oldNslow wrote on 10/04/13 at 06:28:34:mpescatori wrote on 10/04/13 at 04:42:40:I can't believe she was shot dead...
I can. The unfortunate reality in situations like this is that
the police almost always over-react. I's almost like the default procedure is to immediately start shooting and sort things out afterwards.
That said, I'm a little conflicted about this one. She did hit at least one cop with the car, and was driving pretty erratically. At least in the case of the cops at the White house, I'm not sure what else they could have done. It's impossible to stop a car with your bare hands.
When she finally crashed and got out of the car near the capital I think those officers might have been a little too quick on the trigger. There are conflicting reports about that though. Some say she got out of the car after she wrecked, others say they shot her while she was still sitting in the car.
It's going to be a while before we get the "official" version of what transpired ,and when we do some folks will accept it as gospel and some will be convinced it's a whitewash.
And, as usual, the reports of what was going on, when the incident was underway were almost universally incorrect, some of them wildly so.
1, If you do not feel alarmed by what happened, then you should stop taking whatever you're taking and get real.
The job of the Police is "To Serve and Protect", not to participate in some wacky kind of treasure hunt where he who shoots the most winsn the mostest.
(liberally quoting Gen. Nathan B. Forrest)
2. In this here Continent, an overeacting cop is one fired cop, no quesitons asked.
"Shoot, kill driver to stop car" is NOT within a LEO's freedom of decidsion, "shoot to kill" is an executive decision by the top brass.
3. The official version ? Gimme a break! I've had enough official versions just to save face that I can read between the lines, even when the paper is still blank.
The woman has a 2-3 y.o. child in the rear seat.
All you need is for the Mom to look in the rearview mirror to check/scold the child, if something moves in the meantime and gets into your way you bang into it.
Add to this, you may be in an area you are not familiar with trying to get back home, see policemen all over the place and you get scared.
To say "she has a history of mental illness" over a case of post-partum depression (which, incidentally, is a statistic on 80% of women...) is a lie in cold blood.
Think about itm next time your daughter drives your grandchildren to the Mall...
This diagram is emblematic : US incarceration rates vs. the resto of the world

Something's wrong, folks.