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

submitted by Nemacolin from msn.com

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[–]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.