Yes, I understand this. I was more so questioning the law itself. It seems it grants an officer to resort to shooting quicker. I would hope it's not being used as a safeguard for unjustifiable circumstances where somebody running from an officer being deemed in the moment as part of that law's criteria can just get that officer excused. As you mentioned, hopefully they would be found negligent. As for this case, it just feels unfortunate that it ended the way it did, considering how quickly it resulted in the kid being shot. As I've stated earlier, maybe the cop could have given chase first, regardless of this law or not. However, at the same time, I can comprehend why he might be seen as an immediate threat, given the nature of why they were pulled over. I feel I've said a lot of this before. In this thread...which is all easily quotable...
You don't immediately chase when someone bails from a car. In this case they are already, per the article trying to detain the driver and 2 suspects are fleeing from a car with fucking bullet holes in it that just was involved in a gunfight with another gang member. You have no idea if that is all the suspects out of the car or if one is waiting inside armed.
We had an officer at my agency stop a car late night in an industrial area. Luckily he is a seasoned dude with time on and put it out and was letting others know the car was not yielding and instead pulling around a business, away from the street. He asked for additional units code 3 because he thought the driver was going to bail.
We all watched his dash cam after which showed this:
Car stops driver foot bails
Officer jumps out, yells police and takes off after him
Officer passes door of suspect car and 2nd occupant, who you could not see prior gets out
2nd occupant pulls hand gun from his waistband, steps around to try and get a clear shot at officer in foot pursuit
Can't get shot cause they were too far away and you can hear sirens of other approaching officers on the video
2nd occupant gets in driver seat of suspect car and drives away just prior to follow officer arrival
Now none of this shit was known until we watched his dash cam. Had he not been running so fast and had he not requested other units code 3, we would have had the passenger shoot him as he was chasing the first dude.
I also went to Ryan Bonamino's funeral. He got in a foot pursuit in the dark, of a stolen vehicle suspect. As he came around a corner, suspect ambushed him, bashed him in the face with a tire iron/tire checker bat, then picked up his gun while Ryan laid on the floor with his face bashed in and proceeded to execute him.
So all you armchair quarterbacks who have zero police training or military background need to realize how little you actually know.