This thread makes me want to wash my hands of this place. You guys weren't in their shoes, you don't know the lay out of the building, who was standing where at what time and all that jazz, you sound crazy calling this a bad shoot.
Without defending any posts that assume anything, I can explain very simply what the source of the outrage is. This cop is receiving benefit of the doubt not only that isn't deserved, not only that is far above and beyond what a non-cop would get, but also is routine to the point of ubiquity for cops. The outrage is that, yet again, there is the
assumption, particularly by other cops, that this cop
was justified, not merely at all, but even when the situation looks so questionable. You may criticize others for leaping to hasty conclusions; how much more damnable the police chief who has already cleared his officer of any wrong-doing? We have been taught by the police for decades that these investigations take months to complete. Why is he already so certain of the conclusion?
The problem is that our nation is founded on the principle that government must be held in perpetual skepticism, never trusted by default. In spite of this, even well-meaning folk are wholly credulous with regard to police.
This is wrong. Any American's first response to this story should be, and nothing more or less, "This sounds damned fishy. There had better be a full, credible, and transparent investigation by qualified and disinterested parties." Of course, that is not the response of the majority of Americans, whence the outrage.