I think the main thing is that police do not have the duty to retreat. For example, if someone draws a knife and runs toward an officer, he has the right to shoot him, even if the officer has the ability to run away instead. The woman was commanded to get out of the vehicle (which *is* a deadly weapon, this is akin to being commanded to drop the knife). She refused this command and actuated the weapon. It is clear to me that the shots weren't absolutely necessary but he was in his right to fire. Police are not obligated to use less-than-lethal measures in situations like this - you could argue they should be, but by law they aren't obligated.
Refusing to cooperate with police can turn deadly fast. It's an entirely avoidable tragedy if she merely stopped the vehicle and got out.
I'm just a citizen commenting, and not dipping my toes into the legal considerations. The investigation--which I'm sure there will be one--will handle that. I'm just saying that this was very poor handling by that officer and where we agree is that his shots were unnecessary, either in-part or in-full, and it is sad that a life was ended as a result.
This post was edited by Handcuffs on Jan 7 2026 03:49pm