Recently I read that there will not be charges against the officers that killed 25-year-old Chase Allen. I have watched the video numerous times trying to figure out if I was judge or jury how I would decide. 

I don’t know whether Allen was left handed or right handed. Importantly was he finally frightened and trying to undo his seatbelt when he reaches to the right? I have started paying attention to how I undo my seatbelt for better understanding of what I do subconsciously exiting my car. I have decided that the next time I am pulled over I will keep my hands up visible to the officer until he/she tells me to do otherwise.

Eventually Allen complies and provides a passport as demanded and the officers tell him to get out of the car. Allen is still strapped in his seatbelt as one officer opens the driver’s door.  Another officer leans inside the car perhaps trying to undue the seatbelt – it is the point where the situation escalates.

“Gun, Gun, Gun” is heard on the video and the officers fire at least eight bullets into the car.  Allen slumps to the right never exiting and his left foot hangs outside the door. Although “Ceasefire!” is heard numerous times officers continue firing and one even reloads his clip. (How many bullets had already left that first clip?)

An officer pulls Allen out and he is next seen face down with his hands being pulled behind him and handcuffed. As I have written before why was first aid not the appropriate step at this point? Clearly he was already dead or dying and no longer a threat. Perhaps that part of the video shows the power of the adrenalin flowing in the officers. Officers get frightened too as I would. We read every day about another officer getting killed doing his job.

The video then shows a gun on the floor of the car but remember Utah is a “gun friendly” state.

Allen certainly was being disobedient and arguing law code on the street but I have not heard any reports that Allen had any history of being violent. In the video we never see him threatening or pointing a gun and he respectfully calls the officer “Sir.” Would continuing persuasion, negotiation and de-escalation instead of the officer leaning into the car produced a better outcome?  It is an argument to provide more training in dealing with civil disobedience, drunks, mentally ill, people on medications, autistic, the disabled, elderly or even deaf people who may not comply quickly.

There is no question that this video shows a tragedy. Whether we have jury trials or not those officers will have to live with the memories of this killing the rest of their lives.  Perhaps some of the officers will not regret it – some will, a casualty of that career. 

What we need to learn from this killing is that this too could happen to us and ours.

D L Weeks