Daunte Wright

[HeartString]

14 minutes ago, Paige said:

But whether we cooperate out of fear of what the police will do if we don't or because we are legally obligated to do whatever we are told is 2 different things. I would probably cooperate but I'm not sure the law is actually on the police's side to do whatever they want. I mean, I'd cooperate if a carjacker told me to get out too. 

I think my young daughters should be very afraid if they are pulled over for something minor and asked to get out and into the car, alone, with an officer or 2. That's unusual behavior from police. Aren't we told not to go to a secondary location? I'd hope they cooperate but were were able to keep their cameras rolling. 

I’m a “good girl, rule follower” most of the time so I can’t imagine a situation where I wouldn’t choose to comply. But I don’t know how’d I react if I was being unexpectedly screamed at, contradicting orders and at gun point.  I would be flustered and confused and not making rational, reasoned decisions. 

[mommyoffive]

2 minutes ago, Terabith said:

Here in Virginia, we're dealing with a case where an Army lieutenant of color is suing the police for excessive force when he was pulled over because they did not see his dealer tags displayed in the window.  The whole incident is on video, and you can clearly hear CONFLICTING orders being given over and over.  He is told "Keep your hands up and out of the window," and also "Unbuckle your seat belt and get out of the car."  He's clearly terrified for his life.  They came at him with guns drawn and instantly ordered him out of the car, while also telling him to keep his hands up.  There's no way to unbuckle your seat belt and open the door while keeping your hands up and out of the window.  He's quite certain that if he moves his hands to unbuckle the seat belt and open the door, that he's going to be shot.  

And frankly, that seems like a reasonable supposition, given the video.  

ETA:  Forgot to add the video.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/virginia-police-officer-fired-pepper-spray-handcuff-black-army-lieutenant-traffic-stop/

I saw that video a few days ago on the news.  Horrible.  

All of this is horrible.  I honestly have no words.  You think that things will get better and it is just another video or report of it happening again.  I am so saddened by this and hope and pray that it stops happening.    It is a huge problem.  I cannot imagine how scared any man of color would feel when he is pulled over by the cops.   

[Jaybee]

1 minute ago, Cnew02 said:

I’m a “good girl, rule follower” most of the time so I can’t imagine a situation where I wouldn’t choose to comply. But I don’t know how’d I react if I was being unexpectedly screamed at, contradicting orders and at gun point.  I would be flustered and confused and not making rational, reasoned decisions. 

And so many times, especially if the screaming/orders are unexpected, my first reaction would be to freeze. It would take a few seconds for me to register what was said (if I even understood them--sometimes I don't when I have watched a video), even longer for me to be able to respond.

[HeartString]

7 minutes ago, Terabith said:

Here in Virginia, we're dealing with a case where an Army lieutenant of color is suing the police for excessive force when he was pulled over because they did not see his dealer tags displayed in the window.  The whole incident is on video, and you can clearly hear CONFLICTING orders being given over and over.  He is told "Keep your hands up and out of the window," and also "Unbuckle your seat belt and get out of the car."  He's clearly terrified for his life.  They came at him with guns drawn and instantly ordered him out of the car, while also telling him to keep his hands up.  There's no way to unbuckle your seat belt and open the door while keeping your hands up and out of the window.  He's quite certain that if he moves his hands to unbuckle the seat belt and open the door, that he's going to be shot.  

And frankly, that seems like a reasonable supposition, given the video.  

ETA:  Forgot to add the video.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/virginia-police-officer-fired-pepper-spray-handcuff-black-army-lieutenant-traffic-stop/

One of the more terrifying and infuriating  things about that case (among many) is the cops said that him putting on his hazards and driving a mile to a well lit location escalated the stop to a felony stop. I’m a woman, my whole life I have been told to never, ever stop on a dark empty road, drive to a well lit location and that the cops expect and understand that.  So...which is it?  If I do that am I committing a felony or being safe and reasonable.  

[mommyoffive]

8 minutes ago, Cnew02 said:

One of the more terrifying and infuriating  things about that case (among many) is the cops said that him putting on his hazards and driving a mile to a well lit location escalated the stop to a felony stop. I’m a woman, my whole life I have been told to never, ever stop on a dark empty road, drive to a well lit location and that the cops expect and understand that.  So...which is it?  If I do that am I committing a felony or being safe and reasonable.  

And I bet he was thinking as a man of color he wanted to go some place with other people around.

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, kand said:

But do we need any more info to know that it’s horrible, wrong and tragic that a cop shot and killed a young man that she didn’t even mean to point her gun at? I’m not sure what more information we need. It doesn’t even matter what his background was. We can’t have police officers accidentally (or purposely) killing people because they get nervous and pull the trigger despite being in no danger. 

What happened is tragic regardless, but do we know this? I haven’t looked anything up about his legal background, because it doesn’t seem relevant to this case, but I would like to know which thing is true if that point comes up in discussion with others. 

One of the first things I saw this morning was someone on Nextdoor referring people to fundraising sites for Daunte’s girlfriend and son, and I came away thoroughly depressed by the number of people who replied to that saying he was a criminal anyway and variations of “that’s what you get.” I don’t even know what to say or think that there are still people responding to these incidents that way (there were appropriate responses as well, but definitely too many that don’t see this as a tragedy. Sick people.)

I agree that it doesn't even matter what the warrant was for.  I would like to know though in case others bring it up.  

I did not know he had a son.  😞  Was the baby with them?

[HeartString]

2 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

And I bet he was thinking as a man of color he wanted to go some place with other people around.

Absolutely.  But even mostly white communities pass that around as standard advice.  Where I learned to drive there was a story/urban legend about serial killers pretending to be police and getting victim through traffic stops.   It was considered the safe thing to do even for white people in a mostly white community. I give that advice to my white kids.  I guess the ability to safely do that is a white privilege.  😞
If I do it, it’s reasonable.  A black man does it and it’s a felony.    

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, Cnew02 said:

Absolutely.  But even mostly white communities pass that around as standard advice.  Where I learned to drive there was a story/urban legend about serial killers pretending to be police and getting victim through traffic stops.   It was considered the safe thing to do even for white people in a mostly white community. I give that advice to my white kids.  I guess the ability to safely do that is a white privilege.  😞
If I do it, it’s reasonable.  A black man does it and it’s a felony.    

I agree.  I was told the same thing and heard of the same stories about people pretending to be police.    I think it is also confusing that we don't even know if you can do that or not.  

And your last 2 sentences are so sad.  Things need to change. 

[Pawz4me]

The news is reporting that the officer in this case is being charged with second degree manslaughter.

[Katy]

28 minutes ago, Cnew02 said:

Absolutely.  But even mostly white communities pass that around as standard advice.  Where I learned to drive there was a story/urban legend about serial killers pretending to be police and getting victim through traffic stops.   It was considered the safe thing to do even for white people in a mostly white community. I give that advice to my white kids.  I guess the ability to safely do that is a white privilege.  😞
If I do it, it’s reasonable.  A black man does it and it’s a felony.    

It’s not an urban legend, but the details are off. While there’s no reason to think it couldn’t have also been the ploy of a serial killer it was commonly used by rapists. 

In the 80’s & 90’s anyone could buy flashing lights from police catalogs.  Men would pull over women while pretending to be cops and rape them. It even happened when we lived in Iowa on the South side of Des Moines, sometime around 2008-2012 I think. The police issued a bulletin on the news that if you got pulled over by an unmarked car it was perfectly appropriate to turn on your flashers, slowly (less than 20mph) proceed to a well lit area, and to call 911 to notify the dispatcher that you’d like a marked car to show up.

I vaguely remember an actual cop also getting arrested for rape around that time too. I don’t know if it ended up bring the same man though.

[Scarlett]

39 minutes ago, Cnew02 said:

Absolutely.  But even mostly white communities pass that around as standard advice.  Where I learned to drive there was a story/urban legend about serial killers pretending to be police and getting victim through traffic stops.   It was considered the safe thing to do even for white people in a mostly white community. I give that advice to my white kids.  I guess the ability to safely do that is a white privilege.  😞
If I do it, it’s reasonable.  A black man does it and it’s a felony.    

Near Ft Smith AR there was a serial killer who was snatching up young boys while pretending to be a police officer.  He killed several.  One escaped and that is how he was caught.  

George Kent Wallace.  AKA The Mad Paddler.

Edited April 14, 2021 by Scarlett

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

36 minutes ago, Cnew02 said:

Absolutely.  But even mostly white communities pass that around as standard advice.  Where I learned to drive there was a story/urban legend about serial killers pretending to be police and getting victim through traffic stops.   It was considered the safe thing to do even for white people in a mostly white community. I give that advice to my white kids.  I guess the ability to safely do that is a white privilege.  😞
If I do it, it’s reasonable.  A black man does it and it’s a felony.    

I think it’s an urban legend.

If you continue to drive here, even in my rural county, they’ll consider it fleeing. I got pulled over for having something dangling from my rear view mirror when I was a new driver(no clue that wasn’t okay) and continued driving till I reached a parking lot about a mile and a half away.  The cop told me he understood but to realize that it can be viewed as fleeing or resisting.  When I get pulled over now I just pull over safely.

[ktgrok]

57 minutes ago, Jaybee said:

And so many times, especially if the screaming/orders are unexpected, my first reaction would be to freeze. It would take a few seconds for me to register what was said (if I even understood them--sometimes I don't when I have watched a video), even longer for me to be able to respond.

And this is a normal behavior in ALL humans. They actually have done tests on Navy Seals, who are trained to handle stress better than almost anyone, and they can't remember basic facts while being screamed at and stressed. Let alone how the average person deals with it. 

And although some freeze, the other NORMAL human reactions are to fight or flee. 

Police have GOT to be trained in how humans will respond to various scenarios, expect that, and know how to keep things calm. I'd say being able to keep a situation calm is as important as a bullet proof vest in keeping cops safe - so you'd think they would want that!

57 minutes ago, Cnew02 said:

One of the more terrifying and infuriating  things about that case (among many) is the cops said that him putting on his hazards and driving a mile to a well lit location escalated the stop to a felony stop. I’m a woman, my whole life I have been told to never, ever stop on a dark empty road, drive to a well lit location and that the cops expect and understand that.  So...which is it?  If I do that am I committing a felony or being safe and reasonable.  

I was always told that too, and have done it. Heck, my mom got pulled over once and for some ridiculous reason thought that if they had their lights on but not the sirens they were not actually pulling her over (it was late in a residential neighborhood so they were trying to avoid the siren). They followed her for quite a bit, finally put the siren on, and she pulled over. No harm, no foul, everyone laughed. But she was a woman in her 50s, and white. (we still tease her about her low speed chase though)

[1234]

I’ve turned my hazards on and driven slowly once for about two miles until I hit a well lit, populated shopping center. I didn’t even get a ticket, just a warning about the original reason. Many people don’t trust the police today and, again, how they do their job seriously needs to change as a result.

[Fritz]

A few thoughts about this issue:

Expired tags: How about we move to sending a ticket in the mail for this. They've got the plate number so they know who owns the vehicle. Safer for everyone involved.

There should be a huge difference in the location of the taser and the gun. Perhaps having a chest holster for the taser? A different grip and definitely a different color for the taser, like chartreuse.

The main thing that many of these incidents have in common is resisting arrest. They start out being compliant and for whatever reason they decide to resist and the situation escalates from there. i really don't understand why this keeps happening. Comply, go to jail if that's the result, but remain within the law and keep your life. Don't escalate the situation. Being a police officer is a thankless, low paying, and dangerous job. They want to go home to their families at night too. 

In this case the warrant was for first degree aggravated robbery, which is a felony. The warrant went to the wrong address. Seems to me that if there is no response from a mailed warrant a home visit should result.

 https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-daunte-wright-arrest-warrant-1583535

[Murphy101]

4 hours ago, ktgrok said:

And not just "someone" but a police officer. 

If you can't manage to figure out your gun vs your taser you shouldn't be carrying either. How are these people becoming LEOs?

I can see how some might. Some tazer have the shape of a gun and are carried close to the gun. 
 

But regardless this really points to some seriously shoddy training of cops.  The taser should be in the opposite side of the gun, and they should do so much training that muscle memory helps avoid this. Also. I don’t even understand tasering someone for getting in their car.  There’s no evidence he had a weapon and there were at least 3 cops there. He wasn’t going anywhere.

[Danae]

3 minutes ago, Fritz said:

remain within the law and keep your life.

 

There have been enough instances caught on video of people doing everything they are told, or trying to when given conflicting instructions, and still getting shot to make this statement laughable.  It isn't the people being killed who have the responsibility to de-escalate.  It's the literal job of the people with the guns and badges.

[Farrar]

39 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

I think it’s an urban legend.

If you continue to drive here, even in my rural county, they’ll consider it fleeing. I got pulled over for having something dangling from my rear view mirror when I was a new driver(no clue that wasn’t okay) and continued driving till I reached a parking lot about a mile and a half away.  The cop told me he understood but to realize that it can be viewed as fleeing or resisting.  When I get pulled over now I just pull over safely.

The officer in this specific case has stated that he knew exactly what the driver was doing. It didn't matter.

If this is an urban myth that you're supposed to get to a well-lit area, it's quite a far ranging one as you'll see it mentioned on local news, on driver education programs and websites, and even by the police themselves sometimes. From a police website: "Officers do not object to drivers proceeding to the nearest well-lit area."

 

[mommyoffive]

Kim Potter Will Be Charged With Manslaughter in Daunte Wright Killing (msn.com)

[Scarlett]

36 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Kim Potter Will Be Charged With Manslaughter in Daunte Wright Killing (msn.com)

What bugs me is how the lawyers immediately start saying, 'this was no accident.  It was deliberate.'  No it was not deliberate.  No one who is being honest can watch that video and think she intended to shoot him with her gun.

[Katy]

50 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

What bugs me is how the lawyers immediately start saying, 'this was no accident.  It was deliberate.'  No it was not deliberate.  No one who is being honest can watch that video and think she intended to shoot him with her gun.

They know that, and the DA knows she won't be found guilty.  The DA charged her to calm the community.  The family's lawyers are claiming that because they want a higher settlement, and the lawyers get a portion. 

We really need to reform drug laws in this country.  He shouldn't have been facing misdemeanor charges for marijuana at all.

We really need to reform police training in this country.  It should not be muscle memory to grab a gun instead of a taser.  They should train enough to have muscle memory for both. And they all need annual training on preserving civil rights.

[hippymamato3]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

What bugs me is how the lawyers immediately start saying, 'this was no accident.  It was deliberate.'  No it was not deliberate.  No one who is being honest can watch that video and think she intended to shoot him with her gun.

Honestly - you have no way of knowing that. She's been in law enforcement long enough to know what to say if she wants a murder to look like an accident. 

[HeartString]

16 minutes ago, Katy said:

We really need to reform drug laws in this country

This actually plays a huge part in why traffic stops are such a huge problem.  Police use traffic stops as a way to find drugs.  In theory it’s to route out dealers and traffickers but it ends up just being about harassing low level users.  

[Katy]

5 minutes ago, hippymamato3 said:

Honestly - you have no way of knowing that. She's been in law enforcement long enough to know what to say if she wants a murder to look like an accident. 

Occam’s razor.  She had no reason to murder him, she admitted what she did immediately while he was still driving away, she was extremely distraught afterwards. 

[Scarlett]

16 minutes ago, hippymamato3 said:

Honestly - you have no way of knowing that. She's been in law enforcement long enough to know what to say if she wants a murder to look like an accident. 

 

9 minutes ago, Katy said:

Occam’s razor.  She had no reason to murder him, she admitted what she did immediately while he was still driving away, she was extremely distraught afterwards. 

Exactly.  And I am not say she should not face a consequence.  But she did not deliberately murder that young  man.  

[hippymamato3]

30 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

 

Exactly.  And I am not say she should not face a consequence.  But she did not deliberately murder that young  man.  

She's not being charged with murder either. I think involuntary manslaughter is too light. 

[Scarlett]

Just now, hippymamato3 said:

She's not being charged with murder either. I think involuntary manslaughter is too light. 

Could be.  I would hate to have to be the one to figure out the charge for such a horrific accident.  

[Danae]

I wouldn't say "accident" either, even though I don't think she meant to shoot him.  "Mistake" would be accurate.  She pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger.  The fact that the device in her hand wasn't the one she thought it was was also because of her actions.

 

[Scarlett]

6 minutes ago, Danae said:

I wouldn't say "accident" either, even though I don't think she meant to shoot him.  "Mistake" would be accurate.  She pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger.  The fact that the device in her hand wasn't the one she thought it was was also because of her actions.

 

My dh often corrects me on my use of the word accident.  Not sure I agree it is a big difference. 

[Sneezyone]

Trained professionals are supposed to be better than civilians not the same as.  Medical professionals who ‘accidentally’ cut off the wrong limb suffer consequences. They aren’t excused, reflexively defended, or rehired. The standards for trained professional actions should be higher not lower. Lt. Nazario was assaulted less than 30 miles from my house. Gallows humor is all I have left.

I have an almost 17yo child who is ready to start ‘going out’ in a car driven by her 18yo ‘friend’. That’s what’s on my mind right now. They are KIDS who are newly licensed and they will freak out and panic and not react the way some here think they should. The way everyone assumes they would when they fear for their lives. They may not reflexively understand what’s happening. They may not reflexively surrender their dignity. They may not reflexively obey shouted commands. It doesn’t matter who they are, what families they come from, or what they’ve done. People would find something, anything, to blame for their situation other than the experienced, trained professionals involved. The teen has 100k in the bank because he sells knockoff tech online. Must be a drug dealer, right? SMH. We are never seen as fully human, imperfect and of value.

 

Edited April 14, 2021 by Sneezyone

[hippymamato3]

10 minutes ago, Danae said:

I wouldn't say "accident" either, even though I don't think she meant to shoot him.  "Mistake" would be accurate.  She pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger.  The fact that the device in her hand wasn't the one she thought it was was also because of her actions.

 

I still find it extremely hard to believe that she didn't know the difference. 

[pinball]

1 hour ago, Katy said:

They know that, and the DA knows she won't be found guilty.  The DA charged her to calm the community.  The family's lawyers are claiming that because they want a higher settlement, and the lawyers get a portion. 

We really need to reform drug laws in this country.  He shouldn't have been facing misdemeanor charges for marijuana at all.

We really need to reform police training in this country.  It should not be muscle memory to grab a gun instead of a taser.  They should train enough to have muscle memory for both. And they all need annual training on preserving civil rights.

He was not facing misdemeanor marijuana charges. He was accused of attempting to rob a woman at gunpoint, forcing her on her knees and choking her in the process. The victim said he was reaching into her bra, trying to get the money out. 

He and his friend had just spent the night at her house, and witnessed the victim’s roommate give her hundreds of dollars for rent. 

He was arrested for that, and then got out on bond. 

While he was out on that charge, there was an incident where he was accused of brandishing a weapon and running from the police. And the warrant stems from that incident.

 

[BakersDozen]

10 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

I don’t think I’d go so far as to call it frivolous. But it’s stuff that doesn’t carry a death sentence, especially without a trial.

Oh for sure. I was only responding to being pulled over for expired tags as "frivolous." That and outstanding warrant(s) plus resisting police which are most definitely not frivolous, rather very, very serious.

[pinball]

8 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

If you get pulled over and they find that you have outstanding warrants, usually you’ll wind up handcuffed and in the back of the police car while they sort it out.  If it’s a non extraditable warrant they usually just let you go. This guy had felony warrants so he probably would have just gone to jail till it was sorted out.

My partner at work last night was a cop for 20 years before retiring and working on an ambulance.  He said he can’t possibly figure out how someone could confuse a gun and a taser.

Drug use? Illness? Distraction? 

Her partner *almost* had him cuffed, then she approached the 2 of them, and she put her hands on Wright. Then he slipped out and got in the car. 

Ive read she was a trainer, but I’m don’t know if she was acting as a trainer during this.

[pinball]

19 minutes ago, hippymamato3 said:

I still find it extremely hard to believe that she didn't know the difference. 

So your thinking what? That she did know the difference and deliberately shot Wright?

[Farrar]

4 minutes ago, pinball said:

So your thinking what? That she did know the difference and deliberately shot Wright?

I can't speak for her, but I also find it hard to believe. They have a different weight, feel, and location. Honestly, I think she panicked and went for the thing that was the most force, which was her gun. Which is not the same as believing that she deliberately wanted to shoot him. That really strains credulity for me. She had to make a split second decision that was so fast that she didn't even think about it. She went for the thing that made her feel safest, even as she was yelling that she was going to follow the policy, probably without being fully cognizant that's what she was doing.

And that's why "more training" won't fix the problem. It might help some, but it can't fix it. 

[regentrude]

34 minutes ago, pinball said:

He was not facing misdemeanor marijuana charges. He was accused of attempting to rob a woman at gunpoint, forcing her on her knees and choking her in the process. The victim said he was reaching into her bra, trying to get the money out. 

Would you please cite your source? Thank you.
I have only been able to find the information that the charge was for a misdemeanor.

 

ETA: Just to clarify: not that it matters! In a civilized country, arrest warrants, even for the most heinous crimes, are not death sentences.

Edited April 14, 2021 by regentrude

[Scarlett]

6 minutes ago, regentrude said:

Would you please cite your source? Thank you.
I have only been able to find the information that the charge was for a misdemeanor.

I keep finding different stories too.....I found this....https://www.scribd.com/document/502729366/12-4-Arrest#download

[MercyA]

When I was involved in protesting, I told the police more than once, "No, I will not do what you are asking me to do [leave, move, stop protesting]. I know the law, and the law says I can stand here." I usually knew much more about what I was allowed to do and what I wasn't than they did. Some officers were reasonable and some had tempers that flared at being told, "No."

I had the EXTREME luxury of not being afraid of them. I was never afraid of what they would do to me, because (although I didn't realize it at the time) I was privileged by virtue of my skin color. My attitude was that they were public servants and they worked for *me* (and I don't think that was wrong, actually). I would never try that now. Privilege or not, I don't trust the police, at all.

I can't even imagine the amount of fear that any person of color experiences being stopped or pulled over. It truly doesn't matter what they do; they still may end up dead. And it drives me crazy that people still do NOT GET IT. They are still blaming the victims rather than the people with guns who should know better. 

This country is insane.

Edited April 14, 2021 by MercyA

[Katy]

48 minutes ago, pinball said:

He was not facing misdemeanor marijuana charges. He was accused of attempting to rob a woman at gunpoint, forcing her on her knees and choking her in the process. The victim said he was reaching into her bra, trying to get the money out. 

He and his friend had just spent the night at her house, and witnessed the victim’s roommate give her hundreds of dollars for rent. 

He was arrested for that, and then got out on bond. 

While he was out on that charge, there was an incident where he was accused of brandishing a weapon and running from the police. And the warrant stems from that incident.

 

I haven’t seen this on any legitimate news site that gets confirmation, only right wing sites with a political agenda. Legitimate news sources that get confirmation have only shown misdemeanor marijuana charges. Please link a source.

[Farrar]

Let me preface this by saying it doesn't matter. Like, AT ALL. But because it's inevitable that without the truth, people speculate to death about it...

For those confused about the charges Wright was facing, this is the piece I've seen that lays it out pretty fairly:

https://www.insider.com/daunte-wright-details-of-charges-warrants-before-killed-by-police-2021-4

The takeaway...

Wright's warrant was for possession of a firearm without a license and not turning up to a court hearing about that.

There's some dispute about whether he got the notice of the hearing (I've seen this both ways - the Insider piece implies maybe not, but Newsweek went through this and said false - the returned mail was in regards to another issue, but of course both things could be true).

Wright was previously involved in a robbery at gunpoint. The warrant had nothing to do with those charges.

Essentially, Wright had done bad things. Who cares? Stop looking for perfect victims.

[Melissa Louise]

1 minute ago, MercyA said:

When I was involved in protesting, I told the police more than once, "No, I will not do what you are asking me to do [leave, move, stop protesting]. I know the law, and the law says I can stand here." I usually knew much more about what I was allowed to do and what I wasn't than they did. Some officers were reasonable and some had tempers that flared at being told, "No."

I had the EXTREME luxury of not being afraid of them. I was never afraid of what they would do to me, because (although I didn't realize it) I was privileged by virtue of my skin color. My attitude was that they were public servants and they worked for *me* (and I don't think that was wrong, actually). I would never try that now. Privilege or not, I don't trust the police, at all.

I can't even imagine the amount of fear that any person of color experiences being stopped or pulled over. It truly doesn't matter what they do; they still may end up dead. And it drives me crazy that people still do NOT GET IT. They are still blaming the victims rather than the people with guns who should know better. 

This country is insane.

I've been to plenty of protests and have never felt like this. Antagonise police and it isn't likely to go well.

Drummed it into the kids too - you follow the directions from protest organisers where it does not conflict with police instruction, and the minute it does, you follow police instruction. 

I have no connection with police; I tolerate ACAB sentiments at home, I believe police racially profile suspects, and I think there are systemic  problems of racism in law enforcement. 

But the only people ignoring police  instruction at a protest should be those who are specifically and trained in non-violence, and who are prepared to be physically manhandled, taken into custody, and possibly charged. 

 

[Sneezyone]

4 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Let me preface this by saying it doesn't matter. Like, AT ALL. But because it's inevitable that without the truth, people speculate to death about it...

For those confused about the charges Wright was facing, this is the piece I've seen that lays it out pretty fairly:

https://www.insider.com/daunte-wright-details-of-charges-warrants-before-killed-by-police-2021-4

The takeaway...

Wright's warrant was for possession of a firearm without a license and not turning up to a court hearing about that.

There's some dispute about whether he got the notice of the hearing (I've seen this both ways - the Insider piece implies maybe not, but Newsweek went through this and said false - the returned mail was in regards to another issue, but of course both things could be true).

Wright was previously involved in a robbery at gunpoint. The warrant had nothing to do with those charges.

Essentially, Wright had done bad things. Who cares? Stop looking for perfect victims.

Perfect victims don’t exist. A 12yo boy was shot and killed in a public park and that was excused too. LT. Nazario was pulled over and pepper sprayed for a crime he didn’t commit and the body cam shows they knew it before drawing their weapons and approaching the car. People who want to find excuses will do so because they don’t fundamentally believe we are human and have any rights they are bound to respect.

Edited April 14, 2021 by Sneezyone

[MercyA]

Just now, Melissa Louise said:

I've been to plenty of protests and have never felt like this. Antagonise police and it isn't likely to go well.

Drummed it into the kids too - you follow the directions from protest organisers where it does not conflict with police instruction, and the minute it does, you follow police instruction. 

I have no connection with police; I tolerate ACAB sentiments at home, I believe police racially profile suspects, and I think there are systemic  problems of racism in law enforcement. 

But the only people ignoring police  instruction at a protest should be those who are specifically and trained in non-violence, and who are prepared to be physically manhandled, taken into custody, and possibly charged. 

Oh, I don't disagree with you. I was young and more than a little naive and idealistically confident of my rights. Thankfully it worked out okay. These weren't large protests. They were usually only about three or four of us. 

The only people I knew who actually got arrested were people involved in deliberate trespass. 

[pinball]

12 minutes ago, Katy said:

I haven’t seen this on any legitimate news site that gets confirmation, only right wing sites with a political agenda. Legitimate news sources that get confirmation have only shown misdemeanor marijuana charges. Please link a source.

Other people have linked the actual documents on scribd, and articles with the scribd documents.

 

[Jenny in Florida]

1 hour ago, Danae said:

I wouldn't say "accident" either, even though I don't think she meant to shoot him.  "Mistake" would be accurate.  She pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger.  The fact that the device in her hand wasn't the one she thought it was was also because of her actions.

 

I could get on board with "tragic error," but I find "accident" woefully inadequate to describe an action that resulted in the needless death of a human being.

[regentrude]

32 minutes ago, pinball said:

Other people have linked the actual documents on scribd, and articles with the scribd documents.

yes, and they document that the aggravated assault case from 2019 was not the cause of the current warrant.

and again: none of this matters

Edited April 14, 2021 by regentrude

[pinball]

1 hour ago, pinball said:

He was not facing misdemeanor marijuana charges. He was accused of attempting to rob a woman at gunpoint, forcing her on her knees and choking her in the process. The victim said he was reaching into her bra, trying to get the money out. 

He and his friend had just spent the night at her house, and witnessed the victim’s roommate give her hundreds of dollars for rent. 

He was arrested for that, and then got out on bond. 

While he was out on that charge, there was an incident where he was accused of brandishing a weapon and running from the police. And the warrant stems from that incident.

 

 

4 minutes ago, regentrude said:

yes, and they document that the aggravated assault case from 2019 was not the cause of the current warrant.

and again: none of this matters

Yes, I said that. Read the last sentence of what I posted an hour ago.

rational people might believe that facts matter

[hippymamato3]

37 minutes ago, Jenny in Florida said:

I could get on board with "tragic error," but I find "accident" woefully inadequate to describe an action that resulted in the needless death of a human being.

She intended to cause him harm. That's the issue. Whether she intended to kill him or not, she took out that gun intending to harm him. 

[Sneezyone]

Just now, pinball said:

 

Yes, I said that. Read the last sentence of what I posted an hour ago.

rational people might believe that facts matter

Yes, facts do matter. Accusations are not convictions and unless/until this dead man is convicted of those crimes they’re irrelevant. Not even Chauvin’s checkered past is being admitted as evidence. It’s irrelevant as to whether he committed the offense for which he is on trial.