Blaming the Police Again
In June 2023, an attorney representing a San Antonio family of a 13-year-old boy who the SAPD shot announced that they would file a civil rights lawsuit against the city, SAPD, and the police officers involved. The boy was shot when he attempted to flee in a stolen car and run over the officers.
The teen’s family was allowed to view portions of the body camera videos. However, their attorney says the videos do not reflect what San Antonio police have been telling the public. According to the family’s civil rights attorney, the officers did not have sufficient time to obtain a target or warn the driver that he would shoot or gain compliance.
A recent report says police officers are increasingly second-guessing themselves and hesitating to act, even in danger. This hesitation causes a delay in response time and gives criminals an advantage to flee.
Rather than blaming the police, we should ask what a 13-year-old was doing driving a stolen car. Had he not been a stolen car, he would not have been confronted by the police.
People should refrain from criticizing the police until they are in a potentially lethal situation where they must make an immediate decision. Hundreds of police officers have been shot or injured in the line of duty in the past 18 months by criminals and suspects resisting arrest. So, they need to be careful.
On the other hand, young men have become more violent. Whether a mass shooting or a single crime, young men are unpredictable and dangerous.
This shooting was a tragic incident, but perhaps it is time to hold the parents of these violent young men responsible. Are they guiding their child away from committing a crime? Society and the citizens/taxpayers should not suffer and pay for these parents’ mistakes.