Massad Ayoob is hoping this video makes the rounds, and I agree it’s something everyone needs to see.
You have too much being taken out of context these days. Every time I hear someone bitch that sumdood shouldn’t have been shot because he was unarmed, I want to scream. Bob Owens, for instance, highlights an undercover officer who drew his pistol on an unruly crowd after a person in that crowd assaulted him. Disparity of force aside, in all states that I’m aware of, it’s legal to use deadly force on riotous persons.
You couldn’t pay me to embed in a protest that has a high degree of likelihood of turning violent. You definitely couldn’t pay me to do it with anything less than a submachine gun for protection. If this officer was being hounded by the crowd, he’s perfectly justified in drawing his side arm. Though, I admit to not knowing what the gangsta grip is all about.
You have to admit, that photo looked awful.
I think he’d been trying to assist his partner and had to suddenly turn to confront the group that was threatening them, and the camera caught him in the act of turning and thus the less than flattering grip/stance.