White millionaire playing cop accidentally kills black suspect in taser gun mix up

DavidRamsay99 · 13-04-2015 11:17PM #1

Tulsa County Deputy Robert Bates, 73 is a police reservist and also a millionaire insurance executive is a "pay to play cop" who was involved in the pursuit of a black suspect named Eric Harris.

A police video shows Harris fleeing on foot before he is cornered by police vehicles and cops wrestle him to the ground. There is then a gunshot and Harris screams that he has been shot.

Bates obviously realizing he has mixed up his gun with his taser apologies for his boo boo.

A cop kneels on Harris' head while others hold him down and when Harris claims he can't breath as a police officer says sympathetically "F*ck your breath."

Harris, a drug dealer and weapons supplier, later died.

Bates was initially exonerated by police who claimed it was "excusable" and Mr. Bates did not commit a crime but following public outrage he was charged with second degree manslaughter.

Bates donated generously to the Tulsa police department and campaigned for chairman of the Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz's election campaign in 2012.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11531766/White-septuagenarian-pay-to-play-cop-shoots-dead-unarmed-black-suspect.html

The incident has exposed a litany of incompetence, apparent political corruption, white privilege, the ridiculous gun culture, police brutality and racism in the Tulsa police and once again raises the issue of dysfunctional law enforcement in the United States.

Harris was no angel and many would say Bates deserves a medal for taking him out - albeit unintentionally - but this incident is the latest in litany of shocking incidents that lay bare outrageous behavior by U.S. law enforcement.

stunmer · 13-04-2015 11:24PM

Wait, you can pay to be a cop in the US now?

Wow

DavidRamsay99 · 13-04-2015 11:30PM

stunmer wrote: »

Wait, you can pay to be a cop in the US now?

Wow

Action star Steven Seagal starred in a reality show called Steven Seagal: Lawman which showed him working as a reserve deputy sheriff in Louisiana and Arizona.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Seagal:_Lawman

Seagal claimed to be certified by California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commission but there is no record and besides Louisiana doesn't need it if Seagal was partnered with an accredited officer.

Desolation Of Smug · 13-04-2015 11:32PM

"Harris, a drug dealer and weapons supplier, later died."

Checks, fails to find even one feck given....moves on....

DavidRamsay99 · 13-04-2015 11:38PM

Desolation Of Smug wrote: »

"Harris, a drug dealer and weapons supplier, later died."

Checks, fails to find even one feck....moves on....

OK forget it was a black dude for a second.

Suppose some drunk young hot white blonde college cheerleader is being arrested and this rich old fart who bought his badge so he can make a wish shoots her instead of tasing her?

Value Hunter · 13-04-2015 11:42PM

I always view these threads as being created purely to satisfy the anti-america bias of some posters.

Never see any threads on South African police killings.

http://www.economist.com/node/21526932

What is peoples fixation with the U.S?

Its pathetic

ohnonotgmail · 13-04-2015 11:42PM

DavidRamsay99 wrote: »

*snip*

The incident has exposed a litany of incompetence, apparent political corruption, white privilege, the ridiculous gun culture, police brutality and racism in the Tulsa police and once again raises the issue of dysfunctional law enforcement in the United States.

Harris was no angel and many would say Bates deserves a medal for taking him out - albeit unintentionally - but this incident is the latest in litany of shocking incidents that lay bare outrageous behavior by U.S. law enforcement.

How exactly is it racist to accidentally shoot somebody?

BunkMoreland · 13-04-2015 11:43PM

DavidRamsay99 wrote: »

OK forget it was a black dude for a second.

Suppose some drunk young hot white blonde college cheerleader is being arrested and this rich old fart who bought his badge so he can make a wish shoots her instead of tasing her?

They just get the hot drunk ones to perform a field sobriety test, ask them to bend over a lot and capture it on the dash cam.

kneemos · 13-04-2015 11:45PM

DavidRamsay99 wrote: »

OK forget it was a black dude for a second.

Suppose some drunk young hot white blonde college cheerleader is being arrested and this rich old fart who bought his badge so he can make a wish shoots her instead of tasing her?

Completely ignore what actually happened for a made up story?

DavidRamsay99 · 13-04-2015 11:46PM

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

How exactly is it racist to accidentally shoot somebody?

If the suspect who was killed was a sweet hot young blonde girl would the police have initially called it excusable?

Desolation Of Smug · 13-04-2015 11:47PM

He's old. Old people mix stuff up all the time. An old Gard down the road went to breathylyse me there last week and knocked out two of my front teeth with his asp. Sh1t happens.

Guy:Incognito · 13-04-2015 11:50PM

DavidRamsay99 wrote: »

OK forget it was a black dude for a second.

Suppose some drunk young hot white blonde college cheerleader is being arrested and this rich old fart who bought his badge so he can make a wish shoots her instead of tasing her?

He never said anything about the guy being black. Why are you making it about that ? He has little sympathy for a drug dealing weapon smuggler . hyperbole about white cheerleaders is irrelevant.

Kristopherus · 13-04-2015 11:51PM

"Harris, a drug dealer and weapons supplier, later died."

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Egginacup · 13-04-2015 11:56PM

Desolation Of Smug wrote: »

"Harris, a drug dealer and weapons supplier, later died."

Checks, fails to find even one feck given....moves on....

You may not give a "feck" that someone was killed.....do you give a "feck" that someone paid to hunt a human?

It's a little unnerving that you feel this way (and it doesn't make you tough).

Desolation Of Smug · 13-04-2015 11:57PM

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

He never said anything about the guy being black. Why are you making it about that ? He has little sympathy for a drug dealing weapon smuggler . hyperbole about white cheerleaders is irrelevant.

I'm also slightly lolling that a bad-ass Gangster got capped by an old white fart who used to sell insurance tbh...

Canis Lupus · 14-04-2015 12:00AM

Egginacup wrote: »

You may not give a "feck" that someone was killed.....do you give a "feck" that someone paid to hunt a human?

It's a little unnerving that you feel this way (and it doesn't make you tough).

You're like a tabloid headline you know that.

Egginacup · 14-04-2015 12:03AM

Value Hunter wrote: »

I always view these threads as being created purely to satisfy the anti-america bias of some posters.

Never see any threads on South African police killings.

http://www.economist.com/node/21526932

What is peoples fixation with the U.S?

Its pathetic

How many millions have South Africa killed in the last 50 years? That's question number one.

Question number two is ... how often after they killed millions has South Africa said that they are just peace loving good-guys reluctanctly liberating millions, as they kill other millions.

You don't like being painted as a thug? Don't be one then!

floggg · 14-04-2015 12:09AM

Egginacup wrote: »

You may not give a "feck" that someone was killed.....do you give a "feck" that someone paid to hunt a human?

It's a little unnerving that you feel this way (and it doesn't make you tough).

While the "hunting" part is slightly hyperbolic, it is very unnerving that minimally trained people can pay to play cop, and be armed while engaging in potentially dangerous police activities.

This is compounded by the fact that a man of his age was in that position, given he was well beyond what should be the retirement age for desk cops - never mind cops engaged in street work.

Regardless of your feelings on the victims past, the fact that pandering to wealthy donors is seen as a higher priority than ensuring the integrity of the police department and the safety of the public is truly frightening.

And I don't think a victim's past can really have any bearing on the legitimacy of the killing of a man who had already been subdued and posed no danger to officers.

Desolation Of Smug · 14-04-2015 12:11AM

Egginacup wrote: »

How many millions have South Africa killed in the last 50 years? That's question number one.

Question number two is ... how often after they killed millions has South Africa said that they are just peace loving good-guys reluctanctly liberating millions, as they kill other millions.

You don't like being painted as a thug? Don't be one then!

This is about the doddery rich old American guy mixing up his equipment. Quit dragging other stuff in. Unless you're Harris, this is comedy gold.

wes · 14-04-2015 12:28AM

So the fact that a 72 year old was able to pay money to play at being a cop, and killed someone, apparently doesn't bother some people. Regardless of the suspected criminal behavior, the fact that a rich old man (who I am going to go out on a limb here, would be well past retirement age for a cop going out to arrest someone) who was clearly incompetent was allowed to be involved in an arrest.

The people responsible for this farcical situation need to be lose there jobs, as there clearly incompetent.

Regardless of the accused suspected crimes, he should have had his day in court, and not have been shot by an old man who had no business being there.

h2005 · 14-04-2015 12:42AM

DavidRamsay99 wrote: »

OK forget it was a black dude for a second.

Suppose some drunk young hot white blonde college cheerleader is being arrested and this rich old fart who bought his badge so he can make a wish shoots her instead of tasing her?

The poster never mentioned race.

Grayditch · 14-04-2015 12:47AM

DavidRamsay99 wrote: »

OK forget it was a black dude for a second.

Suppose some drunk young hot white blonde college cheerleader is being arrested and this rich old fart who bought his badge so he can make a wish shoots her instead of tasing her?

Terrible reply. He only mentioned his crimes, not his race.

Still absolutely bullsh1t that some sham rented a badge and killed a lad. That's the real story here.

BlaasForRafa · 14-04-2015 02:03AM

DavidRamsay99 wrote: »

The incident has exposed a litany of

incompetence - You got that bit right.

apparent political corruption: How so?

white privilege: Again, how so? The suspect wasn't killed because he was black, he was killed because the part-time cop was incompetent. And why are people getting hung up on the fact that Bates was rich? Contributing money to local services seems pretty civic minded actually. A valid question is what tests and training did he have to pass before being allowed on the streets, a 73 year old wouldn't be allowed to be an auxiliary Guard here, let alone be given a gun.

the ridiculous gun culture: How do you make that out? The cop went for his taser, it's because of his incompetence/panic/senility that the suspect was shot.

police brutality: the treatment of the suspect after he was shot didn't seem appropriate thats for sure.

racism: Huh? How do you deduce that there was a racist element? Even the suspects own brother said at a press conference that he didn't believe it was racially motivated.

DavidRamsay99 wrote: »

but this incident is the latest in litany of shocking incidents that lay bare outrageous behavior by U.S. law enforcement.

It was a tragic, stupid accident but you really are over-reacting to lump it in with other incidents. What it does is to open up questions as to the fitness, training and suitability of auxiliary cops in that police department.

diomed · 14-04-2015 02:36AM

I've heard of "outfitters" in the USA, farms stocked with African wildlife. Rich people pay to "hunt" the wild animals.

This is something like that but with humans, or like the film "Westworld".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westworld

deco nate · 14-04-2015 02:53AM

I'm not racist, I'm ageist.
A 70 odd year old man should not be given a gun and allowed on the "beat'. Can he run after criminals and make an arrest? No, can he stop a disturbance without using a gun? No.
Can he remember the way home? Probably not.
Yet he was a part time cop?
Madness

NIMAN · 14-04-2015 03:03AM

Why are 2 colours mentioned in the title?

If this was an accident then race doesn't come into it.

deandean · 14-04-2015 03:07AM

Sounds just like one of those pay-per-animal big game hunts in Africa. Where the young rangers trap an animal and then the rich old American with a big gun gets to make the kill.

BlaasForRafa · 14-04-2015 03:31AM

deandean wrote: »

Sounds just like one of those pay-per-animal big game hunts in Africa. Where the young rangers trap an animal and then the rich old American with a big gun gets to make the kill.

It only sounds like that if you only read the hyperbolic thread title. If you actually read the facts it isn't anything like what you said.

NIMAN · 14-04-2015 03:36AM

Surely a guy out on a cruise with real cops should have been carrying any weapons at all, be it tazer or real gun?

Colinf1212 · 14-04-2015 05:02AM

DavidRamsay99 wrote: »

If the suspect who was killed was a sweet hot young blonde girl would the police have initially called it excusable?

It would be excusable if she was a drug dealing weapons supplier, yes. Finished with your race fetishism? Go back to watching cuckold videos.

ceegee · 14-04-2015 05:06AM

Is there any evidence to back up the "pay for play" line?
Cant find anything online saying that Reserves in Tulsa need to pay

White millionaire playing cop accidentally kills black suspect in taser gun mix up

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