Murder?

[Salty]

The case of a white Oklahoma merchant recently convicted of killing a black teenager attempting to rob his store has sparked a national debate.
Why should the colour of skin, either of the merchant, or of the teednager, make any difference?

Then the action can be considered a "hate crime" and the punishment will be much more severe. Also it help the Prosecutor - as he will have more sympathy from the jury - it may not be right - but thats the way the system works

I'm sorry, if it takes you 100 rounds to drop a teenage boy from threat to dead, you need to get some shooting lessons! (or a better gun)

The boy was down. He had a bullet in his head. *IF* he was still alive he was hardly a threat that required 5 more bullets from a SECOND gun to stop.

He also could have been playing possum?

Recently, a man was shot in Syracuse - three LEO's were involved. Many shots were fired, but only 4 hit the suspect. Makes me wonder about their marksmanship ability

 

[billwald]

If you shoot someone make sure they are dead. Dead people generally can't tell lies about you in court.

 

[David Lamb]

Then the action can be considered a "hate crime" and the punishment will be much more severe. Also it help the Prosecutor - as he will have more sympathy from the jury - it may not be right - but thats the way the system works

Salty, does your comment " - it may not be right - " refer to your first sentence (about hate crime) as well as the second? If not, surely it should. Unless there was evidence that either the merchant or the teenager acted as they did (robbing or shooting) because of the colour/ethnicity of the other, why should the judiciary even entertain the idea that those actions were "hate crimes"? (You are probably thinking, as I am in this context, of racially-motivated hate crimes; after all, when someone shoots or robs a person of the same race as him, he is hardly showing love! )

He also could have been playing possum?

Recently, a man was shot in Syracuse - three LEO's were involved. Many shots were fired, but only 4 hit the suspect. Makes me wonder about their marksmanship ability

LEO= Law Enforcement Officer? I don't know enough about the shooting in Syracuse to make a judgement. But you call the man being shot at a "suspect", so perhaps the LEOs were attempting to stop him, and being very careful not to wound him seriously, or worse, leaving it to the courts to decide if the suspect is guilty or not.