Lets Get The Facts Right And Stop The Hysteria
The King’s Cross Shooting
The Facts:
Last weekend a tragedy unfolded on the streets of King’s Cross in Sydney when a stolen car mounted the footpath, striking two pedestrians.
One fell off the front of the vehicle after it hit her, while the other was struck and propelled along the footpath for a number of meters and pinned beneath the car.
Police shot at the vehicle in an effort to prevent it from moving off. In doing so they struck two youths, one in the neck, the other in the chest and arm.
Two youths, one 14 years old (the driver) and the other 17 years old, were dragged from the vehicle and punched into submission by the police.
Video footage captured by onlookers and posted to YouTube plainly shows this happening, and has been played a number of times on different media outlets.
The incident apparently occurred at a time when police were on high alert, expecting an out break of bikie gang related violence. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, up to 20 extra police were on patrol in the area.
Today, the two youths are fighting for their lives in hospital, with the 14 year old yet to regain consciousness. The 17 year old (Troy), is expected to face a bed side court hearing in the next day or so as his condition continues to improve.
How it unfolded according to The Herald Sun.
A number of charges have been laid against others in the car.
Both boys are under police guard in hospital.
Since the incident, a number of people have spoken out, including boxer Anthony Mundine. A protest has been held against “police racism” and “police brutality”.
Let’s get a few things straight:
The police had no right to “lay into” the youths when they pulled them from the car.
Having said that, and realizing that they need to display professionalism at all times, I can understand that they were probably full of adrenalin at the time.
The first victims in this situation were the pedestrians. We haven’t heard yet how they are faring, but all the hysteria seems to be about the two youths and their families.
We need spare a thought for the pedestrians and their families.
Police don’t shoot tyres to stop cars – that only happens in Hollywood. If an officer points a gun, they intend to use it, usually as a last resort, against someone.
The protesters, people watching the newscasts on television and online all have the advantage of watching it after the event. Hindsight is wonderful thing to judge events by…
The officers involved don’t have that luxury – they were caught, and had to react, in an instant!
You can be sure though that they are replaying the event in their minds over and again, wondering “what if…?” as they await the outcome of various inquiries.
What’s my interest in this?
Apart from being someone who takes an interest in the news, and knowing how I would react if one of my children were struck by a stolen vehicle, and how devastated I’d be if one of them was shot, I know Troy’s Dad and have met his brother.
I also count as a good friend the president of the junior Rugby League club that Troy and his brother played with.
I don’t believe that shooting was racially motivated.
These kids have been in trouble before, and the system has failed them, as it has thousands of others before them.
It doesn’t matter if they are black, white or brindle!
Is it time for the courts to be tougher?
Are juvenile offenders let off too easily?
I’m personally acquainted with at least one case of a kid who was given bonds and suspended sentences until he was 18. When he reached “adulthood” he had the full force of the law come down on him like a ton of bricks.
Years later, he’s still a “write off” as far as many are concerned.
Would the situation have been different for him had he not been treated as softly as a juvenile?
What do you think?
As I said at the beginning, a tragedy occurred in Kings Cross on the weekend.
It was a tragedy for the kids in the car and their families, it was a tragedy for the pedestrians, and it was a tragedy for the officers who fired the shots.
It was a tragedy for all of us…