It Has To Stop

Philando Castillo did not resist arrest. He was cooperating calmly. Breonna Taylor did not resist arrest. She was sleeping in her bed. Tamir Rice did not resist arrest. He was a 12-year-old kid playing with a toy gun when a cop shot him dead from a moving car. George Floyd broke down emotionally when he saw police officers because he was terrified for his life, with good reason. He was killed while lying on the ground in handcuffs. Elijah McClain was a gentle, 140-pound autistic boy who played his violin for kittens at the animal shelter. He had committed no crime and could not understand why police officers were confronting him. Instead of trying to calm him down, officers put McClain in an illegal choke hold and injected him with powerful sedatives.

THIS HAS TO STOP. IT JUST HAS TO STOP.

I understand that police officers do a difficult and dangerous job, but unless someone poses an immediate threat, deadly force should not be deployed. People should not be shot, choked, drugged, or have their neck broken in a violent arrest unless the lives of other citizens are in grave danger and there is no other option. Police officers should spend less time at the shooting range and more time in de-escalation training.