Sgt Potter on trial for accidental 'shoot instead of tase'

@mott-the-hoople said
wright was using a deadly weapon

This is the new PD mantra.
Guess that's better than the old,
''shot while trying to escape.''

@techsouth said
Fair enough. It's a tough call. It doesn't seem right that such a person can walk away scot-free. But in the car analogy, if the person was not under the influence of drugs nor alcohol, was not doing something stupid such as racing on a highway, and hadn't done something stupid such as modify the car so that the gas pedal is swapped with the brake pedal, then I see no be ...[text shortened]... by "stepping on the gas instead of the brake", would you want your living son to sit in jail for it?

No one is claiming that, in general, accidents should be the basis for criminal charges. But where someone acts with "culpable negligence" (generally defined as " recklessly acting without reasonable caution" https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/culpable%20negligence#:~:text=Definitions%20of%20culpable%20negligence,synonyms%3A%20criminal%20negligence), the law in all States allows for penal sanctions should a jury find the elements of the specific crime has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Obviously, the particular facts matter greatly.

@no1marauder said
No one is claiming that, in general, accidents should be the basis for criminal charges. But where someone acts with "culpable negligence" (generally defined as " recklessly acting without reasonable caution" https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/culpable%20negligence#:~:text=Definitions%20of%20culpable%20negligence,synonyms%3A%20criminal%20negligence), the law in all Sta ...[text shortened]... crime has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Obviously, the particular facts matter greatly.

GUILTY AS CHARGED,
Case closed, next..........