(Image via thehill.com)

Business Manager: Brendan Flaherty

Email: bflaherty1@umassd.edu

In a recent police stop for a seat belt violation, young Dexter Reed was killed in an altercation that started, causing 96 shots to be fired in 41 seconds.

On March 21st in Chicago, Reed went on a trip, not knowing it would be his last, and all for missing his seat belt.

The officers who stopped Reed while he was on his drive approached Reed’s vehicle and asked for the windows to be rolled down and the car door to be unlocked. 

It can be argued that the confrontation was already in a hostile state since the beginning of the interaction, and this is what forced the deadly fight between Reed and the officers. It was also reported in an article from MSN that Reed was attempting to surrender but was unsuccessful in doing so, seeing as he was continuously pelted with bullets.

Since then, the actions of the police officers were called into question almost immediately, and rightfully so.

Although it is not clear in body camera footage, officials reported that Reed opened fire first and hit an officer, effectively injuring them.

So, why exactly did this simple stop turn into such a deadly shootout, and what is being done to address it?

In the article from MSN by Michael Loria, it was said that the police officers continued to empty their magazines after Reed had exited his vehicle.

According to another article from The Associated Press on MSN, “One officer alone fired 50 shots,” which is an unnecessary and extreme abuse of power from the police officers.

Questions of what exactly caused such a horrible gunfight to erupt are also coming into play. For example, it was reported that the vehicle’s windows were excessively tinted, making it hard for officers to even spot a missing seat belt in the first place.

Another observation is that the police officer opened up the conversation with hostility, saying, “Roll that one down too” (about the window on the other side of the vehicle), according to a video from MSN.

Taken from an article from CBS in a COPA (Civilian Office of Police Accountability) news release, it is suspected that the officers acted out of order and immediately showed hostility.

Furthermore, Professor David Harris commented on the actions of the police officers, saying, “You would expect — the car is pulled over, ‘Sir, I stopped you for X,'” Harris said, ‘and I didn’t hear that.’”

The police officer’s use of tactical units has also come into question, often dressing in plain clothes and unmarked cars to possibly catch more criminals.

Their actions are still under observation, and an investigation is ongoing as to what exactly happened at the stop.

However, this is not the first time that officers have used their firearms in inappropriate instances.

On November 12th, 2023, Jesse Hernandez, an officer of the Okaloosa Sheriff’s Office, opened fire on a suspect in his vehicle after an acorn had hit the roof of his car, mistaking it for gunfire.

Since then, everyone knew that was a gross misuse of his utility and an extreme overreaction on his part. Thankfully, the suspect was uninjured, and all the bullets passed over him.

There is a new level of discomfort and uneasiness that seems to follow each and every officer.

The actions that follow seemingly simple altercations are all unwarranted, leading to shots fired. It ultimately leads to questions like why so many shots were fired, how these moments escalated so quickly, and many other questions of morality and justification.

The town’s mayor called the video regarding the actions against Reed to be “deeply disturbing.”

Whatever the reason, it has led to severe consequences and must be investigated immediately.

Whether it be more rigorous training or different strategies used to remove deadly weapons, we cannot continue to have these kinds of fatal altercations, or else the cops won’t be the only ones who are uneasy at every simple traffic stop.