Officer Wilson Asked Himself the Wrong Question.

[MineralMan]

Instead of asking himself whether he could legally shoot a young, unarmed black man, he should have asked this question from the seat of his police car:

"How can I get myself out of this dangerous situation without anyone dying?"

If he had asked himself that question, he would have started the car, if it wasn't already running, put the transmission in Drive or Reverse and applied pressure to the accelerator. The car would have moved, dislodging anyone who had his arm inside the vehicle. The person outside the car might have gotten a wrenched shoulder or even a broken arm, but would not have died. Wilson could have moved off as far as he chose. He could have waited for the backup he had called for and they could have found a way to deal with the situation that didn't result in a young, unarmed black man's body lying dead in the street.

That's the question he should have asked.

[Rex]

1. All he had to do was push down on the accelerator.

Brown would have had no choice but to disengage.

[MineralMan]

2. Just as I wrote. Yes.

My father gave me that advice once, when I was first learning to drive. He said, if someone's trying to get at you and you are in a car, drive away as fast as you can. Just drive off. Either direction.

[cyberswede]

3. Yes indeed.

It's clear as day. Thanks for posting that.

[MineralMan]

4. That option should be taught over and over again to

police officers. If they are in a vehicle, they can leave a bad situation and take time to consider. Never get out of your car to fight with someone, whether that person is armed or not. Step on the gas and get the heck away. Put some distance between yourself and the other person.

Any other option in this situation simply doesn't make sense.

[jwirr]

11. There is the key. It should be taught.

[Uben]

5. Now, he should ask himself....

...."am I really cut out to be in law enforcement?" The answer is unquestionably NO. If you are afraid to do the job, change jobs! Wilson saw Brown as a giant when he was exactly the same height as he was and 60 lbs heavier. As long as he's bigger than the person he is arresting, I guess he's okay with that. But, when he is confronted with a person larger than he is, he gets intimidated. Not LEO material.

[MineralMan]

6. No. That's a question to be asked long before you're in

a situation like this, not after. He is a cop. I'm talking about what actually happened, and how shooting an unarmed kid could have been avoided. You're talking about something completely different.

[Hoyt]

7. Apparently the Darren Wilsons aren't smart enough to realize there are better ways than shooting

center mass as all the white instructors and citizen patriot gun cultists spout. I agree with staying in the auto waiting for backup.. Once outside the car, he could have stepped aside of the badly wounded Brown who was stumbling, stuck his baton in his throat, even run.

[MineralMan]

8. Non-lethal options should be part of training.

Backing off and taking stock of the situation is always good strategy. In this situation, the young man wasn't armed with anything. He did not pose a deadly threat to a police officer in his vehicle. The vehicle can move, so it should move away from the confrontation. Stupidity!

[Hoyt]

10. Yep.. Just like Zimmerman, he should have remained in his car until help arrived.

[azmom]

9. He should of have waited for

Back up. Backing up to the point of running over the two to trap them, was not the best idea.

[JonLP24]

12. I don't really believe a lot of that is genuine

His statements such as "Hulk" and the like seemed to aimed at the law which gives law enforcement the right to use deadly force is justified if the officer reasonably believes his life is in imminent danger.

The laws need to be changed, it is difficult to even get civil judgments awarded in your favor.

[Kalidurga]

13. Its a lot worse than that

It was definitely the wrong question when Brown was at least 30 feet away. His car was facing in the opposite direction Brown was facing so he would have just had to drive off, not even put his car in reverse, which is what I thought he would have had to do before seeing the pictures.

[BootinUp]

14. Problem is

he wanted to prove something different.

[rhett o rick]

15. He isn't in the police force to run away from a chance to shoot somebody.

High fives at the cop bar. He is a hero in the gun toten racist community.