March Protests Police Violence

Where this article says "video footage showed he had his hands up when he was shot" is factually incorrect. Unless the writer saw a different video than I did? The body camera video I saw showed Toledo was fleeing a shooting with a gun in his hand and when confronted by a fence, he turned suddenly toward officers so fast I had to replay the video to even see what happened.

If you freeze the frame you can, of course, see that in the instant before the officer fired, Toledo tried to hide his gun behind the fence but that is exactly the type of split second decision making the Supreme Court speaks about when they say officers must not be judged with 20/20 hindsight.

Suffice to say, that Toledo's hands were not "up" and it is poor reporting to enflame passions to suggest otherwise.

"allegedly believed he was hiding a gun and shot at him during a foot chase. Video footage of the incident shows that the boy had his hands up at the time he was shot". When someone writes an article and leaves out important facts like video shows he had a gun in his right hand before he throw it behind the fence AS he was turning to raise his hands. Is this what we need right now fake news to stir up more riots maybe here in New Haven. What neighborhood in New Haven does this writer live in maybe that's a good place to start. I have a suggestion for miss Jaeana Bethea "We need to defund and abolish the police!" put your name on a list of people that do not want Police to come to your house when you dial 911 you can handle any violence. Just send a Social worker in 24hrs to see if you're needs are social or medical or to pick up a body. The rest of us know how hard it is to protect and serve when 13 year old's have guns and have been taught to disrespect Police.

Protest is just a beginning.
There are groups advocating for the abolition of solitary confinement, reduce charges for phone calls by inmates, laws that aim to hold police accountable for unlawful uses of violence, etc.
I agree that reforms are useless. They are piece meal, take too long and never question the underlying purpose of the institutions, whether its policing or prisons or the legal system.
Coalitions of progressive groups will be powerful and unstoppable.
None of these systems will change themselves. They work for the people who run them.

Why do the officers who were interviewed refuse to disclose their names, why must they remain "anonymous?" Why do they have this great fear of their fellow cops, more than they fear the criminals? Nothing is going to change until the Blue code of silence is COMPLETELY cracked, not just partially cracked, even members of the Mafia no longer respect omerta and rat each other out, why do the boys in blue continue to protect the psychos and sadists in their ranks, who give them all a bad name. I dare any cop who is reading this to come forward and voice their opinion, with their full name.

@Narcan: https://www.insider.com/adam-toledo-video-dropping-item-hands-up-shot-2-seconds-2021-4

@ lawrence dressler

Officers are not fearful of their fellow officers. When officers in uniform express their personal views to the media about emotional and complex issues, they become unauthorized spokespersons for the department.

The department has a designated Public Information Officer.

On the City of New Haven's website, the police department's general orders are posted. Some of the language in the Social Media order, pertaining to speech, could give an officer pause when commenting on political/social issues and on-going litigation.

Any person, in any profession, should be weary to give the media a sound bite.

Anyone who thinks the cop was unjustified to shoot in the Toldeo case, or who thinks police should be abolished should not be taken seriously nor given attention. Both are ridiculous propositions that should be far outside the Overton Window.

Demonstration was organized by the local Democratic Socialists of America. Sad to see BLM is being used by a organization that believes in Total control by the Government. Already believing in the Utopia of free, free, free. As we watch Bernie Sanders policies pushed down our throats. As the world laughs at Biden being told what to say by President Harris and AOC. China can't wait to change the world currency standard to the Yuan. Biden's are well invested there they don't care. Wake up BLM look at what cities are defunding Police. Black on Black crime is rising just what Democrats want then Total Control will look good. Why do you think VP Harris helped bail out rioters an looters to keep it happening. BLM peaceful demonstration has now become a front to burn and loot their own Cities. How many blacks lost jobs in those cities because of a Peaceful Demonstration???

@TheGhostOfRogerSherman-
Are you saying that an officer is not allowed to talk about a police shooting that happened hundreds of miles away from the City of New Haven, that has nothing to do with the City of New Haven? You have got to be kidding! Show me in the New Haven Police regulations where it says officers cannot express their views on issues having nothing to do with the NHPD. Government employees, including cops, are protected by the First Amendment. This is not China!

democratic socialist is a nice way of saying communists. tell me, what is a 13 year old doing out in an alley carrying a gun at 3a.m. in the morning. where are this boys parents? you never hear that question come up when these incidents arise. also the so called democratic socialists want police defunded and more money for heath care and schools. kids in new haven were given laptops and wifi access and half of them never logged on for a single class this schools year! changes need to be made on how we police ourselves and how we as a people interact with and respect police but tearing down the system and replacing it with a socialist form of government that has been proven doesn't work is absolutely ludicrous!

narcan: This video shows that Toleda was holding a firearm (I cannot see it but for the arrow), behind his back, then tossed it behind the fence and raised his empty hands up, at which moment he was shot. The freeze frame of a yet-to-be-shot Toledo with his empty hands up has been widely published. Did Toledo contribute to his death by feeling with a weapon? Yes. Was Toledo compliant when shot dead? Yes.
https://www.wfmz.com/news/cnn/us-national/il-toledo-shooting-body-cam-w-freeze-frame-of-gun/video_8e504901-a14d-5706-9531-9f5ff2398d80.html

I don't blame the officers on duty protecting the civil rights of the protestors in not giving an official statement. Off duty is another story. When you're on the job, in any job position, you represent the company you work for and aren't allowed during work hours to make unauthorized statements to the media.
During your personal time you can join the protests or speak up, but it can have consequences with your employer.
I think abolishing the police won't help us when there is a mass murderer, kidnapper, or active shooter, or other violent crime that has to be stopped. Reforming the police doesn't go far enough to undo the training and mindset historically and currently in place, and the militarization of the police departments in training and equipment around the country. We need a deep restructuring and transformation of policing to weed out bad cops, bad techniques, excessive force, military style equipment, and to prioritize de-escalation in training and techniques, an increase in the social and mental healthcare approaches, and social-emotional support systems and community crisis intervention teams with preventative measures that will prevent conflicts from escalating to violence.
The statements of the anonymous officers show that there are officers who are sympathetic to the cause of transforming the police. We need to support their ability to turn in the bad actors, to access mental health care and stress prevention for themselves to be better able to deal with the stress in their jobs, and to prevent the good officers from being retaliated against by their union or their department when they stand up and speak out or intervene to prevent bad behavior in their ranks.
It is by working together to change the future of policing and crisis intervention and mental healthcare and substance abuse that we can make things change for the better. We need everyone to do their part.