A cop said he'd shoot the Phoenix mayor. That should scare the heck out of everyone

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[–]Nemacolin[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

… Arizona Republic

A cop said he'd shoot the Phoenix mayor. That should scare the heck out of everyone

The Phoenix cop who threatened to shoot Mayor Kate Gallego should never carry a badge again. But even if he’s gone, his bravado and arrogant attitude toward the people he was sworn to protect is alarming.

At the height of tensions in late October over defunding police, officer Steven Poulos reportedly told fellow cops: “If the mayor defunds the police, I’m going to shoot her.”

The Arizona Republic’s Uriel J. Garcia and Jen Fifield detailed that threat in a lengthy investigation they obtained from Tempe police.

There are different versions of Poulos statements but the case has been sent to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, which will decide whether to prosecute him on recommended charges of making a terrorist threat and threatening or intimidating someone, according to the report.

Poulos's attitude is all too common That recommendation illustrates the seriousness of his threat. It’s too early to know if Poulos will walk away unscathed to enjoy his retirement pension.

Unfortunately, though, that kind of arrogant and dangerous attitude within police ranks is exactly what too many have been decrying for years – mostly to fall on deaf ears even among sympathetic leaders.

If Poulos felt brave enough – and in a safe enough environment – to actually threaten to shoot the city’s top leader, just imagine what cops like him say and do to powerless, ordinary citizens?

Police violence has been at the center of a national conversation after the death of George Floyd.

That kind of violence, though, isn’t new.

It’s been decried for years, especially from minorities who’ve felt terrorized instead of protected from the men and women in blue. Statistics in Phoenix and across the nation prove that fear is real.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, a liberal white woman who’s sympathetic to minorities but who also held the line against talk of defunding the police, doesn’t deserve to face any kind of threats. Nobody does, especially from a force armed to the teeth to protect the public.

Gallego has been quiet over this incident, but she shouldn’t be – unless she’s afraid.

I hope that’s not the case. If the civilians who oversee cops fear speaking out against them, that should scare the heck out of everyone.

[–]Minedwe 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Based cop

[–]slushpilot 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

This just sounds like the news muckraking the cop's rhetorical point and trying to make it sound bad.

I get the impression that the cop is trying to shine a light on the insane logic of the situation. If the mayor defunds the police, who's going to protect the mayor? Who's going to arrest the murderer?

Yes, this should scare the heck out of everyone—because of the mayor's rhetoric putting regular people in danger, not the police using her own logic against her.

[–]Nemacolin[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

A man with a gun said he was going to kill someone. He made deadly threats.

[–]slushpilot 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

From the linked article:

Three of the officers told the Tempe detective they believed Poulos would not act on his threat because he was just venting, according to the police report.

After the meeting, the police report says, Poulos backtracked and told the sergeant his comments were a joke.

I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a pretty stupid thing to say in the first place, even as a "joke". But, nobody's willing to see the irony in what he's saying?

[–]Nemacolin[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

I think it is sweet you believe the police when they investigate the police.

In any case, the issue is not if in some unknowable other timeline he would have done it. The issue is he made a terrorist threat. He said it.

[–]slushpilot 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

I don't see how this is a question of believing the police. Of course he said it—and he's stupid to think it wouldn't blow up if it really was a joke.

I'm just saying I also see the point behind what he said. It could've been "then I'll steal her car" or something equally ridiculous and made the same point, but then we wouldn't be talking about it.

[–]Nemacolin[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Oh, so you support the police shooting people to protect their budgets?

[–]slushpilot 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

That's a straw man, but you bring up a good point: if it's a real threat, then you expect to find a real motive.

This guy was retiring, so I don't think he's concerned about his own paycheck.

As a retiring cop, he has the experience to understand what kinds of problems defunding the police would cause when he said that. The mayor obviously does not. There's the motive. It's rhetoric. I keep telling you—he was stupid to say it so he's dealing with the consequences, but there you have it.

Instead of "defund the police"—more regular training, and services like emotional support for cops who get to see all of society's most horrible situations certainly cost money but would go a lot further. You try dealing with domestic battery, screaming terrified children, dead crack babies & whatever else people force you to deal with, and then see how much capacity for feeling & empathy you're left with after a year on the job.

People like this experienced cop are frustrated, so I don't blame him.

[–]Nemacolin[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

A threat is a threat.

[–]RM-Goetbbels 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

The tyrant always grasps at his faltering power.

[–]Nemacolin[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

How lovely. What are you trying to say?

[–]RM-Goetbbels 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I think it's pretty obvious but if you need for me to explain, sure. There is a lot of talk about defunding the police, which this article mentions several times, and this is most likely the reason for his outburst/musings. You see as a police officer he feels entitled to a certain amount of power in this nation and an unspoken ability to circumvent the law. Most authoritarians become authoritarians because they love the power they are awarded over people and when this power seems like it is about to be removed it's sort of like taking a 2 year olds favorite toy and putting him into a time out. The analogy that I'm giving isn't too far off, usually these kind of people never really achieve maturity in a way that they can accept things being taken away that they feel belong to them.