It's all symptomatic of a tendency to shoot first, ask questions later

Plain-clothes Philly cops shoot hoodie-wearing pizza man who thought he was being robbed (Click here to read more)

By David Edwards
Thursday, April 24, 2014 12:25 EDT
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A pizza deliveryman was in critical condition after two plain-clothes police officers in Philadelphia broke department protocol and opened fire on his moving vehicle, claiming their lives were in danger.
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The officers were responding to reports of gunfire on Tuesday night when they saw 20-year-old Philippe Holland with his hands in his pocket, and wearing a hoodie.
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"As I understand it, they asked the male to stop," Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross explained on Tuesday. "The male, in quick fashion, got in his car and he drove at a high rate of speed towards the officers. The officers then discharged out of fear for their lives."
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Bullets struck Holland at least three times: in the neck, a leg and head. Doctors said that he could be permanently blind after the shot to his head damaged his eyesight.
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"We are getting information that he is a pizza deliveryman, so it is a possibility he may have thought he was being robbed," Ross said. "We do know the police officers announced themselves as police officers, he may not have heard that. Again, what I stress is this is all preliminary at this point."
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Sources told KYW-TV that at least 10 shots hit the car. Officers admitted that they never saw a gun, Ross said.
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Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey pointed out on Wednesday that investigators would not be able to determine what happened until they could speak with Holland, adding that the officers felt "terrible" about the shooting.