The NYPD has been shooting innocent black folks for years. It happens every year. Every year the Mayor is at the podium proclaiming it was an accident. How can 50 bullets be an accident?

The officers should be fired immediately and put under arrest for murder. Then they should be placed on trial.

If a black civilian had fired 50 bullets at a vehicle that brushed up against him, would he still be on the street or in jail?

FIRE THE OFFICERS! ARREST THEM FOR MURDER!

Yes, actually, I have. If you aren\’t protecting yourself, or protecting another person, the use of deadly force is murder. Given that the man in question had no weapons, and there is no indication he was threatening anyone\’s life, my mind is made up. Further, a cop has an obligation, as far as this citizen is concerned, to bend over backwards in not harming fellow citizens. Much further, in fact, than the ordinary citizen has. And I can pretty well say that, based on what I see in society around me, most citizens agree with that idea. You, apparently, do not.

As a former soldier, combat veteran, law enforcement official, government security manager, physical security manager and chief security officer of a multi-billion dollar organization I think I have a basis to speak with some authority here. Do you happen to have 25+ years experience in the military, law enforcement, physical security and security management? Have you fired your weapon in a tactical situation and taken someone\’s life? Have you been in a deadly force situation and chosen to put your life in danger rather than use your weapon in order to avoid killing someone even though you were scared shitless? Since you\’re asking hard questions, I guess I\’ll ask a few of you. You see, all those questions you asked me, I can answer yes to. And the questions I just asked you are ones I can answer yes to. How about you?

You appear to believe that cops should get more leniency than ordinary citizens. I take the opposite position. The more authority and power you have, the less leniency you get. The less opportunity to explain that it was \”all an accident\” you get. The more you are expected to do things right the first time. And, if you don\’t like it, then why the hell are you a cop?

JP, how do you know the cops were wearing body armor? I never wore it when I worked UC, it was too easy to spot. And the whole “waited to see if they shot back” thing is a truly ignorant thing to say. That remark right there tells me you simply don’t understand the realities of deadly force encounters enough to comment intelligently on this matter. You make yourself look stupid saying such things. And as far as “intention to commit the killing”..not only are you a tactical expert, but now you can read minds? Please.

“The point is that cops are entrusted with great authority and power. And if they shot and killed someone in a questionable situation it is the cops that are at fault, not the citizen.”

Really, Eric? How do you figure that? I’m with you on this being a questionable situation…but how do you come to the conclusion that the cops are at fault here? Fact is, we don’t know enough yet to say who is “at fault” here…well, I don’t, at least. You seem to have your mind made up though. And again, you only needed one side of the story to determine the truth. Impressive. I guess, in all your “many” deadly force encounters in your life, none of them were ever “questionable” and nobody ever decided you were wrong without hearing all the facts.

I’m disgusted by this rush to judgement. We don’t know what happened, people. Those cops, some, most, or all of them, might have been in the wrong…or not. We don’t know enough to say. We don’t know if they were trying to arrest or deteain the guys in that car. We don’t know if they said or acted as if they were armed. We don’t know if the cops identified themselves. We don’t know if the guys intentionally tried to run the cop on foot down, prompting him to fear for his life and fire on the car. We just don’t know.

Why don’t some of you climb down off your high horses and wait and see what the facts are before baying for blood and squawking about police brutality.

I can genuinely answer yes to all of the above. I have dealt with such situations many times in my life. However, that is not the point. The point is that cops are entrusted with great authority and power. And if they shot and killed someone in a questionable situation it is the cops that are at fault, not the citizen.

This is outrageous nevertheless…50 rounds…I’m sure the undercover cops had bulletproof vests on so they could have waited after a couple rounds to see if the people in the car fired back…but no…it’s clear there was an intention to commit the killing…

I’m sure I would try to get away too…cornered by two cars and no KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WERE COPS…at 4AM…come on now…

I’m also pleased to see so many experts here in this comment section…experts on use of force policies, experts on officer survival tactics, experts on undercover operations, experts on marksmanship and combat shooting, experts on internal investigation procedures…it’s so rare to see so many people so knowledgable about so many aspects of this case.

Anybody here ever been in a shooting? Ever had somebody try to run over you in a car? Been in what you thought was a life or death situation?Anybody know anything about auditory exclusion? Tunnel vision? Anybody have an understanding about how the human body reacts to stress? Anybody familiar with combat shooting under stress?

Can any of you self-appointed experts tell me, drawing on your vast personal knowledge, why those cops did what they did?

No, I didn’t think so.

Neither can I, by the way. But, unlike you, I’m not ready to reach for a lynching rope just yet.

No need for an investigation, you folks clearly have already figured out exactly what happened, and you only needed one side of the story to get to the truth. Bravo!

I am glad that people are speaking out on this, but let’s speak out on everything that’s taking our young men away, and I mean, all of them, our young American men of every color, because let’s face it, every race of the American male has an issue that’s simply killing him, and if we’re not careful, there’s going to be a generation of women with no men in her age group to marry. I feel that way myself!…The Baby Boomers are going strong, but the generations behind them are dropping like flies, or haven’t we noticed that?

So speak, please, I know I am. Please don’t drop this ball. We can’t have BOYS IN BLUE not value lives like that, not when they’re supposed to be protectors. Let’s not let this be an issue of the week. Everytime we see injustice, we have to voice it. We have to or else what good is America?!

Police should have better aim, even at 4 in the morning…and 50 rounds? Even one round was in excess. I can see shooting out the tires of the car, but shooting INTO the car?

YOu are idiots