Comments

1
Apparently the spokesman hasn't taken the time to watch the video, the weapson being discharged were clearly handguns, not rifles. And in all fairness the bullet shattering really isn't as big of a deal as the temporary wound cavity the size of a beach ball.
2
The shots seem to confirm that he was shot.
3
@1,

Are you sure? That second cop's weapon sure looks like a long gun to me. It is *certainly* not a pistol.
4
I'm pretty sure that Che Taylor poisoned the well by being a violent career criminal well before these particular cops ever became involved. The officer's conduct matters but you'll have a hard time convincing me that Taylor's reaction wasn't informed by his history.
5
Che Taylor's criminal record pertains that he is not legally allowed to have a firearm. What you should mentioned he had an open carry holster gun on him which caused the cops staking out the house to draw their weapons. The gun, the holster and the drugs on Taylor have been all published on line.

There is plenty of police brutality and police acting above the law, (like the case in Georgia of two cops extorting people with trumped up charges) but your reporting is becoming advocacy on this case than 101 Journalism on reporting. Taylor came out of a staked out house, with a gun in a holster, and refuse to follow commands by officers with their guns drawn.
6
Che Taylor got exactly what was coming to him.
7
Agree with 5 - SPD releasing the information may arguably have been unnecessary, but in no way did it seem to imply that the shooting was premised on, or justified by, Taylor's criminal history. The reporting to the contary is unnecessairly inflammatory and detracts from the important questions/issues - what did Taylor do after he stated moving towards the ground behind the car door, how did the officers who fired their weapons perceive what he did, and were those perceptions and their reactions reasonable?
9
Is the police department or anyone claiming he was shot due to his criminal record?

Isn't the position of the SPD that he was shot because he reached for his gun while being told to get down and put his hands up?
10
Agree with 5 - SPD releasing the information may arguably have been unnecessary, but in no way did it seem to imply that the shooting was premised on, or justified by, Taylor's criminal history. The reporting to the contary is unnecessairly inflammatory and detracts from the important questions/issues - what did Taylor do after he stated moving towards the ground behind the car door, how did the officers who fired their weapons perceive what he did, and were those perceptions and their reactions reasonable?
11
Comment 5 alludes to * he was in the house they were watching ** ???? then a known felon walked to car with gun in holster ??? if the gun was in holster would they have stopped him walking or let him go to car put gun in and then come at him, so he has to reach in car for gun ????
12
Hey Ansel,
It is sad that you are so obsessed with trashing SPD. Andre Taylor's statement that the second officer "came with intent to kill" is laughable. There was no evidence or indication that this was the case. It's just Mr. Taylor's fueling the flames in hopes of getting a big financial settlement. Where was Mr. Taylor and the rest of the family when Che was raping and robbing people. You are the biggest joke in Seattle.
13
The statement from Gonzalez weasels. Yes, everyone regardless of criminal record has a "constitutional right to be free from excessive force." But that someone has a history of violence may well be relevant to what amount of force counts as excessive. I'm not sure what the exact rules of evidence would be but common sense suggests that it's more like that a person with a history of violent, armed felonies lunged for a gun than that a person with no record would do so.

And if Taylor was a community college student with no record and on his way to choir practice when he was stopped, you can bet we'd be hearing about his background of good behavior from exactly the same people who are claiming that his background of bad behavior is irrelevant.
15
"he was in the house they were watching ** ???? then a known felon walked to car with gun in holster ??? if the gun was in holster would they have stopped him walking or let him go to car put gun in and then come at him, so he has to reach in car for gun ????"

I am not an expert in this sad case. I don't know why the SPD were staking out the house, besides some logical reasons that it had to do with drug dealing. I don't know what else triggered the undercover cops to draw their weapons and make an arrest. However it appeared they saw the drug deal, knew Che Taylor was a convicted felon, and wanted to do an arrest.

Whether Che Taylor was armed or not, he was refusing police instructions, which was submission in face of cops with guns drawn. I am a big critic of police training and the use of lethal force, but Che Taylor was refusing to cooperate, and he was armed. If he wasn't armed, there is a good chance, his death was most likely justified, given he wasn't cooperating with SPD.

If Che Taylor was arrested, he would be back in Prison, not the County Jail, but back in State Prison for violating his parole, besides going to trial for numerous other charges, mainly drug possession with intent to deal..

To make the SPD the criminal in this shooting, they would have to plant the drugs, plant the gun, set up the scenario of luring Che Taylor to Wedgwood. Instead the likely scenario is that the Che Taylor was making a drug deal, and was playing already with fire by being involved in criminal activities and having holstered firearm.

There are police abuses and police acting like a legalized gang, but the Police also has to fight crime, it is their job, they are also armed and dangerous. They are fighting crime which can be lethal and sleazy as the criminal itself, no matter the legal framework they work under..

Also Ansel is venturing more into advocacy journalism on this case than just reporting on what has happened and what was found. Ansel has left a couple key things out of the story, like what was found on Che Taylor after he was shot, like the drugs, holster and firearm.
16
" But that someone has a history of violence may well be relevant to what amount of force counts as excessive."

Law Enforcement officers are trained to use excessive force first before the situation escalates to where they are shot and have to react. It may be better in the Police inquiry, but it may lead a Law Enforcement officers death.

Che Taylor has only one choice to make to live, drop to the ground and be submissive, any move, any lingering for a moment would result with him being shot, and LE officers shot to kill.

What is going to be prejudicial in all this, even if there are doubts about the use of lethal force, was that Che Taylor spent pretty much most of his life in prison, (in and out since 1988) he was a convicted felon on parole, he had a firearm on him, in clear view, and he was leaving a house staked out by the SPD, besides calling for uniform back up for the arrest. Even if he didn't have a firearm, an inquiry is going to clear the officers of wrongdoing, because he wasn't following instructions, no matter if people feel they are conflicting, The instructions weren't conflicting because the officers had guns drawn and were arresting Che Taylor.
17
The OPA investigation that will conclude months from now will be a futile and useless effort that will only prolong the pain for everyone. While much of the public will continue to disagree and protest yet another killing by cops, this shooting will clearly be determined to be "justified" because this is how American police are trained to operate. While this isn't as egregious as John T. Williams' shooting, a man died nonetheless and naturally the public is asking whether it could've been prevented.

This disconnect is the problem with police across America, not just Seattle. DOJ reform won't solve an extreme case like this until the DOJ is reformed itself.
18
@17 yeah it could have been prevented. He could have obeyed their commands instead of going for a gun.
19
Hell, Che wasn't even a talented oyster schucker and Ansel's still dry-humping his dead body.
20
@18 when sworn-in officers agree to protect and serve while making upwards of six figures per year, the responsibility to manage and deescalate a situation falls on them rather than the citizens they swear to protect and serve.

In other words, pull your head outta your ass.
21
@18 and others. Another note. Can you assholes give a dead man at least some semblance of respect? Is that too much to ask? He's already been figuratively bashed by the cops (by public affairs calling out his past criminal record) and literally killed by the cops. Can you bastards at least not post comments about dry humping his dead body or saying he got what he deserved?

You know the perception you create about cops or cop sympathizers when saying this shit, yes?

Lastly, kudos to Ansel for exposing more cowardice from cops and bullshit politics from the SPD.
22
@21

My condolences for the loss of your drug dealing, rapist friend. You must be inconsolable.
23
I agree that shooting the convicted rapist Che' Taylor 6 times is clearly an example of murderous excessive use of force on the police officers involved. To shoot a convicted rapist and felon who was reaching for a gun that he wasn't supposed to have access 6 times is over the top.

Given the police report of the events around the rape Che' Taylor committed (available as public record in case you are wondering) the State probably should have done the deed on death row.
26
@21 Why should I give a convicted rapist who was out with a gun doing more crimes 'respect'? I didn't pick this fight, idiots like Ansel did when they held Taylor's death up as an example of police abuse.

'Got what he deserved' is above my pay grade. But from all appearances what happened to him was a necessary and predictable outcome of his own actions. He may or may not have 'gotten what he deserved' but he did get what it took to keep him from harming anyone else.

@20 Sticking a gun in someone's face and yelling at him to get on the ground deescalates most people nicely. For a few people, notably armed violent felons determined not to go back inside, it doesn't work and it is necessary to move to the next step of deescalation.

The problem with approaching such a person with empty hands and asking him nicely to surrender is, it works well 9/10, or 99/100, times. But the time it doesn't work you have a dead cop. To me that means family. The Che Taylor's of the world can suck it.
27
@21 P.S. Forget about the impression I'm making. You should be worried about the impression of BLM-type activists you and Anselm are making. The facts of the Trayvon Martin and particularly the Michael Brown cases were pretty bad for you but at least they were unarmed. Attacking police for shooting a violent felon who was reaching for a handgun makes you look...bad.
31
God bless him and his soul!!!!what was done cannot be redone.the end of another human being at the hands of the police/executioners if they feel they need be!!!! So Sad !!!!only God can judge what his next judgement will be ,so why not let this man test peacefully without out all you judgemental hatered no mastter what he may or may not have done in this life .God is the only one that can judge a person beyond death. Eric G. Yak-a-Vegas ,509
32
@31 Yes because that is what executioners do: give you several chances to peacefully comply and then only shoot you when you lunge for a weapon. And do it all on videotape so their actions can be gone over with a fine-toothed comb afterwards.
33
@31, Maybe this was God judgement for the rape Taylor committed? You God fearing folks love to say how He works in mysterious ways and that your sins will find you out.

Please wait...

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