By Dan Zimmerman via TTAG
We’ve arrived at a point in this country where any use of a firearm by a police officer against a suspect — no matter how violent or dangerous the perp may have been — is instant justification for protests, riots, looting or all three. Yesterday, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania police officer responded to a domestic disturbance call, the kind of situation any cop will tell you is among the most dangerous and volatile situations they encounter.
At some point, 27-year-old Ricardo Munoz attacked the first officer to arrive at the scene and chased him with what appears to be a large bowie or kitchen knife. The officer shot and killed Munoz as he was being chased.
The Lancaster Police Department released this bodycam video from the officer who fired the shots:
Munoz was reportedly awaiting trial on previous charges for stabbing four people in another incident last year. But the details and circumstances of yesterday’s shooting didn’t matter at all to local Black Lives Matter supporters and others who gathered after news of the shooting spread.
LANCASTER: BLM riots kick off in Lancaster, PA after an officer involved shooting of a man armed with a knife
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) September 14, 2020
pic.twitter.com/iGX1D03hiN
From abc27.com:
Dozens of people packed Laurel Street to protest the shooting. Then many marched to the police station, blocking part of West Chestnut street for several hours.
Isaac Etter with safe house Lancaster says the protests are a result of months of pent up frustration.
“We had a lot of issues in June with the Lancaster City Police and I think to see the lack of change in both the police force and in the city has led to the unrest that is today,” Etter said.
BREAKING: looting has started in Lancaster at Villa athletic store approximately 1 hour 50 minutes ago according to the shop owner
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) September 14, 2020
Groups of rioters are roaming the city breaking windows and stealing merchandise
It was too dangerous to follow them since there are no police pic.twitter.com/FQIH57hccy
Lancaster’s police headquarters was attacked and damaged. The violence eventually resulted in the use of tear gas and less lethal rounds to try to disperse the crowds.
A Black Lives Matter rioter in Lancaster got hit in the groin with a less-lethal police round. You hate to see it. pic.twitter.com/Psj0yJKtgm
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 14, 2020
Yesterday it was Lancaster, Pennsylvania, population 59,000. Earlier it was Kenosha, Wisconsin, population 100,000. In short, violence and unrest is no longer confined to the usual suspects like Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and other larger cities.
The anti-police climate that has been building since the death of George Floyd and gleefully stoked by far left politicians and the media has resulted in a situation where police are being targeted and even clearly justified incidents of the use of force by law enforcement are followed by civil unrest.
This climate shows no sign of abating before the November election and, in the case of a Biden defeat, chances are good that the violence will then only escalate. Law abiding citizens should prepare and act accordingly.