Opinions on police action and anti police bias

April 15, 2015 0

Some interesting video has come out of Arizona’s Marana Police Department. A man armed with a rifle gets hit by a police squad car. The suspect was hurt but not killed. No police and no civilians were killed.

Scrolling over various social media sites the reaction to this video is polarized. People with a generally pro-police mindset see this as a good job by officers. Folks who hate cops are screaming this is clear example of police brutality.

It is getting to a point where the police can’t win. If officers had not acted and this guy hurt a civilian, anti police groups would say the cops were not doing enough. If an officer had shot the suspect then anti police groups would question why that cop did take a “trick shot” and “just shoot the gun out of his hand”.

For people not aware of how things work a few points to think about…

– Pistols that police carry on the hip are only accurate at close range. Rifles are accurate at longer ranges. Meaning this suspect had a major advantage over the police if officers tried to engage him in a gun fight.

– Rifle bullets can and do penetrate patrol officer body armor. Rifle bullets will also penetrate car windows and car doors very easy. Meaning again this suspect had an advantage over police in a gun fight.

– Yes police do carry rifles in the squad car, but the rifles are typically locked in a storage rack. Meaning officers would have to park, unlock the rack, load the rifle, and then take aim at the suspect. This all takes time. Meaning the suspect has time to aim at the officer start shooting, please see the point above.

So yes this video in a knee jerk reaction seems crazy. But take a second to think about public safety and stopping a gunmen. Statistically speaking a gun fight when a dude has a rifle will end with an officer dead. So speeding up to hit him with a car before he can react is logical, it keeps the citizens living in that neighborhood safe and keeps police safe.

In the end the suspect is alive with injuries from the impact, versus dead from a bunch of billet holes. The decision to act was made in seconds. The media now has all the time in the world to form their opinions.

I personally think the officer did a good job.