RWN: Now, this is rich… A New Orleans school board member has really stepped in it this time. Attorney at law Morris “Moe” Reed decided the really smart thing to do would be to go on Facebook and air his racist, cop hatred. There he asked the age old question: “Can we shoot police when they walk up to our cars now and say we feared for our lives?” Yep, that’s what you want from a school board member… a murderous dirt bag attorney who wants to off cops. Yeah baby.
Unfortunately for Reed, he has people who actually read his Facebook page and took screenshots of his rant and sent it to the media. MORE
I have a different take on what this guy is saying. Right now, the bad cops are very rarely disciplined much less indicted/tried when they shoot a non-cap if they can say they felt threatened. Reed seems to me to be mostly criticizing this rather than proposing that non-cops shoot threatening cops.\
As a matter of principle, I am against laws and court precedents that create different classes of citizens with different rules of acceptable behavior. So, I disapprove of the current doctrine of immunity for cops, prosecutors, judges, etc. I am NOT in favor of shooting ANYBODY unless he is immediately and credibly threatening to kill or inflict grievous bodily harm on me or mine.
I agree with you Al.
The US constitution is clear on the point that having different laws for special groups is not allowed in this country. That hasn’t prevented criminals from getting elected and creating such laws, but the intent was to bar that practice.
If the DOJ worked for the people all laws that give the police special rights, including allowing police to be armed in communities where the citizens have been disarmed, would be quashed.
Straight from the Texas penal code:
(c) The use of force to resist an arrest or search is justified:
(1) if, before the actor offers any resistance, the peace officer (or person acting at his direction) uses or attempts to use greater force than necessary to make the arrest or search; and
(2) when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect himself against the peace officer’s (or other person’s) use or attempted use of greater force than necessary.
And I post this as a father of a police officer.
They can not do whatever they please with force. It must be reasonable. You may defend yourself even against a police officer – if it is a legit defense situation. But if you resist and up the game yourself – well, you’re creating the need for greater force from them to match you.
Good luck.
Source:
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/SOTWDocs/PE/htm/PE.9.htm
My highlighting: before the actor offers any resistance
Somehow, I messed up on the highlighting. Twice in one post.
No but we can go up to you and blow your brains out if we wanted. Consequences be damned!