Just one hawk's opinion
I fully support law enforcement, but there needs to be some drastic changes
Somebody covering you with the muzzle of a weapon is assault.
1. Breaks standard protocol for firearm safety.
2. Police point guns at people as a level up on force. Ultimately, it is brandishing and using a firearm in a threatening manner.
3. Once you point the muzzle of a weapon at a person, that person's life is threaten.
4. If a weapon is pulled it should be used, otherwise it should not have been pulled.
5. Too many police do not take training and safety serious enough. This opinion comes from experience after running the largest range in my state and working with several police agencies. In order to qualify with their off duty weapons. A large portion of police only train with their weapons prior to qualifying, per conversations and statements by the individual police officers.
Can you imagine a construction framer only practicing with this hammer twice a year.
6. The overarching issue is that police officers seem to not be able to distinguish between and openly hardened criminal willing to break any law as compared to a law abiding, citizen that may have committed an infraction.
These are just my opinions. There may be some that think it's okay to point guns at people in order to get compliance. I personally do not view firearms as a compliance weapon.
Editor's note:
Maybe you haven't had an off duty police officer initiate an altercation and upon your reciprocation, this highly intoxicated off duty, in plain clothes, police officer points his service weapon directly at your face at a range of about 3 feet.
So yeah, I do have a problem with police officers thinking they can point a gun at you anytime they want.
Maybe you haven't experienced having vehicle trouble, being pulled over on the side of the road, a police officer showing up, ordering you out of the vehicle, hands placed on the quarter panel, i asked the police officer why he has pulled over with his lights on, he said, I could be raping a female, at that point, he slammed my head into the quarter panel of my car. Yeah, I do have a problem with a lack of professionalism in police departments.
And for all you back bencher idiots, i have a zero criminal record and my appearance does not vibe as criminal activity.
I train people on firearms. It is wholly unacceptable to point guns at people as a means of use of force.
The state is not the superior or the authority to the individual citizens.
Another note for the backbencher idiots, maybe you wanna live in a comply or die police state, but I for one do not.
3 things that would resolve this issue:
1. Mandatory firearms training and proficiency at a very high level. Of which I would support.
2. Police officers learning how to distinguish between an infraction and a hardened criminal in their threat level and use of force assessment.
3. Accountability at the highest level regarding improper behavior on the part of police officers.
Just one hawk's opinion, professional and personal experiences may vary.
This post is meant for mature adult readers only.
If this causes anybody to be butthurt, grow up.