I agree it was a terrible mistake, but while I think based on the law, a conviction was the right decision, as the innocent verdict was with Rittenhouse -- in fact, what Rittenhouse did was far more egregious -- I also believe the judge should go easy on the sentence. The problem for her was that while the victim did resist arrest, he never in any way threatened the lives of the officers so that use of deadly force was not required.

Just a thought.
 

[QUOTE=hypart;2042535]
Should police officers lose qualified immunity in exchange for criminal immunity?

I feel for police. They are shackled by rules of conduct that criminals are not. They are expected to deal with persons who, given the opportunity, would kill them rather than look at them. If the criminal becomes violent the police are expected to be ladies and gentlemen and treat the criminal with kid gloves. I believe that, in most cases, escalation into violence is a result of the criminal not following police orders.
Even with all their training, police officers are still human, subject to adrenaline and emotion that comes with tense and potentially deadly situations. Most of us could not handle the jobs they do. Trying to revisit a violent situation after the fact is like armchair quarterbacking a game that you never participated in.
As for criminal immunity for police, no. But I do believe that taking the difficulty of their job into consideration along with extenuating circumstances when trying an incident is essential.

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Extremely well said, and I totally agree. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a policeman.
That never happened. I would hate for a relative be one nowadays. So often put in a no-win situation. Horrible.
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[QUOTE=fdpaq0580;2042604]

Glad I'm not in law enforcement with criminals total disregard for the law.

Kim Potter should never have been a police officer. She had sixteen years "experience" and was an instructor for new recruits on the use of a taser and service revolver. She testified that the police should never have stop the car to begin with for a minor traffic offense because of covid exposure. I am sure there are some doctors who have gone to jail for malpractice.

No need to name call :bigbow:

tainted conviction
 

As a retired Federal LEO who served for 28 years, I believe convicting Potter of first degree manslaughter was a major error by the jury, despite the unusual Minnesota laws. This is another example of why young adults will not consider law enforcement careers. The tables are tilted in a negative direction.

Based on your above statements, with your logic applied consistently, Alec Baldwin should also be found guilty.

:mmmm:

Somebody had to say it….
 

Glad she’s not on the street anymore….

Resisting arrest triggered events
 

I have not watched the court case so I do not have an opinion on whether I believe the verdict was the right one.
However, looking back on many of these police shootings/killings, a common thread: resisting arrest. If G.Floyd, E.Garner, M.Brown, et al., comply, like society demands they comply, they'd all be alive today.
Where are the minority leaders when this kind of leadership would save lives ?

I have more faith in the intelligence of police officers than you do I guess.

I think it'll set the precedence of more and superior training in the use of tasers, possibly a new design so that there's no way to confuse the two, and possibly even new holster designs so that tasers will be located at a completely different part of the uniform as a gun, making it even MORE difficult to confuse the two.

Perhaps a taser will require a different holster latch and be pulled by the officer's "off-hand" rather than their primary hand.

I think it'll make officers who use tasers in their job, more aware of which they're using. It will become more instinctual so that in that last split-second when they have to pull SOMETHING out of a holster, they'll pull the right thing.

Equivalancy?
 

A criminal with a 20-year rap sheet (out on a $500 bail), brutalizes, including running over with his vehicle, the mother of his child - is released on $2000 bail, then promptly drives into a Christmas parade, kills 6 & injures 60+ innocent victims - this time held on $2 million bail. On the other hand, Kim Potter has exemplary record including 26 years on police force with no incidents, accidentally kills a criminal, is held WITHOUT bail!! This just does not feel right nor just.

moving to another state will work, I moved from Illinois,
every day it is becoming more and more the "liberal Paradise" I had a card carrying liberal next door who told me he was considering moving after listing all the on going and increasing problems state wide, my response was "and then you will vote to do there what you have done here?"

I think you are right to depend on the intelligence of the average police officer, our society has decided it doesn't want the police to be proactive, they need to think like a defense attorney, if you can think of ANY possible reason not to make a traffic/street stop don't, if you can think of ANY reason not to make an arrest don't, if there is ANY reason to think what you see isn't criminal don't interfere, there buy keeping themselves safe, complying with what is required, of course you have a 30% increase in homicides nation wide (statically higher in areas where is has been a bigger problem ) as we march towards nirvana finding the perfect way to train for the chaos of unscripted violent confrontations

What would you say to someone that backs out of a driveway and runs over and kills someone? That is vehicular manslaughter. Should they go to jail?
What if a drunk stumbles into your home and you shoot him? He made a mistake and had no intention of breaking into your home. He thought he was home when he broke into your home. You killed him, so should you go to jail for it?

I don't know all the specifics of this case, but there is many times in a police career where that officer must make a split second decision to act on an exigent circumstance. The totality of the circumstances should be considered. If there was no intent, then it is manslaughter. If it was accidental then it would be involuntary manslaughter. Was it negligent or not? Was the officer attempting in good faith to do her job when it occurred? Was she distracted? Was she scared?
Circumstances.

Involuntary manslaughter seems to fit what he did.

Many of the people who thought it was a good idea to defund the police are coming to the realization of what they have done.

Parking someone with no criminal history in jail for many years for a mistake accomplishes absolutely nothing and just takes up good jail space.

A sentence of five years of community service would allow some good to come out of this terrible situation.

It seems no good deed goes unpunished these days.

Given the thug's criminal past, armed robbery and much more, it is possible he could have been going for a gun, which would justify shooting him. Perhaps if she would have called out "Stop or I'll shoot!" (meaning my gun) and then shot him she might still be a LEO. Instead, to be a nice gal, she only threatened the violent thug evading arrest with a non-deadly taser and in the heat of a split second act mistakenly pulled out her sidearm and shot him.

Daunte Wright death: US '''Taser mix-up''' ex-officer guilty of manslaughter - BBC News

This seems to explain why the jury found how it did.

if I was an advisor to Police Department, I would suggest that they wear their holster for the Taser on their dominant side and their service pistol (often Glock) on their non-dominant side - where they would have to use a cross-draw. That would be harder to mistake! And some shooters believe that a cross-draw is faster.

No, I agree with retired guy, and I watched every minuter of trial and hearth Minn Law. Lessor charges should have been brought but the State A.G. Ellison wanted some white meat.

too late, many do

anytime you resist arrest, you might get shot

Probably retired military personnel that like to make extra money.

Yes, but the primary issue is the lack of common sense to have easily deduced what was going to occur.

It's great to realize you made a mistake. But if someone did not realize in the first place that lessening accountability and consequences for already-illegal behavior would result in mass lawlessness, then that person is the problem, regardless of their new-found revelation they made a mistake.

That's like me thinking how much fun it would be to tie a cinderblock to my friend's ankle when we go swimming. Then after he drowns, I realize it might have been a mistake. The problem is that I didn't realize that common sense deduced result prior to tying the brick to his feet.

How did you get my wife's picture? ......If Police controlled robots and drones from a bulletproof car or remote location, that would take the tension down for the Police and they might NOT have to make such quick decisions in tricky situations. It is just a matter of time and technology improvement for this to improve the situation for both the perpetrator and responders.

"The first charge against Potter - first-degree manslaughter - is applied to cases in which the defendant causes someone's death while attempting to commit a lesser crime."

What lesser crime was Potter attempting to commit?

Not sure about second degree manslaughter, but this was NOT first degree manslaughter.

Oh it was a good idea, many have made great political capital out of it, like any politically inspired disaster they now back and fill, make excuses, finesse what they have said, with the media helping to do a little creative history writing, I hope to live long enough to hears some politician , right , left, center, outer space , any ideology admit to stupidity

[QUOTE=DeanFL;2042606].
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Extremely well said, and I totally agree. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a policeman.
That never happened. I would hate for a relative be one nowadays. So often put in a no-win situation. Horrible.
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True, Police are put into no-win situations a lot because of the nature of their job. But, they get training and mentoring and, most of all, higher pay to compensate for those no-win situations.

I am in COMPLETE agreement and I wrote about the same thing before I got to your pg 4 post. Same general idea!

What could possibly go wrong?

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/...iL._SY679_.jpg

[QUOTE=jimjamuser;2042749]Higher pay???

Mikenbats66 help me out here... why exactly do you feel that females should not be street cops?

Not just shot....killed. So if you commit crimes in your past it is OK to kill you later on? Oh please! She made a mistake....but a deadly one. It is her job to know the difference between a taser and a gun! And, yes, sometimes doctors go to jail if they are grossly negligent like this woman was here.

corret
 

You are totally correct!!!!!!!

No it is exactly like that if but for the air freshener and being black he would not of been pulled over. Not questioning if he should of been arrested for the warrant he should of been but not shot even by accident.

Walk in a person of color shoes. Don’t give me that. She knew what the hell she was doing. If you don’t know the difference between a teaser and a gun you shouldn’t be a police officer. How can she be a training officer.

You're not supposed to be making "political" statements. I myself have been penalized for saying less.