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Nuvendil on 09 July 2016
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SvennoJ said:
Nuvendil said:

Robots are usually bomb disposal.  They probably just put an explosive in its hands.  SWAT has explosives for breaching purposes.  That's what they probably used.  As for why, the guy refused to surrender and had a loaded high power rifle.  Breaching could have wounded and/or killed more people.  If your going to go down guns blazing the cops are not obligated to risk their necks if they can take you out without doing so.

True, yet I find it a worrying mentality not to exhaust all other options first before using lethal force. That's kind of a theme with these police shootings. Sending in a bomb after a few hours is a sign of admitting defeat. Plus the guy who did it got the easy way out. Luckily he seems to be enough of a nut job not to become a martyr (except to even worse nut jobs)
Maybe pressure from the media plays a role too, get it resolved quickly, no 2 day standoff media circus.

Not just the media, the public very often is up in arms fast when a major shooting happens and want the cops to get the guy almost no matter what.  The cops definitely didn't want that, it further fuels panic and anger.  As for how long they should go without using lethal force, if the person makes it crystal clear - as this guy did - that he's going to shoot until he is put down, is it really worth further human loss to arrest him?  Personally, any killing based on racist anger or prejudice as this one apparently was is a hate crime, regardless of what color commits the act and what color the victim is and I have no sympathy for those who commit such acts.  If this were an open Nazi or KKK member, we wouldn't bat an eye.  This guy should get no different treatment.  

Besides, they negotiated for hours and he refused to surrender, threatened the officers and the city, and then fired on the officers.  Also, he was wearing body armor and was a military veteran so it's a good thing they didn't breach cause there's very good odds he would have killed or seriously injured one or more.