Marquel, TPVs NYTimes Amadou Diallo Section correspondent was enjoying the miracle of TV News Channel 1, when he read hear the newscaster reading Police Marksmanship Contest Held in Albuquerque Amid Protests. As police officers gather to practice marksmanship some people wonder if such an event is appropriate in a city under pressure over shootings of civilians. Marquel saw the double sided sword this was, as one of the protesters explained to him later. But first he was interested in police marksmanship, which is truly confusing.
He went to the contest and saw some pretty wild shooting. He could also see why there were protests. All the contestants lined up and not much more than ten meters away were the targets. They were all ferocious looking men holding guns. The bulls eye was over their hearts. And they were all black.
“How come all the targets are black men?” I asked.
“Well for two reasons. First, it’s daytime and the sun is out. Would a white target on white paper be sensible? Remotely visible?” He asked. “Second, to make it realistic.”
“I see,” I said. “But people are upset at the emphasis on shooting. Don’t you think police shoot too much and negotiate too little?”
“Hardly,” he answered. “We’re not baby sitters. We’re not kindergarten teachers. We’re not therapists. People shoot at us. We shoot back.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Why what?” He asked.
“Why do you shoot back? Then he’s likely to shoot back again. Someone might get hurt.” I said.
“Are you nuts?” He asked.
“Let’s just say one of us is,” I answered.
I watched the “beginner” contestants. After the first volley I stepped back. There were several bulls eyes but none by the assigned shooter. One person hit the bulls eye of the cop next to him. More scary was the guy at the very end who hit the bulls eye of the guy at the other end. I don’t really know what beginner meant in this context. Beginning to be a wild shooter?
I saw the experts shooting. They also got bulls eyes. Lots of them. On their own targets even. Good shots, without a doubt. But they seemed, at least to me, to have a problem. Their guns were different.
“How come these experts have guns that are different?” I asked.
“Their guns have larger magazines, 12 to 15 cartridges.” He explained.
“Why?” I asked.
“They like to shoot. If you like to shoot once, it’s fifteen more times fun to shoot fifteen times.” He said.
“I noticed they don’t shoot one at a time like the beginner. They shoot dozens at a time. There’s nothing left of the target. It’s all shredded.” I said.
“Yes they get a kick out of emptying their magazines.” He smiled.
“So how can you judge shredded targets?” I asked.
“We inspect the shreds with a police emt and see what body parts have been hit and decide which shooter has the deadest body.” He said.
“I guess that’s useful to a cop.” I said.
“Certainly. It’s like an Indian collecting scalps.”
“Native American,” I corrected. He ignored me.
I spotted some protesters.
“Don’t you want the police to increase their skills?” I asked.
“Not on your life,” said a middle-aged man.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Have you seen those beginners? They literally couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn door. They couldn’t even hit the barn. They couldn’t hit the county where the farm is. With that kind of marksmanship, a decent citizen’s got a decent chance. Once they do this contest shit, we’ve got no chance in the world. We want cops who are bad shots. It’s our insurance policy as citizens.”
I could see what he meant. Now I understood what the protesters wanted. Who wants a cop who can shoot straight? Give us a fighting chance. End marksmanship contests.
[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azhUEsOgAmE[/embedyt]
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BY MARQUEL: Police Academy – NYPD Assignment
perfect pitch
I don’t know about that…This is one has something missing. But I am enough of a city girl to know Marquel is right, and I did have fun reading it.
“Have you seen those beginners? They literally couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn door. “
you’re too complicated today, Carmen. I’m voting with Sonja
ditto
too bad for it is all too true. satire but so close to the truth.
loved this
“After the first volley I stepped back. There were several bulls eyes but none by the assigned shooter. One person hit the bulls eye of the cop next to him. More scary was the guy at the very end who hit the bulls eye of the guy at the other end. I don’t really know what beginner meant in this context. Beginning to be a wild shooter?”