The San Francisco Chief of Gun Wearers.

Greg Suhr, Chief of the SFPD appeared on KTVU Channel 2 in Oakland the other day to explain the killing of Mario Woods. Shot for holding a steak knife, Woods was completely surrounded by officers. Multiple attempts at a bean bag cannon had failed to subdue him, so the officers elected the only option left was to shoot Mario 21 times. Not wound him in a leg or any other option, but to have five officers empty their collective clips into him. It was basically an execution of convenience. They must have had tickets to the Warrior’s that night or something. The cops couldn’t be bothered with an obviously mentally disturbed individual, so they seized the power of all branches of government, assuming judicial prudence, modifying the laws and executing a sentence.

The police have formed ranks and pulled out their myths to defend their actions. A video was shown how a determined attacker from ten feet away could charge an officer and stab him before he could pull his gun a defend himself. A great cop defense, overlooking the fact all five officers had their guns out, loaded and pointed at Mario already. The fact Mario only stepped slightly to the right and didn’t charge anyone when the police decided to fire. The fact officers wear Kevlar vests, and that they all fired and never stopped till they ran out of ammo.  The police chief said we can’t judge what went on by twelve seconds of video. Then there is the silly transfer of blame explanations, the SFPD doesn’t have tasers or riot shields. Now that they have shields they officers haven’t been trained. He said he understands the criticism. He’s working to process the investigation and the officers involved on administrative duty pending conclusion. Blah, blah, blah….

I say blah because what I noticed more than anything else that moment, while he was projected sitting there in my living room was his gun. Holstered and centered on my screen with its eight round clip. In the middle of a public relations interview, in a secure TV station, he didn’t have the wherewithal to take off his gun. The symbol and device of the Mario Woods execution. He had four stars on his collar, a badge on his chest, but the real symbol of his office is the gun. Cops can’t imagine themselves without it. All I could do was look at it, and I couldn’t remember much else he said. 

I think the people protesting may be right, he and the five need to go. That or he needs to get his head of his ass and start taking some decisive action against the five cops.