Cops have no special right to kill or maim, but when cop-sympathizers turn a blind eye to it, they abuse anyone they want. It's seen all around: elderly, women, children, disabled, hand-cuffed and helpless: they abuse and torture at their whim.
As someone with friends in the police department, the actions of these particular police officers are justified. Michael may have been a good, friendly person and friends know that fact but to the officers, he was a complete stranger. A person that seemed like he was delusional, non-responsive, and possibly on a controlled substance. A strange person that won't listen, with a weapon advancing towards you. It's unfortunate a life was taken but it was justified.
@darksandsp So, when again can I kill someone? There were 10 shots that hit him. If I and a friend were armed and felt the need to to defend ourselves against a man with a tire iron, we wouldn't have continued to fire that many rounds unless we wanted to kill the person (as apposed to protecting ourselves). Normal people who see their friend beating someone who is down would stop their friend and tell them to cool down. Pigs just hold the victim down or join the beating.
@mlauntube You can kill someone if you feel your life is in danger. When police offices shoot, they shoot to kill. There is no other reason to open fire. You are protecting yourselves by removing the threat. Unless you are psychic and know a strangers intentions when they come at you with a weapon, you take them out before they get to you and if you think one bullet stops a person from coming at you, you watch too many movies. A person can be shot many times before they stop.
@theberrybest When exactly did you ever need a cop? Street cops never help with anything; detectives may help solve a murder, but your loved ones are still dead. It's a slippery slope when you condone a cop to be judge and jury, you herald in the police state.
Hypothetically, what if they didn't chase him? What if they let him walk away, and he walked up to the first person he saw, pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed him or her?
A person who is thinking straight does not casually walk away from police who are pointing guns at them. Someone who exhibits this kind of abnormal behaviour could potentially be unpredictable (hence the hypothetical above).
They had to do something.
I still think it's sad, and I feel for the Cho family.
Does justice really matter in the end? I do hope nobody wishes the police killed him, but they did.
Police officers have family too, what really matters is what drives events like this to happen. Stop worrying about who to blame it on and think about the fact that nobody is happy that this happened.
"Police said in a news release that Cho was "agitated" and ignored orders to drop the tire iron. Instead, police say, Cho walked toward one of the officers and "raised the tire iron above his head" as if to strike. Both officers fired numerous shots. Pat Harris, the family's attorney, said Cho was shot at least 10 times."
even if michael cho was a threat, 10 shot is still excessive and i believe through this video we can't judge the michael cho one bit , first we don't why the heck was he walking at a turtle pace as if he was enjoying his walk, and as if the cops weren't there in front of him
Supporting La Habra police without knowing what the truth for this happening, but because They protect you and us safe, is completely wrong. That's very selfish judgement and showing you're in favor with someone who's giving you benefits and don't care about others. Grow up. And Justice won't come from police, but from truth.
Korean broadcast covered this issue and they found an witness who's working in a nail shop on the spot where it happened and watched the whole thing. She said Mike didn't raise the thing on left hand, but just keep smoking facing police after stoping walking away from police because police asked him to do so. Police was wrong and murdered him.
Jeez, America - LAnd of the Free and Home of the Brave my ASS, more like land of the White and home of the shitty justice system. 15 shots... Bullshit!
Bullshit, 15 bullets shot by 2 cops at a disabled student. There was an interview with a friend who said he had a disability in his leg and that he sometimes picked up trash that inspired him to make art, he was an art major at UCLA, and that might be where the tire thing came from.
In the video, does he seem like he is threatening? No, he looks like wants to avoid trouble and he walks away. And if someone has a type of weapon that is a blunt melee type of weapon, you don't aim to kill
15 shots? wow if you were going to shooot him, shoot him in the leg? are police that stupid? thats just another example of how fucking dumb police are
The number of shots is not the issue here. Once they fired the first shots, they were going to empty the clips. What I can't figure out is what the hell he's doing. If cops approach you, guns raised...and you're holding a tire iron, A. drop the tire iron slowly, B. freeze in place and show that you have nothing in your hands. He did none of the above. He's walking around like he's high or something. Sorry, but you can't behave that way in front of cops. You're just asking for trouble.
i agree. it seems strange that he responded in such a careless way. a police pointing firearm at you should bring at least a little bit of hesitation to walk away. Either way I dont know this person, but only God knows what happened and even though those who know him are more angry about the situation because its personal, remember that injustice is everywhere. This shit happens to blacks and latinos almost every DAY. be angry about that.
whats the point for him to hold a tire iron if he wasn't going to do anything. Put yourself in the other side of the tape. You do not know if the person is stable or not. Yes 10 shots is an excessive amount.
OK, so I don't think the cops should've had guns drawn nor fired shots. If they needed to subdue him, why not just taze or mace him? I believe that the cops should go to jail for unjustified excessive force. But he is holding something in his left hand that could be used as a weapon. He did walk up to them with what appears to be complete disregard for two men pointing guns at him. Now that, by any standard, is stupid. Wouldn't you just stop what you're doing even if you didn't do anything?
fuck the LAPD!! you know those bastard cops are going to get away b/c koreans are the minority. think about the rodney king case when all 11 cops were acquited and it took a riot to make ppl realize how the justice system failed. LAPD has most failed system b/c they acquit murderers like OJ and murder innocent men, such as mike cho, as if he was an animal
however you feel, or whatever could or might have happened, the bottom line is that an unarmed asian KID was shot to death. What makes this situation any different from the atrocious serial murders you see on the news is that the murderers were wearing police uniforms.
I know that eventually theese murderers will receive their end of karma, I only hope that I have the opportunity to hear what befalls them.
I cant believe this shit. I've just found out this news today. Even though he had a gun, Polices couldn't give him 15 shots. 15 shots? for disabled person? without a gun?
That's because the cops wanted him totally dead. They were afraid of him suing them since he is the only one who can describe the situation very well if he were alive.
It still remains to be appeared that Cho was not cooperative with the officers at that scene, but it definitely does not show necessity to shoot him over 10 rounds. This is not an issue only to Korean-American community but is to whole American.
do you expect that the cops would shoot someone in the leg to disable him? Once a cop decides to shoot, the cop would shoot to kill. why would they want to care to keep someone's life when there is a possibility the victim would later bring them to a court?
uh I can't believe ppl say it's cho's fault. Yea he disobeyed the police and yea he walked away. A lot of ppl do that shit, and cops chase them for hours but they still do not get shot. Okay it was a protocol. Big deal.He could have easily shot the guy on the leg and disable him. Since when does a protocol give a right to kill someone? The fact is that the cop did not think in the situation, he just followed cold-hearted set of manuals. He could have saved a life but he decided to end it.
I never said it was right that they shot him, infact its completely rediculous, but he did provoke them. They should not have been provoked though, theyre police officers. It's not threatening, by the way. I never said it was. So what if it wasnt threatening, it was still provoking
You don't show up to a vandalism report with guns drawn in the first place. The fact that these cops were provoked by his walking away from them shows how you can't count on cops for protection. He didn't even threaten them, so shooting him was unnecessary. I doubt he made a motion to attack them with a tire iron and if he did, what could he do at such a far distance? Shooting him over 10 times is ridiculous.
I think you are displaying empathy, courage and good sense. Sadly something happened to Mike that day before the confrontation. Loss of life is a tragedy, and it appears the way he acted is totally out of character for Mike.
I've been in many 'situations', and I can honestly say that I've NEVER seen anyone beat up or shot who was co-operative. Mike acted in ALL the ways I would advise against. I have not heard any comments of toxicology reports. Has anyone?
There was no need for lethal force. If you disagree with me on this point, then there was no need to kill him with 11 bullets, or so I'm told it's eleven. I don't blame the police officers or accuse them of being bad, they were doing their job. It just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth when a better, alternative course of action could have been taken. But that's just me.
I appreciate you being a bit compassionate with the officers though, even though you disagree with the lethal force part.
Remember, those guys will relive that afternoon for the rest of their lives. And they will have many moments of 'What If' thinking. I'm not saying this to reduce the feelings I have for Mike's family and friends, I feel for them also. It all comes down to..."it's an awful thing to take a man's life, to take all he was and might be".
I don't want to come out on either side of this issue right now. I support the cops in general, but don't see this as an issue where lethal force was needed. Keep away from the guy who seemed confused and is walking with a tire iron. If he is not following orders don't approach him and try to keep the public away. Try to get him to follow directions. But if you let him walk off, there is no telling what he will do.
I'd have like to seen non-lethal force used. Evidently this force has none.
From what I've heard, Mike was a good decent law-abiding person who contributed to the community as a mentor for children. He was bright and was wanting to go to Yale. Whatever happened that day, in the end it is a tragedy. Sadly, life can be removed from us so quickly.
To all his friends and family, I pass my condolences.
I've been a cop. It's a really tough position to be in. A cop is not going to be able to know a persons background and know they are a decent person, disabled, and unlikely to attack. They have to go with what they see right away. When confronted with a cop, obey explicitly, and you will likely not have any problems. And once cops shoot, they are trained to empty the magazine at body mass. You cannot shoot once and wait for a response. many people once shot still act as if not shot 4 seconds.
I feel deeply for his family, and it is hard for me to see why they shot him from what I see in the video, but when seeing how he acted in this part; if they say he acted violently, I'd tend to believe them. While it seems untoward to shoot a fellow attacking with a tire iron (as they evidently thought he was going to do), I'd rather shoot a fellow coming at me with a tire iron rather than let him knock me over the head with it. My prayers to his family, and the cops who have to live with this.
If you see me, you'll know I don't look like I've ever been a cop. And I have pulled over because "the sun was reflecting off my license plate and they didn't know if I had tags". I've had guns pulled on me because cops were afraid of me. I've been told to get on the ground with my arms out. I've also been harassed by cops, and if I had acted strangely to them, I might have been shot. Cops are always running across bad peeps. Old saying, 'Rather judged by 12 than carried by 6'.
I don't know why he didn't put the tire iron down here, but you know what? The police officers had no right to shoot him (10 times as that...a little excessive I'd say). He didn't display any attempt to harm the police officers, so there's not even any reason to shoot him (whether to injure or kill).
The guy should just put his hands up and deal with the stupid cops later in court. The most foolish thing to do is to walk up towards the cops (or anyone with guns pointing at you) like you're invincible.
The question is: why didn't he cooperate and stand still?
All the people talking about shooting to kill are right but that's besides the point. Deadly force was NOT called for here. Did the cops honestly think a guy with a tire iron was a DEADLY threat? The sooner the cops admit that they made a mistake the sooner people can get some closure.
looking at group dedicating a page for him on facebook, he was actually handicapped and wouldn't be able to charge at the police in the first place. on top of that the police based all this on a call they got about an asian guy who was vandalizing properties.. maybe some of you guys should actually look this up before putting up negative comments, cause i don't think it's right to get shot just because of graffiting walls.. even if that was him.. and for walking away? can you say trigger happy?
Someone should beat you for suggesting endorsing the shitting-upon of the Constitution. Too many ignorant fucks like you in the world. We'd all be better off if you would just kill yourself.
and im not ignorant you fuck, i actually value another human beings life. people are just messed up and cant control themselves. like you, your just an asshole. i cant fix that. so ima let it slide, especially since your trying to insult me via internet, stupid ass.
This is terribly unfortunate, my prayers go owt to his family and loved ones.The truth is that the police countrywide murder without consequence. Why are they equipped with non lethal bullets, and tazers if they don't utilize them. The reality is they ask for these items as a means to increase their budget. There is no accountability to the public; and until they murder another service member unjustly or caucasian, there will never be any true checks and balances for these atrocities.
This is terribly unfortunate, my prayers go owt to his family and loved ones. The truth is that the Police statewide murder without consequence.Why are they armed with non lethal bullets, tazers, and what not but not utilizing them. The reality is they simply ask for those things as a means of increasing their budget. There is no accountability to the public; and until they murder another service member unjustly or caucasian, there will never be any tru checks and balances for these atrocities.
Why? A firearm is intended to be lethal force. The only time you use it is when you absolutely have to put someone down. None of that disable them nonsense. Shots are always to center mass (bigger target). Besides, now that you shot the bastard in the leg, then what? Now you have a pissed off guy with a tire iron that could get desperate and do something stupid.
Bullets aren't magic. They don't kill instantly or stop people like they do in the movies. Getting shot in a limb means you're wounded and full of adrenaline. You still have three other limbs capable of doing damage. A wounded and cornered animal is often times the most dangerous. He could have lunged, thrown the iron, taken a hostage, anything. If he was shot in the leg as you suggested, whatever control the police had over the situation would have been lost.
I'm pretty sure that a guy with no body armor and brandishing a tire iron versus a trained officer (x2) with a loaded gun is not a fair fight (albiet a quick one. Getting shot doesn't mean "I have to try harder to hit you with this piece of metal", it means 'OW MY FUCKING LEG.' Iron is dropped.) I, like many people, would probably have a lot less sympathy if he DID throw the iron at the police.
Isn't 'shoot to kill' an order given when a suspect has displayed visible intent to kill?
That IS the problem though isn't it? They shouldn't have shot him. They shouldn't have even drawn their weapons. Have you ever handled firearms before? Like I said, getting hit with in the leg with a small caliber weapon probably wouldn't do much (assuming you hit it, as limbs make small targets). Of course it could turn you into a sobbing idiot like you suggested, but as I said before: wounded people are the most dangerous because they do desperate and insane things.
It doesn't matter if I've handled firearms before. I know what a tire iron [melee weapon] does. I know what a gun does. It's not as complicated as 'If I shoot him he'll go nuts and suddenly maneuver like a quick [but wounded] buck.' Simply: 'I shoot, it will hurt, he will lose blood. Criminals don't shoot at police hoping they'll go ape shit. The idea: a gun is a weapon that drastically slows if not kills the intended target. You don't have to be a ballistics/weapons expert to know that.
"The cop says he was five feet from Mike when he shot him, you cannot shoot and wait to see what is going to happen when things are that tight. It is not like the movies where the shot person goes flying backwards away from you. Many people who are hit do not realize it right away."
It is that simple. If you've ever handled a 9mm, it can be a pretty underwhelming experience. Guns can't defy the laws of physics.
I agree with you Aztec (cool name), 9mm has great trajectory, and it a quicker easier to handle sidearm. Great patterns can be gotten, but sadly, it does not have the knock-down of a .45 cal or one of the magnums. Personally, I'd take a 1911 .45 any day for a semi-auto, or a .357 or .44 magnum for a revolver.
Knockdown power is what you need for close quarters. Seriously, I don't know why 9mm has gotten so popular, I think it has to do with its international reputation.
Thank you. And yeah, the 9mm has its place. It is a pretty economical round but you can't really expect one shot stops with it or anything. I'm guessing it's so popular because of its NATO status (I'm guessing it's a logistics thing).
I feel for his family and friends. But I need to reserve decision now until further findings come out. We can't see what happened during the shooting. The cop says he was five feet from Mike when he shot him, you cannot shoot and wait to see what is going to happen when things are that tight. It is not like the movies where the shot person goes flying backwards away from you. Many people who are hit do not realize it right away.
I'm NOT saying the cops were justified, I wasn't there.
It is perhaps the dumbest policy on the books. But it IS on the books. At least some departments no longer allow cops to shoot at cars. That policy gave cops excuses to kill many people unjustly until people finally came to their senses and realized that 99.99% of the time there is no legitimate reason for a police officer to shoot at a car. NONE.
I have a huge regret where a buddy of mine was run down during a sobriety check point stop, the car hit him at about 50 mph head on, and just swiped my leg and threw me to the side (it just barely grazed me and tossed me). I was able to get a look at a few letters on the plate, but did not fire at the car like I think I should have. That seems to me to be a good time that a cop may shoot at a car.
this is stupid argument, because suspect in this video has known to have muscle deteriorating condition and he has limped all his life, and all COPS leaving comment in here is how Cho "had it coming" maybe we should all go back to "Wild West"
Did the cops know? Nope. I hate the fact he died, but to think that it's entirely the cop's fault is unwarranted. Cops can't give out individual profiles for every incident. This is very simple: Suspect is defiant. A defiant suspect is a threat. However, I think the cops should've used tasers. I also think Mike shouldn't have disobeyed the cop's orders to get down. To dish out personal attacks to me for holding an opinion is also unwarranted. Would you walk away when the cops say "Get down?"
You shoot ONLY when your life is threatened NOT when someone disobeys you. If you see the vid, we do not know why but he did not obey the cops' order but DEFINITELY he was not a threat to those cops lives.
If he had dropped the crowbar he was holding in his left hand and complied with the officer's requests he wouldn't have been shot. Obviously he refused to drop it and at some point made a threatening move towards the cops. Cho was stupid not to comply and it cost him his life. There is a phenomenon called suicide by cop. It happens every day all across the country. This is something else that must be considered in this case.
He was NOT shot in the back 10 times. Learn the facts before you make stupid comments. Nitwits like YOU spread these ridiculous rumors to fire people up. Stop spreading lies. Facts are facts. Your comments are LIES.
When cops point guns at you, you freeze. Period. This guy was sauntering around acting unpredictably. Did he deserve to die for this? Probably not. But it was sure stupid not to put up his hands and hold his position.
could you post a reference to your source? don't mean to cast doubt, but it always helps to confirm statistics.
i think police violence is only the tip of the iceberg.
the industrial prison system, and all the institutions that support and feed from/into it, is a major system of power that needs to be drastically changed.
And thanks CaptainWacky for providing a proper forum for this to be discussed. I think a lot of emotions have been tossed about and everyone has strong opinions. I do, as well, hope that a few changes can be made in the training and ethics of the La Habra police. In the end, there's hope that at least some good can come out of this ugly situation.
yes I understand what you're saying cookie4ju. This is a very tragic, and very tough topic to discuss about. I was just talking about the bottom line. Cops can't make a proper profile for every single suspect for every situation. :( (damn you youtube and your 500 char limit)
lol u said he "had it coming" your makeup words are not accountable anymore, sounds like some bs cover up to make yourself look better after so many people bashing on you xD
Also, have any of you ever been held at gunpoint by the police without knowing why? I certainly have not, and although my initial reaction is that I would listen to the cops, it is very possible that I would react differently. Perhaps even strangely. Who knows how or why people react the way that they do in situations like this. That's not the point here. The point is that a person was violently killed, and there seems to be something strange and shady about how the circumstances unfolded.
dan725 and all those who are leaving comments that Mike Cho "had it coming". You are upset because you feel as though people are making rash judgments and calling this an example of police brutality. Don't you think that your judgment of he "had it coming" is just as rash? Not only that, it's an incredibly horrible and hurtful thing to say about a person. No one deserves to die like this. No one deserves 10 bullet wounds to the body just because he made a poor judgment call.
I respect that most police are excellent people who want to make society better.
At the same time, the historical record is full of examples of authority abusing power and giving in to corruption. These problems naturally arise within social institutions, which is why it is so important to constantly strive for the highest standard.
In my opinion, authority should always be examined to determine if it is legitimate. If it is legitimate, then it should be respected. In some cases, you might find it is not legitimate, and should therefore be changed or disobeyed in order to expand the scope of human freedom.
My cousin is a police officer and deals with BS every day. It is standard protocol to use lethal force when someone is showing any form of deadly intent. If the suspect fails to disobey a direct order, then he loses all credibility, and is a real danger to everyone else surrounding the area.
by shooting a guy with a crowbar 10 times? I think cops are just too trigger happy. Its 2 against one man, they could easily have used a baton and just call for backup if it gets out of hand. Or shoot once on the legs... but 10 F##%ING times?
i thought the same thing, but after reading many of the posts on this thread, and after speaking directly with a police officer who I trust as a genuine advocate for accountability, it seems like standard protocol to shoot to kill as soon as there is even the slightest threat of lethal force. No batons, no shots to the legs. if they don't have tasers, then they turn to the gun. 10 shots sounds crazy, but it may be in line with sandard protocol
Well, thats what I mean. I think the "standard protocol" are a bit out of hand. Time to reconsider what is a threat of lethal force. I just think the standards are exaggerated, but thank you for your reply.
i think that deep changes in police training would do our country a lot of good. i respect that police are put up against a lot of bad situations, but i observe that standard protocol is often ill-equipped to deal with the reality that many citizens do not pose a violent threat...more finely tuned training to recognize such cases would benefit both police and the general population
K my earlier comment was more of a knee-jerk reaction to the absurd and total lack of respect others have in their comments. Before anyone bashes me, I am Korean, and apparently a lot of my acquaintances and friends actually knew the guy.
Cho really had it coming. Did he deserve it? no. If he only followed what the police told him to do, he would be alive. His attitude towards the police here is what did him in.
It is true that if Mike had simply cooperated with the police, he would still be alive today. It is also true that when police are pointing guns at you, the smart move 99% of the time is to obey their commands.
Yet I also believe, very strongly, that there should be space for people in our society to fuck up, not obey commands, and still be left alive at the end of the day. It's a difficult ideal to uphold, but i still believe in it.
I think I would do the same that is walk away if a cop comes out of nowhere pointing a gun at me when I didn't do nothing wrong. That's fcking insulting. If the guy really was a vandal that wasn't reason for a cop to point a gun. Where is the common sense?
I guarantee you would freeze if a cop pointed a gun at you. Its easy to say I would just go about my business if I did anything wrong, but when you're in that situation, most people would piss there pants and freeze.
Actually one time in Santa Cruz I was gassing up my car when a blue unmarked crown vic cop car zoomed into gas station, four cops jumped out and starting coming at me. Then one guys says into his earpiece "wrong guy, wrong guy" and they all split. I didn't move one muscle during the whole 20 seconds. The moment passed, nobody freaked out,and I'm here writing about it. That happened in 1989.
Damn that Cho guy had it coming. What the hell was he thinking? Police has guns pointing to you. You don't casually take a smoke and walk away in a cocky manner. He really had it coming. I don't condone what the police did, but given the amount of crap they have to encounter day-in-day-out, people should respect the police's authority. Do what they are told. What entitlement did Cho have? Darwin award possiblity. No one is stupid enough to act like that against the police.
You idiot, how would you feel when you didn't do anything worthy for a dumb cop pointing a gun at you. You think that's BS and walk away. If he really committed a vandalism, is that a reason for fcking cop to point a fcking gun?
COPS would not do this onto another "white suspects" I guarantee. I had "heard" from my friend in LA when there's gang banging, those COPS just let them shoot out first and let the fight end before they dispatch to the scene.
Michael Cho, the guy in the video, was shot dead by the police at some point after he walked out of the frame. the police were responding to a report of somebody committing vandalism in the area. the police claim that he made a motion to attack with a tire iron, thus justifying lethal force. his friends and family disbelieve that he would have tried to attack. there are also reports that more than 10 shots were fired, which seems excessive.
Once again, this video says nothing about what happened. When you look at the guy, he's walking away from officers giving him a direct order. The cop also looks like he was putting away his gun.
So don't run your incorrect assumptions as if they were facts that were gleaned from the video, because there's nothing substantiating your "opinion" here.
our government is so fucked with these kind of laws, i think no matter what you should'nt take human life away like that.. people became cops, they kno its dangerous but that doesnt mean they have the right to kill humans, very inhumane. Fucking savages(cops). And how the fuck can you shoot a human being 10x... fucking ridiculous.. thats overkill 10x
You dumb-asses. he was told to put his hands up and started acting strangely. you have to be in those cops shoes to understand why they shot him. if he didn't have a gun or weapon of some sort it was un-justified. but why would your friend walk towards the cops like that? thats stupid no matter who you ask...
This video says ABSOLUTELY nothing about what happened after he leaves the frame. In fact, all I see is a police officer PUTTING AWAY his gun, with the reporter stating what happened "after". Now it could have happened how KTAN described, or he could have been running at the officers with the tire iron up. So please, don't try to be condescending by putting out this macro-perspective BS about how commenters would "prefer a militarized police state".
Sqfrk - you are right that the video is incomplete, and i admit that i have made assumptions.
i used the police state as an extreme example of how lotide99's remarks were promoting the idea that police should be free to use lethal force in any but the most drastic situations.
i don't get why you get irritated with an extreme example, but not with fools throwing insults.
i honestly don't want to be condescending, and i'm sorry if i came of that way. the "macro-perspective" is just what comes to mind.
It is easy for the state to be brutal if citizens tolerate brutality. based on what i know, and i admit i don't know all the facts, it seems clear that Mike Cho did not need to die. When citizens are killed needlessly, police should be held accountable.
Sqfrk - let's assume Mike ran at the cops with a tire iron. the problem is that he only had about 20% functional muscle tissue in his leg, which made it impossible for him to run.
still, let's say he attacked with a tire iron. Two trained police officers have plenty of tools to deal with that situation without using lethal force.
In the basics of the police academy they teach that exact example...a person running at you with a tire iron. And because it is a blunt object capable of deadly force we respond with a weapon capable of deadly force, a gun. If they do not heed our commands to put it down and continue to run at the officer in a threatning manner then we have the right to use deadly force in return because they are trying to use it on us. **Not saying it is applicable to the video but to your example**
usn020702 - i appreciate your comments, it really helps to hear your perspective. i did not know that about police protocol, and i am glad to gain a better understanding of what may have happened, and why. i fully respect that police must protect themselves.
in this case, i still have strong suspicions about whether the appropriate procedures were followed, because i personally doubt that Mike Cho would have even attacked in the first place.
this footage captures the last living moments of Michael Cho, who was shot dead moments after he leaves the frame. state violence like this is not acceptable. this video not only demonstrates that Mike Cho was not exhibiting aggressive behavior (let alone getting ready to attack), but it also raises another question: why the fuck did the police have guns drawn as soon as he came walking calmly out of the liquor store?
Cops have no special right to kill or maim, but when cop-sympathizers turn a blind eye to it, they abuse anyone they want. It's seen all around: elderly, women, children, disabled, hand-cuffed and helpless: they abuse and torture at their whim.
mlauntube 4 months ago
He was a criminal and he was drunk. Shit happens when you think you're invincible.
theberrybest 11 months ago
According to the family, Michael had an illness that affected his judgment and coherence. Don't always assume you know the full story.
amykayyy 2 years ago 2
I don't get it. Cho is described as a man with a severe limp, this guy has no limp at all.
aztiff 2 years ago
As someone with friends in the police department, the actions of these particular police officers are justified. Michael may have been a good, friendly person and friends know that fact but to the officers, he was a complete stranger. A person that seemed like he was delusional, non-responsive, and possibly on a controlled substance. A strange person that won't listen, with a weapon advancing towards you. It's unfortunate a life was taken but it was justified.
darksandsp 2 years ago
Agreed. It is very unfortunate and sad.
shoein81 2 years ago
@darksandsp So, when again can I kill someone? There were 10 shots that hit him. If I and a friend were armed and felt the need to to defend ourselves against a man with a tire iron, we wouldn't have continued to fire that many rounds unless we wanted to kill the person (as apposed to protecting ourselves). Normal people who see their friend beating someone who is down would stop their friend and tell them to cool down. Pigs just hold the victim down or join the beating.
mlauntube 4 months ago
@mlauntube You can kill someone if you feel your life is in danger. When police offices shoot, they shoot to kill. There is no other reason to open fire. You are protecting yourselves by removing the threat. Unless you are psychic and know a strangers intentions when they come at you with a weapon, you take them out before they get to you and if you think one bullet stops a person from coming at you, you watch too many movies. A person can be shot many times before they stop.
darksandsp 4 months ago
fuck the police
grego15 2 years ago
@grego15 Until you need them right.... Lol
theberrybest 11 months ago
@theberrybest When exactly did you ever need a cop? Street cops never help with anything; detectives may help solve a murder, but your loved ones are still dead. It's a slippery slope when you condone a cop to be judge and jury, you herald in the police state.
mlauntube 4 months ago
I go there everyday! :O
Scary stuff
JPV89 3 years ago
Look beyond what you see in a youtube video.
Michael Cho is gone, regardless of who is right or wrong.
He didn't do any physical harm to anybody on his way out, and his supossive vandalism messages were hyper-religious references: "Praise God."
Let us do michael a favor and pay more attention to his last words, instead of should of and could have.
neeero 3 years ago
important thing here is who is real aggressor.
micheal cho walked (not ran) away from police officers.
police officers are the one who went close to him by chasing him. (chasing him when he is walking.)
this is police's fault.
if any police code allow police to shoot like that, thats totally stupid.
there is no aggression from Micheal Cho here.
dongsoola 3 years ago
What was he thinking when he was walking towards the officers with the pipe on his hand? That was just dumb...
js83 3 years ago
Hypothetically, what if they didn't chase him? What if they let him walk away, and he walked up to the first person he saw, pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed him or her?
A person who is thinking straight does not casually walk away from police who are pointing guns at them. Someone who exhibits this kind of abnormal behaviour could potentially be unpredictable (hence the hypothetical above).
They had to do something.
I still think it's sad, and I feel for the Cho family.
shoein81 2 years ago
Does justice really matter in the end? I do hope nobody wishes the police killed him, but they did.
Police officers have family too, what really matters is what drives events like this to happen. Stop worrying about who to blame it on and think about the fact that nobody is happy that this happened.
neeero 3 years ago
"Police said in a news release that Cho was "agitated" and ignored orders to drop the tire iron. Instead, police say, Cho walked toward one of the officers and "raised the tire iron above his head" as if to strike. Both officers fired numerous shots. Pat Harris, the family's attorney, said Cho was shot at least 10 times."
(la times)
markman850 3 years ago
Any of you ever heard of police assisted suicide?
brandedmonk 3 years ago 5
SUICIDE BY COP
BLITZ4209mmKuSHSmoKe 3 years ago 2
charles bronson isn't the only one with a death wish. if anyone, cops or not, have guns drawn and you don't listen. you're asking to get shot.
skyungjae 3 years ago
Search "Chris Rock - How not to get your ass kicked by the police!" here on youtube.
If the suspect followed those simple rules, he'd still be living.
MasterJizaster 3 years ago
even if michael cho was a threat, 10 shot is still excessive and i believe through this video we can't judge the michael cho one bit , first we don't why the heck was he walking at a turtle pace as if he was enjoying his walk, and as if the cops weren't there in front of him
WTNY1991 3 years ago
Supporting La Habra police without knowing what the truth for this happening, but because They protect you and us safe, is completely wrong. That's very selfish judgement and showing you're in favor with someone who's giving you benefits and don't care about others. Grow up. And Justice won't come from police, but from truth.
hansungpil 3 years ago
Korean broadcast covered this issue and they found an witness who's working in a nail shop on the spot where it happened and watched the whole thing. She said Mike didn't raise the thing on left hand, but just keep smoking facing police after stoping walking away from police because police asked him to do so. Police was wrong and murdered him.
hansungpil 3 years ago
Last thing-
RIP Michael Cho
Fataznguy888 3 years ago 2
Jeez, America - LAnd of the Free and Home of the Brave my ASS, more like land of the White and home of the shitty justice system. 15 shots... Bullshit!
Fataznguy888 3 years ago
Bullshit, 15 bullets shot by 2 cops at a disabled student. There was an interview with a friend who said he had a disability in his leg and that he sometimes picked up trash that inspired him to make art, he was an art major at UCLA, and that might be where the tire thing came from.
In the video, does he seem like he is threatening? No, he looks like wants to avoid trouble and he walks away. And if someone has a type of weapon that is a blunt melee type of weapon, you don't aim to kill
Fataznguy888 3 years ago
15 shots? wow if you were going to shooot him, shoot him in the leg? are police that stupid? thats just another example of how fucking dumb police are
hksxskyline 3 years ago
The number of shots is not the issue here. Once they fired the first shots, they were going to empty the clips. What I can't figure out is what the hell he's doing. If cops approach you, guns raised...and you're holding a tire iron, A. drop the tire iron slowly, B. freeze in place and show that you have nothing in your hands. He did none of the above. He's walking around like he's high or something. Sorry, but you can't behave that way in front of cops. You're just asking for trouble.
djpsinex 3 years ago
i agree. it seems strange that he responded in such a careless way. a police pointing firearm at you should bring at least a little bit of hesitation to walk away. Either way I dont know this person, but only God knows what happened and even though those who know him are more angry about the situation because its personal, remember that injustice is everywhere. This shit happens to blacks and latinos almost every DAY. be angry about that.
loraemon 3 years ago
whats the point for him to hold a tire iron if he wasn't going to do anything. Put yourself in the other side of the tape. You do not know if the person is stable or not. Yes 10 shots is an excessive amount.
228NRUNNIN 3 years ago
OK, so I don't think the cops should've had guns drawn nor fired shots. If they needed to subdue him, why not just taze or mace him? I believe that the cops should go to jail for unjustified excessive force. But he is holding something in his left hand that could be used as a weapon. He did walk up to them with what appears to be complete disregard for two men pointing guns at him. Now that, by any standard, is stupid. Wouldn't you just stop what you're doing even if you didn't do anything?
edgex90 3 years ago
fuck the LAPD!! you know those bastard cops are going to get away b/c koreans are the minority. think about the rodney king case when all 11 cops were acquited and it took a riot to make ppl realize how the justice system failed. LAPD has most failed system b/c they acquit murderers like OJ and murder innocent men, such as mike cho, as if he was an animal
krnfighter88 3 years ago
Yes, because the jury in OJ Simpson's trial was made up of the LAPD...
And get your facts straight, this was the La Habra Police Department.
anesthesiakea 3 years ago
however you feel, or whatever could or might have happened, the bottom line is that an unarmed asian KID was shot to death. What makes this situation any different from the atrocious serial murders you see on the news is that the murderers were wearing police uniforms.
I know that eventually theese murderers will receive their end of karma, I only hope that I have the opportunity to hear what befalls them.
revengeofmike 4 years ago
cops shooting 15times on victim no shit! OMG NO justice in American. i would never go there.
abeetba 4 years ago
You are welcome to stay away.
RivenrockGardens 3 years ago 2
cops shooting 15times on victim no shit! OMG NO justice in American. i would never go there.
abeetba 4 years ago
even worse than sean bell
aswerty911 4 years ago
even worse than sean bell
aswerty911 4 years ago
I cant believe this shit. I've just found out this news today. Even though he had a gun, Polices couldn't give him 15 shots. 15 shots? for disabled person? without a gun?
kirywife 4 years ago
That's because the cops wanted him totally dead. They were afraid of him suing them since he is the only one who can describe the situation very well if he were alive.
blackcord03 4 years ago
Do you know what is the real protocol for cops in America? Shoot first and ask questions to dead man.
philjus2 4 years ago
10 effing rounds. unbeleaveable.
ddongbap 4 years ago
police brutality
hardball333k 4 years ago
This is misfeasance. Where is justice, people? People have right to know the whole truth what really happened on that afternoon!
hardball333k 4 years ago
It still remains to be appeared that Cho was not cooperative with the officers at that scene, but it definitely does not show necessity to shoot him over 10 rounds. This is not an issue only to Korean-American community but is to whole American.
hardball333k 4 years ago
do you expect that the cops would shoot someone in the leg to disable him? Once a cop decides to shoot, the cop would shoot to kill. why would they want to care to keep someone's life when there is a possibility the victim would later bring them to a court?
hardball333k 4 years ago
uh I can't believe ppl say it's cho's fault. Yea he disobeyed the police and yea he walked away. A lot of ppl do that shit, and cops chase them for hours but they still do not get shot. Okay it was a protocol. Big deal.He could have easily shot the guy on the leg and disable him. Since when does a protocol give a right to kill someone? The fact is that the cop did not think in the situation, he just followed cold-hearted set of manuals. He could have saved a life but he decided to end it.
evilkimss 4 years ago
Americans really show what is justice. I think that the policemen were wrong.
meritocrat81 4 years ago
개 미국경찰새끼들
씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발씨발
brian8278 4 years ago
do something please before shoot.. 아 씨발 다 죽여버려.
brian8278 4 years ago
motherfcker officers.
dont fcking shoot at people that easily.
shit.............. Fck.
brian8278 4 years ago
no gun, no threat, no need for deadly force. Only heartless stooges would defend the actions of these police.
EvidenceRecords 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
he taunted them. cost him his life....
DAmember2006 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
he was just ignoreing them, like he didnt care they were there.
thats wat provoked the officers
midnight611 4 years ago
yeah... provoked them to shoot because of something non-threatening like that???
that's justice to you???
youkilledkenny 4 years ago
I never said it was right that they shot him, infact its completely rediculous, but he did provoke them. They should not have been provoked though, theyre police officers. It's not threatening, by the way. I never said it was. So what if it wasnt threatening, it was still provoking
midnight611 4 years ago
you don't kill somebody when someone provokes you~ The policemans should talk to him first. Not shooting him over 10 times~
ampforever 4 years ago
You don't show up to a vandalism report with guns drawn in the first place. The fact that these cops were provoked by his walking away from them shows how you can't count on cops for protection. He didn't even threaten them, so shooting him was unnecessary. I doubt he made a motion to attack them with a tire iron and if he did, what could he do at such a far distance? Shooting him over 10 times is ridiculous.
justthahn 4 years ago 3
I think you are displaying empathy, courage and good sense. Sadly something happened to Mike that day before the confrontation. Loss of life is a tragedy, and it appears the way he acted is totally out of character for Mike.
I've been in many 'situations', and I can honestly say that I've NEVER seen anyone beat up or shot who was co-operative. Mike acted in ALL the ways I would advise against. I have not heard any comments of toxicology reports. Has anyone?
RIP Mike Cho, God bless family
RivenrockGardens 4 years ago 2
There was no need for lethal force. If you disagree with me on this point, then there was no need to kill him with 11 bullets, or so I'm told it's eleven. I don't blame the police officers or accuse them of being bad, they were doing their job. It just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth when a better, alternative course of action could have been taken. But that's just me.
xjustinyoux 4 years ago 3
Yeah, the whole thing sucks.
I appreciate you being a bit compassionate with the officers though, even though you disagree with the lethal force part.
Remember, those guys will relive that afternoon for the rest of their lives. And they will have many moments of 'What If' thinking. I'm not saying this to reduce the feelings I have for Mike's family and friends, I feel for them also. It all comes down to..."it's an awful thing to take a man's life, to take all he was and might be".
RivenrockGardens 4 years ago
I don't want to come out on either side of this issue right now. I support the cops in general, but don't see this as an issue where lethal force was needed. Keep away from the guy who seemed confused and is walking with a tire iron. If he is not following orders don't approach him and try to keep the public away. Try to get him to follow directions. But if you let him walk off, there is no telling what he will do.
I'd have like to seen non-lethal force used. Evidently this force has none.
RivenrockGardens 4 years ago 2
From what I've heard, Mike was a good decent law-abiding person who contributed to the community as a mentor for children. He was bright and was wanting to go to Yale. Whatever happened that day, in the end it is a tragedy. Sadly, life can be removed from us so quickly.
To all his friends and family, I pass my condolences.
RivenrockGardens 4 years ago
I've been a cop. It's a really tough position to be in. A cop is not going to be able to know a persons background and know they are a decent person, disabled, and unlikely to attack. They have to go with what they see right away. When confronted with a cop, obey explicitly, and you will likely not have any problems. And once cops shoot, they are trained to empty the magazine at body mass. You cannot shoot once and wait for a response. many people once shot still act as if not shot 4 seconds.
RivenrockGardens 4 years ago 2
I feel deeply for his family, and it is hard for me to see why they shot him from what I see in the video, but when seeing how he acted in this part; if they say he acted violently, I'd tend to believe them. While it seems untoward to shoot a fellow attacking with a tire iron (as they evidently thought he was going to do), I'd rather shoot a fellow coming at me with a tire iron rather than let him knock me over the head with it. My prayers to his family, and the cops who have to live with this.
RivenrockGardens 4 years ago 2
If you see me, you'll know I don't look like I've ever been a cop. And I have pulled over because "the sun was reflecting off my license plate and they didn't know if I had tags". I've had guns pulled on me because cops were afraid of me. I've been told to get on the ground with my arms out. I've also been harassed by cops, and if I had acted strangely to them, I might have been shot. Cops are always running across bad peeps. Old saying, 'Rather judged by 12 than carried by 6'.
RivenrockGardens 4 years ago
Er I don't get it. He wasn't even shot in this video...
udongxx 4 years ago
I don't know why he didn't put the tire iron down here, but you know what? The police officers had no right to shoot him (10 times as that...a little excessive I'd say). He didn't display any attempt to harm the police officers, so there's not even any reason to shoot him (whether to injure or kill).
blondage86 4 years ago
The guy should just put his hands up and deal with the stupid cops later in court. The most foolish thing to do is to walk up towards the cops (or anyone with guns pointing at you) like you're invincible.
The question is: why didn't he cooperate and stand still?
EvilEyester 4 years ago
He did stand still. He walked away and that's when the pigs shot him.
marvelous211 4 years ago
All the people talking about shooting to kill are right but that's besides the point. Deadly force was NOT called for here. Did the cops honestly think a guy with a tire iron was a DEADLY threat? The sooner the cops admit that they made a mistake the sooner people can get some closure.
vector86 4 years ago
stop saying he had it coming... dumbshits. If he was beat down maybe you can say he had THAT coming. But honestly he did NOT have his DEATH coming..
straylght 4 years ago
Holy crap that's horrible wtf is wrong with law enforcement these days?!
You don't go shoot someone 10+ times just because he matched the description of a reported vandal and was carrying a tire iron >:(
RIP...
igob8a 4 years ago
looking at group dedicating a page for him on facebook, he was actually handicapped and wouldn't be able to charge at the police in the first place. on top of that the police based all this on a call they got about an asian guy who was vandalizing properties.. maybe some of you guys should actually look this up before putting up negative comments, cause i don't think it's right to get shot just because of graffiting walls.. even if that was him.. and for walking away? can you say trigger happy?
biafurr 4 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
he should have just dropped the crowbar..
he cost himself his life.
dumb move.
sucks though, they shoulda just tazed him then beat him at least..didnt have to kill him
fr0gnutz 4 years ago
Someone should beat you for suggesting endorsing the shitting-upon of the Constitution. Too many ignorant fucks like you in the world. We'd all be better off if you would just kill yourself.
jaymzdean 4 years ago
wait,
how did i just endorse upon shitting on the
constitution?
and im not ignorant you fuck, i actually value another human beings life. people are just messed up and cant control themselves. like you, your just an asshole. i cant fix that. so ima let it slide, especially since your trying to insult me via internet, stupid ass.
fr0gnutz 3 years ago
This is terribly unfortunate, my prayers go owt to his family and loved ones.The truth is that the police countrywide murder without consequence. Why are they equipped with non lethal bullets, and tazers if they don't utilize them. The reality is they ask for these items as a means to increase their budget. There is no accountability to the public; and until they murder another service member unjustly or caucasian, there will never be any true checks and balances for these atrocities.
Trampdigity 4 years ago
This is terribly unfortunate, my prayers go owt to his family and loved ones. The truth is that the Police statewide murder without consequence.Why are they armed with non lethal bullets, tazers, and what not but not utilizing them. The reality is they simply ask for those things as a means of increasing their budget. There is no accountability to the public; and until they murder another service member unjustly or caucasian, there will never be any tru checks and balances for these atrocities.
Trampdigity 4 years ago
RIP, seemed like a really chill guy.
Police took it too far again.
wtfblahh 4 years ago 3
why didn't the cop just shoot him the leg? surely they're trained enough to pull off a shot like that?
zoltanie 4 years ago
You never shoot someone in the leg. If you have to shoot someone, you shoot to kill.
azteksogo 4 years ago 3
thats the dumbest thing i've ever heard
zoltanie 4 years ago
Why? A firearm is intended to be lethal force. The only time you use it is when you absolutely have to put someone down. None of that disable them nonsense. Shots are always to center mass (bigger target). Besides, now that you shot the bastard in the leg, then what? Now you have a pissed off guy with a tire iron that could get desperate and do something stupid.
azteksogo 4 years ago 2
if your holding a tire iron and u get shot in the leg, do u honestly think u'd still be holding on to it? don't be daft!
zoltanie 4 years ago
Bullets aren't magic. They don't kill instantly or stop people like they do in the movies. Getting shot in a limb means you're wounded and full of adrenaline. You still have three other limbs capable of doing damage. A wounded and cornered animal is often times the most dangerous. He could have lunged, thrown the iron, taken a hostage, anything. If he was shot in the leg as you suggested, whatever control the police had over the situation would have been lost.
azteksogo 4 years ago 3
I'm pretty sure that a guy with no body armor and brandishing a tire iron versus a trained officer (x2) with a loaded gun is not a fair fight (albiet a quick one. Getting shot doesn't mean "I have to try harder to hit you with this piece of metal", it means 'OW MY FUCKING LEG.' Iron is dropped.) I, like many people, would probably have a lot less sympathy if he DID throw the iron at the police.
Isn't 'shoot to kill' an order given when a suspect has displayed visible intent to kill?
tristera 4 years ago
That IS the problem though isn't it? They shouldn't have shot him. They shouldn't have even drawn their weapons. Have you ever handled firearms before? Like I said, getting hit with in the leg with a small caliber weapon probably wouldn't do much (assuming you hit it, as limbs make small targets). Of course it could turn you into a sobbing idiot like you suggested, but as I said before: wounded people are the most dangerous because they do desperate and insane things.
azteksogo 4 years ago
It doesn't matter if I've handled firearms before. I know what a tire iron [melee weapon] does. I know what a gun does. It's not as complicated as 'If I shoot him he'll go nuts and suddenly maneuver like a quick [but wounded] buck.' Simply: 'I shoot, it will hurt, he will lose blood. Criminals don't shoot at police hoping they'll go ape shit. The idea: a gun is a weapon that drastically slows if not kills the intended target. You don't have to be a ballistics/weapons expert to know that.
tristera 4 years ago
In case rivenrocksgardens didn't respond to you:
"The cop says he was five feet from Mike when he shot him, you cannot shoot and wait to see what is going to happen when things are that tight. It is not like the movies where the shot person goes flying backwards away from you. Many people who are hit do not realize it right away."
It is that simple. If you've ever handled a 9mm, it can be a pretty underwhelming experience. Guns can't defy the laws of physics.
azteksogo 4 years ago
I agree with you Aztec (cool name), 9mm has great trajectory, and it a quicker easier to handle sidearm. Great patterns can be gotten, but sadly, it does not have the knock-down of a .45 cal or one of the magnums. Personally, I'd take a 1911 .45 any day for a semi-auto, or a .357 or .44 magnum for a revolver.
Knockdown power is what you need for close quarters. Seriously, I don't know why 9mm has gotten so popular, I think it has to do with its international reputation.
RivenrockGardens 4 years ago
Thank you. And yeah, the 9mm has its place. It is a pretty economical round but you can't really expect one shot stops with it or anything. I'm guessing it's so popular because of its NATO status (I'm guessing it's a logistics thing).
azteksogo 4 years ago
That's silly. If the bullet didn't stop the threat, then shoot him again. There's no reason to shoot him 10 times.
stopcop 4 years ago
I feel for his family and friends. But I need to reserve decision now until further findings come out. We can't see what happened during the shooting. The cop says he was five feet from Mike when he shot him, you cannot shoot and wait to see what is going to happen when things are that tight. It is not like the movies where the shot person goes flying backwards away from you. Many people who are hit do not realize it right away.
I'm NOT saying the cops were justified, I wasn't there.
RivenrockGardens 4 years ago 2
It is perhaps the dumbest policy on the books. But it IS on the books. At least some departments no longer allow cops to shoot at cars. That policy gave cops excuses to kill many people unjustly until people finally came to their senses and realized that 99.99% of the time there is no legitimate reason for a police officer to shoot at a car. NONE.
stopcop 4 years ago
I have a huge regret where a buddy of mine was run down during a sobriety check point stop, the car hit him at about 50 mph head on, and just swiped my leg and threw me to the side (it just barely grazed me and tossed me). I was able to get a look at a few letters on the plate, but did not fire at the car like I think I should have. That seems to me to be a good time that a cop may shoot at a car.
RivenrockGardens 4 years ago
this is stupid argument, because suspect in this video has known to have muscle deteriorating condition and he has limped all his life, and all COPS leaving comment in here is how Cho "had it coming" maybe we should all go back to "Wild West"
drsnowmon 3 years ago
Did the cops know? Nope. I hate the fact he died, but to think that it's entirely the cop's fault is unwarranted. Cops can't give out individual profiles for every incident. This is very simple: Suspect is defiant. A defiant suspect is a threat. However, I think the cops should've used tasers. I also think Mike shouldn't have disobeyed the cop's orders to get down. To dish out personal attacks to me for holding an opinion is also unwarranted. Would you walk away when the cops say "Get down?"
dan725 3 years ago
You shoot ONLY when your life is threatened NOT when someone disobeys you. If you see the vid, we do not know why but he did not obey the cops' order but DEFINITELY he was not a threat to those cops lives.
99wishes 3 years ago
If he had dropped the crowbar he was holding in his left hand and complied with the officer's requests he wouldn't have been shot. Obviously he refused to drop it and at some point made a threatening move towards the cops. Cho was stupid not to comply and it cost him his life. There is a phenomenon called suicide by cop. It happens every day all across the country. This is something else that must be considered in this case.
RepomanGP 4 years ago 6
You are a moron. This is coldblooded murder.
EvidenceRecords 4 years ago
pigs are cowards for shooting him in the back 10x
drsnowmon 3 years ago
He was NOT shot in the back 10 times. Learn the facts before you make stupid comments. Nitwits like YOU spread these ridiculous rumors to fire people up. Stop spreading lies. Facts are facts. Your comments are LIES.
RepomanGP 3 years ago
When cops point guns at you, you freeze. Period. This guy was sauntering around acting unpredictably. Did he deserve to die for this? Probably not. But it was sure stupid not to put up his hands and hold his position.
qrs11 4 years ago 7
could you post a reference to your source? don't mean to cast doubt, but it always helps to confirm statistics.
i think police violence is only the tip of the iceberg.
the industrial prison system, and all the institutions that support and feed from/into it, is a major system of power that needs to be drastically changed.
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
How about the authorities of truth, integrity, trust, Love?
Those are the only authorities I am willing to die for.
Men in costumes with lethal weapons are not authority and neither is the false authority of false law surrounding them.
Force begets force; violence begets violence.
May we all learn.
michaeleugeneb 4 years ago
And thanks CaptainWacky for providing a proper forum for this to be discussed. I think a lot of emotions have been tossed about and everyone has strong opinions. I do, as well, hope that a few changes can be made in the training and ethics of the La Habra police. In the end, there's hope that at least some good can come out of this ugly situation.
dan725 4 years ago
right on
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
yes I understand what you're saying cookie4ju. This is a very tragic, and very tough topic to discuss about. I was just talking about the bottom line. Cops can't make a proper profile for every single suspect for every situation. :( (damn you youtube and your 500 char limit)
dan725 4 years ago
lol u said he "had it coming" your makeup words are not accountable anymore, sounds like some bs cover up to make yourself look better after so many people bashing on you xD
drsnowmon 3 years ago
Also, have any of you ever been held at gunpoint by the police without knowing why? I certainly have not, and although my initial reaction is that I would listen to the cops, it is very possible that I would react differently. Perhaps even strangely. Who knows how or why people react the way that they do in situations like this. That's not the point here. The point is that a person was violently killed, and there seems to be something strange and shady about how the circumstances unfolded.
cookie4uja 4 years ago
dan725 and all those who are leaving comments that Mike Cho "had it coming". You are upset because you feel as though people are making rash judgments and calling this an example of police brutality. Don't you think that your judgment of he "had it coming" is just as rash? Not only that, it's an incredibly horrible and hurtful thing to say about a person. No one deserves to die like this. No one deserves 10 bullet wounds to the body just because he made a poor judgment call.
cookie4uja 4 years ago
This is not police brutality. This is just a tragic case of poor judgement from Cho, and I am sorry he passed.
No one should disobey authority, especially from those who only wants to bring order in our communities.
dan725 4 years ago
I respect that most police are excellent people who want to make society better.
At the same time, the historical record is full of examples of authority abusing power and giving in to corruption. These problems naturally arise within social institutions, which is why it is so important to constantly strive for the highest standard.
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
In my opinion, authority should always be examined to determine if it is legitimate. If it is legitimate, then it should be respected. In some cases, you might find it is not legitimate, and should therefore be changed or disobeyed in order to expand the scope of human freedom.
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
My cousin is a police officer and deals with BS every day. It is standard protocol to use lethal force when someone is showing any form of deadly intent. If the suspect fails to disobey a direct order, then he loses all credibility, and is a real danger to everyone else surrounding the area.
dan725 4 years ago 2
by shooting a guy with a crowbar 10 times? I think cops are just too trigger happy. Its 2 against one man, they could easily have used a baton and just call for backup if it gets out of hand. Or shoot once on the legs... but 10 F##%ING times?
psistov 4 years ago
i thought the same thing, but after reading many of the posts on this thread, and after speaking directly with a police officer who I trust as a genuine advocate for accountability, it seems like standard protocol to shoot to kill as soon as there is even the slightest threat of lethal force. No batons, no shots to the legs. if they don't have tasers, then they turn to the gun. 10 shots sounds crazy, but it may be in line with sandard protocol
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
Well, thats what I mean. I think the "standard protocol" are a bit out of hand. Time to reconsider what is a threat of lethal force. I just think the standards are exaggerated, but thank you for your reply.
psistov 4 years ago
i think that deep changes in police training would do our country a lot of good. i respect that police are put up against a lot of bad situations, but i observe that standard protocol is often ill-equipped to deal with the reality that many citizens do not pose a violent threat...more finely tuned training to recognize such cases would benefit both police and the general population
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
very well said. you should join the LAPD ;-)
Thank you for your objective responses.
psistov 4 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Lack of sense of judgment by police and common sense. The cop should burn in hell.
moshiso7 4 years ago
K my earlier comment was more of a knee-jerk reaction to the absurd and total lack of respect others have in their comments. Before anyone bashes me, I am Korean, and apparently a lot of my acquaintances and friends actually knew the guy.
Cho really had it coming. Did he deserve it? no. If he only followed what the police told him to do, he would be alive. His attitude towards the police here is what did him in.
dan725 4 years ago
It is true that if Mike had simply cooperated with the police, he would still be alive today. It is also true that when police are pointing guns at you, the smart move 99% of the time is to obey their commands.
Yet I also believe, very strongly, that there should be space for people in our society to fuck up, not obey commands, and still be left alive at the end of the day. It's a difficult ideal to uphold, but i still believe in it.
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
your words have no substance.You're sub-human
hangdawg 4 years ago
it would help the substance of this forum if you would not sling insults, and maybe back your claim up with an argument.
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
I think I would do the same that is walk away if a cop comes out of nowhere pointing a gun at me when I didn't do nothing wrong. That's fcking insulting. If the guy really was a vandal that wasn't reason for a cop to point a gun. Where is the common sense?
moshiso7 4 years ago
I guarantee you would freeze if a cop pointed a gun at you. Its easy to say I would just go about my business if I did anything wrong, but when you're in that situation, most people would piss there pants and freeze.
blee256 4 years ago 4
Actually one time in Santa Cruz I was gassing up my car when a blue unmarked crown vic cop car zoomed into gas station, four cops jumped out and starting coming at me. Then one guys says into his earpiece "wrong guy, wrong guy" and they all split. I didn't move one muscle during the whole 20 seconds. The moment passed, nobody freaked out,and I'm here writing about it. That happened in 1989.
qrs11 4 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
You would walk away if a cop pointed a gun at you? Yeah, sure you would, tough guy. Fucking little kids on Youtube...
Freepablo 4 years ago
Damn that Cho guy had it coming. What the hell was he thinking? Police has guns pointing to you. You don't casually take a smoke and walk away in a cocky manner. He really had it coming. I don't condone what the police did, but given the amount of crap they have to encounter day-in-day-out, people should respect the police's authority. Do what they are told. What entitlement did Cho have? Darwin award possiblity. No one is stupid enough to act like that against the police.
dan725 4 years ago
You idiot, how would you feel when you didn't do anything worthy for a dumb cop pointing a gun at you. You think that's BS and walk away. If he really committed a vandalism, is that a reason for fcking cop to point a fcking gun?
moshiso7 4 years ago
COPS would not do this onto another "white suspects" I guarantee. I had "heard" from my friend in LA when there's gang banging, those COPS just let them shoot out first and let the fight end before they dispatch to the scene.
drsnowmon 3 years ago
I don't understand...what happen???
beetlejuice90026 4 years ago
Michael Cho, the guy in the video, was shot dead by the police at some point after he walked out of the frame. the police were responding to a report of somebody committing vandalism in the area. the police claim that he made a motion to attack with a tire iron, thus justifying lethal force. his friends and family disbelieve that he would have tried to attack. there are also reports that more than 10 shots were fired, which seems excessive.
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
They're firing 9mm rounds, 10 is hardly excessive.
icannotfly 4 years ago
Oh, okay. Thank you so much for the information I needed to know. WOW....that is messed up of what happen.
beetlejuice90026 4 years ago
Once again, this video says nothing about what happened. When you look at the guy, he's walking away from officers giving him a direct order. The cop also looks like he was putting away his gun.
So don't run your incorrect assumptions as if they were facts that were gleaned from the video, because there's nothing substantiating your "opinion" here.
Sqrfrk 4 years ago 2
i think this is going to go to the supreme court, and the police fucked up big time. trust me, the police lost this one, just watch.
h00n13 4 years ago
our government is so fucked with these kind of laws, i think no matter what you should'nt take human life away like that.. people became cops, they kno its dangerous but that doesnt mean they have the right to kill humans, very inhumane. Fucking savages(cops). And how the fuck can you shoot a human being 10x... fucking ridiculous.. thats overkill 10x
xpsam 4 years ago
You dumb-asses. he was told to put his hands up and started acting strangely. you have to be in those cops shoes to understand why they shot him. if he didn't have a gun or weapon of some sort it was un-justified. but why would your friend walk towards the cops like that? thats stupid no matter who you ask...
lotide99 4 years ago
otide99 - in addition to being insulting, you completely missed the point.
We, as a society, allow police to use lethal force on the condition that they use careful judgment in its application.
By your logic, citizens who are "acting strangely" are SOL, and if you act stupid, you give up your right to life. That's really cold-hearted.
Do you believe in the ideal of a free country where people are innocent until proven guilty? Maybe you would prefer a militarized police state?
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
This video says ABSOLUTELY nothing about what happened after he leaves the frame. In fact, all I see is a police officer PUTTING AWAY his gun, with the reporter stating what happened "after". Now it could have happened how KTAN described, or he could have been running at the officers with the tire iron up. So please, don't try to be condescending by putting out this macro-perspective BS about how commenters would "prefer a militarized police state".
Sqrfrk 4 years ago
Sqfrk - you are right that the video is incomplete, and i admit that i have made assumptions.
i used the police state as an extreme example of how lotide99's remarks were promoting the idea that police should be free to use lethal force in any but the most drastic situations.
i don't get why you get irritated with an extreme example, but not with fools throwing insults.
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
i honestly don't want to be condescending, and i'm sorry if i came of that way. the "macro-perspective" is just what comes to mind.
It is easy for the state to be brutal if citizens tolerate brutality. based on what i know, and i admit i don't know all the facts, it seems clear that Mike Cho did not need to die. When citizens are killed needlessly, police should be held accountable.
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
Sqfrk - let's assume Mike ran at the cops with a tire iron. the problem is that he only had about 20% functional muscle tissue in his leg, which made it impossible for him to run.
still, let's say he attacked with a tire iron. Two trained police officers have plenty of tools to deal with that situation without using lethal force.
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
In the basics of the police academy they teach that exact example...a person running at you with a tire iron. And because it is a blunt object capable of deadly force we respond with a weapon capable of deadly force, a gun. If they do not heed our commands to put it down and continue to run at the officer in a threatning manner then we have the right to use deadly force in return because they are trying to use it on us. **Not saying it is applicable to the video but to your example**
usn020702 4 years ago 2
I do not know any officers that would hesitate in that situation, because at the end of the day, everyone on that shift is going home no matter what.
usn020702 4 years ago 2
usn020702 - i appreciate your comments, it really helps to hear your perspective. i did not know that about police protocol, and i am glad to gain a better understanding of what may have happened, and why. i fully respect that police must protect themselves.
in this case, i still have strong suspicions about whether the appropriate procedures were followed, because i personally doubt that Mike Cho would have even attacked in the first place.
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago
Mike was a great artist and an interesting person. He will be missed.
I hope the cops burn for this.
MuNkaPOtaMuS 4 years ago
this footage captures the last living moments of Michael Cho, who was shot dead moments after he leaves the frame. state violence like this is not acceptable. this video not only demonstrates that Mike Cho was not exhibiting aggressive behavior (let alone getting ready to attack), but it also raises another question: why the fuck did the police have guns drawn as soon as he came walking calmly out of the liquor store?
CaptainWacky4420 4 years ago