This is just not something I can really defend. I get it that you can't say this is a clear cut case of murder..... but.... I can't really defend this either.
An officer walked in the wrong house, and shot a law abiding citizen in his own house.
Now accident or not, this office caused the whole thing. This isn't a case where some guy runs at an officer, or tries to attack the officer and steal his gun, or refuses to submit to arrest and is choked to death, or has a realistic replica with the orange tip blacked out.
99 times out of a 100, I'll side with the officer, but this.... the officer just went into someone's home and shot someone. I just can't defend that.
You can say that "Well it was confusing, and not well marked" but again... as a person with responsibility, it's on you to make sure you are going in the right house.
And if what I read was true, that the officer in question had accidentally gone to the wrong house in the past.... then I'd think I would make even more effort to verify which apartment was mine, knowing that is a problem.
And additionally, knowing I had accidentally gone to the wrong home in the past, I would have thought twice when I opened the door and found strangers in that home. I would think... oh I must be at the wrong place. Not default to pulling a gun and shooting people.
So I want to give this officer a chance.... but I don't see it here. I don't see any reason to give the benefit of the doubt.
Obviously is there is more evidence than what I've read thus far, then I reserve the right to change my mind. But from what I see at this point... no, this is all on the officer.
First all this officer as far as I know had never gone into the wrong apartment before...but many in that complex had made the same mistake she made.
If she was going to be charged with anything it should have been negligent homicide...certainly not murder...in order to have murder you must have malice.
But the black guy was negligent also...failed to lock his front door. How many folks living in apartment complexes do that? In addition he failed to follow the lawful orders of a police officer....she hollered for him to show his hands...he refused to do so.
If she was going to be charged with anything it should have been negligent homicide...certainly not murder...in order to have murder you must have malice.
Agreed.
I can buy everything you said, and I'm not going to debate any of that....
but....
The black guy was negligent too..... he failed to lock his front door?
No. Just no. I don't buy that absolute crap. How did we as a society, go from a time when no one anywhere locked their front doors, and no one just walked and starting shooting people.....
to now when if you don't lock your door... something bad happens, it's your fault?
I am tired of this 'blame the victim' mentality. Until they make it a law, that "unless you lock your door, if anything happens it's your fault".... until that is an actual rule... then no. He was not negligent. Maybe they were expecting friends, and he thought his friend was playing a prank.
I've done that. I've left my door open, because I knew someone was on their way, and told them the door would be unlocked. I had no idea that my entire right to life, was completely forfeit under the constitution, because I left my door unlocked. I guess I missed in the declaration of independence, where it said "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, unless you leave your door unlocked".
Now I get it, that if you are faced with an officer, you should follow instructions. And if he was in his car, and she was walking up on him... yeah, he needs to do exactly what he is ordered to do.
But this was not a situation where he knew he was dealing with an officer. A random person just walked in his house, and pulled a gun on him.
That's not going to go well. Again, he did nothing wrong. A man, in his own house, doing his own thing, and a person walk in and shoot him.
No, this is entirely on the officer.