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Originally Posted by wittynickname
I haven't actually watched the video, as I have absolutely zero desire to watch anyone die, but what kind of a knife are we talking about?
Because I'd argue a knife is a whole heck of a lot less lethal than a gun is. Look at the mass stabbing that happened right here outside of Pittsburgh a few months back--he injured plenty of people, for certain, but no one died. Not a single person died, and he was stabbing people without them even realizing there was a problem.
I feel like there are non-lethal ways for two officers to handle a guy with a knife, if they have any kind of proper training. Just like there are non-lethal ways of stopping someone who may or may not be resisting arrest, or running away from you, or especially one who is surrendering.
That's the root of this issue: lethal force is all too regularly used by a whole lot of police forces in the US, not just in Ferguson/St Louis/Missouri. Why is it that police forces world over have such low rates of homicide by police while the US has such a high rate of it? How is it that other countries can go years without a death by police, while in the US it happens on a very regular basis? Why is it that our police forces seem to have a shoot-to-kill mentality rather than a less lethal apprehension procedure?
Perhaps the man who killed Michael Brown isn't a cold-blooded killer, but I think it's safe to say he certainly used excessive force, which is a problem for police throughout the entire US, and the ensuing protests and the incredibly excessive police reaction proves that point.
Why do US police forces treat citizens as the enemy?
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People certainly have died from knife injuries before.
I don't think it's fair to expect police to gamble that they will only be injured, but may not be killed by a knife attack. I wouldn't want to take that risk with my life, and I don't think they want to risk it with theirs either.