Shocking new video shows unarmed Utah man was listening to headphones when killed by police

originally posted by: Hecate666
Is anyone else here really concerned about the discrepancy of posted opinions on the victim's side compared to the amount of stars given to those that defend the killer-cop?
Almost all of the posts against the cop get about 4 stars, yet the couple of cop-defending posts have 10 stars or more.
Is it all their coward friends who can't even explain themselves starring them?

Because, apparently, there are a lot of rational people on ATS who prefer to avoid these sorts of idiotic arguments but they know a factual response when they see one.

There are 2 types of responses in this thread.

A) I can put myself in the cop's shoes. He was responding to an ARMED SUSPECT call and this group matched the description. The cop pulls up and the guy immediately walked away while his friends stood there innocently. The cop approached him, I'm sure he yelled a few times before drawing, but the guy continues to walk away with his hands at his waist. The cop finally gets him to turn around and instead of stopping and putting his hands up after seeing an officer with a gun, he yells "nah, fool!" and quickly pulls his hands from his waist. Even though he had no gun, every action he took made it seem to any reasonable person like he did have one. Obviously this is the correct evaluation of the video because the officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

B) I see an innocent victim being shot by the evil police. The cop is a murderer. He just walked up and shot the guy for no reason.

Now, which of those sounds like a reasoned response based on what's actually evident in the video?

originally posted by: SecretKnowledge
a reply to: theNLBS

Explain to me what his criminal past has to do with him getting shot to death?
Why post that?

So what about his past. Are you trying to paint a picture supporting the policemans actions?

It's very relevant because it gives some indication why the criminal walked away from the cop and behaved the way he did.

I know you want to keep up the facade that the "victims" are always innocent little angels who never do anything wrong and get murdered by the police but the facts nearly always go against you.

(cop) "GET YOUR HANDS OUT!"

(citizen who has commited no crime) begins to 'get his hands out'

(cop's gun) BANG!

(innocent citizen) dies


now, if any of the above scenario is IN ANY WAY acceptable, we owe the nazis an apology.

pathetic, disgraceful, knee-jerk cop response. emphasis on the 'jerk'.

i honestly wonder what it's going to take for americans to say 'enough' to this kind of crap. a massacre?

originally posted by: RoScoLaz4
(cop) "GET YOUR HANDS OUT!"

(citizen who has commited no crime) begins to 'get his hands out'

(cop's gun) BANG!

(innocent citizen dies)

If that's what you saw in the video, you need your eyes and ears checked.

originally posted by: Answer the facts nearly always go against you.

in this instance the facts are clear. the fact is, a young man wearing headphones (so maybe like, listening to music?), who was not wanted for any current offence, was shot dead. the fact is, the cop that shot him dead murdered him. the fact is that this happens way too often. the fact is that the police are out of control, unchecked and unpunished for these and similar incidents. the fact is, for you or anyone else to IN ANY WAY defend the actions of this cop indicate to me a psychological disorder.

originally posted by: RoScoLaz4

originally posted by: Answer the facts nearly always go against you.

in this instance the facts are clear. the fact is, a young man wearing headphones (so maybe like, listening to music?), who was not wanted for any current offence, was shot dead. the fact is, the cop that shot him dead murdered him. the fact is that this happens way too often. the fact is that the police are out of control, unchecked and unpunished for these and similar incidents. the fact is, for you or anyone else to IN ANY WAY defend the actions of this cop indicate to me a psychological disorder.

Maybe you missed the part about him having a warrant out for his arrest or do you just want to ignore that to demonize cops?

originally posted by: RoScoLaz4

originally posted by: Answer the facts nearly always go against you.

in this instance the facts are clear. the fact is, a young man wearing headphones (so maybe like, listening to music?), who was not wanted for any current offence, was shot dead. the fact is, the cop that shot him dead murdered him. the fact is that this happens way too often. the fact is that the police are out of control, unchecked and unpunished for these and similar incidents. the fact is, for you or anyone else to IN ANY WAY defend the actions of this cop indicate to me a psychological disorder.

Lemme guess... you watched the video and maybe read a few posts before you hit "Reply" to offer your opinion?

originally posted by: RoScoLaz4
the fact is, for you or anyone else to IN ANY WAY defend the actions of this cop indicate to me a psychological disorder.

So being a rational person who sees things for what they are is a psychological disorder? Avoiding the bias inspired by misleading video titles and bleeding-heart "news" articles and "justiceforwhoever" hashtags is a psychological disorder?

Apparently, the individuals who viewed all the evidence and cleared the cop of wrongdoing have the same psychological disorder.

a reply to: Answer

If that's what you saw in the video, you need your eyes and ears checked.

That's what I saw in the video. Perhaps you watched a different one.

originally posted by: Answer

Apparently, the individuals who viewed all the evidence and cleared the cop of wrongdoing have the same psychological disorder.

Since they were most likely in cahoots (i.e. another cop or prosecutor ) with the shooter then I'd say you are 100% correct that they have the same psychological disorder.

A prime example is cops and their boot lickers like to call justifiable shootings "good shoots" because to a normal sane person shooting anyone (justified or not) is NEVER something "good".

a reply to: PraetorianAZ

People should note the difference here between the blood on him and some others where they were shot and there was zero blood on white clothing. Many argue that people don't bleed profusely from a gunshot.

The video wasn't the clearest in the beginning. It seems that at first the victim has his back turned. It's also shown later that he is wearing headphones so we can assume that he was listening to music, but he must have heard the officer as he does turn around.

I do not know why the police officer shot him. The man was walking backwards away from the officer and wasn't acting in an aggressive manner. He does actually attempt to raise his hands but is immediately shot.

This article, although speaking of the killing of unarmed black men, is very relevant (bold emphasis is mine)

"The first rule of law enforcement is to go home at the end of your shift. The key principle is officer survival. That's what all training is designed to promote. But it ends up endangering civilians rather than preserving their safety.

"The warrior culture - the belief that police officers are soldiers engaged in battle with the criminal element - that has contributed to some shootings that were most likely avoidable.

"It starts in police recruitment videos that show officers shooting rifles, strapping on hard body armour, using force. That attracts a particular type of candidate, and the Police Academy further entrenches this.
"It teaches officers to be afraid by telling them that policing is an incredibly dangerous profession.

After thinking about it some more I personally feel that the killing of the man in question was disproportionate, unnecessary and unjustified. That is, going by what the video shows.

If that police officer believed he was unable to resolve that situation without putting a bullet through that man, then in my humble opinion he shouldn't be a police officer.

The video was disturbing and part of me wishes I hadn't watched it. At least I haven't become so desensitized and accustomed to such violence as to feel absolutely nothing...or to try to make excuses for it.

originally posted by: Answer you need your eyes and ears checked.

i saw and heard what the camera recorded. my hearing is second to none. your judgement is second to reason. i don't think i like you.


(edit to add) scratch that, i just plain dislike you.

a reply to: Legman

I dont imagine myself a cop, I imagine the cop as one of us mundanes. I imagine that if I being a gun carrying member of the public were to walk up to a kid, who was walking away, and yell at them to get their hands up and then shoot them when they made any kind of move, then I would be prosecuted.

What people say in this situation does not matter actions determine response. Police have an entire industry of expert witnesses that will tell you all manner of physiological and physiological responses that your body will undergo in a high stress situation. They are very quick to roll these very accurate physical responses out in defense of THEIR actions when under high stress. What they make no account of or gloss over is that the other person is going through the exact same response. They are human and respond to the stress in the same way. The cops also gloss over the fact that THEY are generally the cause of the stress ramped up to begin with. They escalate the encounters because the mentality is that if they have to get out of their car then someone is going to jail.

Some of those responses are
Tunnel vision
Loss of hearing
loss of fine motor skills
Freezing in place
spike in blood pressure
drops in blood pressure
trouble speaking or putting sentences together
cognitive shutdown (the deer in the headlights look)

All of these responses effect how you act in a stress situation. All of these responses are why police are told by their legal reps to not give statements until well after the event. Its why I would not give a statement either. As a Concealed carry guy if involved in a shooting my response that I drill into my head so that it will be automatic is "I was attacked I had to shoot, I need to go to the hospital" Does not matter what occurred that's what I will say.

All that being said. I dont think this was a "good shoot" I dont think that cop was really in fear of his life or the life of another individual. It was clear the kid was about to run away and he was backing away from both officers the entire time. I dont think the use of lethal force was justified. Force yes, if he had a warrant then they should have tasered his butt and cuffed him. A warrant does not give you a green light to put two into the chest.

originally posted by: RoScoLaz4

originally posted by: Answer you need your eyes and ears checked.

i saw and heard what the camera recorded. my hearing is second to none. your judgement is second to reason. i don't think i like you.


(edit to add) scratch that, i just plain dislike you.

All good points.

But should we second guess the authorities? Sane persons do not just walk away when paid killers say they want them to stay put.
If a person is evaluated by our health care standards to be insane, should that person be walking about, posing threats to law and order, and endangering others? Come on, we have grown beyond this. We are a nation of laws. And face it: This guy was out of his mind on pot, or something just as dangerous. Probably the killer kush the republicans warned us about. That stuff would whack Jesus Christ right out of his holy skull! Seen it a million times. One minute the person is collecting aluminum cans and worrying about how to pay the obamacare dragnet avoidance fee, the next, the person is whistling like a bird, singing even, while collecting worthless poo in plastic bags!!!

What else could have caused him to be listening to music instead of heeding the words of his concerned friends? Probably slipped through the cracks of the same mental health evaluation system that failed us all. But I intend to fix all that.

Listen to the tape. The cops sound like they were his friend. It's not like they just go around shooting their buddies, eh. My guess is that the murdered person, Dillon Taylor, was listening to illegally downloaded tunes, all due to the ravages of his mental state. The proof is in the pudding, and look at him now. He's not dancing anymore, is he?

QED


By the way…can you hear what the song was?

# 453

originally posted by: TheWhiteKnight My guess is that the murdered person was listening to illegally downloaded tunes.

drat! i didn't know that. he was practically begging for execution!

NLBS muddied the waters here by posting Taylor's criminal background.

Keep in mind the 25k warrant is a moot point. The cop did not know the man he shot was Taylor.

The cop didn't know a damn thing about this person. The cop barked orders, the cop shot Taylor.

Soooo many dead people "matched the description of a suspect".

This is all wrong, it happens too often, boot-lickers cannot see why things are escalating. But here is a really good reason on video. There are too many of these videos to count. I assume there is many more to come.

originally posted by: RoScoLaz4

originally posted by: Answer you need your eyes and ears checked.

i saw and heard what the camera recorded. my hearing is second to none. your judgement is second to reason. i don't think i like you.


(edit to add) scratch that, i just plain dislike you.

I'm sorry that you dislike facts so much.

Good luck in life with that sort of attitude.

It's interesting that the first thing the other officer asks the main officer is if his camera was on. Then when he says yes, the other officer reassures him that he saw the man reaching. The fact that the officers talk like this shows some of the premeditation and the instant "covering their bases" attitude, as opposed to trying to help the man.