Actually, I don't have to admit it. People involved in interrogations after stressful events tend to not be thinking straight. Cops aren't interrogated right then, but have an opportunity to calm down and get with counsel and reflect. Want to judge them based on their initial words or the whole picture, including what they have to say after reflection?
I'm more interested in the totality of the circumstances than a word. Is the statement by a 73 year old man who had been involved in a life or death circumstance that "he was squirming" really that inconsistent with someone wriggling in pain . . . yet still trying to work the action of a weapon? How many furtive movements shootings involve quite similar reactions? I have a recollection of a few LEOs who said some quite similar things, including having trouble figuring out exactly why they fired and then discovering that they'd seen a weapon, and had reacted before they were consciously aware of the fact.
As for the faith in the videotape, I'd have to know some other facts before I relied on that, such as how long was he being interrogated; how long had it been after the shooting; had he received medical attention; had he had an opportunity to have counsel; and what did the cops say?
There'd have to be more than a statement that "he was squiriming" before I'd call it an "execution." And no, "execution" isn't a word normally chosen to stimulate conversation without implying guilt.
I'm more interested in the totality of the circumstances than a word. Is the statement by a 73 year old man who had been involved in a life or death circumstance that "he was squirming" really that inconsistent with someone wriggling in pain . . . yet still trying to work the action of a weapon? How many furtive movements shootings involve quite similar reactions? I have a recollection of a few LEOs who said some quite similar things, including having trouble figuring out exactly why they fired and then discovering that they'd seen a weapon, and had reacted before they were consciously aware of the fact.
As for the faith in the videotape, I'd have to know some other facts before I relied on that, such as how long was he being interrogated; how long had it been after the shooting; had he received medical attention; had he had an opportunity to have counsel; and what did the cops say?
There'd have to be more than a statement that "he was squiriming" before I'd call it an "execution." And no, "execution" isn't a word normally chosen to stimulate conversation without implying guilt.