massad ayoob
Member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2005
- Messages
- 374
Ms. Assam is a genuine hero. Let's give her the same benefit of the doubt we'd want in the same situation.
When emotions run high, we are all capable of blurting things we don't recall, particularly expletives.
About 30 years ago, I was one of several officers on a manhunt for escaped prisoners. One of them was under a bridge. A brother officer was pointing a .380 at him (he, like me, had responded from off duty status to the callout) and ordering the man to raise his hands. The man had reached down like a black hat character in a Lone Ranger movie to pick up a fistful of sand to throw in the brother officer's face. I came on the scene from a position above them, leveled my 2" J-frame at the suspect, and said in command voice -- to the best of my recollection -- "DO WHAT HE SAYS!" Realizing that he was triangulated, the man slowly emptied his hand and surrendered. He turned out to be carrying a hidden screwdriver. He wound up doing a good stretch in prison.
The point is, after it was over, another officer who was within earshot said, "The coolest part was when you yelled, 'Do what he says, *******!'" My response was, "I SAID that?" That officer replied with a wink and a smile.
I have no doubt that I probably did utter those last two syllables. In the heat of the moment, my mind jsut didn't record it. Nothing came of it. I knew he was an *******, he probably knew he was an *******, and so I'm sure did the judge.
The point is, it's entirely possible that the whole incident with Ms. Assam in Minneapolis may have been just such a thing. Sometimes, the microphone records minutiae that the speaker's mind does not, particularly when under stress.
Benefit of the doubt, guys. She saved lives. She's one of us. Accord her the same benefit of the doubt you'd accord a suspect, for Heaven's sake.
When emotions run high, we are all capable of blurting things we don't recall, particularly expletives.
About 30 years ago, I was one of several officers on a manhunt for escaped prisoners. One of them was under a bridge. A brother officer was pointing a .380 at him (he, like me, had responded from off duty status to the callout) and ordering the man to raise his hands. The man had reached down like a black hat character in a Lone Ranger movie to pick up a fistful of sand to throw in the brother officer's face. I came on the scene from a position above them, leveled my 2" J-frame at the suspect, and said in command voice -- to the best of my recollection -- "DO WHAT HE SAYS!" Realizing that he was triangulated, the man slowly emptied his hand and surrendered. He turned out to be carrying a hidden screwdriver. He wound up doing a good stretch in prison.
The point is, after it was over, another officer who was within earshot said, "The coolest part was when you yelled, 'Do what he says, *******!'" My response was, "I SAID that?" That officer replied with a wink and a smile.
I have no doubt that I probably did utter those last two syllables. In the heat of the moment, my mind jsut didn't record it. Nothing came of it. I knew he was an *******, he probably knew he was an *******, and so I'm sure did the judge.
The point is, it's entirely possible that the whole incident with Ms. Assam in Minneapolis may have been just such a thing. Sometimes, the microphone records minutiae that the speaker's mind does not, particularly when under stress.
Benefit of the doubt, guys. She saved lives. She's one of us. Accord her the same benefit of the doubt you'd accord a suspect, for Heaven's sake.
