Criminally negligent homicide.
A murder charge is being pursued in order to allow the jury an ‘out.’
The officer made a terrible, horrible mistake. Yes, i’ve watched all the video, while it isn’t readily apparent what led him to undetake the fatal act, it is entirely clear from the aftermath that it was a surprise (and therefore highly unlikely to be justified) to everyone present.
My bigger problem? The actions of his fellow officers after the event. Had that been a plain jane civilian who fired the fatal shot he would have been immediately disarmed, arrested, Mirandized, and interrogated. AFAIK nothing of the sort happened.
I am very pro law and order and I am very pro law enforcement. I respect the officer because he -like all professionals- is expected to labor under a higher standard. Giving him a pass for something that would surely put you or I in jail, is not a higher standard, it is a license. A license no one in a free society is entitled to wield.
