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Minx-Boo t1_ira1tv1 wrote

"You're not in any trouble, just drop the knife and we'll get you some help," the officer said in the video. Burks can be seen running toward officers in the video before he was fatally shot.

"In March of 2020, he stabbed two family members, a sister…he stabbed her in both her neck and her hand," Graveline said at the news conference. "As well as a brother in the top of his head as the brother came to defend the sister."

"What we have found unfortunately is a system that has failed Mr. Burks on several different occasions," Graveline said. "That schizophrenia manifested itself into violent behavior. We have seen a pattern of him being brought to psychological services and being released and not being followed up with taking his medication."

This headline instantly pissed me off at the police until I read the article.

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BuffaloWiiings t1_ira3x9v wrote

There's a reason it was phrased that way.

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whatissandbag t1_ira4br4 wrote

Outrage drives traffic - you can't blame them really they're just trying to make ends meet. /s

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Chippopotanuse t1_ira5ke9 wrote

Yeah. I’m sure the cops could have handled this differently. And I am the first to call out asshole cops who are murderers and rapists.

But it is damn hard to tell cops to exercise an abundance of restraint when a clearly mentally ill guy with a knife who just stabbed two family members is running at you.

I usually ask myself “what would I do if I was the cop”

And when a cop kills a guy crawling on the floor who is sobbing, or kneels on a neck for ten minutes and kills a guy, or gives a rough ride to Freddy Gray - of course that’s cold blooded indefensible murder and/or intentional horrific harm.

But if I’m the cop and this guy is running at me…I don’t know that I’m going to let the guy get within a twenty foot radius.

Shitty situation, but the cop didn’t have many other options here.

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tries2benice t1_ira3hfp wrote

Detroits got a normal amount of people with mental health issues, but a significantly less than normal amount of resources for them. Like the article mentions, a lot of the time the people get arrested, get treatment and medication for a short duration, which is great, however theres little follow up, and the treatment usually isnt enough to find a good balance of medications. The end result is a problem with unhomed people, who dont know how to take care of themselves. We dont get the tent cities, with mass amounts of people banding together. Instead, we get people that dont understand the concept of shelter, people that lose knuckles and toes to frostbite in the winter, even when theres a homeless shelter offering free lodging, and coats that convert into sleeping bags.

You see the people asking for 35 cents, who wont accept two quarters, because they dont understand 50 cents is more than 35...like, this is not just addiction. Yes, it is a factor, but usually caused by the underlying mental health issues.

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[deleted] t1_ira3510 wrote

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SynkkaMetsa t1_ira3wj5 wrote

someone doesn't know how deadly knives are....

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dprophet32 t1_ira4tbb wrote

Much of the rest of the world's police seem to manage it okay. There is a time to use a gun without doubt but it shouldn't always be the first resort.

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SabeDerg t1_ira4xy1 wrote

Disarming people with knives is done all the time with proper training and police officers that aren't A) cowards and/or B) get hard at the thought of killing someone

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mutantfrog25 t1_ira63f3 wrote

You have no idea what you’re talking about, nor how any of this shit works.

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Glendel66 t1_ira4icp wrote

metal sticks that fucking hurt that are wayyyyyyy longer than that pocket knife the dude was wielding

8" is normally considered to be above average size.

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Rage_Like_Nic_Cage t1_ira60x9 wrote

in the photo showing the knife, that measurement is including the handle, which is longer than the blade (it’s a foldable pocket knife). a 3”-4” blade is definitely average

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graveybrains t1_ira6ax5 wrote

We also normally refer to knives by blade length. In this case they put a picture of it in the article, it was a four inch folding pocket knife

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[deleted] t1_ira4r6j wrote

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thefoodiedentist t1_ira55ke wrote

I think they just reacted and shot til he dropped. They prolly missed a lot.

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SabeDerg t1_ira5o4y wrote

>I think they just reacted and shot til he dropped

This doesn't make unloading into a guy having a mental crisis ok.

>They prolly missed a lot.

This makes things worse. Just like we've seen before with cops not handling their weapons properly this puts bystanders in danger. You'd really rather kill at least one person risk killing multiple people safely inside their homes to prevent an officer or two getting some stitches? Sorry, they signed up for the jobs, so they should fucking do it properly. If they're too scared to do it properly they don't need to be a cop. Fuck these cowards.

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Minx-Boo t1_ira4l28 wrote

Oh I know. Could have shot him in the leg and taken him down. But at least he wasn’t gunned down sleeping or unarmed like most incidents involving black people.

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Rage_Like_Nic_Cage t1_ira3yy8 wrote

no man, you don’t get it. If the options are either a cop might get slashed and require 5 stitches, or empty a clip into a person in the midst of a mental health crisis, it’s totally acceptable to kill that person

/s

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thefoodiedentist t1_ira4oci wrote

Knives are more designed for stabby stabby than slashy slashy.

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Rage_Like_Nic_Cage t1_ira5srg wrote

judging my the photos, that 8” knife measurement included the handle. the blade itself looks around 3”. Stabbing a police officer wearing body armor who (according to police) was out of range for their tasers with a 3” blade is gonna be pretty difficult to do

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flat6NA t1_ira5n8z wrote

Yeah they just should have shot it out of his hand /s

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Rage_Like_Nic_Cage t1_ira6fc3 wrote

if the guy was out of range of their tasers (as the police claim), how are they in range of his knife? There are knife attacks all over the world, yet somehow police in other developed countries can disarm the perpetrator without shooting them.

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aluck119 t1_ira6foc wrote

The article should still piss you off. You think cops don’t get charged at with knives and machetes across the globe? It is still only this country where more often than not it will result in the police killings someone. We have a grave problem with cops killing the the folk they are supposed to be protecting and serving. We are constantly looking for ways to justify our police fucking killing citizens. There is just zero capacity to deescalate anything at any point.

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ArtistWhoStarves t1_ira66cp wrote

I'm still pissed. They all have tasers. That would have sufficed. Fucking blood thirsty cops.

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SupplyChain777 t1_ira6wh4 wrote

You’d be surprised how many times tasers have no effect, especially if the person is on drugs or experiment mental episodes.

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SadSlip8122 t1_ira5bvf wrote

The skin color is irrelevant, the fact that the man was a violent schizophrenic is the key, unless you want to continue an inaccurate narrative.

The guy had a history of stabbing his family members and was wielding an 8 inch knife while having a schizophrenic episode. The police tried to talk him down and that failed. Ultimately, if someone charges at police with a knife (or any weapon) they have a duty to preserve their own lives and can and will kill the assailant.

“Why not use a taser?” Because tasers are notoriously unreliable and require perfect placement and conditions to be effective. They cant really be fired from much distance (realistically, within stabbing distance of a charging lunatic), require both nodes to make contact with skin, often get tangled in clothing, and sometimes just arent powerful enough to do anything.

“Why 38 shots” You fire your weapon until the threat is neutralized. 3 officers firing until the threat is neutralized can add up quickly.

“Shoot him in the leg/hand/dont kill him!” Not how guns work. You shoot for center mass. It is virtually impossible to consistently hit a rapidly moving target in a small window from a distance. Center of the chest gives more margin for error, protects bystanders, and prevents ricochets. Theres also the fact that the leg and arm contain major arteries which will kill the person just as much as hitting them in the chest. So, all that extra work to aim, all the extra risk to bystanders, and the same result.

Dont go charging at anyone with a knife is the key takeaway here.

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enriquepollazo t1_ira5si5 wrote

The complete lack of context to the headline is meant to enrage you.

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Robintomes t1_ira4lmz wrote

Seems like running at police with weapon is not a good idea.

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monodescarado t1_ira09c1 wrote

While the focus in this incident will end up being how many shots the police fired at a man with a knife, the real focus should be this:

> “In March of 2020, he stabbed two family members, a sister…he stabbed her in both her neck and her hand," Graveline said at the news conference. "As well as a brother in the top of his head as the brother came to defend the sister."

> “What we have found unfortunately is a system that has failed Mr. Burks on several different occasions," Graveline said. "That schizophrenia manifested itself into violent behavior. We have seen a pattern of him being brought to psychological services and being released and not being followed up with taking his medication."

America, get your shit together. Stop voting for people who reject bills aimed at helping people with mental health problems… and also train your police better.

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SkunkMonkey t1_ira34zs wrote

The problem is that health and mental care in this country is treated as a commodity to generate profits. None of it is designed to actually heal people. The fact that some people are healed is a side-effect.

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dprophet32 t1_ira560u wrote

Everything in America is treated as a commodity to generate profits. Mental health, physical health, rehabilitation and the legal system, infrastructure, teaching etc.

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kslusherplantman t1_ira2bfk wrote

Oh but Greg Abbott just told us in his debate with Beto that mental health access will stop gun violence.

All the while making Texas the worst state for mental health care access.

Hmm…

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mf_doomerville t1_ira25uz wrote

We’re fucked in America. There’s no coming back from the hole we’ve dug ourselves into. Most we can do now is protect ourselves and watch the country collapse.

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pinkloveee t1_ira6xzk wrote

What does race have to do with it? What crime where they committing? This is what matters…. I’m sure that’s why the police shot at them…

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[deleted] t1_ir9x6u1 wrote

[deleted]

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gofatwya t1_ira1jeg wrote

No it's not.

You continue firing your weapon until you reasonably perceive that the threat is neutralized.

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knovit t1_ira5eby wrote

I just picture a cop killing somebody with the first bullet and then remembering the policy. He sighs and then fires 11 more shots into the dead person.

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[deleted] t1_ir9zi66 wrote

[deleted]

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SheriffComey t1_ir9zo8t wrote

From the officers I've spoken with they say that is NOT their policy.

Their policy is shoot until the threat is neutralized....then again some may still feel threatened by someone slumped over on the ground.

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thefoodiedentist t1_ira2ytl wrote

Damn, 5 ppl shot 38 times in 3 sec? Am I the only one impressed?

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boston_homo t1_ira3yng wrote

Guns aren't a problem in the US the real culprit is mental health issues that require healthcare but no healthcare for you. Sincerely, R.

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Lootcifer- t1_ir9xrzr wrote

“Burks was diagnosed with schizophrenia three years prior and was having a mental episode, according to his brother Damondo Anderson, who called the police for help.”

Oh he got the help

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nuggetsformetoeat t1_ira0nci wrote

They actually got him into a mental health ward at a hospital a few months ago but he escaped. He’s stabbed 3 family members in the past including a 7-year-old child so definitely had no business being on the street. What sucks is his family seemingly knew that and tried to get him help.

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First-Paramedic-6595 t1_ira2niw wrote

Serious question, how was he able to escape? Are these mental health wards not secured?

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nuggetsformetoeat t1_ira5shc wrote

We don’t know, I’m not familiar with the facility or it’s funding/procedures/ etc. Clearly a failure.

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lgmorrow t1_ira0zo3 wrote

Hmmmm.....just how bad a shot could these officers be. Isn't it their job to efficient with their weapons. 38 shots fired. where did all the ones that missed go??

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byebyecivilrights t1_ira4049 wrote

Why invest into healthcare for the mentally ill when you can murder all of us instead?

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DippyHippy420 t1_ira0aig wrote

Do not call the police for mental health issues, they will kill you.

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gofatwya t1_ira1cci wrote

If you had someone with an eight inch knife and a history of stabbing people who was acting erratically, who would you call?

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Ask_me_for_poems t1_ira6jiy wrote

>If you had someone with an eight inch knife and a history of stabbing people who was acting erratically, who would you call?

Actually crazy that people here think this has ANYTHING to do with skin color. A dude ran at cops with a knife he's going to get shot. The fuck is this "rACiSt" shit.

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M0n5tr0 t1_ira2acy wrote

"Burks was too far from law enforcement for a taser to be effective"

But you shot him because he was running towards you?

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mattreyu t1_ir9yrh9 wrote

The article says only 5 of the police fired, so that's ~7 shots each in 3 seconds. That seems like overkill for one guy with a knife

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[deleted] t1_ir9zj35 wrote

[removed]

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RobinM20 t1_ira0i70 wrote

Probably a shot or two in total to the leg or something for a guy with a knife in front of three cops with guns personally

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DogePerformance t1_ira17nf wrote

This thought process always makes me laugh. Please, in your trained tactical experience, how easy is it to hit a limb? How about under stress?

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RobinM20 t1_ira1i05 wrote

Really don’t think staying calm and shooting a non-lethal area should be that difficult for 3 cops in front of a guy with a knife but I guess if they aren’t that good how about a taser

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SadSlip8122 t1_ira3ai3 wrote

“A nonlethal area” you know, like the femoral artery.

This shit is only ever said by people who have zero experience handling firearms. When you fire a gun, be prepared to destroy whatever is in its path. There is no such thing as a warning shot or a disabling shot. The only acceptable way to aim is for center mass as it provides the most stopping power and prevents ricochets and injuries to bystanders.

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DogePerformance t1_ira1u6h wrote

Trying to shoot at limbs is precisely how you get strays going into neighboring houses, vehicles, buildings etc. You shoot at the most likely point to hit, which is center mass. I don't think you have a solid grasp of adrenaline and effects on physiology and motor functions.

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RobinM20 t1_ira2ltx wrote

If three of them can’t stop one man without killing him it just sounds like they aren’t correctly equipped/trained to me 🤷‍♂️

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DogePerformance t1_ira57b9 wrote

21 feet used to be the rule, as far as I know it's been moved to 25 feet. That's the lethal force rule for an armed individual with a knife. If they're within that footage, you're in immediate mortal danger per the law. A knife isn't something to fuck with, and it's on the armed suspect on how it goes. Especially someone with a violent recent history with use of a knife.

I'm not sure what people expect to happen, the cops shouldn't be getting taking to a trauma hospital because someone is having a mental health crisis, there needs to be another agency involved to ensure everyone's safety. We haven't gotten to that point yet unfortunately. And even then, whatever mental health professional shows up may not be enough and it still just goes this direction. Not all people can be talked to and reasoned with. It's on the person who has the cops called on them to not be in that situation. He escaped once, stabbed people, and then had another mental health crisis. I'm not sure what you think the proper route is to go at that point.

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whiteout86 t1_ira2nmk wrote

A taser isn’t meant to be used against someone running at you with a knife. It’s not even close to being an effective tool in that case. The darts can miss, get caught up in clothes, have poor engagement or the person can keep coming even after a hit

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BasicDesignAdvice t1_ira2f2r wrote

So they can strike the second largest artery in the body and they bleed out?

People out here living in cartoons like you can reasonably train this kind of accuracy. Guns are for killing. It's not like the movies.

How about no guns? Hospital staff do it all the time so can cops. My sister works at a halfway house and she had dealt with shit like this without a gun.

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[deleted] t1_ira0dbh wrote

[deleted]

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DeepRoot t1_ira4ky1 wrote

"I don't wanna leave no myst'ries!"

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AlrightMister t1_ira0k1r wrote

Shot with bullets because he was too far away for a taser to work. Guess he had one of those sniper knives.

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whiteout86 t1_ira2spf wrote

A taser isn’t the thing to be using when someone is rushing you with a knife. It’s an immediate and lethal threat

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timelesssword t1_ira0dou wrote

"Too far away for a taser to be effective" Probably to far away for a knife to be effective too.

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knovit t1_ira5laz wrote

If a guy was running at you with a knife you wouldn’t use a taser. Those fail to work so often.

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kevboard t1_ira582w wrote

it's kinda shoking reading a news story about american cops shooting someone, and it being actually somewhat justified... weird...

I still think US cops are pussies for not being able to arrest him without shooting multiple magazines of ammo... but meh

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[deleted] t1_ir9x7xc wrote

Paid time off, internal investigation, no wrong doing found, promotions for everyone….Repeat story in 1-2 business days

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NCSUGrad2012 t1_ira6nuj wrote

Did you actually read the article? There was no wrongdoing because the man pulled a knife on the police and then charged them.

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PlayfulParamedic2626 t1_ira167a wrote

It’s like we need to change the way we investigate police shootings?

Nationwide system of outside investigations

Publicly available body cameras (24 hours, no edits)

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PrinceAliAtL t1_ira0tln wrote

Another day, another Black man killed by police. I’m beginning to think this is how I’m going to die. Killed by police. Killer gets paid vacation. Police investigate themselves. No one loses their job, or if they do they either appeal and get their job back or get hired one department over. Taxpayers make my family rich but their son was priceless, monkeypaw style.

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PrinceAliAtL t1_ira170j wrote

Repeat for my brother. Then my cousin. Eventually my son. With each murder comes a settlement, enriching the survivors, until everyone is dead and there is no one left to spend the money.

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NotUrGenre t1_ir9y9o6 wrote

38 shots in 3 seconds for a man armed with a knife, thats it then, all cops are fucking pussies.

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