So what about the officers that died today? Do you disagree with the notion that having military grade equipment would have resulted in them still being alive?
That's something I'm not qualified to answer. I'd assume that roughly the same amount of officers would have died, considering that several of the attackers were allegedly 'sniping' them from high up. High-capacity rifles might have more stopping power than duty pistols, but they can't block bullets.
Personally I figure that the standard police side-arm is more deadly in a close-quarters street scenario than the average military rifle. A military rifle would mostly provide a tactical advantage in a defensive scenario, much like the one that occurred today in Dallas.
I figure the same. I don't consider myself much of a gun expert, but as I understand it, the difference in lethality between a pistol and a military rifle isn't actually that large.
The problem here though is the capacity for intimidation and mistakes. When you confront a bunch of people with military equipment, you instantly escalate the situation to a point where everyone feels as though they're about to get shot to death.
Violent protesters do not represent law abiding citizens, as far as I figure.
Here's the thing though, I don't actually have a problem with officers arriving in military equipment to a riot where people are already being violent. It's just completely inappropriate to show up to a peaceful protest as if you're about to mow down a crowd of people. Like, for example, the national guard soldiers that showed up to the protests at Kent State.
