There are a few things I feel could have been done that would have resulted in a much better outcome. Let me start out by saying both the officer and the victim share some blame to some degree in my opinion.
I will outline a few things below that I feel may have caused the officer to react the way he did and Mr. Brooks to respond the way he did that if taken into consideration could have led to a different outcome. As well as what I feel needs to be done to ensure effective impactful policy reform.
1. Mr. Brooks was asleep in a fast-food drive-through which tends to give the impression to the officers that he may not have been fit to drive.
If you’re falling asleep behind the wheel at a fast-food drive-through what guarantee does the officer have that you won’t fall asleep behind the wheel while driving on a busy thoroughfare which could endanger lives?
2. Mr. Brooks may have also simply been tired and chose to take a quick nap while waiting for the fast-food line to move.
3. Mr. Brooks resisted arrest.
4. The fact that there was a well-publicized event of a black man actually being killed by officers after being compliant, that I’m sure Mr. Brooks was well aware of, could have caused him to panic and resist arrest for fear he could suffer the same fate simply by being compliant.
5. Allowing Mr. Brooks to walk home could have been an option after I assume the officers ran his information and ensured he wasn’t a threat or a fugitive from justice, etc.
6. Why it’s so necessary for officers to use deadly force in situations when no deadly force is being used against them is very offensive, disturbing, and troubling to me.
7. Using SS and Gestapo tactics against American citizens is not going to give you the outcome you desire but will only incite outrage and uprising.
8. The officer could have shot him in the lower extremities and subdued him and he would still be alive today. And this applies to so many other incidents where police have used unnecessary deadly force when dealing with minorities.
But at the same time, there have been many instances where officers have exercised extreme restraint when dealing with white suspects and that is just wrong, in fact, it’s diabolical in nature. And sends the wrong message to the black community and stirs up outrage in the black community.
Notice in the video below how this officer exercised the patience of Job when dealing with a very violent and irrational white suspect. Why isn’ t that same restraint used when dealing with black suspects?
And this is not an isolated incident but instead happens on a regular basis. The suspect ran towards the officer (as opposed to running away from him) with the obvious intent of doing serious bodily harm to the officer but no shots were fired by the officer.
The violent white suspect then jumped into the officer’s car and still, no shots were fired. He then tried to run the officer over with his car but no shots were fired. The suspect then used his own car as a battering ram against the officer’s car but no shots were fired. The officer didn’t as much as throw a rock at the violent white suspect.
What did the violent white suspect have to do to get shot by the officer kill the officer’s mother and children? Why so much restraint even when the officer’s life was being threatened in this situation?
9. The type of reform that should be implemented that will make an impactful change and build trust between the black community and the police dept is that no deadly force should ever be used if deadly force is not being used against the officers. Period.
Deadly force should only be used as a last resort. If they need to subdue a suspect shoot the suspect in the lower extremities (if necessary) like the legs, or even the stomach, etc, as opposed to the more vital organs in the upper torso.
If you shoot a violent suspect in the stomach or legs any resistance in most cases will immediately cease. But that should be a last resort also. As opposed to shooting suspects in the upper torso where a death outcome is much more likely. I’m not speaking about shooting an armed violent suspect in the legs only an egotistical idiot would assume that’s what I’m talking about. I’m talking about shooting unarmed suspects in the stomach or leg who may be attacking the officer or violently resistant.
10. If you don’t implement this as a primary part of police reform I’m convinced nothing else will matter. And the outrage will simply continue to grow louder, worse, and more violent.
Simply banning choke holds I can assure you will not be sufficient. And will not yield the results you desire. Training officers to only use deadly force as a last resort and when their lives are directly in danger I’m convinced will yield the type of results you desire.