Plainclothes Chicago police officers fired nearly 100 gunshots over 41 seconds during a traffic stop that left one man dead and one officer injured last month.

Plainclothes Chicago police officers fired nearly 100 gunshots over 41 seconds during a traffic stop that left one man dead and one officer injured, according to graphic video footage a police oversight agency released Tuesday.

Five officers from a tactical unit who were in an unmarked police vehicle surrounded an SUV last month driven by Dexter Reed, allegedly for failing to wear a seatbelt. Video shows the 26-year-old Black man briefly lowering a window and then raising it and refusing to exit the vehicle as more officers arrived, yelled commands and drew weapons.

  • Halosheep
    162·
    7 months ago

    The other day a car that was very obviously not a cop lit up some lights and ran a red light I was stopped at. Turns out you can just buy lights.

      • TheFriar
        41·
        7 months ago

        It’s hard to say how you’d react when you’re surrounded by seemingly random guys “shouting profanities” at you, pointing weapons. The cops almost certainly escalated the situation completely unnecessarily. As they are wont to do. If you read the article, it very much sounds that way.

        Their excuse is he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. It isn’t clear how the situation went this way, but they apparently didn’t announce themselves as police, and when he rolled the window up they pulled their guns and shouted at him.

        Tell me how you’d react.

        And tell me honestly what you think would be more dangerous: a bunch of cops escalating this exact situation, or car jackers trying to force him out of the car? Honestly, it seems like the situation with the cops is more dangerous.

    • sepulcher@lemmy.ca
      315·
      7 months ago

      I don’t believe you, but okay.

      Putting spotlights or emergency lights on your car is highly illegal.

        • sepulcher@lemmy.ca
          210·
          7 months ago

          It’s definitely a deterrence.

          Go ahead, argue you thought they were fake cops in court. See how well that works for you out in the real world.

          You’d have point if they were actually fake cops.

          • TheFriar
            31·
            7 months ago

            Thank god all the laws have deterred people from breaking them. Like drugs, speeding, murder, changing lanes without signaling, running a red light, shoplifting. Those things never happen because theyre illegal! Why didn’t we think of this solution to crime before.

              • TheFriar
                21·
                7 months ago

                But you’re trying to bring the “well it’s against the law and laws are deterrents against law breaking so how likely is it that happened” argument into the conversation. Our point is that means nothing to someone breaking the law.

                And you’re also saying this like it matters to someone who might’ve thought their life was in danger. The kid very, very well might’ve been thinking these people were going to murder him.

                OUR point is the cops need, need, need to be so much better than that. Arguing against that point is foolish. Hence, we think you’re being a fool.