There was a police shooting at a traffic stop here in Austin, TX. As the police began their standard shooting investigation, around 100 people at the nearby apartment complex begban pelting the police with trash and bottles, chanting "Murderer!"
Here are some of the articles that have been posted so far: Fox7 and KEYE (CBS). What I find more interesting than the shooting is the reaction of the bystanders. The Austin PD have always had a cloud of suspicion over them in the public eye, due to the strange congregation of a liberal local population in a conservative state, with a gathering of ultra-lib activists from the college (University of Texas) and political activists mixed with the the usual politics in a state capital. Given this was in (what I would consider) an area with a high hispanic and 'African-American' population, the reaction was most likely predictable. However, these people had their minds made up before the police even began an investigation, let alone made the results public. How is this behavior in any way appropriate? How can you take a groups objections and concerns seriously when they show reactions like this without having any details?
Now that I have said all of that, the police officer may have over-reacted, depending on the circumstances; but with a gun in the mix, the cop had to make a split second decision. I think the officer acted appropriatly (pending further information).
Here are some of the articles that have been posted so far: Fox7 and KEYE (CBS). What I find more interesting than the shooting is the reaction of the bystanders. The Austin PD have always had a cloud of suspicion over them in the public eye, due to the strange congregation of a liberal local population in a conservative state, with a gathering of ultra-lib activists from the college (University of Texas) and political activists mixed with the the usual politics in a state capital. Given this was in (what I would consider) an area with a high hispanic and 'African-American' population, the reaction was most likely predictable. However, these people had their minds made up before the police even began an investigation, let alone made the results public. How is this behavior in any way appropriate? How can you take a groups objections and concerns seriously when they show reactions like this without having any details?
Now that I have said all of that, the police officer may have over-reacted, depending on the circumstances; but with a gun in the mix, the cop had to make a split second decision. I think the officer acted appropriatly (pending further information).