some of what we teach is taught to police forces around the world - to great success, particularly in situations with edged weapons (swords turn up sometimes!). So thank you - but I think we got this covered.
I agree with @bi4smooth here - when you are taught how to use a firearm as a trained officer, you are taught many things. I can tell, from the 10 seconds of the video, that this officer was either badly trained or not trained (I don't know which - but either is horrendous). For example, he fired 4 shots. This is unnecessary - and would result in immediate criminal proceedings in several countries (including some states in the USA). Indeed, in many countries you would need to explain why a 2nd shot was required - let alone the 3rd and 4th. The only answer here is that he panicked, drew his firearm and used it in fear. There are a number of other clues in the video I've seen that show there is a significant issue there with what he chose to do - and I would not at all be surprised if he is not facing rather tough questions about his actions. Anyone with firearms training at a decent level would see the same things I do on watching it. I can understand that a lay-person would see it like he was simply doing the right thing and protecting himself; but this would be incorrect simply by dint of him being a trained person, not a lay-person, and has access to higher level skills (or, at least should!).
I think I need to make clear here: I do not blame the officer. He really is obviously just acting like any other citizen would given the circumstances: panic and fear. What I am saying is that the training he has received was clearly insufficient in order to not act this way. I think bi4smooth has said the same. I also feel very badly for him: to kill another human is a very difficult thing and he will have to deal with that for a long time. I'm certain he wouldn't have wanted to do it.
I don't really understand your point about not using a taser... if he had time to draw his gun and fire it, he most certainly had time to draw a taser and fire that. Requires the same level of thought process (I've been taser trained too...).
I don't think we need to bring in the socio-economic status of the supposed perpetrators of any crime here... that is not, and should never be, an excuse for excess force.
Also, I think you confuse using police to de-escalate with getting the police to stand down... those are simply not the same thing. One is about having more, better trained police, the other is about removing police. The former I support, the latter is... silly. But I don't think anyone is talking about the latter except you? So you can probably put that aside too.
I like that you agree that the USA is a dangerous and violent place - and that the police force is a particularly perilous job. I agree. However, the large majority of the deaths in the police force are not from knife wielding angry kids... it is from organised crime (forgive me if you already are aware of this... your posts suggested you were glossing over this). So again, pertaining to this situation, I think you can not worry about this here. A different topic dealing with organised crime would be a worthy one!
Could you detail what you think should be done about this issue (I hope you agree it is an issue... you may not... I don't think you've mentioned if you have any police or firearms experience as a police officer/trained firearms officer?)?
I have an inescapable conclusion to this... but I would be more interested to hear what you think can actually be done about this? Your responses to @bi4smooth suggest you think nothing should be done, but you also seem to think that there is some problem...?
