Gunshot wounds are overwhelmingly the leading cause of death at the hands of the American Police.
American Police are broadly authorised to use lethal force "to protect their life or the life of another innocent party", or to "prevent a suspect from escaping, but only if the officer has probable cause to think the suspect poses a dangerous threat to others" - https://www.vox.com/identities/2016/8/13/17938226/police-sho...
The American rules on the use of lethal force are similar to many other countries. For instance, in the UK guidance is "To prevent an immediate threat to life by shooting to stop the subject from carrying out their intended or threatened course of action. In most circumstances this is achieved by aiming to strike the central body mass (i.e. the torso)." - https://theconversation.com/heres-when-british-police-are-le...
So why are American Police shooting more people? Why are they afraid for theirs, and others lives? Is it really because the "System" turns them into nervous, trigger-happy bad people? Or, is the problem that that's what happens when a society is awash with guns?
Rural white folks per capita own way more guns than inner-city POC. Perhaps the rampant insecurity in food, shelter, healthcare, proper education, and chance to climb out of social and economic holes combines with a system where a heavy patrol of armed police are first responders to things better handled by trauma counselors, psychologits, addiction counselors, employment specialists, social workers, and other professions makes a perfect storm for violent interactions.
American Police are broadly authorised to use lethal force "to protect their life or the life of another innocent party", or to "prevent a suspect from escaping, but only if the officer has probable cause to think the suspect poses a dangerous threat to others" - https://www.vox.com/identities/2016/8/13/17938226/police-sho...
The American rules on the use of lethal force are similar to many other countries. For instance, in the UK guidance is "To prevent an immediate threat to life by shooting to stop the subject from carrying out their intended or threatened course of action. In most circumstances this is achieved by aiming to strike the central body mass (i.e. the torso)." - https://theconversation.com/heres-when-british-police-are-le...
So why are American Police shooting more people? Why are they afraid for theirs, and others lives? Is it really because the "System" turns them into nervous, trigger-happy bad people? Or, is the problem that that's what happens when a society is awash with guns?