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Jesse Powell
@jespow
The problem is that "I mistook gun for taser" is even an option. Why do you need to bring a gun to a discussion about missing tags? Leave it in the car. Why are cops handling basic welfare/fix-it issues at all? Parking enforcement gets by with pepper spray. Let them handle it.
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The New York Times
@nytimes
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Tasers look and feel different from pistols, and most police forces have protocols to prevent a mix-up. So how could the officer who shot Daunte Wright in Minnesota on Sunday grab her gun instead of her Taser, as the police chief said? nyti.ms/3uLVpEj
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Jesse Powell
@jespow
Fully agree. Cops bring a high threat level to every interaction though, which automatically raises the stakes. If the person pulled over knows you have the ability to arrest them or kill them, things are more likely to escalate. Cops anticipate the worst and respond out of fear.
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Prashant Pawar
@wlogqed
It's primarily because the person who is stopped might be someone who is clearly breaking the law and a vehicle search might result in them going back to jail, which means they have an incentive to use the firearm at the cop. Sol: Fewer traffic stops, end the war on drugs.
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Jesse Powell
@jespow
Would be great to have stats on how many murder suspects who are actually on the run and turned out to be guilty were apprehended in a stop for random traffic infraction. Doubt it’s enough to justify the identification and escalation threat of the stops for all sides.
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Prashant Pawar
@wlogqed
Replying to
@jespow
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@octal
And, actual traffic stops should be kept for 'people-in-danger' (as opposed to 'law-MIGHT-be-broken'). Traffic stops are being used as a fishing net to catch 'something' and to fund the departments.
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