This week saw historical violence and tragedy after a 12-year-old black boy playing with a toy gun was shot to death by a white police officer in Columbus, Ohio. Even more unnerving was the destruction of wide areas of Ferguson, Missouri, when protesters tore through the community after a grand jury there found for white police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of black 18-year-old Michael Brown.

Like most, we are appalled at what’s been happening recently in these two Midwest tragedies. But they are nothing more than good examples of what’s happening all across the country. Americans must realize that here and across the country, police are trained to defuse any and all situations without shooting people, and in millions of incidents every day, they do just that.

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But increasingly, police, for whatever reason, draw guns and then fire. In the case of Wilson killing Brown, the officer told the grand jury that could have carried a Taser while on duty, but he didn’t because it was uncomfortable to wear.  In Aurora, a veteran Aurora police officer Chris Falco shot and killed a car-parts thief and wounded another in 2011 at an auto impound lot. While the thieves drove toward Falco, trying to get away, the cop violated department policy and fired his gun into the car. Arapahoe County prosecutors found Falco had not violated any criminal laws, but the police department later fired him, in part because of the lethal mistake. Had it been a citizen firing a gun into the car, the chances would have been much better that he would have faced manslaughter charges.

In almost every case, police are exempt from criminal charges when they shoot people in the line of duty. Such events are deemed mistakes. We don’t even know how many people are shot and killed by police every year because no one tracks such things, even though cursory investigations reveal that hundreds of people are shot and killed by police every year.

If detailed reports were available, they would likely reveal that in most of those cases the cop was justified to shoot someone to preserve his or her own life, or to keep the suspect from killing someone else. Just last week an Aurora cop was shot and seriously injured during a traffic stop when a 20-year-old man shot the cop. That officer had justifiable reason to fire back.

We allow this in this country, because we appreciate the difficult and dangerous job police must do. It most certainly is, although the gravest dangers come from being hit by a car, not a bullet.

The entire attitude about police shootings is predicated by the philosophy that in most cases, these “accidental” homicides of suspects happen to people who are potential criminals themselves. Such a philosophy justifies killing people for stealing car parts and trying to get away. It justifies killing people for getting in the face of police and acting like fools. It justifies killing people because they have toy guns that look like real guns. We dehumanize people by saying that if you don’t want to be shot by police, don’t play with or carry guns, don’t talk back to cops, don’t try and run if you think they are going arrest you for a crime.

Every one of those things are good advice, not one of them should carry an instant death sentence decided and carried out by a cop.

In a country where racism is still malevolently prevalent — just look at social media posts during the Monday night protests where untold people brazenly spouted flagrant racial slurs — American minorities have good reason to fear police and others. And all this must change.

Police must be trained further to avoid firing their guns and held accountable for negligently killing anyone, including criminal suspects. None of this is an excuse for the crazed lawlessness in Ferguson, and likewise, there is no excuse for holding police to the same negligent death standards as civilians.

34 replies on “EDITORIAL: Police must be accountable for negligent shootings”

    1. How many “pigs” have been assaulted and how many killed serving garbage like you?

      Go F yourself.

      1. November 24, 2014
        “According to statistics collected by the FBI, 76 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2013. Of these, 27 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts, and 49 officers died in accidents. In addition, 49,851 officers were victims of line-of-duty assaults.”
        https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-2013-statistics-on-law-enforcement-officers-killed-and-assaulted

        At least 1001 people have been killed by U.S. police since January 1, 2014.
        At least 1755 have been killed since May 1, 2013.
        https://www.facebook.com/KilledByPolice

  2. I guess officer falco being in a justified shooting and cleared by a DA is worse than a deputy chief having an affair with another cop’s wife then huh? This too will be swept under the rug because that person is in the running for chief. The city council, the mayor and city managers should be made aware of this situation

    1. Insider,
      I will forever jump on the topic of Officer Falco and defend him whenever the Sentinel reports inaccurately. The ballistic evidence presented in his Civil Service hearing, proved that Officer McIrvin’s bullet hit the passenger riding behind the driver.
      Aurora Sentinel needs to practice responsible reporting.

    2. Insider,
      Now I want to turn my attention to the affair rumor. It’s all over the department. I heard he’s been spotted minus the wedding ring. Bet me money that the Mayor, City Manager and City Council, are already aware of the accusations floating about, concerning their pretty boy. I never found him to be a bit attractive. He appears though, to melt the panties off more than a few of the council women. Heck, for all I know, maybe he melts the underwear off LeGare too? 😉
      Anyone who was paying attention, knew Oates was grooming pretty boy to be the next up and coming. Oates launched an attack on a Division Chief of seven years and demoted him. There’s no doubt in my mind that Oates violated his 1st amendment rights. Guess who quickly makes Division Chief and then makes Deputy Chief after Oates jumped ship? Pretty boy!
      * I’m positive that any judge who get’s to review the documentation on this case, will find there IS a basis for a lawsuit and WILL want it to come before him or her to be heard.
      Now, let’s go back in time, shall we? Long ago, in a galaxy far, far, away, there was a Chief Casey Jones of the Aurora Fire Department. He was being investigated by the city for a rumored affair, among other things, and was put on paid administrative leave. Just as the “outside investigation” was about to confirm some of the allegations, he resigned. Is there an “outside investigation” being performed on pretty boy by the city? Is he on paid administrative leave pending investigation? If not, why not?

    3. Hey Insider,
      I’m hearing more and more rumors on this topic. When you mentioned the deputy chief having an affair with another cop’s wife, I thought you had been misinformed because I heard the female was with the fire department. Today I heard the female works for the fire department and is the wife of a cop. That makes the deputy chief a double dipper if true.
      I read in the Denver Post that the deputy chief withdrew his name, without comment, from the list of potentials who applied for the next chief of police position, in Aurora.
      Again, if proven, shouldn’t he be demoted? After all, a man in his position can control certain situations such as assigned shift and assigned area of work for the subordinate cop, right?
      The whispers at the water cooler are growing louder each day. I think it’s time for the Interim Chief Terry Jones to launch and internal affairs investigation on the deputy chief.

  3. Just stupid.

    1st off, Brown wasn’t shot because he “getting in the face of police and acting like fools”, but because he tried to disarm Wilson (Brown’s DNA was on the gun) and then charged him. After strong-arming a store clerk, punching the officer (Wilson had visible marks and swelling), and trying to shoot the officer with his own gun I’m pretty sure Brown wasn’t running at Wilson to shake his hand.

    2nd, Unless the Sentinel has figured out how to give police psychic powers there will continue be tragedies when someone points a very real looking gun at them. For those that don’t know, it was an Airsoft gun, which after you remove the orange tip, looks exactly like a real gun.

    Sentinel, stop regurgitating the far-left liberal line and use your brains before you put pen to paper. If you really care about the minority community stop stoking the fire with this emotional garbage.

    1. Justice for all is not a liberal idea. Law and order is not a liberal idea. Punishment for bad actors is the right thing to do for all of us. We’ve seen it here locally. We cannot even fire a cop for brutal assault of people, then lying on a police report. The worst that a cop faces is termination, that they fight even when they are clearly in the wrong. Stop being a sheeple and think for yourself. Just because you don’t agree with it doesn’t make it liberal.

      1. The problem is that way too many liberals (esp. news media) jump to the conclusion that the police are always wrong. That attitude and lack of brain power is exactly why the eye witness accounts to the Brown shooting were full of B.S. “Shot in the back” and all that nonsense. One if not two even testified that they were raised to always think the average cop is a killer so that is why they lied. Which is just stupid. Even a bad cop doesn’t want to risk murdering someone. Liberals won’t wait for evidence and even after the release of the grand jury transcripts with numerous black witnesses saying that Brown was moving forward the Liberal Media is still on the attack. I agree that cops need to be held accountable, but what the liberals are doing is counterproductive and makes them look like idiots in the end. Your comments above are a perfect example. Take one case at a time and look at the facts.

        1. It’s the old “liberal media” ploy, right? It’s liberals who are “counterproductive and idiots in the end”. Liberals this. Liberals that.

          Why don’t you take one liberal at a time and look at facts other than your own before making your sweeping generalizations that “too many liberals jump to conclusions”.

          If anyone is jumping to conclusions, it’s you.

  4. Who wrote this utter garbage? Actually, ‘most” understand that Brown was shot because of his choices and his actions.

    They’re not “accidental homicides;” they are justified homicides.

      1. Brown died because he attacked a police officer in his car and tried to disarm him. Who does that?

        Brown’s DNA was found on the officer’s gun. After assaultinh the officer he ran away. Brown then turned around and charged him. Brown was killed because of his actions, not Officer Wilson’s.

        1. Many in law enforcement have said it didn’t need to end this way. But the editorial is about something much larger.

      2. No because he was a violent criminal who could not get his fat ass on the sidewalk yet he attacks a cop instead of simply doing as lawfully directed.

        I’m pretty certain you’re not very successful at this game of life.

    2. You’re an idiot to think that all police homicides or assaults are justified. 4% of our population are sociopaths. Do you really think not a single person out of the 780,000 police officers in this country is one.

      1. You’re a bigger idiot to suggest anything short of Brown’s death as an unfortunate but justifiable homicide, caused by his own choices and his felonious actions. Maybe you think police must allow themselves to get beat down, shot, stabbed, teeth knocked out, or whatever while you and your family stuff your faces and critique everyone. And no, they don’t have to get seriously harmed or killed before they are allowed to act before the many Mr. Browns, irrespective of race, attack or kill them. It’s time to stop the blame game and pull up the britches and accept responsibility. And, get the Hell out of the street and get on the sidewalk. Is it so hard to simply obey what a cop lawfully tells you, me, or Irene to?

        Bottom line straight at you Brown lost his life because of what he chose to do. Unfortunately for him, he lost that time, and if people could stop the blame game and look at the actual facts and physical evidence his death was without question within the parameters of deadly force.

        Blaming everyone but the problem is a tried and true path anywhere but up. Do you think cops are on a mission to kill people, particularity white cops out to shoot black teens? Are you asserting they’re on a trip to just shoot and kill citizens? The crimial predators come to them. There’s an action and guess what, a reaction. I’m no racist, but to the black community, stop worrying about the police. Stop killing each other.

        Mr. Brown died because of his choices and his criminal actions alone. Mr. Brown is the one responsible and the one to blame. He’s the one at fault, and no one else. He committed numerous felonies, he’s the one who attacked a cop, and he lost his life as a result. It’s time to wake up and stop pointing the finger of blame on everyone else but themselves. Unfortunately, regardless of race or ethnicity, there are millions of Mr. Browns all over this Country.

        Any group, town, or community that would march and blame anyone for the tragic loss of Mr. Brown and try to legitimize him as some victim other than what he was, a criminal with no sense of right or wrong, and no regard for humanity, it’s time to reassess.

        And, to Mr. Friendly, I never said every police shooting is justified. Cops are human beings there are bad ones and there are bad shootings and guess what? There always will be as long as humans walk the Earth.

        1. You such and small minded idiot. Stop talking about “Mr Brown.” Bad cops deserve to go to jail. I do not disagree with the verdict in Ferguson. I have never said anything other than that. You are just a moron that cannot get past defending some cop somewhere because you got so excited blacks were rioting hundreds of miles from where you live. Bad cops live in Denver and you are an idiot and very much so proved how much of an idiot you are by focusing on race and the incident in MO. Get a grip and stop throwing the race card every chance you get. The guy in MO sounds like a justifiable homicide. I believe him that he really was scared for his life. But get a grip when you say “They’re not “accidental homicides;” they are justified homicides.:” you are a moron to believe 100% of all cop assaults and murders are justifiable. Get off race and think as a person.

          1. Actually you’re correct on the first part and I apologize.

            Sorry guy, but I’ve never heard of an “accidental homicide.” No such thing. There are homicides, negligent and reckless homicides, justifiable homicides, but never heard or read of an accidental murder/homicide. With that note, there are deaths refered as accidental deaths.

            I’ll check on morons and idiots and report back.

            Never said there are not bad cops and they ought to be jailed, and they are. Prosecutors love dirty cops. Bad cops in Denver?? I’d agree. Sadly, I can’t think of any Denver cop I particularly liked. But they exist. Florida reeks of corruption. No excuse but when the local population hates their police, they will band together and do what they do.

            I’m liberal, no racist, have no problem paying more for the working poor and needy. But I have no tolerance for the blame game and no respect for lowlifes who are incapable of self respect and mutual respect for his or her fellow human being. No rational person can present that POS as a victim. Were blacks dehumanize and mistreated by self serving whites? Yes and it still happens and it will always happen. White folk are in store for a rude awakening in 50ish years. In all truthfulness nothing is worse than white trash. I’d prefer living amongst Natives or actual Mexicans in Mexico than among my own race.

            Obama would be viewed above Washington or Clinton if he were white. He was the only person who endlessly fought for the working poor and working families while my fellow race in the GOP fought only for the wealthy and permanateky harm this Nation. GOP-ers

          2. The dictionary defines homicide as the act of one human killing another human. That would seem to allow for accidental homicides being one possible outcome.

          3. Yeah, sorry for the personal attack, it’s easy to get worked up, but hey that’s what the internet is here for. I do think Brown is a poor example of police brutality. He did a strong arm robbery right before he got into it with that police officer. But it did get everyone talking about it. I do not think police should be immune to the justice system and the police force shouldn’t be so militarized.
            I also do not think we are in the same situation as MO. I think the majority of police are good here and in Denver. The Denver situation I was thinking of was when the cops were fired then not fired. Aurora police just shot a man for shooting himself in the chest a few months ago. We need to pay for training and more body cameras.

  5. Do a search of net with report by FBI of how many police officers have been killed in past year, number injured, number attacked with majority being with fists, feet, and other objects. Mothers are teaching their children to be afraid of police, they are referred to as “cops” which started as derogatory term. Majority are killed, attacked, injured between midnight and 2 AM in morning, on responding to domestic violence or problems in bars. ——————- Problem in Ferguson is the over abundance of government officials, and also the National Bar Association (not the American Bar Association we all know). No one asks why this NBA (Negro Bar Affiliation) that formed in 1925 with Black and Mexican attorneys, travels to states to start and feast on Government funds, through civil action cases. Same two attorneys (Daryl Parks and Benjamin Crump) who is past president, and the president elect for next year) are in Missouri, as Family attorney to Brown family. Attorney Grey from St. Louis is also listed as Brown family attorney. Who pays these guys with their staff to travel? They used same story, attacked reputation of DA, Police, city government in Florida in Trayvon Marin case, and now in Ferguson, Mo. in Michael Brown’s case. And they are connected with offices in all 50 states, direct contact with Hollywood, NCAAP, US Federal Legislators who speak when requested, DOJ Eric Holder, and through Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson to Barack Obama. ————–Talk about stacking the deck. When President, DOJ, and Missouri Governor Nixon, all come out for Brown Family, NO WONDER THEY ARE ANGRY AT THE GRAND JURY. SAME AS THEY WERE WITH JURY WHEN GEORGE ZIMMERMAN WAS TRIED AND FOUND “NOT GUILTY”. —————-But they forced George Zimmerman to change his life plans, and now have forced Officers Wilson off Police Force, to protect his fellow police officers. SHAME ON THIS MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE, SO SIMILAR TO JIHADIST, AND SHARIA LAW. United States should expect more of our government, and also protection of the innocent. Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown were both young thugs, who committed felonies, and attacked men with guns. And they lost their lives by their own actions. Black and Brown mothers need to start teaching their children to behave, live in society. Then they won’t be shot and girls won’t get pregnant out of marriage. When parents don’t parent, and don’t teach morality, or religion, they will lose their children, and grandchildren.

  6. The “just stupid” thing here is how focused the other commenters are on one of of the many police murders and assaults that do not go through the court system at all or the 99% that do not make it through the grand jury just because they are cops. Bad behavior should be punished. It’s just stupid to say there are not a few bad apples in the bunch. It’s just stupid to have a class of people in our country that get to skirt the justice system. If I shot someone and even one witness said it wasn’t self defense I would have to go through a criminal trial since grand juries usually indict, unless your a cop. Bad cops should go to jail and they usually do not. They lie on police reports, they assault people, and they murder people. Why is termination the worst thing that happens to them…

      1. You are such a sheep. Go to a news source that only agrees with you. Some cops are bad and you are too stuck in your right wing rhetoric to get past yourself. This isn’t a black thing, this isn’t a republican thing it’s just a fact that at least a couple of the 780,000 cops in the united states do bad things.

      2. If ezaspie’s comments are not worthy in your opinion, why are you bothering to make a reply. “Typical far left liberal”. And what are you? An unbiased typical far right conservative?

        Give us all break and can the sanctimonious typical far right whining.

  7. I read the comments from person who read the article.
    Obvious responses you would expect from people who live in the bubble….

    This is a fact, being involved in law enforcement for 31 years, in the city of Chicago.
    In the state of Illinois and Missouri, it’s unlawful for a peace officer to fire his weapon at a fleeing felon.
    In addition if you fired your weapon at anyone who was 30 feet away from you, that’s just poor judgement at best.
    The
    worst part is that you are aware that you have fired rounds at the
    individual, at close range and you know that he’s not armed with a
    deadly weapon.
    If this incident happened in Chicago, the Officer would loose his job.
    If this happened in Chicago the Officer would expect to spend some time in the penitentiary.
    Bubble People.

  9. Macgregor has been MIA at work wonder why? I think a records check is in order to see if he is using his vacation time or just not coming in. Oh FYI the Aurora police captain in the affair is Captain Diane Lord

    1. I don’t think the Division Chief removing himself from the running for the next Chief of Police position, is good enough. There needs to be an Internal Affairs investigation into the matter. Interim Chief Terry Jones needs to be the one who makes that happen. Otherwise, it might appear that ole Terry is protecting his friend and not doing his job. Right?

      Mr. Noe shoved Core 4 values down the throats of everyone working for the city. Are there exceptions made for some and not others? The first value of Core 4 (copied from Mr. Noe’s page on the Aurora gov site):

      Integrity
      We live Integrity by:
      Telling the truth
      Being consistent
      Doing the right thing even when nobody is looking

      Hang on “insider”, I just noticed something. The first core value definition is “telling the truth”. So, Noe stood behind Oates who wanted Murphy to lie and then demoted him when he wouldn’t?

      What’s up with that? Where was Skip Noe when Murphy followed the Core 4 values?

      Does Mr. Noe hold himself to the value of “doing the right thing even when nobody is looking”?

      Is Mr. Noe consistent?

      Good Lord, Mr. Noe!

  10. Real simple do what cops tell you and no one gets hurt period end of story. I am going to make t-shirts that say ,” I can breath because I obey the law.”

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