Not Unexpected

We've all seen the cowboy movies with the outnumbered, but staunchly courageous sheriff standing up to the lynch mob. Justice will be served by a trial before a jury of peers in a court of law therefore we don't respond to mob justice. Those days of lynch mobs are gone, relegated to our distant and more violent past...except maybe in Kalifornia:

No Hanging? We're Gonna Break Some Windows!

There was going to be a riot regardless of the verdict. Guilt of murder, guilty of manslaughter, not-guilty...it wouldn't make a difference in the activity on the street. A black man got shot by a white man. The black man had been involved in activities which resulted in a police intervention. The black man resisted the law enforcement officer at least to the extent that he was going to get Tazed.

The white policeman, however, was apparently not adequately trained for his position. He drew his pistol rather than his Taser and without discerning the difference in size, weight, configuration, position on his belt, etc he employed the pistol, killing the alleged criminal. Apparently basics like sight acquistion were not ingrained either or he might have noted the difference in equipment visually if not by feel.

The trial, with a change of venue, examined the evidence. It is unlikely that the rioters did the same. The judge explained the elements of the law which apply to murder in the first degree. There is no way that there could have been pre-meditation or malicious intent. There was manifest incompetence. The verdict reflected that conclusion.

So, quite predictably the culture of victimization rampant in the minority neighborhoods of America responded by complaining to the state. They did so by taking to the streets and victimizing innocent property owners who are totally unrelated to the events in question. How's your justice thing working out?

And, along the way there is no sheriff in Alameda Country or Oakland California who was prepared to stand up to the crowd until after the damage was done. Who is surprised by this?