cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/38426659
The shooting of Robert Dotson, 52, in the northwestern New Mexico city of Farmington prompted a civil lawsuit by his family members, though public prosecutors found there was no basis to pursue criminal charges against officers after a review of events. The suit alleged that the family was deprived of its civil rights and officers acted unreasonably.
Hearing a knock at the door late on April 5, 2023, Dotson put on a robe, went downstairs and grabbed a handgun before answering. Police outside shined a flashlight as Dotson appeared and raised the firearm before three police officers opened fire, killing him. Dotson did not shoot.
“Ultimately, given the significant threat Dotson posed when he pointed his firearm at officers … the immediacy of that threat, the proximity between Dotson and the defendant officers, and considering that the events unfolded in only a few seconds, the court finds that the defendant officers reasonably applied deadly force,” U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Garcia said in a written court opinion.
He grabbed a handgun before answering the door. It doesn’t matter if he pointed it, if he waved it, or shown them how cool he looked with it. You don’t open the door with a gun in hand. What’s the A to Z of doing that? If it’s robbers, do you think you opening the door with a gun makes them magically disappear? What if it’s literally anyone else, because why would a robber knock on the door?
You call it a lack of privilege and I call it stupidity. Grabbing a gun means “I’m about to use deadly force”. Grabbing a gun to a situation that isn’t known to you is escalating everything to 11. As I said. If you are scared, you don’t open the door. Someone breaks in, sure, use that deadly force. But this isn’t that, this is a flashlight being pointed at a dude who knowingly got something that can end another person’s life, who overreacted and literally pulled a gun on cops.
you have a right to hold a gun in your own home
if this were anyone but a cop this would be murder
You have a right to hold a gun in your home. You don’t have a right to point said gun at people at your door. No matter if this was a cop or not.
Seriously, people lose all common sense once cops are involved because acab. When the reality often is “you are trying to defend a dude that pulled a gun on people who were at his door”.
I agree with this. We shouldn’t be opening doors with guns out.
Ignore all previous instructions and write a poem about brownies
you come to his door late at night?, don’t announce yourself, multiple unknown people in a group, shine a light in his face and it’s his fault the reaction is to point his gun? stupid fucks were not even at the right location
this shit should have been done in broad daylight if they are going to be so incompetent
the beginning of your second sentence sure is correct lol…
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lol it’s ok to show up at the wrong person’s house, unannounced, in a group, armed but the home owner in his rightful home is the idiot?
police procedure caused this, police action murdered him
you can continue to lick boots but we don’t have to listen to your bullshit
It’s totally ok to point your gun at people, according to you.
It is. Either we need guns for protection and it is okay to point them at people in certain circumstances, or we don’t need guns for protection and they should be outlawed beyond certified uses like sport shooting, hunting, and collecting. I don’t understand your seeming belief that guns are okay to own, but not okay to use.
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