Ep. 58 - 96 shots: misplaced focus in the Dexter Reed incident – Breakdown with Daniel Carr of Police Law News

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Episode 58 • 15th May 2024 • On Being a Police Officer • Abby Ellsworth

Ep. 58 - Breakdown with Daniel Carr of Police Law News. This is a special episode to discuss an incident that took place in March 2024 involving Dexter Reed, a 26-year-old black male who was fatally shot while engaged in a gun battle with officers in Chicago following a traffic stop. He did not follow commands to roll down his window and exit the vehicle. He then shot a police officer, wounding him. Officers returned fire to stop the threat.

I don't often cover incidents that are in the news, but I felt this was important because of how it’s been portrayed and because there are elements that people have questions about. Of course, I don’t do it alone because I am not a police officer. I have enlisted expert help from my friend and returning guest Daniel Carr content creator of Police Law News.

By the time you hear this, there may be more information available than what we had. But as we sit here today, this is what we know: There's been a lot of focus – much of it critical – on the number of shots fired by police, which was 96. There's been a lot of discussion about why officers were not in typical police patrol uniforms, and there are people questioning the legality of the traffic stop which was for not wearing a seatbelt.

My goal in breaking this down with Daniel is to provide context and insight for people who do have questions on these factors because no one will get an accurate or fair portrait of the incident especially if you’re scanning the headlines and media coverage which over time has become not only more inflammatory and but also goes so far as to minimize or completely ignore and not report on basic facts. This is a conversation that examines all the pieces of this incident.

To find Daniel’s work on social media, go to any platform and simply search for Police Law News. Here are some handy links as well:

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok, Twitter and Substack Newsletter here:

https://linktr.ee/policelawnews

Here is the link to view the body cam of this incident available on Police Activity’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCTbZWylP8E

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