Video shows Utah police fatally shooting man from behind as he fled

[Denim Chicken]

Video shows Utah police fatally shooting man from behind as he fled
Police face no charges amid accusations of racial profiling and ‘brutal execution’ in case of Patrick Harmon, 50, who was pulled over for cycling without a light

Sam Levin in San Francisco
Thursday 5 October 2017 16.01 EDT

Police in Utah fatally shot a man from behind while he was running away from officers, according to newly released footage, which has sparked accusations of racial profiling and a “brutal execution”.

Prosecutors in Salt Lake City have said officers were justified in killing Patrick Harmon, 50, who was pulled over for riding a bicycle without a light and who attempted to flee when police tried to arrest him. Police are not facing charges despite the fact that the body-camera footage captured officer Clinton Fox shouting “I’ll ******* shoot you!” from a distance before he fired three bullets into Harmon, who was running in the opposite direction.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/05/patrick-harmon-utah-police-shooting

 

[65fastback2plus2]

If only people would take a second to get unupset about some kneeling and realize this junk is WHY they are kneeling and that it MUST be stopped.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

looks like a tazer could've helped in this situation but didn't in this one. Being a police officer is a tough job......enforcing law, protecting citizens and from one second to the next, you're going home to your family. Easy to sit back and judge how someone should act in a millisecond when their life is potentially on the line.

Police officer shot at close range

 

[Rockport]

Wow, pulled over for riding a bike without a headlight then shot because he tried to run away. The guy was 50 and could easily been chased down. If he branded a weapon then the shooting would be justified. This is another black eye for the police.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

looks like a tazer could've helped in this situation but didn't in this one. Being a police officer is a tough job......enforcing law, protecting citizens and from one second to the next, you're going home to your family. Easy to sit back and judge how someone should act in a millisecond when their life is potentially on the line.

Police officer shot at close range

The video you posted was handled incorrectly about 10 different ways, which led to the shooting. Had it been handled properly, it likely would not have occurred.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

The video you posted was handled incorrectly about 10 different ways, which led to the shooting. Had it been handled properly, it likely would not have occurred.

I'll agree on the surface this situation looks bad and poorly handled. But to immediately jump that this was racially driven I believe is a stretch. I could easily post a dozen similar situations involving white or non-black individuals but wont because it's probably against forum rules. They're on the net to be had if you're interested.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

I'll agree on the surface this situation looks bad and poorly handled. But to immediately jump that this was racially driven I believe is a stretch. I could easily post a dozen similar situations involving white or non-black individuals but wont because it's probably against forum rules. They're on the net to be had if you're interested.

Ive said countless times race has nothing to do with it. And, I didnt say race had anything to do with what happened in that video.

I'm very logical and straight forward in my assessments. Either something was handled properly or not. Couldnt care less about age, sex, race, etc.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

Ive said countless times race has nothing to do with it. And, I didnt say race had anything to do with what happened in that video.

I'm very logical and straight forward in my assessments. Either something was handled properly or not. Couldnt care less about age, sex, race, etc.

okay, we agree

 

[Kevinicus]

The video you posted was handled incorrectly about 10 different ways, which led to the shooting. Had it been handled properly, it likely would not have occurred.

The same could be said about the video you posted in regards to how the man who was shot handled things. It appears to be a poor shooting, and the officers should face punishment (barring any other information I am unaware of), but your argument on one video contradicts you on the other.

Now where this video, and several others, do seem to indicate police misconduct, a lot (I would say the majority of those I have seen) that people point to for this cause are poor examples and don't make their case at all. Even if you assume they were all examples of police misconduct, you would then need to show that this doesn't happen to other races and that this is the norm and not extreme exceptions. That is a tall task that seems to be contradicted by available data.

I don't think anyone would argue against holding police accountable when they go beyond the bounds of their authority. I don't think anyone would argue that there aren't racist cops. I don't think anyone would argue that there are police that abuse their authority and that it's wrong.

 

[Romo_To_Dez]

How was the cop threatened in this case and why couldn't they just have chased the man down? Do they make it their priority to pull over every person who doesn't have a light on their bike or did they use this man not having a light to stop him?

Cops who are paranoid and who will shot someone for any little reason do not need to be out on the streets. And simply saying that they feared for their life shouldn't be an automatic key to getting off. Which is the point of players knelling.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

The same could be said about the video you posted in regards to how the man who was shot handled things. It appears to be a poor shooting, and the officers should face punishment (barring any other information I am unaware of), but your argument on one video contradicts you on the other.

Now where this video, and several others, do seem to indicate police misconduct, a lot (I would say the majority of those I have seen) that people point to for this cause are poor examples and don't make their case at all. Even if you assume they were all examples of police misconduct, you would then need to show that this doesn't happen to other races and that this is the norm and not extreme exceptions. That is a tall task that seems to be contradicted by available data.

I don't think anyone would argue against holding police accountable when they go beyond the bounds of their authority. I don't think anyone would argue that there aren't racist cops. I don't think anyone would argue that there are police that abuse their authority and that it's wrong.

Did you mean to quote me? If so, please show how the arguments contradict. I am all ears.

Second, its not a race issue. So the entire rest of your post is irrelevant.

 

[Philmonroe]

Ive said countless times race has nothing to do with it. And, I didnt say race had anything to do with what happened in that video.

I'm very logical and straight forward in my assessments. Either something was handled properly or not. Couldnt care less about age, sex, race, etc.

People expose themselves IMO when you don't mention race and then they do like its some automatic tic in them.

 

[Kevinicus]

Did you mean to quote me? If so, please show how the arguments contradict. I am all ears.

Second, its not a race issue. So the entire rest of your post is irrelevant.

You said about one video that there was a lot of things about how the situation was handled that could have prevented the shooting. The same is true of the original video that you posted (in this case, how the biker handled the situation - obviously how the police handled it as well). So, if you say that about one, you should say it about others.

And as far as the players and the sitting/kneeling (which you have brought up several times)...race is very much a part of the issue.

 

[Idgit]

How was the cop threatened in this case and why couldn't they just have chased the man down? Do they make it their priority to pull over every person who doesn't have a light on their bike or did they use this man not having a light to stop him?

Cops who are paranoid and who will shot someone for any little reason do not need to be out on the streets. And simply saying that they feared for their life shouldn't be an automatic key to getting off. Which is the point of players knelling.

The police story was that he was pulled over after weaving across multiple traffic lanes on the bike, plus the tail light, but arrested for the outstanding aggravated assault warrant.

Watching the video, I would guess that the police saw a glint of metal on his hip and the man turning slightly to face him and panicked and shot him at close range.

The other thing that strikes me from the video is how quickly these things happen. It's high pressure when it's going down.

 

[Romo_To_Dez]

In this case a man refuses to comply, yells at a cop, and actually chases him down and is not shot? Just pointing this out for all of the reasons why some have excused cops shooting unarmed black men.

Such as them not complying or breaking the law. Question whether or not a black man who be allowed to get away with doing the same towards a cop.

 

[Idgit]

In this case a man refuses to comply, yells at a cop, and actually chases him down and is not shot? Just pointing this out for all of the reasons why some have excused cops shooting unarmed black men.

Such as them not complying or breaking the law. Question whether or not a black man who be allowed to get away with doing the same towards a cop.

The fact that in some cases cops don't shoot for non-compliance and in some cases they do doesn't suggest that the ones that do are doing it because of the race of the person being arrested. It only highlights that not all cops everywhere have the same discretion.

 

[TheCount]

The police story was that he was pulled over after weaving across multiple traffic lanes on the bike, plus the tail light, but arrested for the outstanding aggravated assault warrant.

Watching the video, I would guess that the police saw a glint of metal on his hip and the man turning slightly to face him and panicked and shot him at close range.

The other thing that strikes me from the video is how quickly these things happen. It's high pressure when it's going down.

Potentially minor correction, but they didn't say he was "weaving across multiple traffic lanes", they said they saw him “ride his bicycle across all six road lanes and a median”.

I agree that things happen quickly.

I think the fact that the police statement doesn't match up with the video is enough to warrant charges, at least.

 

[Idgit]

Potentially minor correction, but they didn't say he was "weaving across multiple traffic lanes", they said they saw him “ride his bicycle across all six road lanes and a median”.

I agree that things happen quickly.

I think the fact that the police statement doesn't match up with the video is enough to warrant charges, at least.

Most definitely the charges are warranted. This stuff sucks.

 

[EST_1986]

In this case a man refuses to comply, yells at a cop, and actually chases him down and is not shot? Just pointing this out for all of the reasons why some have excused cops shooting unarmed black men.

Such as them not complying or breaking the law. Question whether or not a black man who be allowed to get away with doing the same towards a cop.

If that guy had darker skin hes in a grave today