Violence and the Police Force

[Dags90]

The British do shoot to kill, when they have to bring out the guns they don't bring out pistols, they bring out sub-machine guns, shotguns and rifles.

I may not be right but aren't American police trained to shoot to incapacitate?

I'm pretty sure all people are trained more or less the same way in firearms. Aim for the center torso, so you have the least chance of missing. Apparently the Met considers this "shooting to incapacitate" and others may tell themselves the same thing. Maybe it helps them sleep better at night. Doesn't change the fact you're aim for their heart/aorta.

Point being, you never intentionally aim for a less lethal location. Sometimes you miss.[footnote]http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2012/01/jersey_city_cops_shoot_man_in.html[/footnote] And sometimes you miss more than once.

 

[twistedmic]

As Occupy Wallstreet protests have shown, they are now being used by their leaders to supress legitimate political criticism.

As I recall, though I may be mistaken, the majority of the Occupy WallStreet incidents with the police happened after the crowds refused to obey a dispersal order (which was issued due to health hazards and sanitation issuses). Once they refused the dispersal order and remained on site, they were technically and legally trespassing (which is a crime).
So it wasn't, completely at least, an issue of the cops or 'the government' crushing peoples' civil rights and liberties. It was the police doing their jobs and enforcing set laws. Though I will admit that some of the police may have over-stepped their bounds during the inccidents.