Cops with Machine Guns: The Killing of Michael Nida

In October 2011, the police-related shooting death of unarmed man, Michael Nida, 31, raised serious questions about the state of policing in the city of Downey, California, a suburb of Los Angeles.

Why did it raise questions? The father of four who worked in construction wasn't shot with a handgun by one of the Downey Police Department's officers. He was shot with an MP5 submachine gun, the same gun used by the Navy Seals.

"Why would he have a machine gun?" asks Jean Thaxton, one of Nida's guardians since birth. "We're not in a war zone, I didn't think. I didn't think this was a war zone."

"An ordinary patrolman isn't going to be carrying something like a submachine gun," says Timothy Lynch, the director of the Project on Criminal Justice at the CATO Institute. Lynch says that even if they have those types of weapons, they should only be using them in rare circumstances, such as when they are confronting a heavily armed suspect.

But for decades police have been arming themselves with military equipment like M16s, grenade launchers, and armored personnel carriers.

"At first when they got it, the idea was, yeah, this is extraordinary weaponry, we'll have it just in case we'll ever need it." But as decades went by, police started to use them to enforce drug warrants and then started carrying them on routine calls.

Approximately 7:30.

Written and produced by Paul Detrick. Camera by Jim Epstein, Joshua Swain and Tracy Oppenheimer.

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[NeverForget1776]

FYi - If you haven;t heard yet the Prosecutor has dropped all charges against the Machine Gun Wielding Officer citing that Nida did run away 3 times and the cops did yell 'Stop or I;ll blow your head off".

Tyrannical Machine Toting Police Thug: 1

Innocent California Serf: 0

Public accountability: -10

The war against liberty and freedom: +100

How bad will it have to get before you WAKE UP!

Infowars!

[Josh Scott]

This is not a drug war issue, it's an issue of the police wanting be better-armed than the civilian populace, many departments got these types of weapons around the time of the 1994 Assault weapons ban. The government wants more power than the people.

Pro tip: Don't run from the cops, even if they're in the wrong; cops are power-hungry, trigger-happy douche bags.

[FULLMETALJACK37]

Of criminals who own illegal firearms from stolen to coming from drug cartale people need to realize law abiding an officers need our protection just like our soldiers have to arm themselves from insurgents!

[FULLMETALJACK37]

If the officer was part of a Swat team then he had all right to be armed with the weapon specially with how criminals are now! This whole gun control is becoming stupid us as law abiding citizens should be able to own an equip ourselves from criminals! I myself live in the sticks (country) an have had many dangerous encounters of dope heads knocking on my door or even trying to just walk in. Go same for officers they have to protect there selves or the streets would be like iraq a fuckn warzone!

[Corey Gains]

This is retarded. And there is a queer talking

[poppyhimbo]

It's They Live

[capdatzme19]

COPS definition - Criminal On Patrol

on judgement day all cops that have pulled

a trigger will be cast down to hell eternally

to be enslaved by their new master.

[joshua b]

Nothing you say can justify murder.

[Daniel Carson]

It;s a sad shame that the local Police, Peace Officers? is becoming more militarized, to becoming a part of this globalized Authoritive nonsense, through out the States, I believe a stronger Independent review board is needed to bringing in better screening ( Psych Evaluations) to all new -Police.

[thebronzetoo]

What a bunch of BULLSHIT!!!

If you don't want to get shot by the police, do these two things:

1) Don't run from the police. And definitely don't do it twice.

2) Don't turn around on the police like you're going to shoot at them.

Simple.

[Mangy Mutt]

I'll never forget the time back in 1998 while driving in the city of Industry I came across an LAPD SWAT exercise. I saw two of them walking together, they were so geared up they would of easily fit in with guys walking point in Afghanistan. The shock and disgust must of been apparent on my face as the reaction I got from them was pure hatred and contempt. It was from that moment I knew that truly it was US and THEM. They are there to serve and protect the social order, simple as that.

[Ahr Cee]

The good news is: The pigs and the politicians are vastly outnumbered.

Also, the PertektnServers protect and serve the craven ruling scum that we're all subjected to.

Despite what you're programmed with in school, the cops are NOT your friends.

For wanker kwans that'll reply "But you'll be the first one to call them when you need them."---WRONG, I don't need the bastards for ANYTHING. I'm my own police.