Cops Update Public On Shooting Via Twitch
In what is arguably the most surreal story of the year--no small feat for 2017--the Seattle Police Department yesterday delivered updates on their controversial killing of Charleena Lyles via a Twitch stream of the popular MMO Destiny.
On Sunday, two Seattle Police Department officers shot and killed Charleena Lyles. Lyles had called the police to report a burglary, but when the officers arrived, she pulled out two knives. Lyles had a history of mental illness, which the police department knew before heading into the situation. However, they did not bring a taser with them to her house to resolve the situation non-lethally. The incident generated national controversy for how the officers handled the situation. To address this, Sgt. Sean Whitcomb of the Seattle Police Department took to Twitch.
The Seattle Police Department has a Twitch account through which they discuss things like graffiti removal and investigation procedures. It's interesting stuff if you're into that sort of thing, but hardly the place to address the loss of a human life. Yet that's precisely what Sgt. Sean Whitcomb did.
"This episode is going to be a little on the heavier side," says Whitcomb (aka Vesper Bat) at the start of his video before discussing the events leading up to the shooting, the shooting itself, and the criticism of the officers involved. All the while, he's wandering around in Destiny. "Tragically, we know that three of her children were present with her," says Whitcomb while viewers can observe Mr_Kitty95 waving to tony323_.
The stream left Twitter users flabbergasted:
@SeattlePD #Fuzzfeed206 HAVE YOU ALL LOST YOUR DAMN MINDS DO U HAVE ANY FUCKIN REMORSE?#CharleenaLyles murder is reduced to video game chat! https://t.co/ZR1zbPMaU7
— SarahConnor (@LisaHarris8601) June 22, 2017
Are you serious? How tone deaf is this?
— Aaron Donogh (@AaronDonogh) June 22, 2017
"It would’ve been inexcusable not to move forward with a broadcast considering we’re dealing with one of the most difficult incidents in recent years," Whitcomb told Seattle-based paper The Stranger. "The content provides a very straightforward update in regards to where the investigation is at." Whitcomb also added that the entire department was "suffering" after the incident.
The video has since been removed from Twitch and YouTube, though mirrors still exist online. 2017 remains the weirdest timeline.
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Arn
People discuss shit worse than this over beer and coffe so why not while playing video-games?
"Oh, but it's an serious issue!"
So is terrorism and politics, and people discuss them on a site called Know Your Meme.
Fred Flintstone
I don't understand the controversy, if I saw someone with two knives coming at me without stopping, I'd shoot them.
Viuff, The Ancient Waifumancer
you can argue since they knew she wasn't mentally healthy, they should have taken the taser guns with them but you can also argue that when you call for help you want the police or whoever you called for to arrive as quick as possible and when you hurry you often forget things.
it's sad and it could have been avoided if not for a single human mistake which happens for everyone.
I still wish police and other armed forces not working in a war zone were armed with non-lethal weapons as the standard rather than the other way around.
it is great to have a weapon to defend yourself, you need it in that line of work but it is even better in my opinion to have a weapon that isn't lethal most of the time.
james_w
if someone was so mentally ill they could not comprehend what would happen to them if they tried to stab a cop, why were they even allowed to have custody of kids?
you attack anyone with a knife, they have the right to use lethal force to defend themselves
AugustDay
This is the real piece of news right here. A mentally ill woman with such strong delusions that she charged and attacked the police officers she herself called for help, somehow had custody over three children. How long before she mistook one of her kids for a burglar?
A very bizarre story all around.
WezliGiantsbane333
The mental health issue keeps coming up in this case. People asking "why aren't police better trained to deal with the mentally ill?" Well, what exactly are they supposed to do when a mentally ill individual is coming at them with a knife? Administer years worth of anti-psychotic medication and therapy in a few milliseconds?
Do we need a new approach to mental health care in this country? Sure, but I don't think requiring police officers to be licensed psychiatrists is part of the solution. Could the officers handled the situation differently? Maybe, but rational thinking becomes somewhat difficult in literal life-or-death scenarios.
And had her mental illness manifested differently, what conversation would we be having? If she had drowned her five kids in the bathtub, would we be talking about needing further police training and addressing racism right now?
thefrozenone
And yet other developed nations don’t have this problem.
There are numerous less-than-lethal methods of taking down a knife-wielding person. Especially one that is have your size and pregnant.
Americans seem have blinders on and don't realize how poorly trained your cops are.
Nico
There are actually some police departments that have a team that are trained to deal with people who are mentally ill.
IanArcad
Nobody here has heard of the 21 foot rule obviously.
PLUS CHECKER dubs checker
it's not a rule, more of a cautionary tale.
PYRO
A taser would have been preferable, but the response given was justifiable in that context.
Now the Twitch thing….all I have to ask is, have they played Payday?
Blobbem
It's very surreal.
1) Police officers decide to not take a taser to a burglary. Result ends with the officers shooting and killing the suspect.
2) Police officers belong to a police department that has a Twitch account.
3) For some reason, one of the officers from the police department decides to use the Twitch account to address the shooting.
4) At the same time, they played Destiny. Because… why not?
Smol Nozomi
A sergeant delivers serious news on a place mostly dedicated to playing video games on air?
This is truly the best timeline.
Nico
I am seeing that most people in comments are saying that this shit is virtue signaling and all that shit and that the reason people are upset is because "Oh maw gawwd, all policemen are murders" but i think everyone is missing the point. Let me start out by saying that the from what we know of the report so far, is that the police caught in that situation reacted accordingly and they were in a life or death situation.
However, from the way I see it, the drama comes from the fact that the way that the police updated the public is probably one of the most bizarre ways we have ever seen. Why make such an important announcement over somebody's death over Twitch while playing a video game? I am honestly flabbergasted by this as well, to announce details over someone's death like this honestly comes off as disrespectful, but hey that may just be me.
WezliGiantsbane333
Yeah, I can't really disagree with the accusations of tone deafness. If police are making an extra effort to connect with the community, this is a great example of what not to do.
krashlia
Its not just you. It was weird, and failed to really respect the gravity of what was being announced.