As being someone who is rather intimately aware of the deployment of
non-lethal modes of police force (mainly at demonstrations aka ISAG, Hwy
55, etc.) I thought I would weigh in on this issue. Mr. Griffinth gives us
an imaginary situation where we are suddenly confronted with the crisis...
shoot to kill or risk being killed. This scenario is unfortunately not
reflective of the situation that occurred. The fact is that the officers
didn't just suddenly wake up to a situation as if coming out of a pleasant
dream. It was a situation that they themselves created. They were the
ones that rejected calling in for other non-lethal methods. There have
been a number of methods that the mpls police have used on protesters with
extreme effectiveness including pepper spray, rubber bullets, etc. These
methods are not experimental and quite a bit of money was expended to
purchase them for the ISAG conference. Eighteen rubber bullets would have
disabled the individual involved without killing him. Pepper spray can be
deployed at long distances and is quite disabling also. The simple fact is
that this was a situation that came to point that it got to through
decisions made by the police, and if these methods are by the book, then we
need to rewrite the book to quote Mr Zimmerman.
I also concur with Mr. Palmer's assessment of needing to consider the
reality of the fear that is occurring within the Somalian community. The
man killed was questioned by the FBI a week ago, and there has been a move
to deport Somalian (and Iraqi) immigrants on rather minor infractions.
Given the political climate of Somalia right now, and the distinct
possibility that said returned immigrants come with the "CIA spy" stamp,
it's no wonder that there might be a considerable amount of suspicion
related to the shooting.
I think that the time for patience is over when it comes to police
abuse within the Twin Cities. This is not the first incidence, unless
there is some concerted effort to curb the police, it will not be the last.
The question is it going to take a Cinncinatiesque response before
something is done. I am perfectly willing to recognize that our problem is
not of the scale of LA or Philadelphia, but does that mean we should shrug
our shoulders and let it happen? I think not.
robert wood
st paul
"Be Reasonable, Demand The Impossible!"
--France 1968
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