Quote:
Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!
It's a good question but like most things, I don't think it's as difficult as you're making it. If cops have to make split second decisions it can't be that complex. But there is a world of difference between someone who you are pursuing for murder, someone who is armed with lethal weapons and someone who woke up in a drive thru and got the best of you.
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Well, that's my point. If we're going to do things your way, we do need to draw the line somewhere, whether it be an accused murderer, or someone believed to be armed and dangerous - and does that mean an AR15, or is a knife enough? Personally if someone is fleeing a crime scene where they've just stabbed someone, I don't want them to get away even if the person who gets stabbed ends up not dying, for example. I'd also not want an accused child molester getting away if they run. But that's all a matter of degrees.
It's a good point you make, though, about split second decisions, particularly in a situation where you're considering whether to shoot someone. If it's just, this guy is a criminal and he's going to escape so I'm taking the shot, that does have the virtue of simplicity. Introducing a more complicated decision matrix might also lead to some of the people even you would want shot getting away. Another consequence you'd have to be okay with if this is the force application policy you want to see used.