SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
The Minneapolis police chief, Janee Harteau, resigned on Friday at the mayor’s request, less than a week after one of the city’s officers fatally shot an unarmed Australian woman who had called 911 for help.
Mayor Betsy Hodges said in a statement that “I’ve lost confidence in the chief’s ability to lead us further” and that “it is clear that she has lost the confidence of the people of Minneapolis as well.”
...
At a press conference on Friday night about the chief’s departure, protesters interrupted Ms. Hodges and called on her to resign, as well. “Bye, bye, Betsy,” they chanted when she tried to continue speaking.
Minneapolis chief of police Janeé Harteau resigned Friday, forced out by the city’s mayor nearly a week after a police officer fatally shot an Australian woman who had called 911.
The case has drawn international scrutiny and criticism, and highlighted the limitations of police-worn body cameras.
Mayor Betsy Hodges, who has previously called the lack of body-camera footage of the shooting “unacceptable,” said in a statement, “I’ve lost confidence in the Chief’s ability to lead us further.”
...
The mayor has been sharply critical of the fact that even though every patrol officer in Minneapolis wears a body camera, neither officer present when Damond was fatally shot late Saturday activated his, preventing authorities from having potentially key footage of what happened.“We have put too much time, money, and effort into them to have them fail us when we needed them most,” Hodges wrote of the body cameras. “That cannot happen again.”
...
Harteau is at least the fourth chief of a major police department forced out in recent years amid controversy over a deadly police shooting or a fatal encounter with officers.The fatal shooting has provoked international outrage and continued to resonate in Australia. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called it “a shocking killing” and said Australian officials are seeking closure for her family.
I feel something is wrong if police and city officials need Australians to be shot to start cleaning their act.
---
Background - The Guardian:
Damond, 40, called police after hearing a possible sexual assault taking place in an alley behind her Minneapolis home in what has been described as the safe, middle-class neighbourhood of Fulton.
The police audio begins with the description of a “female screaming behind the building”, believed to be what Damond told the dispatcher in her initial 911 call.
Damond, dressed in her pyjamas, reportedly approached the driver’s side window of the police car when it arrived in the alley and an officer shot across his partner at Damond more than once from the passenger seat.
...
The Washington Post reported Damond is one of at least 524 people fatally shot by police in the US this year and and the fifth in Minnesota.The Minneapolis-St Paul area is still reeling from the acquittal last month of a police officer who shot dead a man, Philando Castile, during a traffic stop while Castile’s girlfriend livestreamed the horrifying incident.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Saturday July 22 2017, @01:35PM (6 children)
I know some of you more liberal people probably put me in the same group with our "Law and Order" members. I do believe in law and order, and I most certainly believe that there are some people out there on the streets who NEED to be gunned down.
But, this kind of shit just pisses me off. The cops and their supporters try to paint cops - ALL COPS - as some kind of brave heroes, at war at all times with some vast criminal organizations, blah blah blah. Yet, some cowardly son of a bitch wearing a cop's uniform can gun down an unarmed man, woman, or child, even elderly people in nursing homes, without consequence. Heroes. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2595754/Police-officer-shot-dead-World-War-II-veteran-95-nursing-home-mistaking-metal-shoe-horn-machete.html [dailymail.co.uk]
There are so many stories of cowards in uniform resorting to their weapons, when there is absolutely no justification . . .
Somehow, the cops need to be brought under control, and they need to be reminded who the hell they work for.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 22 2017, @02:25PM (1 child)
In the past, we've mentioned that cops don't even make the Top 10 of most dangerous jobs.
It's still true. [gazettereview.com]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by deadstick on Saturday July 22 2017, @05:27PM
I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK...
(Score: 2) by Lagg on Saturday July 22 2017, @04:04PM (2 children)
"our members"?
I always knew you were commie swine.
Also, one good starting point would be to stop militarizing them so the population stops getting complacent and treating them like active service people. Not giving them control over the cameras would help. Oh and if they'd stop covering for each other like assholes we'd probably get somewhere faster. I know at least the cameras are going to be addressed. Maybe
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 4, Interesting) by frojack on Saturday July 22 2017, @11:04PM (1 child)
Actually, a good starting point would be to disarm them and make them call for a firearms team when someone needs to be shot. Works in a lot of countries. Criminals wouldn't be in such a hurry to shoot at cops that only had tasers.
Buy them the best ballistic vests, tasers, and bear spray.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Lagg on Sunday July 23 2017, @04:15AM
Heh, I'm such an american that the idea of telling them to just not carry didn't even enter my mind. But yeah, that or doing what the brits do would be good. Which I understand is simply that they take batons and tasers and have a gun in the car.
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 24 2017, @05:33PM
Meanwhile, the average citizen of Minneapolis is required to adopt strategies that are more in line with the 3rd world. NEVER call the police, and take steps to avoid ANY interaction with them. If you must interact with them, keep your hands in the air at all times and maintain the placid idiotic expression of a cow, lest the officer "fear for his life", piss himself, and open fire.