Policy

Capitol Shooting Raises Questions About When Police Should Use Force

I believe "When they feel like it" has been the answer these days.

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When someone tries to ram through barriers at two of the nation's most highly protected facilities, do officers shoot? What if the driver's car is carrying a powerful bomb? Or what if the driver is unarmed and has a child?

Details about Thursday's chaotic shooting were scant as an investigation was only just getting underway; officials said a woman drove up against a barricade at the White House and then sped toward Capitol Hill with a 1-year-old child in her car before she was apparently shot to death.

Officials wouldn't publicly confirm whether she was armed, but video taken of part of the incident showed a driver swerving away from several police officers with their guns drawn and then making a frighteningly fast getaway.