Quote:
Originally Posted by scootr
I expected no less. You are saying this collateral damage is acceptable but, it is not. You are saying there was no other possible scenario where innocent people would not be killed in the apprehension of these suspects?
Step back and take a slow breath.
I simply wanted to voice a different opinion. The suspects were not shooting innocent people while driving down the street. No lives were in immediate danger of termination had the suspects not been confronted where and when they were.
The confrontation at that place and time is what I am questioning. The confrontation forced the gunfight not the job you all do.
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I'm breathing just fine. The real world isn't a movie, and the sooner that you accept reality, the sooner you'll gain understanding. There are an infinite number of "
scenarios" where innocent lives aren't endangered, or aren't endangered to the degree of the Miami shooting. In fact, such things are avoided/curtailed nearly every shift in some way, shape or form. This one, however, was unavoidable, and the standoff took place where the chase terminated simply due to traffic congestion. The situation set the stage; police merely responded.
P.S. I'll reiterate.....the gunfight began
before the chase ensued. The initial gunfight and the kidnapping were two essential components that made apprehension
emergent. What part of that very simple concept are you failing to comprehend?!?! The suspects kidnapped an innocent person at gunpoint, so while they may not have been shooting at innocent people while driving down the street in a stolen UPS box truck, they had at least ONE innocent person and were holding him against his will. ONE is enough, and therein lay the potential to have more casualties. I'm really trying to dumb this down so even a layman can understand.
Let's play the "
What would you have done in the same situation?" game. You are a Miami officer, and the situation is laid out in front of you and you are tasked to respond. Armed perpetrators have robbed a jewelry store, fired rounds at officers, stolen a UPS box truck and kidnapped the driver (...
...which they didn't have to do; they could've left him alone, but their gross disregard was made apparent by that decision). Those same perpetrators have just led you and your partners on a 20+ mile pursuit endangering lives
simply by the actions they've chosen to take. The chase terminates due to traffic congestion (..
another "scenario" where innocent lives wouldn't have been put at further risk if they had just given up), and the standoff ensues. They are shooting at you and your partners and you have no idea what their weapon surplus looks like. There are innocent people around and it's not feasible nor safe to mobilize them. Choosing to do nothing isn't an option (
obviously!!!), so you have to do
something. What would you do? Let's hear/read your critically thought "
analysis" on how to end this situation when you have two perpetrators who have no intention of submitting to authorities and are shooting at you, and there's no feasible/safe way to mobilize surrounding citizens (...
and there are even more who had the opportunity and present ability to leave the scene, but instead chose to stick around and videotape amid exchanges in gunfire; absolute dummies).