If you answered three congratulations.
Two nights ago Tyler Cassidy was shot dead by “a spray of police bullets” (The Age Online 13 Dec 2008). The four officers involved (including two senior officers) apparently felt threatened by the 15 year old and in an act of self-defence three of the officers opened fire. In total 10 bullets were fired into the lone teenager.
According to mainstream media reports, emergency services received a phone call from Tyler (who was armed with two knives that he had stolen early from the Northcote Kmart) saying “Get the cops. I am killing people tonight”. A second call was received from the same phone by Tyler posing as a panicked witness. The police arrived and minutes later Tyler was shot repeatedly by not one, not two, but three of the four police officers.
According to Assistant Police Commissioner Tim Cartwright “this happened within a matter of seconds”. After capsicum spray was used to no avail, the (not one, not two, but) three officers made a split second decision and fired… repeatedly.
Obviously Tyler was not the most stable of teenagers, but it is beyond comprehension that four officers could get themselves into a situation where they had no choice but to fire a fatal volley of bullets into a 15 year old.
Negation failed - Victorian Police needs to invest in training.
Capsicum spray failed - How is it that the next step after spray is bullets???
Surely the introduction of a taser gun would prove a logical and lifesaving middle step. And, if it comes down to a situation where bullets are the only answer could one officer not have shot Tyler in the leg? This morning I listened to some talkback on the issue. One listener called in to defend the officers. He suggested that hand guns are massively inaccurate and difficult to handle. Therefore, the caller continued, it would have been near impossible to shoot the boy in the leg…Comforting to know that the states protectors are carrying around weapons of mass inaccuracy.
I’m not opposed to police officers carrying guns. I am opposed to police officers who are inadequately trained being given opportunity to employ their poor judgement skills in an emergency situation. I am opposed to these officers carrying inaccurate weapons. I am opposed to three officers shooting (ten times) a 15 year old who did not have a gun.
I can’t help but draw links to the recent police shooting of a 15 year old boy in Greece last week. Specifically the public reaction to the incident…widespread violence, firebombing of police stations, and mass public protests. While I don’t condone violence…I certainly think that Australians have a some what dispassionate, apathetic attitude towards authoritarian injustices. It will be interesting to see if Tylers death is still in the headlines in 10 days.
Speaking of headlines I watched yesterday with interest/scorn the way in which this story was its presented in the media. One article detailed Tyler’s suicide-by-police-fire bid. COME ON.
1. Its murder not suicide; and
2. Its beyond ridiculous to imagine that a 15 year old would mastermind such a thing
A further media point – the reliance on social networking sites. Tyler’s media identity was built from information found on his public MySpace profile. On this site Tyler was a supporter of the white supremest group Southern Cross Soldiers. Many media outlets have used this virtual link to draw (and publish) negative conclusions about Tyler as a person. Social networking sites are becoming an increasingly frequent medium for the media to collect information on people. After the 2007 Christopher Hudson CBD shooting incident. Victim Kiera Douglas was defined largely through her MySpace page. Her links with Chopper Reid and a number of porn stars were used to tarnish her reputation even though she had never actally met these people (rather her ‘friending’ of them indicated she was interested by them).
While I fully embrace the integration of social media channels with more traditional outlets I think that a line needs to be drawn. People often have an inflated sense of security, distance, and ego on social networking sites. It takes five seconds to join a particular cause or organisation through facebook. Simply joining a group on such a site does not hold the same significance as joining and actively participating in such a group in the real world. Personally I see over-reliance on such stories as misleading, dangerous, and sloppy journalism.
I pray that Tyler’s death does not go without impact. Victoria police need to be investigated and held accountable. The (mainstream) media needs to step up as the forth estate and do this fairly. The social media (perhaps the 5th estate) need to keep check on the mainstream media.
Posted by Tess 
Posted by Tess 