The underexamined factor in too many police shootings

As the tragic death of Willie McCoy showed, what cops do in the moments before drawing their weapons can make all the difference.
Last last week, the Vallejo, Calif., police department released several minutes of body-cam footage showing the controversial police shooting of a young black man named Willie McCoy. McCoy had apparently fallen asleep in the drive-thru line at a Taco Bell with a gun in his lap. Police were called when he didn’t respond to horn honks or taps on his windows. A few minutes later, he was dead.

After watching the video, I believe McCoy’s death was likely the moment the cops arrived and saw his gun, and it became likely in large part because of the way the police handled the encounter. Moreover, this incident helped illustrate why police kill too many Americans: Their poor tactics and unwise choices place burdens on troubled, impaired, or confused civilians that can make tragedy inevitable.