***To read the full blog, please check out the complete post on NewsBusters***
CNN host Chris Cuomo does not have a good track record when going up against Georgia’s public officials. Last week he got destroyed by an election official after crying racism, then on Tuesday night, he got schooled on the use of deadly force by veteran police officer Steven Gaynor, the president of Cobb County’s Fraternal Order of Police. For someone who liked to brag about being an educated lawyer, Cuomo liked to show off why he was no longer in that field of work.
Any honest observer of the recent police shooting of Rayshard Brooks can admit it wasn’t the same as what happened to George Floyd, and that the police may have been justified. But, of course, Cuomo was no honest observer, and he had to peddle hate of the police. His first question to Gaynor was simple enough (click “expand”):
CUOMO: So, why do you believe this shooting was justified?
GAYNOR: Well Chris, I think if you look at the whole situation, look at the whole story with an open mind from start to finish, you look at the officers dealing with Mr. Brooks in a very calm and peaceful manner for about 43 minutes. And then you see it suddenly change when they tell Mr. Brooks he's under arrest and begin to put the handcuffs on. Mr. Brooks becomes violent and begins to attack the officers.
Interrupting his guest, Cuomo followed up by asking the asinine question: “Why not give him the option of letting him leave that way? Leave the car here, walk home, or maybe we’ll give you a ride if we’re leaving, whatever. Why not go that way?”
Gaynor pointed out the obvious, that Brooks could’ve returned to his car when the cops left. “You leave somebody that’s DUI at the scene with a car, but even if he walks away, who knows if he doesn’t have another key if you take his keys. You don't know the facts. You don’t know what’s going to happen,” he explained.
A short time later, Cuomo spouted off about how a taser in an untrained user’s hands was not considered a deadly weapon. “And a taser doesn't count as deadly force when you guys use it. So why does it become one when he uses it,” he condescendingly sniped.
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