Friday, August 27

Glad They Released His Name...

Officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during Capitol riot breaks silence: 'I saved countless lives'...

Right, because so many died in other Capitol skirmishes on that day of deadly protest, we can't even count them...

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I don't think this man need prosecuting, just ... basic gun training. If you want gun control, don't turn you head when you see irresponsible usage.  This man should not have shot. He misjudged.  Not necessary to charge him, but don't hold this up as exemplary*, and in retrospect, he should be made to acknowledge -- led to see in retrospect, like in watching training film, that he made the wrong call and killed an unarmed person who posed him NO threat.  He had many other non-lethal ways of protecting himself and others that day. He did a poor job.

In retrospect. That's why he doesn't get charged.  But poor training and insufficient instincts? Look to the other officers responding that day, who diffused a non-lethal situation without resorting to violence against the unarmed.

He got a pass from prosecuters and a softball interview with Lester Holt. And please don't tell me race was not a factor in how this was handled, and the follow up 1-6 investigation as well.  Lt. Byrd spilled blood that day, and here we are now.  Do we want more officers like this in America?  Or not.


* Another view:   He didn't save lives that day. He, and his gun, took one. Better gun training could have prevented that. The one blessing is:  this officer won't need counseling for his actions that day. He believes he made the right call.  That's why you don't prosecute.  Retrain, reassign -- you can only hope he never feels threatened again -- but don't put him in jail for how he responded that day.  

Doesn't mean you support his deadly action, or justify it beyond his own understanding though. Never should have fired into those people. #BetterTrainingBetterCops