Michigan authorities said Wednesday that they have cleared six Saginaw police officers in the fatal shooting of a homeless, mentally ill man in a parking lot.Usually they wait six months or a year to make an outrageous decision like this one. They should be careful, this is how the Rodney King problem started, exonerating obviously guilty cops.
Saginaw County Prosecutor Michael D. Thomas joined state officials at a Saginaw news conference to announce the findings.
Milton Hall, 49, was shot multiple times July 1. Saginaw police said he was wielding a knife and made aggressive movements toward officers.
Thomas said in a statement that an extensive investigation "did not yield enough evidence supporting the filing of criminal charges against the officers involved."
"It is the decision of the prosecutor's office that we do not believe that the arresting officers are chargeable for their actions," Thomas said.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Why don't you explain how you've determined that the police in this case are guilty? Oh, right, they had guns. As far as you're concerned, the possession of a firearm is sufficient evidence of criminality. Fortunately, the prosecutor's office in this case recognizes that the law requires a higher burden of proof.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to rethink your position on Rodney King, considering the facts about his life, including the manner of his death.
I saw the dash camera video of the man with the knife. He was clearly agitated and stabbed at the hood of the police car. It also looked like the man wasn't very mobile and didn't pose an immediate, serious threat to any citizens in the neighborhood. I would like to have seen the police try something else before shooting and killing the man. The police could have simply drove into him with their cars at low speed to knock him down. If that wasn't sufficient to incapacitate him, do it again.
ReplyDeleteBut I wasn't there and didn't get to see all the video and evidence. Maybe the police didn't really have any other option. I am concerned.
I saw one of the videos that went around at the time of the incident and based on that I say shame on those cops. They should all go on trial for manslaughter and abuse of power.
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