Police Shooting – Minneapolis

By now I am sure that you have heard of the woman shot by police in Minneapolis.  The tragedy is drawing national attention because, let’s face it, the race of the officer and the victim is reversed from the more common narrative AND the fact that the victim is a woman only adds to the optics.

You would have to be in a coma not to be aware of the conversation regarding the shooting of black men by police forces across America.  The narrative is that cops are killing black men indiscriminately and “getting away” with it.  Most recently is the case regarding Philando Castile, in the Minneapolis-metro area, and the cop that shot him.

In the case involving this young woman, I’ll take the stance that I’ve taken with other such cases.  Wait until the investigation is concluded.  And, as in other cases, I have questions.  Such as:

  • Why would Ms. Ruszczyk walk over 100 yards to speak to officers, with their lights off and dark, if she suspected a violent crime was being committed?
  • Why would Ms. Ruszcyzk, after having called 911 twice, not change into clothes?  She was wearing her pajamas.
  • Why would the cop in the passenger seat have his weapon drawn INSIDE the car?
  • Why would she have taken her fiance’s name before they were married?
  • Why would a 22 year old man refer to his father’s soon to be wife as ‘my mom’?
  • Why would you, given that the cops are investigating a violent crime, allow yourself to approach a police vehicle by surprise?
  • Why, after ALL of this time, were the body cams not turned on?

The whole thing doesn’t make sense to me.  Which, I suppose, is not surprising when things go so wrong so fast.

In the end, as always, I hope that justice is done here.  The tragedy that is the death of this young woman is horrible enough.  To wrongfully convict, if indeed not guilty, or to allow to walk, if indeed guilty, would only compound that tragedy.

2 responses to “Police Shooting – Minneapolis

  1. 1) because she was going to talk to the police she had called and felt safe with their presence?
    2) because why do pajama pants matter? I would live in pajama pants if I could. What she was wearing is the least germane question to be asked.

    • because she was going to talk to the police she had called and felt safe with their presence?

      First, it’s important to point out that this a tragedy. And in no way are any of the questions meant to imply that doing any of the above should result in death.

      That said:

      She called 911 to report a violent crime. Who wanders 100 yards from their front door at 11.45 at night suspecting a rape is occurring? If I was on a business trip and my wife called to tell me that she suspected a rape in progress in the alley, my advice would NOT be to wander alone to discuss with the cops. My advice might include locking the door and grabbing the shotgun.

      because why do pajama pants matter? I would live in pajama pants if I could.

      But you can’t. Because you have to interact with teachers and preachers and bartenders.

      And to be fair, who knows what ‘pajamas’ in this context means. Ratty shorts from college with a sweatshirt? Boxers and a t-shirt? A robe? I don’t know.

      But again, I don’t understand why someone would leave home at 11.45 at night and walk better than 100 yards to interact with professional adults.

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