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PaperclipPerfector  4d ago (text post)   17755 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of January 5, 2026

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A woman in Minneapolis has been killed in an altercation with ICE. I don’t really trust any of the narratives being spun up. Here are two three angles:

Angle 1

Angle 2 [Twitter] [youtube]

Angle 3 (Emerged as I was writing this)

This is actually a fairly discussed type of shooting. Law enforcement confronts a person in a vehicle, the LEO positions himself in front of the vehicle, the person in the vehicle drives forward, and the cop shoots the person. Generally, courts have found that this is a legitimate shoot. The idea being that a car can be as deadly a weapon as anything.

Those who are less inclined to give deference to law enforcement argue that fleeing the police shouldn’t be a death sentence, and that usually in these situations the LEO has put himself in front of the vehicle.

I have a long history of discussing shooters in self-defense situations [1] [2] [3] and also one of being anti-LEO. However, I’m softer on the anti-LEO front in the sense that within the paradigm in which we exist, most people think the state should enforce laws, and that the state enforcing laws = violence.

The slippery slope for me: “Fleeing police shouldn’t be a death sentence”

“Resisting arrest shouldn’t be a death sentence”

“If you just resist hard enough, you should be able to get away with it”

People really try to divorce the violence from state action, but the state doesn’t exist without it.

Part of the bargain we make with the state is that the violence is structured, measured, constrained, fair, etc. right?

To play with the argument a bit, standing in front of the car feels like the officer is responsible for escalating the situation since now there’s a deadly weapon in play.

Presumably he stands in front of the car to make it less likely she’ll drive away, but the stakes are now higher than they probably needed to be, right?

Like imagine a police officer talking to someone ten feet away and throwing a knife on the ground in between them. The person then takes a step forward towards the officer and oh my god he’s going for the knife!

Edit: having actually watched the videos now I’m much more sympathetic to standing in front of the car—it seems like he’s walking over to the driver side to potentially help when the driver exits.

Part of the bargain we make with the state is that the violence is structured, measured, constrained, fair, etc. right?

Which means you shouldn't be roughed up for shits and giggles, not that the cops should let you run away or attack them.

Presumably he stands in front of the car to make it less likely she’ll drive away, but the stakes are now higher than they probably needed to be, right?

No, why?

Because if he’s not in front of the car, her driving forward doesn’t put his life in danger?

He’s escalated it by making escape a threat to his life when it didn’t need to be.

There is no "right to escape from cops", and if she doesn't escape, she won't be putting anyone's life in danger, so she's the one escalating.

I think you’re conflating “made a bad choice” with “escalating.” She didn’t make the options life or death, though she evidently chose the latter (from watching it it’s not clear there was any intent to harm him).

He helped set the terms. I’m not saying it’s all on him but I’d be pretty surprised if he doesn’t regret stepping in front of that car.

I think you’re conflating “made a bad choice” with “escalating.” She didn’t make the options life or death,

The officer didn't. Just standing in front of a stopped car is not a life and death situation, even civillians are allowed to do it, and any driver charging at one, would be found guilty of some sort of a crime. She's the one who made it a lot closer to life and death, which is why she was the one escalating.

You’re right and I’ve revised my view after watching the videos. Somehow what I was picturing from description alone was pretty different.

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