Good Samaritan saved deputies’ lives
I’m not sure why people didn’t stop.
The woman, officers said Wednesday, is extremely angry because she pleaded with other passersby to stop and help her render aid to the deputies but no one would stop for some time.
It might have something to do with the civilian-LE divide, or the us-v-them attitude, or perhaps the people that didn’t stop knew someone that got no-knocked. Not sure. I’m pretty sure I’d fucking stop, as I have some deformed paladin gene, but I understand the antipathy.
One wonders if some of the early folks who came by were afraid of being shot or otherwise involved with whatever the incident started out as. The article doesn’t say what was going on when the episode began.
And the general view of police is “go away and leave us alone” – since police in various places now make the news by arresting people for taking pictures (!?!) it’s no surprize that many folks would think “I want to be very far away from the police at all times in all circumstances.”
There could also be more to the ‘divide’ issue – as in the reports where the police shoot somebody then delay (for whatever reason) medical aid until much too late. (The bainbridge island debacle.) Whether that’s the norm, or justified, such events won’t endear the authorities to anybody. It combines with the “go away and leave us alone” vibe above.
(And isn’t spokane the place where a police officer is facing federal charges over the death of a mentally ill man, there was recall vote that removed some elected folks over the issue, etc.? One wonders if spokane area residents have a negative level of trust for all police agencies as a result? Does that add to the mindset above?)
None of that may have anything to do with these deputies, or what they were doing.
bryanwieyes
20 June 2012 at 17:32
My biggest concern is the schism becomes complete, with LE on one side with a “fuck ‘em, let ‘em bleed” attitude, and the same attitude on the non-LE side.
Ry Jones
21 June 2012 at 10:07