Ina Hughs, Columnist Published 4:00 p.m. ET April 2, 2018
A mourner holds up a photo of police shooting victim Stephon Clark during the funeral services.(Photo: JEFF CHIU/POOL VIA AP)Always shoot to kill.Why is that smart? Why is this what police are taught?“Don’t aim your gun at anything unless you want to take them out.”I’ve always heard that mantra from gun zealots who seem to think they have the right – no, the duty – to shoot to kill.
Buy PhotoIna Hughs (Photo: Paul Efird / News Sentinel)
Haven’t we read too many stories about black Americans gunned down when police “thought” they were being “attacked?” I admired the police, have been sympathetic to their being in dangerous situations. But more and more, it seems, police shoot first and ask questions later.Why shoot to kill? If someone is running away or hiding – or even approaching in a menacing way – why not shoot to just stop and disable them?Figure it out later.On March 18, Sacramento police shot 22-year-old Stephen Clark, an unarmed black man, in his grandmother's back yard. There was one of him, but police officers (plural) felt they were under attack, so they shot 20 rounds at him.Mostly in the back.CLOSE
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When they got to him, all he had in his hand was a cellphone.I am aware and appreciative of the dangers police officers face, but softening the shoot-to-kill mentality of the gun culture today would be a really good thing.We are all aware of the insults hurled at teenagers who are calling for sanity in this violent culture of ours. From conservative talk show hosts to National Rifle Association fear-mongers, youRead more from our friends at the NRA
