I think a police officer, who has a considerable amount of training, and has sworn to protect the people and uphold the law, even when it puts their life in danger should take more than a split second to make a decision when faced with a 12 year old with a gun. As an analogy, we go to great lengths to ensure that those who face the death penalty are absolutely guilty, with the ideal that 100 guilty are set free before 1 innocent are put to death. But then we have cops pulling the trigger at the drop of a hat, rarely facing ANY significant consequences. Shouldn't they take at least a tiny bit longer to determine the threat level before shooting to defend themselves, when THEY are the ones who chose to put their lives in danger to uphold the law? ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S A TWELVE YEAR OLD.
You know that's a bad analogy, though. The potential consequence in this particular instance is being shot, if he's wrong about the 12 year old. And 12 year olds come in all shapes and sizes, it hardly needs to be said, and can of course use small firearms as well as anyone, ceteris paribus. I agree. But I do not criticize (in shades of grey situations such as that one) because I've never been there. I've never had less than a second to figure out if someone was going to shoot me or not. I have no idea what I'd do, so in the interest of avoiding hypocrisy I attempt to be as fair as possible.But then we have cops pulling the trigger at the drop of a hat, rarely facing ANY significant consequences.
I think a police officer, who has a considerable amount of training, and has sworn to protect the people and uphold the law, even when it puts their life in danger should take more than a split second to make a decision when faced with a 12 year old with a gun.
How about this then? If a firefighter's sole intention is self preservation, they're not going to run into burning buildings to save others are they? They signed up, and went through hundreds of hours of difficult training in order to put themselves in danger for the benefit of others. Do police officers not do the same? Should they not put the lives of others before themselves as well?
The lives of the innocent, yes (in my opinion). The lives of people who might be innocent or might be pointing guns at them, and they have to determine which is true in a split second? Hmm. Ideally they make the right choice, but I don't think I could do it with any amount of training. Firemen go into each situation knowing whose side they're on, and that never changes. A lot easier mentally, though probably just as dangerous physically.Should they not put the lives of others before themselves as well?