When Facts Don't Matter, Riot!

[Mystic Wanderer]

I think they are further setting him up with that report.

When I went for my yearly sidearm qualifications, the instructor always told me "I know you are capable of head shots, but don't do it. If you have to shoot anyone, and the prosecution can get ahold of your qualification target, they will make the case that you are an expert shot, could put your bullets where you want them, and so clearly meant to kill this individual rather than wound him."

They always destroyed everyone's targets after the qualifications to prevent that potential, but the scores were always recorded. The case could be made from the scores, but the visual impact of the actual target wouldn't be able to be used against us.

So, yeah, I think that report is just another attempt to set the officer up.

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@"Ninurta", but the police chief already stated they train them to shoot at the largest mass, which is the torso. That's where he aimed and fired. Now if he had shot her in the head, I could see where his military training might go against him, but he didn't. 
I see this as him being a hero in our armed forces.

I may not have expressed myself properly.

They trained us to shoot center of mass, too. We had to, in order to score - the big "X" was center of mass on the targets, and scoring rings circled it. A head shot on the target got zero points, did not score.

BUT - by talking up what a good shot he was, and mentioning things like his high school wrestling career, I believe they are setting him up to paint him as a violent and capable man so that they can make the case that he just meant to kill this girl. He didn't - he just meant to stop the attack, and that was the quickest, most efficient way. That, unfortunately, does not fit the narrative they are promoting, so I feel sure they are setting this up to paint him in the worst light they can, in order to crucify him if they can. We already know he is a good shot - those gals were piled one atop the other from his perspective, he shot 4 times, under stress, and every shot hit only the target that needed hitting. There is no need to point out he is an expert marksman unless they intend to use that fact against him.

They will do their best to paint him as a thoroughly badass, evil, and violent person, and these look the first steps in trying to make that case.

I have no faith left in humanity, so I may just be looking at it through crap-colored glasses.

ETA: And this line - "His alma mater's Twitter account said he earned the expert marksman badge for the M4A1 Carbine fully automatic assault rifle used by the military". Now what, pray tell, might be the point of purposely mentioning the term "fully automatic" or "assault rifle"? I would bet dollars against donuts that the original quote from his alma mater said no such thing. I would bet instead that it merely said something like "earned the Expert Marksman badge for the M4A1 Carbine". There is usually no purpose to pointing out a full auto weapon is full auto. It's self-evident that it is. Nor is there a reason for pointing out that an assault rifle is an assault rifle... or that apples are apples or oranges are oranges.  The only reason I can find for pointing out its mechanism is because of the emotionally charged connotation that the terms "fully automatic" and "assault rifle" have among fearful Liberal types.

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@"Ninurta", well, you may be right. I hope not. 

If the media tries to crucify this officer, then everyone who supports law and order needs to get out there and march in the streets, just like the mobs do to for their thugs, and show our support for this policeman.