Trigger-Happy Cop, or Not?

19 Apr 2011

Trigger-Happy Cop, or Not?

Trigger-Happy – Informal adjective . 1. ready to fire a gun at the least provocation, regardless of the situation or probable consequences.

The following (real life) video below captures the effect of how behavior patterns of some cops seem to be molded from watching T.V. cop dramas, or by playing animated x-box video games, and then transferring those mental images into events that kill real people. .

Imagine the following scene from your own personal perspective.

You’re a casual pedestrian crossing a street intersection on a bright, sunny afternoon, carrying a wooden board and pocket knife in your hand. You’re not harassing, nor threatening other pedestrians while walking towards your destination, nor are you carrying a blood-spattered body and a six-inch open blade dripping with blood that would draw undue suspicion. You’re simply carrying a pocket knife and piece of carving wood.

Just arriving to a stop at that same intersection, in a marked police cruiser, is a 27 yr. old man with two years service on the job who was probably bored with the monotony of an uneventful day. (Remember, script writers don’t include the boring moments of police work in their television dramas which often encapsulate an entire career’s excitement within a one hour-time frame.)

Walking past the windshield of rookie’s cruiser, you carry your pocket knife and wooden board used for whittling, a practice often accustomed to Native Indians. You’ve created no overt provocation to arouse suspicion. In fact, you’re hardly aware of your surroundings, other than safely crossing the street intersection.

But Mr. hero cop has other plans for you. He immediately enacts his fantasy role as “gallant protector of the people” because he’s feeling rather bored and needs a little excitement “to make his day”.

Lasting only a few seconds, a dangerous mix of actions is about to ensue. Acting on adolescent impulse that lacks any common sense, plus a craving need to validate his “hero” self-image, rookie begins initiating a highly provocative procedure for such a benign incident.

Upon exiting the police vehicle, rookie swaggers towards the sidewalk while withdrawing his holstered gun. To alert your attention to turn around and face him, rookie yells out “HEY, HEY, HEY”,….. then continues with “PUT THE KNIFE DOWN, PUT THE KNIFE DOWN, PUT THE KNIFE DOWN”.

Having mere seconds to respond, your befuddled mind is trying to make sense of what is happening. You’re trying to process this threatening and hostile appearance that suddenly erupted from behind you.

Only five (5) seconds (the time to read this top line) will elapse from the time the shooter first yells “PUT THE KNIFE DOWN” to the time he fires his first bullet into your body, followed by 4 more bullets in rapid succession.

You’ve now fallen on your back, mortally wounded after five bullets have violently torn into your flesh. Your blood begins painting the sidewalk as it oozes out of bullet holes and into the small cement crevices lying under your moribund body. Your final moments of life are consumed with thoughts of family and friends. A poignant moment of reflection is reserved for your last few seconds – “If I’d only crossed at another intersection”!

This unprovoked shooting actually happened on a Seattle, Washington street on August 30, 2010 and was instigated by this man, Ian Birk.

Seattle Officer Ian Birk Ian Birk

Ian Birk reportedly resigned less than six months later in February, 2011 …..but, was probably forced to quit, or be fired from his job.

Although the shooting death was ruled not justified by the Seattle Police Department’s Firearms Review Board — incredibly — Ian Birk, will not be facing murder charges.

Watch the following video and listen to the casual tone in the shooter’s voice, as if reporting a simple fender-bender between two cars. A normal human being would act with some emotion after mortally wounding another human being with 5 bullets! One bullet will disable most men, but five bullets fired in rapid succession is a deliberate intent to kill.

A closed pocket-knife was later found near the dead man’s body during the investigation. So the question is….. where was the alleged threat that justified this shooting?? Answer: There was no threat!

The victim wearing light clothing and seen mounting the sidewalk curb is about to die. (The actual shooting is not seen, but the audio is heard)