Reaching in pocket no excuse to kill the reacher

We should all be disappointed Cook County Judge Dennis Porter did not convict Amtrak police officer of murder in the shooting death of Chad Robertson at Union Station in 2017.

Robertson bolted from a pat down conducted by Amtrak Officer LaRoyce Tankson. When Robertson turned and reached into his pocket, Tankson fatally shot him. Porter accepted Tankson’s defense that he was reasonably in fear of his life due to Robertson’s movement. But there was no gun, just two bags of non-lethal cannabis Robertson was likely trying to jettison.

This is simply the latest in numerous police shootings of unarmed men either reaching into or simply ‘appearing’ to reach into a pocket for something other than a firearm. Being in reasonable fear of one’s life has become the go-to defense when a police person shoots an unarmed man. Not having a gun can still be a defense as when the victim is charging the officer with obvious intent to harm, even kill. That did not apply in the Robertson shooting.

It’s possible Porter acquitted due to Tankson being overcharged with first degree murder. That clearly didn’t apply as Tankson didn’t plan to kill Robertson with malice aforethought. He should have been charged with second degree murder which only requires he killed due to reckless disregard of the facts involved in the incident.

Once again police nationwide can relax knowing their go-to reaching defense remains in tack. That must end if we are truly going to make police accountable for reckless actions that result in great injury, even death.