Zuma tells SA police to get tough

[Blue Tile Spook]

BBC NEWS | Africa | Zuma tells SA police to get tough

The new law would allow police to shoot even if criminals have not fired first.
However, Mr Zuma said he was not encouraging a culture of trigger-happy police officers.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Sadly, the score will be kept track of in human lives.

More at the link.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Things have been building towards this for MONTHS if not YEARS in South Africa. It's a terrible place...especially when you're in around any type of city.

The firearms there are indeed restricted, but not nearly so as in other places.

I wonder how many truly innocent folks will be gunned down by the police, now, though? Different cultures, where violence, cheating, stealing, and bribery are all as natural as breathing coming together where, all of a sudden, just because you're in a uniform you're supposed to not do the very things that you've been raised up under. Nope, can't see any problems there.

-J-

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

What is so strange about the police being able to fire before the armed criminal has time to? There are no rules in the US that say police have to wait for someone to shoot at them before they shoot back. As a non-LEO that exercises their right to carry, if someone pulls a gun on you with the intention of either robbing or shooting you, are you going to wait for them to get a shot off before you do anything to protect yourself?

 

[thej27]

LiveLeak.com - Police in South Africa deal with armed robbers - 5 dead

This is what they are up against. Video may not be safe for work. And from what I understand this is a normal thing.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

What is so strange about the police being able to fire before the armed criminal has time to?

The difference is that your department doesn't have a general rule of encouraging an officer to fire on a suspect before the suspect makes any threatening moves toward the officer. With this story, that's the way that I take it - fire on them to lower the crime rate, whether they threaten you directly or not.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

The difference is that your department doesn't have a general rule of encouraging an officer to fire on a suspect before the suspect makes any threatening moves toward the officer. With this story, that's the way that I take it - fire on them to lower the crime rate, whether they threaten you directly or not.

I read the article that you provided a link for, and I guess I'm not reading it the same way. The only quote I'm seeing is "My thinking is that once a criminal takes out the gun, the intention is clear. The police must then act to protect himself or herself and the citizens," President Zuma said. So a criminal draws a gun on a police officer and the officer has to wait until the criminal threatens the officer with the gun before the officer can do anything about it? In a hypothetical situation, you and I encounter each other out and about. You don't know me, I don't know you. I draw a handgun in your presence. You just going to stand there and wait for me to do something with it before you take any type of action (be it offensive or defensive)? I think not. I wouldn't expect you to just stand there waiting for me to do something before you react.

 

[Bill of Rights]

Good discussion so far, gentlemen. Thanks for keeping it civil and above-board!

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

Frank,

Maybe we ARE reading it different. I'll concede until Zuma's police show their hand one way or the other. Thanks for bringing up another interpretation from what I have set in my head.