I was a cop...let me assure you all...there might have been cause to fire, but not 50 times. A simple warning shot may have sufficed...even a leg shot could have potentially brought the situation under control...non-lethal force.
I don't know all the details of the situation...but there are few (if any) reasons to have multiple cops shooting at the same target.
I applaud that answer, Chick.
I'm from a family that's strong LEO. Some of my grandparents and uncles are cops. It's a hard job, and they do get some leeway that others do not.
That being said, the people they shot were not a threat anymore. They were 3 unarmed men in a car. They were fuckups, sure. But they weren't a threat and they didn't deserve to be fired upon.
We've all done stupid shit - imagine if you and 2 of your friends were driving home with a buzz and the driver hit a cop car. You're scared shitless, and the kid in the back is all pissed and yelling at the cops. Suddenly they OPEN FIRE! You're drunk, you had an accident, you belong in jail - but they put you to DEATH for it!
They went overboard and shouldn't be cops anymore.