This post changed as I wrote it as you’ll see if you stick with it.

Headline today “Police officer who killed black man in Minnesota traffic stop went to use Taser but fired her pistol ‘by accident‘” WHAT?

How, we ask ourselves? Yet another tragic death of someone who seems to have been guilty of relatively minor criminal offences. Shot dead because the officer made a terrible mistake in the heat of the moment. Distracted? Scared? Who knows, but tragic none the less, and the timing couldn’t be worse as another police officer comes close to sentencing over the death of George Floyd.

I think I’ve said something similar elsewhere, but I continue to be astounded that anyone ignores the instructions of armed police officers, knowing that they just might shoot! Put your hands on the dashboard! Simple. Get out of the vehicle! Simple. Get down on the ground! Simple.

So why not do as you are asked rather than escalating the situation and risking being shot? Why?

I post this link from a few days ago by way of illustration. Even a serving soldier cannot follow a simple order! Why?

But changing tack a little, here’s something that I had not appreciated. Policing in America has changed radically since the begining of the “war on terror”. It is frankly shocking.

Here you can see how in less than 20 years the American Police Force has changed into an Army! Do watch.