I am not trying to comment on what happened prior to the video which has been posted after Philando Castile was shot by an officer in Minn but watching the video to my eyes the officer still has his finger on the trigger inside the trigger guard covering an incapacitated Castile and the woman in the car. You can see the flesh color of his finger in the trigger.
To me this is a window into the poor training that this officer received. He is not in danger at this point. The women in the car is not armed. She is calm yet he has his finger on the trigger. A man is dying in the car is not no longer a threat, if he ever was one. Yes he is under stress but at moments like this that is where training NEEDS to kick in. To my eyes it is not happening here. From the audio it seems that the officer gave conflicting commands which may have resulted in his perceiving a threat to his life which again leads back to training IMHO.
This is a horrible tragedy and IMHO a wake up call for everyone who carries while driving. If and when you are pulled over by an officer you need to be sure you are following every command by the officer in a slow a deliberate manner. That you are calm and that nothing you do causes the officer to fear for their life because their training may not be up to snuff. They may not know how to properly engage in a traffic stop with a legally armed citizen. Their lack of training could get you killed over a busted taillight or driving too fast.
I believe that every person who carries a gun while operating or traveling in a motor vehicle should think about how to interact with an officer if you are pulled over. I have been pulled over a more times than I would like to admit while carrying and I always do the exact same thing.
I place my hands on the steering wheel immediately. I do not reach for my paper work. I sit with my hands on the wheel until the officer can visibly see them. I then inform the officer that I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and that I am armed. I then inform the officer where the gun is 99% of the time that means it is on my right hip secured in a holster. I then inform the officer that my lic, registration and insurance are in a wallet located in my right back pocket. I then ask him or her how they want to proceed and follow instructions from there.
What do you do when you are pulled over.
To me this is a window into the poor training that this officer received. He is not in danger at this point. The women in the car is not armed. She is calm yet he has his finger on the trigger. A man is dying in the car is not no longer a threat, if he ever was one. Yes he is under stress but at moments like this that is where training NEEDS to kick in. To my eyes it is not happening here. From the audio it seems that the officer gave conflicting commands which may have resulted in his perceiving a threat to his life which again leads back to training IMHO.
This is a horrible tragedy and IMHO a wake up call for everyone who carries while driving. If and when you are pulled over by an officer you need to be sure you are following every command by the officer in a slow a deliberate manner. That you are calm and that nothing you do causes the officer to fear for their life because their training may not be up to snuff. They may not know how to properly engage in a traffic stop with a legally armed citizen. Their lack of training could get you killed over a busted taillight or driving too fast.
I believe that every person who carries a gun while operating or traveling in a motor vehicle should think about how to interact with an officer if you are pulled over. I have been pulled over a more times than I would like to admit while carrying and I always do the exact same thing.
I place my hands on the steering wheel immediately. I do not reach for my paper work. I sit with my hands on the wheel until the officer can visibly see them. I then inform the officer that I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and that I am armed. I then inform the officer where the gun is 99% of the time that means it is on my right hip secured in a holster. I then inform the officer that my lic, registration and insurance are in a wallet located in my right back pocket. I then ask him or her how they want to proceed and follow instructions from there.
What do you do when you are pulled over.