It’s not a new story, but I was coincidentally reading about 2018 Saheed Vassell incident in Brooklyn, NY, when the recent Teen fatally shot after pointing airsoft replica M14 rifle at police topic was posted. The videos and stills are pretty dramatic, and anyone experiencing Vassell’s behavior firsthand and in real time would be rightfully alarmed. Still, the usual anti-police/anti-gun crowd was quick to condemn the police for their actions.
The man was not mentally stable, and in hindsight the police didn’t need to shoot. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the opportunity to perform a psychological evaluation prior to taking down what they identified as a lethal threat.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, trying to make political hay, tweeted “Another unarmed black man and another tragedy…” yet I’m sure her personal security would have treated the perceived threat with a similar response.
Meanwhile the media lauded Saheel Vassell as a really nice guy, and a well known icon in the neighborhood, always willing to help.
What would be going through your mind, or any reasonable person’s if confronted with this?