Philadelphia Police Shooting is Kenney's Rookie Moment

Video

Surveillance video of the shooting

Alert: the events depicted may be disturbing

via philly.com

• Video

  Surveillance video of the shooting

A Rookie Error?

A Rookie Mistake?

On the shooting of Officeholder Jesse Hartnett, Mayor Kenney passed judgment before all the facts were in

Jan. 11, 2016

Just a few days into his get-go year in role Mayor Kenney was faced with one of the worst situations a Mayor can imagine: a law officer shot and a link to global terror equally an alleged motive.

This is when we need leaders to stride upwards. Kenney did much that was correct but slipped on at least two important parts of the job.

What does a Mayor accept to exercise in this situation?

First, it is important to always get to the scene of the crime and in this case, the infirmary, to demonstrate presence and command. Kenney did what we would expect from a Mayor in this regard.

Second, express concern for the officer, his family unit, and colleagues speaking not only on your behalf, just for the community at large. Kenney expressed the views of all of us.

Third, show that the city is in good hands in terms of security by assuasive your police commissioner to take center stage. That also happened just every bit it should. I was impressed by Commissioner Ross's operation. He projected clarity, empathy, intelligence, and the right tone of anger. A good rent!

Fourth, de-escalate the situation by distinguishing the perpetrator from the general constabulary abiding Muslim customs and mainstream Islam. I take some issue with the way that Kenney did this. His statement lacked nuance. He did not say, for example, as George W. Bush-league would take, that the perpetrator has a deranged view of Islam, but rather that his actions have no human relationship to Islam. Actually, they may have a connectedness to a radical apocalyptic practice of Islam that the overwhelming majority of Muslims reject.

Fifth, jump to no conclusions until nosotros know more. This is where Kenney actually fell down on the chore. The Mayor reached conclusions earlier the investigators accept answers.

via CBS 3

His conclusions: This was a problem of a deranged criminal enabled by besides many guns on the street. In staking this merits, Kenney worked from ideology more than facts.

Kenney did not say, as George Due west. Bush would have, that the perpetrator has a deranged view of Islam, but rather that his actions take no relationship to Islam.  Actually, they have a connection to a radical apocalyptic practice of Islam that the overwhelming majority of Muslims reject.

Here is what nosotros know about the case:

• The shooter, Edward Archer, is a thirty year erstwhile with a police tape for a broad variety of things, from terroristic threats to firearm violations to forgery; in fact he was due for a courtroom advent today in Delaware County.
• Archer used a 9mm Glock 17 allegedly stolen from a police officer in 2013. He fired multiple shots (as many as 13) into the law motorcar to attempt to assassinate the officer. He has at present officially been charged with attempted murder, among other charges.
• The police officeholder, 33 year-old Jesse Hartnett, remarkably got out of the machine, returned burn, and pursued Archer who was easily captured by other officers a few blocks away.
• Archer confessed to the shooting and gave his Islamic organized religion equally motive, saying he took a pledge to back up ISIS. His line of statement for the shooting: the police enforce anti-Muslim laws and therefore he has a religious duty to stop them.
• Initial investigation of his computers and other personal belongings show no communication with radical Islamic groups or websites merely it is early in the search. As far as the ISIS connectedness, they have a low barrier for entry: you lot publicly pledge fidelity to caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and the ISIS authorities.
• Archer's mother noted that he has been mentally unstable, suffered caput injuries, and was hearing voices in his head. His brother told Fox29 that he was not mentally ill. The brother viewed the actions more through the lens of an anti-police attitude related to disharmonize between the police and the African American customs. None of the prior arrest records—at least from what we know today—evidence testify of mental disease.
• Archer traveled exterior the United States to Saudi Arabia in 2010 to participate in the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and to Egypt in 2012, according to the FBI. He spent 2 weeks in Kingdom of saudi arabia and several months in Arab republic of egypt. Egypt in 2022 was rocked by demonstrations and the eventual election of Mohammed Morsi, the leader of the Muslim Alliance. Morsi was pushed from power ane twelvemonth later.

We are at the first of an investigation, which will shed light on the crime and its motive. Here is what nosotros want to learn:

• Where did the gun come from? What was the path of buying and commutation since it was stolen from the home of a police officeholder in 2013?
• When Archer was in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, did he take contacts with anyone that could pb to radicalization? Moreover, there is a puzzle that has to be solved: How does someone with limited income travel and live in Egypt for a skilful part of a twelvemonth?
• Is this more than an issue of mental derangement than anything else? In other words, is Archer'southward employ of radical Islam the rationale of a delusional criminal? And how will this become parsed professionally or legally, given the fact that arguments about mental capacity can be so contentious?
• Who knew what locally? Were at that place workplace, mosque, family or social network clues that have to be uncovered? Was there anyone else involved in the crime (a look out or spotter) or had he discussed it with anyone?

Kenney's determination that this was a problem of a deranged criminal enabled by too many guns on the street worked from ideology more than than facts. And the problem with credo, on the right or the left, is that it begins with a conclusion and so identifies facts to confirm its narrative.

If you are on the political right, you quickly leap to the determination that this was all about radical Islam and had cipher to practice with guns or mental illness. You believe what the guy who committed the crime says about the crime he committed. Moreover, the gun was stolen from a police force officeholder'due south home, so no anti-gun legislation would accept prevented that.

If y'all are, similar Kenney, on the left, your first instinct is to blame mental illness, criminality, and guns: emphasizing the lack of connection betwixt the actions of a deranged individual and a religion. You are angry near limited gun laws and the lack of mental health resources.

The problem with credo is that, on the right or the left, it begins with a conclusion so identifies facts to confirm its narrative. On this indicate we need much more than from our leaders. We have to permit an investigation take place and follow the facts where they lead.

And what it if turns out this was not the act of a mentally deranged criminal but a lonely wolf terrorist (with a criminal tape) who took his cues from the electric current ISIS injunction to attack? Every bit a city and a nation nosotros accept to continue to face uncomfortable facts: on the i manus, not falling prey to prejudice and bigotry and, on the other, non pretending that all the facts are as nosotros want them to exist.

John Adams famously declared that facts are a stubborn matter. Kenney would be wise to marry himself with Adams and let the facts first speak for themselves before making declarations of intent. This is no longer Jimmy From the Block, giving his opinion.

He is the Mayor at present. Then he has to tighten it upwardly.

Header Photo via Philadelphia Constabulary Department.

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Source: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/kenney-philadelphia-police-shooting-edward-archer-jesse-hartnett/

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