Update: Powerline: An Update on the Damon Shooting Case
This is a very disturbing shooting. I was also disturbed by Philandro Castile's shooting in St. Paul. Like the Castile shooting, this Minneapolis shooting follows a similar and sudden rapid escalation pattern (except it was Justine Damond who called the police in the first place to report a possible sexual assault she witnessed from her home).
How does an officer shoot an unarmed woman in her pajamas speaking to his partner under these circumstances? His partner was talking with her from the police vehicle and Officer Noor shot over him at Ms. Damond. She was shot multiple times and was allegedly holding a cell phone, so it is possible Officer Noor mistook that for a weapon? We do not know yet. The investigation is ongoing. Both officers had their body cameras off at the time of the shooting.
There will undoubtedly be issues of race raised in this matter. This time we have a Somali cop and a white Australian American woman who was shot dead. As most of these shootings go, they are not driven by race, at least not directly. Rather, it is police in a quick reaction situation having to decide do they need to defend themselves or not? Sometimes the shootings are justified, sometimes not.
This one does not appear justified.
Daily Mail: Noor Startled?
The Feral Irishman: Warning!
Guardian: Noor offers condolances
NY Post: Audio Details in Shooting?
Mark Steyn: Diversity and Disintegration
UK Guardian: Loud sound sparked shooting?
Pam Geller: Did Officer Noor have temperament issues?
American Thinker: What Has Happened To Minneapolis?
Blazing Cat Fur: Was Noor's Fast Track Training To Blame?
American Power Blog: Protesters crash Mayor Hodges' conference
Daily Telegraph: Shocking new insight into Mohammed Noor's behavior
Minneapolis Star Tribune: What we know about Officer Mohammed Noor
Girls Just Wanna Have Guns: The missing two minutes when Noor shot Damond
Powerline: In the Damond shooting, Clown show follies with the Times, The whole world is watching our clown show (welcome to Minneapolis), Enter Mayor Hodges, exit Chief Harteau, The loud noise heard round the world, Oddities of the Noor Shooting, A loud noise? This shooting looks less and less justified the more we know, A police shooting with a difference, and Damond's Duck Reunion
Hot Air: Bye Bye Betsy: Minneapolis Police Chief Resigns, Police chief says shooting unnecessary, Did a loud noise prompt the shooting? and Why didn't the police officers turn on body cameras after the shooting? Because they knew they screwed up?
Instapundit: No good deed goes unpunished, Scott Johnson: The sick culture in Minneapolis, Mark Steyn: Diversity and Disintegration, Popehat: Flashback, Daily Telegraph: The backlash, always the backlash, Warning Sign: The real warning sign in this police shooting and The Minneapolis Police Department has had issues...
EBL: Was the acquittal of Officer Yanez in the shooting of Philando Castile a miscarriage of justice?, Should the NRA be championing the case of Philando Castile?, Philando Castile shooting
No clue what happened. Gun hobbyists should weigh in about whether an accidental discharge is possible or at all likely. However, it's difficult to understand why he would have deliberately discharged his pistol.
ReplyDeleteAccidental discharge seems very unlikely (since he shot multiple times). Most police semi automatics are not prone to accidental discharge. I do not know what happened and the investigation is just starting, but with what little we do know, the likely explanation (at least now) is it was a mistake (he saw a cell phone in her hand and thought it was a weapon).
DeleteLoud Noise? Hmmmm
DeleteI do not know enough to say that (but I recognize what you are saying is definitely a possibility). It makes sense to have diversity hiring for community policing, but not if you are jumping over more qualified candidates for less qualified diversity hires. Noor came to policing in his thirties, which is unusual. Still I could see how Minnesota would want a Somali on the force just for reaching out to that community. Noor had some complaints against him, but that is common for a lot of cops (complaints get made, most do not have a lot of merit). This shooting makes no sense, less even than the Castile shooting. Was it a matter of Noor's temperment, lack of training, or just a tragic mistake of the moment? We don't know yet. You may be right.
ReplyDeleteSo, skipping ahead...The Officer is eventually convicted. Consider the repercussions from the usual suspects.
ReplyDeleteNot so sure about that.
DeleteI suspect that it was not race, rather the "religious" sensibilities of seeing a female out on the street in her jammies. Honor must be upheld!
ReplyDeleteBTW, as far as "accidental discharge"? In that circumstance he would have had no reason to even draw his weapon, much less discharge it.
ReplyDeleteI don't equate "accidental discharge" with accidentally pulling the trigger when you haven't even accessed the threat of what you are shooting at.
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