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Messages - DougMacG

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1
https://www.theepochtimes.com/federal-prosecutor-opens-excessive-force-investigation-into-the-death-of-ashli-babbitt-report_3650361.html

 “Michael Sherwin, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said that his office has started a federal, excessive force investigation over the shooting and killing of former U.S. Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt in the Capitol on Jan. 6. Sherwin confirmed the investigation with CBS News. His civil rights section will lead the prosecution, which is being investigated by D.C. police and the FBI.”

2
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Crime and (lack of) Punishment
« on: December 07, 2020, 07:08:56 AM »
"... exemption from prosecution for misdemeanor crimes for any citizen who suffers from poverty, homelessness, addiction, or mental illness."

   - Seattle proposal, suicide of a city
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/12/suicide-of-a-city.php

3
Martial Arts Topics / Thanksgiving and a small Expression of Gratitude
« on: November 25, 2020, 06:42:03 PM »
2020 was a strange year (so far) full of danger, disappointment and setbacks, but still I am  thankful to be alive and healthy and doing well.

In the under 65 age group, I faced a 0.00018  chance of dying this year due to covid and so far have avoided that.

Contrast this Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims who faced real danger. 45 of 102 Mayflower passengers died in the winter of 1620–21.

We are (mostly) fortunate to live in amazingly prosperous times, and I am thankful for the good health of family in this challenging year.

4
$14 million cut from police budget.  100 officets have left, not replaced.  Police response rate dreadful.  500 shot, twice the rate of 2019.  Murder rate up 50%.

https://legalinsurrection.com/2020/11/minneapolis-facing-higher-crime-police-exodus-six-months-after-george-floyds-death/

5
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/07/youtube-throws-in-the-towel.php

Youtube previously banned this video full of facts and truth.

6
Martial Arts Topics / Re: That car sure looked like a motorcycle , , ,
« on: August 05, 2020, 04:33:16 AM »
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/aurora-police-detain-black-family-after-mistaking-their-vehicle-as-stolen

"I totally understand that anger, and don’t want to diminish that anger, but I will say it wasn’t a profiling incident. It was a hit that came through the system"

The problem IMHO is presumed guilty police tactics.  Police should, in my view, shoot the plate scanner or the radar gun AFTER they observe the vehicle do something wrong, not shoot every car just for being there.

7
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8431801/Rayshard-Brooks-probation-faced-going-prison-charged-DUI.html
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/06/18/brooks-floyd-deaths-police-misconduct-not-always-racist-column/3206372001/

Another "gentle giant"?  What a whole bunch of these incidents have in common is that the apprehended, who is resisting, is so much bigger and stronger than the arresting officers.  To me, those facts, big, strong and actively resisting arrest, are much more relevant to the situation than race.  Obviously, if he hadn't resisted, he'd be alive.  Also, if he was of ordinary size and strength and resisted, he would have been subdued rather easily by the two officers willing to wrestle him to the ground, and he would likely be safe in police custody facing one extra charge for resisting, instead of dead.

Lies of the media inciters:  He was shot for being asleep in the drive through.  Or he was shot in the back while fleeing?  He was shot while firing a disabling weapon at the officer who shot him.  If he was just "fleeing", he would have been shot.  Why lie, except to incite and fit a narrative.  And what the hell did race have to do with it?  Just that everyone in the story has a race if have to put people in these categories. If it takes falsehoods to fit the narrative, maybe the narrative is false.

If we're going to second guess everything, maybe drunk driving laws shouldn't apply to people who are asleep in their car. - on private, commercial property.  Maybe the .08 law is the wrong measure of drunk.  This guy wasn't that intoxicated, but was headed back to prison if arrested.

I don't want to live in a police state full of all kinds of unnecessary laws  for victimless crimes.  But worse yet is to live in a society where the forces of the street thugs are more powerful than law enforcement.

8
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Citizen-Police interactions
« on: June 15, 2020, 09:15:19 AM »
Police brutality epidemic?


https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/06/chronicles-of-the-crazy-times-4.php

Believe it or not, the United States is arguably underpoliced. At least compared to European nations. On a per capita basis, the United States has one-third fewer police officers than the European average.
https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/06/underpoliced-and-overprisoned-revisited.html

9
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-floyd-derek-chauvin-nightclub-bumped-heads/

So much of what happened we still don't know.  Why did two other officers also feel the need to help hold him down too.  The initial complaint says active resistance.  Why were so many sent to the scene of such a small crime.  There is much more footage we haven't seen.   They knew they were being watched, had to know they were being filmed.  Who called the ambulance?  When?  Why?  Because he was unarrestable by 4 officers and additional Park Police on scene in his condition and with his resistance.

The only hint of race being a factor in the incident is a bystander saying it's because he's black.  The hold is a shin, not a knee?  The hold was justified while he was resisting but not justified after the resistance stopped?  Isn't that too late if the hold was the cause of death?  The deceased had meth, opioid intoxication, Covid, hypertension and  exerting "active resistance" to the arrest.  Did his active resistance contribute to the death?  What percentage, enough that he wouldn't have died if he hadn't resisted? 

The deceased has both good and bad stuff on his background.  Same for the officer.  All previous complaints were dismissed. TwinCities.com (St. Paul paper) reported in 2008 that Chauvin "received a department medal of valor for his response in an incident involving a man armed with a gun.”

https://heavy.com/news/2020/05/derek-chauvin/

10
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Citizen-Police interactions
« on: June 08, 2020, 06:21:52 AM »
As Minneapolis votes to end the knee to neck restraint as a legal, trained, published, accepted tactic - AFTER - the death of George Floyd, doesn't that lose this soon to be all important court case for them? 

https://www.startribune.com/good-riddance-to-neck-restraint-tactic/571059552/

Worst case for the officer IMHO, he is guilty of the manslaughter charge, which means a Not Guilty verdict for the two higher charges including intentional murder, and a Not Guilty verdict for at least two of the other three officers.

Meanwhile, the state government who has taken over the prosecution of this case and elevated the charges to intentional murder lists George Floyd as a COVID death casualty. 

In this mess, we have:
George Floyd who was too intoxicated to stand up, sitting in the driver's seat on a city street now named for him, resisting police,
the officer who mis-applied a trained procedure to the wrong situation with a worse than bad outcome,
officers in training helping him,
the state government who classify people who died with COVIDsame as people who died of COVID,
protesters chasing a false narrative,
inflamed by dishonest media,
in a City who votes to disband their police department,
and a state AG who elevated charges to the point of absurd.

Who is the incompetent one here?

All of the above.

11
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-myth-of-systemic-police-racism-11591119883?mod=markets_trending_now_article_pos1
In 2019 police officers fatally shot 1,004 people, most of whom were armed or otherwise dangerous. African-Americans were about a quarter of those killed by cops last year (235), a ratio that has remained stable since 2015. That share of black victims is less than what the black crime rate would predict, since police shootings are a function of how often officers encounter armed and violent suspects. In 2018, the latest year for which such data have been published, African-Americans made up 53% of known homicide offenders in the U.S. and commit about 60% of robberies, though they are 13% of the population.

The police fatally shot nine unarmed blacks and 19 unarmed whites in 2019, according to a Washington Post database, down from 38 and 32, respectively, in 2015. The Post defines “unarmed” broadly to include such cases as a suspect in Newark, N.J., who had a loaded handgun in his car during a police chase. In 2018 there were 7,407 black homicide victims. Assuming a comparable number of victims last year, those nine unarmed black victims of police shootings represent 0.1% of all African-Americans killed in 2019. By contrast, a police officer is 18½ times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is to be killed by a police officer.
---------------------------------------
Study referred to in above article:
https://www.pnas.org/content/116/32/15877

12
https://www.fox9.com/news/3-other-minneapolis-police-officers-charged-in-george-floyds-death-chauvin-charges-upgraded

Looks like riot incite AG Ellison wants the mob to hear the words 'not guilty'.

14
Martial Arts Topics / Re: DiBlasio's daughter
« on: June 02, 2020, 01:29:54 PM »
https://americanpostgazette.com/articles/nyc-mayor-de-blasio-s-daughter-arrested-for-protesting-then-her-mugshot-emerges?utm_source=deployer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=20200602194052

"The previous day, Ocasio-Cortez called Bill de Blasio's short-lived defense of the NYPD as "unacceptable."  "
"de Blasio reversed his defense of officers"

Who runs that city, the mayor or the young bartender congressional representative?  Asked and answered.  Making Trump's point.  Listen to Omar and AOC and that IS their party.  No daylight between those and the mayor, the Presidential nominee or my 'moderate' swing district suburban D-representative.  They want more and more laws and don't follow any of them, or enforce them, whether it is the border or the riots.  Put it on the sign, Vote Mayhem and Anarchy.  Death and destruction. 

"Five officers were shot and wounded, as police clashed with crowds nationwide protesting the killing of an unarmed black man."
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2020-06-02/five-police-shot-during-protests-after-trump-vows-to-bring-in-us-military


16
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Minnesota Derek Chauvin
« on: May 30, 2020, 03:52:23 PM »
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6933246/Derek-Chauvin-Complaint.pdf

Many examples of Floyd resisting in the complaint. 

"As Officer Lane began speaking with Mr. Floyd, he pulled his gun
out and pointed it at Mr. Floyd’s open window and directed Mr. Floyd to show his hands. When Mr. Floyd
put his hands in the steering wheel, Lane put his gun back in its holster. "
   - Implies resistance before defendant arrived

"Mr. Floyd actively resisted being handcuffed."

"Officers Kueng and Lane stood Mr. Floyd up and attempted to walk Mr. Floyd to their squad car (MPD 320) at 8:14 p.m. Mr. Floyd stiffened up, fell to the ground, and told the officers he was claustrophobic. "    = resistance

"The officers made several attempts to get Mr. Floyd in the backseat of squad 320 from the driver’s side.  Mr. Floyd did not voluntarily get in the car and struggled with the officers by intentionally falling down, saying he was not going in the car, and refusing to stand still. Mr. Floyd is over six feet tall and weighs more than 200 pounds."
    - Major resistance

While standing outside the car, Mr. Floyd began saying and repeating that he could not breathe.
    - This was before being on the ground, before the knee to the neck.

"The defendant pulled Mr. Floyd out of the passenger side of the squad car at 8:19:38 p.m. and Mr. Floyd went to the ground face down and still handcuffed."
    - Either resistance or medical or intoxication drop.

"Kueng held Mr. Floyd’s back and Lane held his legs."
    - Implies resistance.
--------------------------------------------------------
The part bothering most people as much as the visual of the knee to the neck:
**Mr. Floyd said, “I can’t breathe” multiple times**
But he was breathing, right? Multiple times.

"The autopsy revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation. Mr. Floyd had
underlying health conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely
contributed to his death."

The Complaint reads like a defense exhibit.  I'm not taking the officer's side but the trial is not the slam dunk that people think.

17
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Neck hold was approved policy
« on: May 30, 2020, 02:58:15 PM »
https://www.lawofficer.com/neck-hold-used-by-minneapolis-officer-was-approved-by-department-policy/

There it is.  This doesn't make anyone innocent but it the elements required here be the central issue in the trial.  0% of the protesters in this 100% liberal controlled city are aware that knee on the neck is an approved and trained hold for police to use in their city in a narrowly defined situation.

From the link:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/police/policy/mpdpolicy_5-300_5-300?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=8028deff4535b493725eb649d36c3b7e00941797-1590851457-0-AYmLk4y8QkESEAP-vrNGC-RkLNDU2TPuK3Z5gng_Xjo1--QI2QTH4vC-cIHQSl8UQ-pioW8NOuxAzUlPxDSDSg5nbwSC3K5l4h2yCpj23lE4SinjYdQ5dh-XpxfLPcmdi1gGYW_vtLI-alrCoF7w7TL6C8JNzhuzbC3jGBZ0siyij-YoHczuAnwwj9O8zaDE0Jx6QWMtg7-BtxW1Wvsfi4l5qHL_T1J_5ZN745fxc6DefO8MP0qn1RlpNtbUKP9BxPwt03BEqWQp2P_n1y43tyOPVZHTmXt4_qHsg1boSQpfaVe5Yn84xPS9gGtn0AZStQ
5-311 USE OF NECK RESTRAINTS AND CHOKE HOLDS (10/16/02) (08/17/07) (10/01/10) (04/16/12)

DEFINITIONS I.

Choke Hold: Deadly force option. Defined as applying direct pressure on a person’s trachea or airway (front of the neck), blocking or obstructing the airway (04/16/12)

Neck Restraint: Non-deadly force option. Defined as compressing one or both sides of a person’s neck with an arm or leg, without applying direct pressure to the trachea or airway (front of the neck). Only sworn employees who have received training from the MPD Training Unit are authorized to use neck restraints. The MPD authorizes two types of neck restraints: Conscious Neck Restraint and Unconscious Neck Restraint. (04/16/12)

Conscious Neck Restraint: The subject is placed in a neck restraint with intent to control, and not to render the subject unconscious, by only applying light to moderate pressure. (04/16/12)

Unconscious Neck Restraint: The subject is placed in a neck restraint with the intention of rendering the person unconscious by applying adequate pressure. (04/16/12)

PROCEDURES/REGULATIONS II.

The Conscious Neck Restraint may be used against a subject who is actively resisting. (04/16/12)
The Unconscious Neck Restraint shall only be applied in the following circumstances: (04/16/12)
On a subject who is exhibiting active aggression, or;
For life saving purposes, or;
On a subject who is exhibiting active resistance in order to gain control of the subject; and if lesser attempts at control have been or would likely be ineffective.
Neck restraints shall not be used against subjects who are passively resisting as defined by policy. (04/16/12)
After Care Guidelines (04/16/12)
After a neck restraint or choke hold has been used on a subject, sworn MPD employees shall keep them under close observation until they are released to medical or other law enforcement personnel.
An officer who has used a neck restraint or choke hold shall inform individuals accepting custody of the subject, that the technique was used on the subject.

18
The full report of the ME is pending but the ME has made the following preliminary findings. The autopsy revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation. Mr. Floyd had underlying health conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/05/medical-examiner-george-floyd-wasnt-asphyxiated.php :?

19
Operator: 911 what's the address of the emergency?
Caller: This is ah 3759 Chicago Ave.
Operator: How can I help you?
Caller: Um someone comes our store and give us fake bills and we realize it before he left the store, and we ran back outside, they was sitting on their car. We tell them to give us their phone, put their (inaudible) thing back and everything and he was also drunk and everything and return to give us our cigarettes back and so he can, so he can go home but he doesn't want to do that, and he's sitting on his car cause he is awfully drunk and he's not in control of himself.
Operator: Okay, what type of vehicle does he have?
Caller: And .... um he's got a vehicle that is ah ... one second let me see if I can see the license. The driver license is BRJ026.
Operator: Okay, what color is it?
Caller: It's a blue color. It's a blue van.
Operator: Blue van?
Caller: Yes, van.
Operator: Alright blue van, gotcha. Is it out front or is it on 38th St.?
Caller: Ah it's on 38th St.
Operator: On 38th St. So, this guy gave a counterfeit bill, has your cigarettes, and he's under the influence of something?
Caller: Something like that, yes. He is not acting right.
Operator: What's he look like, what race?
Caller: Um, he's a tall guy. He's like tall and bald, about like 6 ... 6 1/2, and she's not acting right so and she started to go, drive the car.
Operator: Okay so, female or a male?
Caller: Um...
Operator: Is it a girl or a boy?
Caller: (Talking to somebody else) — he's asking (inaudible) one second. Hello?
Operator: Is it a girl or a boy that did this?
Caller: It is a man.
Operator: Okay. Is he white, black, Native, Hispanic, Asian?
Caller: Something like that.
Operator: Which one? White, black, Native, Hispanic, Asian?
Caller: No, he's a black guy.
Operator: Alright
https://www.insider.com/minneapolis-pd-release-call-transcript-in-george-floyd-arrest-2020-5

20
Last time this happened the cop was black [Somalian-American] and the victim was white foreign national.  Here the video shows the cop is white, the cop watching is white and the man being held down who died is black.  The race of the other two cops? I don't know yet.  [The four officers fired are identified as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng.]
-----------------
"The issue isn’t racism, it is incompetence."
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/05/death-in-minneapolis-revives-blacklivesmatter.php
-----------------
Twitter feed inside the riots and looting:
https://twitter.com/KyleHooten2
It makes perfect sense if you offended by race apparent police brutality that you vandalize or rob the privately owned stores in your area, or the precinct station that already fired everyone involved.



21
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/05/26/mpd-chief-arradondo-4-police-officers-fired-following-death-of-george-floyd/

And Minneapolis just finished rebuilding from the Justine Damond riots...

Yes, I wonder who pays for this stuff...

What was the right way to hold him down, not a knee on the neck?

23
Martial Arts Topics / Re: DB and DBMA in the media
« on: November 04, 2019, 01:39:53 PM »
Is something the technology aspect of which you could handle? Maybe with Webmaster Bob as your advisor?

I was going to ask what kind of equipment you were using.  As a first step I looked up best podcast microphone and ordered a USB unit today to work with my computer.

24
Martial Arts Topics / Re: DB and DBMA in the media
« on: November 04, 2019, 06:17:15 AM »
"Hope I wasn't to blunt with the guy ("It's a yes or a no question"  :roll: ) he was very nice."

A couple of times yes, but he was seeking clarity and got it.   )

"I like the idea of doing a semi-regular podcast.  Would you like to be the interviewer?"

Yes.  I don't know if I would be good at it but I think we would know if it could work part way through the first try.

I couldn't go into as blindly as he did.  I would need to know in advance an idea of where you want the questions to lead, even though the best parts will no doubt be where it goes off-script.

25
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Crafty Dog podcast
« on: November 03, 2019, 11:40:05 AM »
https://anchor.fm/nicholaspaularnold/episodes/Episode-13-Interview-wPunong-Guro-Marc-Crafty-Dog-Denny-of-Dog-Brothers-Martial-Arts-e8jekh

Very well done, great stuff!

I got some echo from the interviewer at times; I wonder why.  Your voice comes through well. 

The interviewer slows the flow at times though nice to reach his audience.

Would like to see you do your own podcast or video on political, economic or foreign policy issues, blending it with wisdom learned through martial arts.

27
Not guilty on the highest charge, 2nd degree intentional murder.  Guilty on the next two, third degree murder and manslaughter.  Also most certainly guilty in civil suit coming, wrongful death damages.  Sentencing June 7, he will get the lighter sentence available out of sympathy, but everyone looking at this finds the shooting "inexplicable".

Attorney Scott Johnson of Powerline was in the second row, made 20 posts through it.  This short podcast is his reaction coming out of the verdict:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/04/the-power-line-show-ep-122-scott-on-the-noor-verdict.php

The trial was not about race.  Something in his profile might indicate he was psychologically a poor fit for the job was kept out of evidence.  4 of the jurors were immigrants including a Pakistani woman.  [Ofc. Noor, 33, came from Somali as a child.]  Obviously all of them voted guilty. 

But the aftermath most certainly is about race.  The narrative is that white cops shoot victims because they are black and never get charged or convicted.  This cop was black, victim white and the cop was charged and now convicted.  Victim was from Sydney Australia.  Here is the coverage this morning in Sydney:
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/why-not-everyone-is-celebrating-the-justine-ruszczyk-damond-verdict-20190501-p51iy2.html
Why not everyone is celebrating the Justine Ruszczyk Damond verdict

28
"Police training, as well as civilian self defense training teaches "shooting to stop", not shooting to kill."

Good point G M.  On one shot the threat stopped and then they both tried desperately to keep her alive. 

"There is an important legal concept of reasonable fear vs. bare fear. Bare fear means unreasoning fear, If you have ability, opportunity and jeopardy, then you reasonably feared for your life, or the life of a 3rd. party. That is justifiable. Employing deadly force based on bare fear isn't."

Yes, that is the issue of the case. 

"Typically, causing the death of a person without malice aforethought is manslaughter. Which it what appears to be what happened based on the information available to me at this time."

This is what I think is the right vote for a juror but I don't see anyone predicting how this jury will decide.

I think he accidentally pulled the trigger out of the bare fear described above, but before that unjustified action he unholstered and aimed.  We don't have all the facts but it seems that both of them were surprised that he shot.

The alleged slap on the car maybe added to the bare fear but added nothing rational or reasonable to identifying the threat. 

I posted some links to police ambushed in other places, some were shortly before this happened.  I suspect his fear came more from those incidents elsewhere than from the sounds and sights that were heard and seen in the alley that night.

29
Closing arguments done, it's in the hands of the jury. 
https://twitter.com/LouRaguse

Plenty of people including some on the jury will disagree but guilt at some level is clear to me.  There was unauthorized use of a weapon that led to a death.  He intentionally shot to kill(?).  It wasn't reasonable to think their life was in danger.  It seems to me that in the moments before they had no idea a person was approaching the car in good lighting, they weren't fully paying attention.  For some reason they missed that or failed to react appropriately to it.  It isn't fair in my mind to respond to being startled by pulling the trigger without identifying a treat.  They should have seen someone approaching and responded to it.  Absent that he should have waited for evidence of danger, not act with deadly force only out of fear.

With almost no facts or evidence to work with, both prosecutors and defense attorneys seem to have done a great job representing their side's interests.  It will be interesting to learn what the jury decides.

30
Expert testimony yesterday went exactly along the lines of the GM post.

“The use of force was objectionable, unreasonable and violated police policies … and training,” said expert witness Derrick Hacker. “No reasonable officer would have perceived a threat by somebody coming up to their squad.”

“I don’t believe they were logical or rational at all,” Longo said of Noor’s actions. “This was an unprovoked, violent response.”
---------------------
Hacker, who has served as a use-of-force instructor since his days in the Marines in the early 1990s, said accounts of the noise that apparently startled the officers were “vague” and didn’t meet the threshold for using deadly force. Officers are taught to apply a “force continuum” that starts with none and escalates up to deadly force when an officer feels lives are in danger, or to stop a suspect who has committed or is committing a felony, he said.

“You need to identify the target: who it is, is it a male, is it a female?” he said. “If an officer cannot see that, then the officer is not allowed to use deadly force.”

Noor, Hacker concluded, should have known better after undergoing “use of firearms in lowlight” and “pre-ambush awareness” training during his stint at the police academy.

“Is being startled or spooked the same as fearing death or great bodily harm?” asked Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Patrick Lofton.

“No, it is not,” Hacker responded.

The officers should have taken greater steps to investigate Damond’s call, he said, making the connection between her call about a woman possibly screaming in her alley and an earlier incident involving an apparently disoriented woman who was wandering through the area.

“Would you pull your gun out?” Lofton asked regarding Damond’s call.

“No, absolutely not,” Hacker said.

Hacker argued that the officers’ decision to pull out their guns inside their SUV was “unreasonable and is unacceptable.” The matter is a point of contention with the defense.

Officers are trained to draw their guns quickly when a threat emerges, Hacker said, precluding them from needing their firearms unholstered.

“By driving around with a handgun, there’s a higher propensity for other things to happen,” he said, pointing to the possibility of an accidental discharge. “I would say, even in an active shooter call, it isn’t needed.”

Lofton asked him whether Damond “did anything wrong” by approaching the officers.

“No, Ms. Ruszczyk did nothing wrong — police are approached daily, this happens routinely,” he said, adding that he didn’t find it unusual that 911 dispatchers didn’t instruct her to stay put.

Longo said officers should know how to handle people approaching their squad cars, and not the opposite.

“That just defies logic to me that we would have to train citizens from approaching police cars,” he said.


http://www.startribune.com/use-of-force-expert-none-needed-in-encounter-with-damond/509008502/
----------------------------------

Defendant Noor is on the stand.
Snippets follow via twitter begins after prosecution expert witness.
https://twitter.com/LouRaguse
@LouRaguse  #NoorTrial #JustineDamond

The prosecution is expected to wrap up its case today (for real this time) in the Mohamed Noor trial. Their second use-of-force expert, Tim Longo, is still on the witness stand awaiting cross examination. Could Mohamed Noor testify this afternoon? It's possible.

THey went back and forth with Plunkett talking about how Harrity perceived an ambush in prior testimony so they should be able to go into it. Judge will rule further after the break.  See you later this afternoon.

Noor had begun mentioning the Dallas incident from 2006 which Judge Quaintance had already ruled that they can't go into. When jury left, Judge said, "I don't understand the relevance of ambush training"

It was pretty obvious what they were getting at with this testimony and how it would relate to the shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. Before lunch Plunkett asked about them being warned of ambushes -- and the prosecution objected.

Then on counter-ambush training in patrol car, Noor said "As long as your partner is safe, you can shoot out of the squad car in any direction. The key takeaway is saving your partner's life in a safe manner."

Then Noor got choked up talking about counter ambush training relating to MPD Officer Jerry Haaf who was killed in 1992. Noor was holding back tears talking about scenario at restaurant where they learn to trust partner to protect you.

Then they spent time on Noor's counter-ambush training. Noor said, "The most important take for me was actions are better than reactions. If reacting, that means it's too late."
Plunkett: What happens?
Noor: "You die."

"You can get days off, up to termination if you talk to an officer involved at the scene or attempt to interview him," Noor testified.

Noor then talked about his officer involved shooting training where he learned how it affects perception of officers. And what he learned about officers at scene of one, Noor said they can't talk to the officer who shot.

I wonder now if the prosecution thinks the door is open to ask about the traffic stop where he appeared to point a gun at the driver's head.

Noor says when he stepped back with a loaded weapon - he got in trouble but learned from it. "that was in a safe training environment with my instructor behind me." Noor said some other cadets "shot the floor, shot the ceiling, shot the carpet" so mistakes weren't uncommon

And defense attorney Plunkett proactively had Noor talk about something the prosecution wanted to raise -- an incident when he improperly pointed a loaded gun. Noor described he unloaded the weapon in reverse - the chambered round before the magazine which chambered another round

It was "Very stressful," Noor testified. 29 weeks of classes and physical training. "Very demanding. It requires a lot of learning." Then he began talking about his firearms training.

Noor became an American citizen in 1999. His parents gained citizenship and he said that automatically applied to he and his siblings too. After going through his schooling, Noor got to part where he started Police Cadet Academy.

Noor is the oldest of 10 siblings. He was born in Somalia, fled to Kenya with his family at age 5, then to America when 7. When reached MN in 7th grade, Noor testified, "When I moved here, no one liked Somalis."

Noor's testimony has not yet reached the night of the shooting. Defense attorney Tom Plunkett has been going over Noor's life story with him, which we first heard in Opening Statements.

31
"The correct response if you are being ambushed in a patrol car, is to jam on the gas pedal and get off the X."

That makes sense to me.  For some reason I thought they were at the end of a dead end alley.  Looking at the property maps and re-reading the stories, that was not the case.  They could have surged forward or backward to thwart an ambush.  The driving error was the fault of the partner of Noor, who is not charged.  Had he jammed on the accelerator with weapons drawn, the accidental shooting might have been of themselves?

Had Officer Noor waited for the person approaching (woman in pajamas) to aim a weapon (she didn't have) at them, it may have been too late.  If he shoots first and gathers information later, he is guilty of at least negligent homicide.  The officers make $27/hr to risk their life and make these decisions.

There apparently was no rape or at least was no other report of it.  State crime lab failed to follow up on that.  Maybe neighbor's were having loud sex with windows open July 15 in Mpls but no report that anyone else heard it.  A rapist would not approach a squad car.  Officers were in a well lit alley, open in front of them, had no reason around them to sense danger except for the 9/11 report and a person approaching the squad car.  Either talk to the lady or step on the gas.  You don't have authority to discharge the weapon without some other information. 

From Noor's passenger seat, step on the gas wasn't an option and we have no record of conversation between them.  Harrity the partner also screwed up and is doing everything  he can in the trial to back up his partner. 

Race? Justine, white. Noor is black Somali-American, came here as a youth, had been with the department 21 months.  Harrity is white man, was 25 at the time, had been with the department 1 year.  Police chief was a white woman, was on vacation when this happened, resigned shortly after, was replaced by black man.  Mayor was white liberal woman who left for Los Angeles in the immediate aftermath of this for a scheduled campaign fundraiser.  She lost reelection.  New mayor is liberal white man.  Race played no known role in any of this.  Race only matters when the cop is white and the victim is black.

32
Love the way you are following up on this Doug.

My pleasure but there doesn't seem to be any evidence or issue to discuss.  The potential real issues are not in the trial.  Did Mpls negligently hire an unstable guy to be cop because they were so eager to get a black and get their first Somalian on the police force?  If so, doesn't matter; they aren't on trial.  Or is it worse, Noor is fully capable but wanted the badge and the gun for bad reasons.  Nothing of that sort is accused in the trial.

Is this the kind of story elsewhere that caused a wrongful shooting in Mpls:
"2 Florida deputies shot dead in suspected ambush"
Colorado officer killed in 'ambush-style attack'
Cops ambushed in Dallas
Cops ambushed in Ohio, and so on.  Google these stories and more.

Defense theory in the Noor trial is that both officers feared they entered an ambush.  Noor's partner also drew his weapon [although neither activated body cam until after the shooting].  They were startled by a sound and that is why he shot an unarmed women in her pajamas who approached the driver window.  Officers may or may not have invented the story of a rap on the police car.  There were no fingerprints of the victims on the vehicle.  Defense attorney suggests it could have been her knuckle or back of the hand.  So what?  Does that mean reasonable person in that situation shoots to kill?  No.  More likely fear than reason.

Noor's partner Harrity testified they saw a silhouette approach the squad car, then heard a slap or thump sound on the car that made them fear danger

Crime scene investigators said you could read a book under that alley street light illumination.  Why did they drive into a place where they felt trapped is one question and with two people sensing danger in good illumination, why did they not keep awareness of everything around them.  I question further, don't you have better 360 degree awareness on foot, but sit in the car and roll down the window is what Minneapolis police often do.

We are waiting for defendant to testify and for the jury to sort it out.  The rightful result comes down to Minnesota definitions of 3rd degree murder and manslaughter.

The officer should not have shot and the woman died because of his mistake.  I can't imagine how the defendant argues he was right to shoot based on what he saw and heard and did not make a mistake.  More believable is that he drew his weapon but did not mean to shoot.

"it will be hard overcoming the defense that Noor’s team has invoked that police can legally shoot if they have a reasonable fear that they’re in danger. Noor’s attorneys have argued that he heard a loud noise and feared an ambush. But prosecutors say there is no evidence of any threat to justify deadly force."
https://www.twincities.com/2019/04/19/mohamed-noor-trial-charges-justine-damond-shooting-minneapolis-cop/
More coverage:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/04/at-the-noor-trial-14.php

33
"At the scene [morning after the shooting] Sergeant Barnette ordered him to take the Harrity/Noor squad car from which Noor had fired the gunshot to the carwash and have it cleaned.  He took it to Dan’s Nicollet Carwash. He saw fingerprint powder on the squad car that was not entirely removed by the carwash. He drove the car back to the fifth precinct headquarters parking lot to be returned to service."
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/04/at-the-noor-trial-12.php

What??

The 30 second buffer on the partner's body cam should have included the shooting but only 14 seconds were captured.
https://twitter.com/LouRaguse



34
The trial goes on with the prosecution calling everyone who came to the scene and all they are finding is an absence of evidence of reason for a shooting.

Our man on the scene, Scott Johnson of Powerline, is in the courtroom and continues to report.  In summary he writes:  "Justine’s killing is inexplicable."
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/04/at-the-noor-trial-10.php

I don't see how the larger issues find their way into this very specific trial.  This police shooting defies the narrative.  Black lives matter, cops are pigs, fry them like bacon, cops are trigger happy because they are white racist and shooting blacks, none of this fits here.  The officer is black, Somalian-American and the victim couldn't be more white, an Australian national engaged to an American.

There was no weapon on the victim, there was no threat or reason to perceive a threat.  She wasn't carrying something else that looked like a gun.  Her nightgown didn't conceal a weapon.  There was no explanation understood by anyone who came to the scene.
 He didn't jump out of the car.  There wasn't a startling sound.  There just wasn't a threat, and he pulled out a gun and shot her across

35
Many threads this affects, so please guide me.  Days one and two so far are jury selection and media issues.

I am generally a big defender of law enforcement but once in a while they are in the wrong and of what we know so far this appears to be one of those cases.

Many will recall that Minneapolis' first Somali American cop, from the passenger seat of the squad car, reached across his partner and fatally shot the Australian national woman in her pajamas who was approaching the car unarmed to report further on what she called in as the disturbance (a few blocks from my own south Mpls property).

Mohammed Noor is about to get a fair trial and likely tell his side of the story for the first time.

Scott Johnson of Powerline is trying to get press credentials and writes about his difficulties with the court's denial: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/04/a-personal-note-on-the-noor-trial.php

More to come.

36
Espanol Discussion / Stratfor: Russia's other hemisphere?
« on: March 26, 2019, 05:33:37 PM »
"One plane arrived with 100 Russian military personnel, including the chief of staff of the ground forces, Gen. Vasily Tonkonshkurov, while the other landed with 35 tons of unspecified military equipment."

Is the American Left only against America militarizing the situation in Venezuela or are they against all of it?

Assuming this is all true, isn't this a key moment for President Donald Trump? 

I shouldn't joke about a potentially dangerous military situation but maybe we  could use the '35 tons of unspecified military equipment' to blow up the '100 Russian military personnel' and save them the cost of the return flight (Does Venezuela even have jet fuel?), and then ask Russia nicely not to send any more troops or equipment. 

Or we could ignore Venezuela and take back Crimea while they look away.

Just trying to develop some options.  Looks like the don't-militarize idea just got tossed out the window.

37
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Separate prison for illegal aliens
« on: March 15, 2019, 09:25:03 AM »


https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-new-study-uncovers-troubling-information-about-immigrant-only-prisons?utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_031319&utm_medium=email&bxid=5be9d3fa3f92a40469e2d85c&user_id=50142053&esrc=&utm_term=TNY_Daily

Instead of investing in better health care and better treatment for illegals, how about we try to keep them out.

New Yorker: An epileptic illegal died in custody without getting needed medicine.  What is learned from a tragic human story?  We should have fully stocked pharmacies at the border?  Did he have medication when he arrived and we took it from him?  He should have immediate high quality healthcare for free awaiting his arrival just for crossing illegally?  That won't lure people in.  What was he in prison for?  Did he communicate his medical need before the seizure?  In what language?  Do we need interpreters awaiting the illegals crossers too?  Would he have died if was in his country?  Would have an American have died in the same situation? 

The more we send free [stuff] to the illegals including healthcare, food, clothing, housing, transportation, all the essentials of life, the more illegals will come.  If a man brings a purchased, trafficked, hostage underage girl with him that he has raped, we welcome them as a family?  What is wrong with this escalating cycle? 

The way to have fewer treatment issues of illegals is to have fewer illegals coming in.

38
Espanol Discussion / Re: Hezbollah-Los Zetas? and more
« on: March 15, 2019, 08:45:55 AM »
https://www.utep.edu/liberalarts/nssi/_Files/docs/Capstone%20projects1/Valencia_Evolving-Dynamics-of-Terrorism.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1snBcM8t9ODBSAjCCDkelJ52EggrlSK84_a8DycLnOEaiBr7GedVRdlXA

https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2017/282846.htm?fbclid=IwAR3PtbR8ZglrSgDw_0GFcqULgaF6Ai7BK9s1dBWMYaWIa8mes8MB_XYRvUQ

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/10/mexico-drug-cartels-grip-on-politicians-and-police-revealed-in-texas-court-files?fbclid=IwAR183RJZRrj1UeVuzR5uRB83MIa14BlrQluMWqxGpeyq_DSvGfWS0BJcCAI

https://abc7chicago.com/mexico-cartels-now-fuel-deadly-chicago-opioid-epidemic/4605627/?fbclid=IwAR0t9uyE7t622Ddw__TzAaUnnsdelSVZa-LEVJhjYaor9AefA9QmHf3ymvc

Revelations about Middle East terror organizations forming alliances with gangs south of our border surprises me.  I didn't know we had a southern border.

Crafty, this post contains a wealth of (bad news) information.  How did we get to where one political party wants to abandon national security as the globe and our own neighborhood keeps getting more dangerous.

From the UTEP pdf:
"Hezbollah conducts criminal operations across the globe. They have formed alliances with multiple countries in Latin America. One alliance in particular that has received attention as 3 of late is with the “Los Zetas” drug cartel or drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Mexico. Hezbollah has created a criminal syndicate of drug trafficking through some of Mexico’s most well connected global drug dealers. This new partnership has assisted in laundering between $850 and $900 million."

39
I'm waiting for the mugger to come forward and press charges.  (

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20190103/world-champion-kickboxer-mugger-picked-wrong-guy

Shepherd, 68, had recently pulled a muscle in his leg and was walking with a limp to his car as he left the restaurant on Okeechobee Boulevard, just west of Interstate 95.

He seemed like the perfect target for the man who was seen by surveillance cameras pacing back and forth in a nearby alleyway for a few hours, apparently waiting to mug someone.

Little did the assailant know that Shepherd is a five-time, world-champion kickboxer.

Steve Shepherd said he threw punches back at the man who was attacking him and heard his ribs crack.

40
https://www.boxingscene.com/boxer-49-years-old-passes-away-knockout-loss--133416

Italian boxer Christian Daghio, who was very popular in Thailand after moving there a decade ago, has passed away at the age of 49-years-old after suffering a bad knockout loss at the hands of Don Pareuang in twelfth round of their bout for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council silver light heavyweight title.

The fight was very brutal, with Don Pareuang finally putting Daghio down hard with several blows to the head. However, the Italian boxer got up to continue fighting and again received several hard punches, which prompted the referee to finally wave off the fight as Daghio was out of it. The referee quickly called for medical attention.

42
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Citizen-Police interactions
« on: February 01, 2018, 10:59:03 AM »
"...where the officer shot to death a middle aged black man fleeing on a traffic violation in the back and then was caught on civilian camera calmly planting a gun he happened to have on him at the time.
Things like this do terrible damage."

Agreed!  There are a few bad ones in every profession and they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law!  Knowing your partner or fellow officer committed a felony and helping to cover it up is also a felony, right?

Shooting a man in the back is murder in most situations even if you are police, and planting evidence is another felony. 

It's strange that the whole political movement was energized by wrongly reported events, and innocent blacks in Baltimore are examples of people hurt most by the movement. 

After all the stigmatizing of inner city police, I have not seen North Minneapolis police get out of their squad cars in a long time.  In St Paul, the number of applicants is down by 85% in four years. 
https://www.twincities.com/2018/01/26/after-too-few-people-apply-to-be-st-paul-police-officers-city-extends-deadline/ 

Without an active police presence, gangs rule the streets and things like this happen (to my tenant).
http://www.fox9.com/news/jury-finds-ezeka-guilty-in-murder-of-mpls-grandmother-birdell-beeks

43
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Football
« on: January 16, 2018, 07:51:27 AM »
Ratings are still down. I was going to point out that the Vikings stand for the national anthem but it looks like all the remaining teams do. The kneelers have divided their teams and been eliminated from the playoffs.
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jan/15/nfls-kneeling-protesters-miss-playoffs/

44
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Jocko and friend discuss the Dog Brothers!!!
« on: November 30, 2017, 09:46:37 AM »
I am having a major fan boy moment!

At 1:01:30 et seq.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GNRn3GtJ3g&app=desktop

PS:  The Stinky Stick technique was me!

I will not be fighting Crafty at the next Gathering!

45
Martial Arts Topics / Re: The natural squat
« on: November 20, 2017, 10:21:05 AM »
IMHO this is very important!

https://quartzy.qz.com/1121077/to-solve-problems-caused-by-sitting-learn-to-squat/

The legs exercise for skiing used to be the 'deep knee bend'.  Then it was suddenly dropped and we were told it was not good for the knee to bend and push back up from further than a 90 degree bend.  I wonder if that thinking has changed.

In downhill ski racing you tuck for aerodynamics, but not often past 90 degrees.



From the article:

47
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Football
« on: September 27, 2017, 06:18:38 AM »
A small drop in NFL viewership translates into roughly easily into a $2 billion reduction in player salaries.  I wonder how the players who are not social justice warriors feel about that.

There is something wrong with your sport when hockey players and fans have more class than you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHSaHRd4Q48
The sound system failed in Toronto (Canada) during the (US) national anthem - and the crowd sang the rest of the song.  The players (from all over the world) are all standing.

"My hope is that the NFL goes back to the old days, where it was a seasonal job. The Players had to have real jobs when the season was over."

I used to play tennis with a major league baseball manager who sold appliances for Sears in the off-season. 

48
Martial Arts Topics / Re: President Trump vs. kneeling players and NFL
« on: September 25, 2017, 11:07:07 AM »
"Trump is 100% right here."

He is allowing his most vocal opponents to define him as pro-American.  Not a bad situation for him.

There isn't much left to get excited about in football.  Public subsidy helps these people to make 2-32 million per year and they benefit from it by having their brains and knees beaten up.  Father of the year Adrian Peterson called it, 'like modern-day slavery'.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/adrian-peterson-nfl-like-modern-day-slavery/
Maybe "They are Going to Put Y'all Back in Chains".  http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/vp-biden-says-republicans-are-going-to-put-yall-back-in-chains/

49
"Any chants of "No justice, no peace!"? Sporadic looting?"

They were able to correct past kitchen looting mob issuess by over-serving meals and beverages on a regular basis.  In technical political economic jargon, it's called free sh*t.

50
I figure both Minneapolis and St. Paul are burning now, right?

[Black Somalian cop shoots white Australian woman.]  I can tell you it's gone crazy.  I haven't seen anything like it - since last summer.   I don't know if a photo of a recent weekend can capture the level mayhem here in MN.  The mayor of Minneapolis is asking us to embrace the discomfort of transformation.  At the MacG compound, people were seen in a state of panic, fleeing in life rafts, utilizing boats of all types, wind and gas powered, paddling, some pulled by a rope behind a speed boat with only a ski underfoot, others under water, some running, biking, swimming for their lives.  Some accepted the defeat and just sat taking alcohol internally rather than flee.  Will try to keep you updated.

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