>>9648360 (lb)
>BUT.. They had the car, license plate and could have arrested him later..
First off, the car was not his. It was a rental.
So, the license plate does no good either.
I understand this situation is frustrating, and there are ways around murdering people who resist to get arrested.
One way is to handcuff an individual. However, it was this action which triggered the violent response from the perpetrator.
While the man may not have appeared to pose risk to others, he was drunk, and public intoxication can be dangerous in it of itself.
Especially if the perp was driving a vehicle. Which in this case he was.
Additionally, the man lacked a certain level of critical thinking, possibly due to the impairment of alcohol. For starters, he told cops that he felt "fine" and did not feel any effects of alcohol, even though his initial response to the officers question of between one and ten, his response was "ten" "very impared", which he thought meant "completely sober". Thar might be more of a matter for the board of edumacation. However, the fact remains, once that man fled the scene he may or may not have resorted to additional crimes, like potentially trying to drive a vehicle while continuing to be impaired. Granted "his" vehicle could've been towed by the cops, in the moment they had a suspect trying to flee, showing no concern fr the safety of the officers whom tried to proceed with their official duties. There were several warning that they would taser him, if necessary, which they then did. Unfortunately, for all parties involved, Brooks was not subdued by the efforts of "less-than-lethal" force, and his response was to fire back at the officers with a weapon he had stolen from their possession amidst the scuffle. There is no question Brooks posed a threat. Who knows who else could've been hurt by Brooks should he have continued to flee. Perhaps, he may have used that taser to car-jack another individual, which may have resulted in further damage or injury. While there are "reasonable doubts" to consider, Brooks had a very real record, which reflected disregard for the safety and well-being of other individuals.
This whole matter could've been avoided had Brooks been left in jail to continue his sentence he was serving for abusing a child. It was not the cops who decided to make the decision that Brooks fit qualifications for early release. I would describe "child abuse" as a "violent offense", that certainly poses risk. He might have shown signs of improvement while in custody, but there is no telling what he may have done while not under constant supervision that jails/prosons provide. What would happen if he should up drunk at the residence of his children, while intoxicated, amidst evading the police? Answers we may not know, but rather than deal with other innocent individuals whom may or may not have become victims in the process, one man, who already showed disrespect for others' lives and safety was met with "deadly force" ONLY as a last resort in a split-second decision from an officer of the law. I've had far less serious charges on my record, but was met with far more brutal force by police over "crimes" where no victim could ever be identified. Even with a charge for child abuse, while being known to operate a vehicle while intoxicated, the cops treated Brooks with an astounding level of respect. Only to change tones when they were met with violent reactions, which threatened their own safety and those of others whim they swore an oath to protect.
While the initial crime Brooks committed did not warrant the deadly response the police ultimately used, it is abundantly clear that his actions are what led to the shoots that were fired. As shitty as that sounds, Brooks dug his own grave. His response showed that either he was completely unaware of the consequences of the actions he took, or he intended to take those actions to avoid being held accountable for other actions he knew he was guilty of. Both of which show Brooks posed a threat not only to himself along with the officers, who tried to prevent further damage by taking the required steps outlined for them by administrative officials, but to society, as a whole, at least at that specific moment in time. Alcohol is well known to increase risk of violent behavior in certain individuals, along with increased risk of deadly vehicle accidents, but none of those would have warranted the use of deadly force UNTIL Brooks decided to take the additional actions he did which ultimately led to his death.