The city of Minneapolis released body cam video from the officer shooting of Thurman Blevins. The videos, linked here, is obviously sensitive and not appropriate for younger eyes, but you should watch it. We should know what police are doing in the name of “public safety,” even when it makes us uncomfortable.

My first reaction is actually to the way the police engaged with the situation: “Put your fucking hands up!” Really? That’s how professional police officers engage with the public? This was a guy hanging out on the corner with his girlfriend, kid, and dog. There is so much rhetoric from the right wing that we should be okay with guns around – “an armed public is a polite public,” right? – so why are police immediately determining that someone who is armed is a criminal? He didn’t have the weapon out when they engaged.

Regardless of anything else, the start of that video demonstrates how problematic the relationship between police and the public is. This never should have happened. The police should not be calling anyone “motherfucker” or saying that they will “fucking shoot you.” They need to control their emotions.

This also demonstrates the problems with our gun culture and rhetoric. The right wing, who ostensibly supports cops as their baseline point of view, also supports a lenient approach to gun ownership. This sets up a question: should an officer approach people with guns immediately with “get your fucking hands up?” What if the person has a permit to carry? Should this approach only be used with a handgun, or should guys with AR-15s also be approached this way? I don’t know the gun laws in Minnesota especially well. I suppose it may not be legal to carry if you’re drinking? If that’s true, I know A LOT of deer camps that need to be raided every fall. If you are a person in favor of open gun ownership (I am not), how do you square that with police being afraid of every citizen who has a gun?

I am sad for this man, for his family, for his dog (how weird is it that I was sad for this dog losing his guy?), and for the state of affairs in general. Could better choices have been made by all parties involved? Probably. But possessing a gun is not a capital offense. Neither is running from the police. We need better training for police.

As citizens, we deserve to be treated with dignity. The Minneapolis police failed the citizenry in this instance.