“Reached for the gun” always reminds me of the song “We Both Reached For The Gun” from from the musical Chicago. And it’s a lie in that context as well.
In fact, whenever I read the words, I instantly hear Richard Gere’s voice shouting “And they both reached for the gun!”
And now more (I believe 4) police officers have been shot, and 2 of them are deceased. This needs to stop.
2 police officers dead, 1 sheriff. Others wounded, don’t know how many.
Correction, sheriff’s deputy.
The latest news suggests that this may not have been an ambush, but a gun battle between civilians that was already ongoing when the police arrives. Whatever it is, it isn’t good.
I thought I heard a third was dead.
The press conference just confirmed 3 dead, 3 wounded, shooter dead.
"One of the slain officers was identified by his family as Montrell L. Jackson, an officer in Baton Rouge since June 2006, according to city records.
In the days after the killing of Alton B. Sterling, as well as the police deaths in Dallas, Officer Jackson used his Facebook page to speak out about his own experiences patrolling Baton Rouge.
“I’m tired physically and emotionally,” he wrote on July 8, the morning after the ambush in Dallas. Officer Jackson sometimes posted pictures on Facebook in support of other departments after officers died in the line of duty.
He added, “I swear to God I love this city, but I wonder if this city loves me. In uniform, I get nasty hateful looks, and out of uniform some consider me a threat. I’ve experienced so much in my short life and these last 3 days have tested me to the core.”
Referring to Baton Rouge, he said, “This city MUST and WILL get better. I’m working in these streets so any protesters, officers, friends, family or whoever, if you see me and need a hug or want to say a prayer. I got you.”
http://www.nytimes.com/live/police-shooting-in-baton-rouge/i-got-you/
This is heartbreaking. Did BLM make any statement about the slay?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/police-more-1-officer-shot-baton-rouge-145731545.html
》》 The gunman was identified as Gavin Long of Kansas City, who turned 29 on Sunday.
Long, who was black, served in the Marines from 2005 to 2010, reaching the rank of sergeant. He deployed to Iraq from June 2008 to January 2009, according to military records.
While in the military, Long was awarded several medals, including one for good conduct, and received an honorable discharge. His occupational expertise was listed as “data network specialist.”
The University of Alabama issued a statement saying that Long attended classes for one semester in the spring of 2012. A school spokesman said university police had no interactions with him.《《
I don’t get it. Why? He was a good and honorable man who served his country. Why did he turn against other servicemen? What rhetoric made him want to kill cops?
“I don’t get it. Why? He was a good and honorable man who served his country. Why did he turn against other servicemen? What rhetoric made him want to kill cops?”
I’d guess PTSD.
I don’t think he saw combat. But I’ve seen a lot about his online anti government beliefs and conspiracy theories.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/07/18/7-facts-baton-rouge-cop-killer-gavin-long/
He thought that the government hated black people, rejoiced that the Dallas shooter was"one of us [black men]," he sold everything and moved to Africa in 2012, and later claimed to be a member of the Nation of Islam.
Another shooting, caretaker of autistic man shot while his hands were in the air. Thank goodness it was not fatal.
http://gawker.com/video-shows-unarmed-black-man-pleading-with-arms-raised-1784004594
That is just awful. It is quite clear what the man is saying and that he was no threat. I can see someone accidentally pulling the trigger, but then putting cuffs on him and letting him lie there bleeding?
sorry, I dont see anyone accidentally pulling the trigger, especially when it was clear he wasnt a threat.
We’re intelligent adults. Can we keep two thoughts in our minds at the same time?
It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Both can be true. Can we at least agree on that?
It sounds like the cop may have been aiming at the autistic man, and missed. Because of course his toy truck looked just like a gun.
I’m so relieved no one lost their life. The shooting? The cuffing? It’s hard to believe. Thank goodness for these videos emerging. Hopefully, people won’t be able to dismiss this kind of police over-reach and over-reaction as rare isolated incidents.
There’s another recent one where the UMD police busted up a graduation party and arrested several people. They had received a false call that there was a fight going on there and that person has been charged. Still, the video shows two young women warily answering the door and just not able to handle the rapid fire questions and demands of the police. It quickly goes wrong. And never needed to.
UMD police had to pay a student fairly recently who was injured after a sports game. Police claim he had been violent and rioting but video evidence showed him skipping like a happy kid before a cop clouted him on the head for no reason. You think they would have learned…
And there’s this too:
So easy to avoid with proper police work.