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Venkstesh it is a tragedy by any assessment but rendering a judgement requires more than a short video clip and unconfirmed details. A comprehensive timeline of all actions of all parties, review of dispatch audio, all videos, and interviews of the officers involved... 1/
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...as well as witnesses and a complete forensic assessment of the incident scene, ballistics, and autopsies of all persons killed are needed to start an assessment. This ia complex after action assessment 2/
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The review must look at tactical considerations, including what the involved officers knew and perceived. The actual threat to the hostage, known history of the suspects and their actions. It will also require looking at the actions and direction of watch commander overseeing 3/
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... In addition the agency policy, legal framework, and training of all personnel involved need to be assessed. Then the situation, the tactical decisions made in light of actual existing threat, policy and law can be determined. 4/
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Fairness requires a deliberate and comprehensive inquiry before reaching a conclusion on tactical or legal dimensions of the incident. That assessment should be multi-disciplinary and subject to review. 5/5
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That sounds like solid due process to my non-expert ears but it does seem like public trust in such processes has plummeted for a reason. The perception is that somehow these investigations never seem to either lead to changed tactics or find law enforcement at fault.
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Yes, public trust has eroded in many cases. These after action reviews do yield accountability and refinement of tactics and training. The lessons learned are routinely incorporated into law enforcement training and future oversight and have been for decades. 1/
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These reviews also result in discipline when warranted. Enhanced transparency is needed to ensure public confidence and trust. This is always a challenge for police-community relations. 2/2
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Thanks, is there a good history of recent decades evolution in policing, especially comparing before/after drug war, since that seems to be what most critics blame? The US seems particularly unique and hard to meaningfully compare to other countries’ policing because of gun laws
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There is not a single source, but many histories and assessments have been conducted over the years. Many are forgotten and overlooked as the stress of current events overshadows past reviews. The police studies literature started looking at this in the late 60s and early 70s.
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