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American Policing: The Data
In the court of public opinion, where American policing is on trial, there is no jury — only judges.
During the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering a black man named George Floyd, another police shooting took place right outside of Minneapolis in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
This time a white female officer shot and killed a 20-year-old black man who attempted to flee the scene after he was pulled over. The problem was the officer pulled her firearm, but thought she drew her taser.
She thought wrong.
Since her wrong thought resulted in the death of a person, she was charged with manslaughter and should be convicted.
But that’s for a jury to decide in a court of law.
Unfortunately, in the court of public opinion, where American policing is on trial, there is no jury, there’s only judges. Here are two rash judgements made after the Brooklyn Center police shooting.
1). Brooklyn Center’s mayor said, “I don’t believe that officers need to necessarily have weapons every time they’re making a traffic stop.”
2). MSNBC contributor Jason Johnson said, “We need to abolish American policing as it currently exists. It doesn’t work … Do you know the average homicides that are actually…