20 years doesn't feel like it should be the maximum sentence.
this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2026
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Nice skull tats that asshole has.
Gosh this is just depressing to read, no wonder people hate cops https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sonya_Massey
They arrogantly call themselves highly trained, highly paid professionals but when faced with reality they often panick and just start shooting.
Ok, probably an unpopular opinion, but at the VERY least he felt remorse. Like he didn't double down.
These people are all liars, manipulators, rapists, abusers, and murderers. Part of the point of the trial is to find out if it was on purpose or not. And time and time again, magas always express sadness ONLY when punished, and then after, double down on it.
Not always. Some murderers are giddy after killing.
Are cops automatically MAGA in the US? I'm in Canada so I think it's probably a bit different; the cops here are a mixed bag and some seem to genuinely care about the community. In the states are they really all MAGA? That's horrifying.
I only live in one state, and don't travel a lot. So I only really know my tiny pocket. But in my tiny pocket, it used to be a somewhat mixed bag, but that job really does attract the worst types and the best types, and the best types can be easily swayed by fear and groupthink. I tend to stay away from cops as much as I can, just because of personality differences, and they're mostly all power-trippy types, it's just the nature of the job, and the longer things go, the more that's affirmed. And control is just had by changing whatever they perceive is the right thing to do.
I'm sure there are humble, normal people out there, but their low visibility through need to conform basically defines the trade alone; most cops really are, or will become, bastards.
Now, whether or not they're really MAGA or not.... You realize, the KKK was/is a community organization, right? Caring about the community is not the issue here, this is a long running cold war of philosophy and world view. And right now, the fascists are overwhelmingly in power, which makes both the loud and the quiet types very much emotionally empowered, and in essence, even louder.
Honestly, if we could just isolate them and put them in a pocket dimension time out for a few generations, they'd mostly kill themselves and each other. I'd be curious how they'd all evolve. Or maybe that's where we all are right now. #sadface
Good point about the KKK. When I say "community" I mean every member of society, but obviously that's not a universal agreement, and also probably not true in the purest sense anyway.
I appreciate the thoughtful reply.
I think I'm betting on us all being fixable through love.
I think that's an honorably and worthy wager.
He expressed remorse before being sentenced. Who knows what he felt?
He was already convicted when he apologized. Probably hoping to not get the maximum sentence.
20 yrs is the maximum sentence.
It shouldn't be a lot to ask for, but unfortunately these days, it seems so. I agree.
RIP Sonya Massey. 20 years isn't really enough. But when it comes to police the bar is so low for them to get held accountable it is better than nothing.
He will be out in 5-7.
I'm actually surprised, I read this story a while back and expected it like so many US injustices, particularly right now, and that the cop would get a paid vacation. I was deeply depressed.
I mean I still am, but I was back then too.
Either way, I hope he experiences in prison what cops who go to prison experience. 20 years isn't enough to make someone feel the pain they've inflicted on others by taking a life for no reason, and he will likely get out early if he lives, but at least I know however long he's in there will be either in sheer, constant terror, or utter isolation as he's kept separate from the general population.
It's really weird that they capitalize "black" in these stories. I get that it's relevant to mention because these things happen to black people a lot more often, but that doesn't make it a proper noun. They didn't capitalize "white". It seems like pandering and it's kind of gross and racist in its own way.
I tend to avoid stories like that because its obvious the author is trying to push in a racial divide amongst its readers.
See I don't have a problem race being discussed if it has a direct role in the situation. The capitalization is weird though.
I feel its relevant to mention the race of the victim because racism in law enforcement seems like a potential cause in a lot of these incidents. Statistically black people are much more likely to be the victim, we can't fix that unless we acknowledge it. Mentioning the race of the cop, not so much. It's more of systemic issue. Black cops seem to carry a lot of the same biases.
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You hear that ICE? Sometimes the piper got to be paid.
20 years isn't enough for his lack of empathy for a woman who did nothing wrong and was simply trying to get help and make dinner.
He had a license to kill and used it and didn't think he would be held accountable.
I was JUST thinking about this. What a good time to hop on lemmy. Happy ending.
Well, I wouldn't say it's happy to be honest, a life has lost anyway. Not the worst one though, for sure
True. I guess I'm just jaded enough that I hope for anything other than "zero consequences for the officer; plus he's still working as LEA somewhere" That shit's actually terrifying
Cops have a stressful, often life-threatening job, no doubt. But so do a lot of people. My family has a history of working in psychiatric lock-ups with extremely violent mentally ill and developmentally abnormal patients, most of whom are being held because of murders and rapes they've committed (usually of their own families), and who would murder you if they had the chance/inclination to do so, because they simply don't know any better. The nurses don't carry firearms, they're trained with a few restraining grappling technique and a lot of deescalation tactics. They don't even have tasers. Put an armed cop in that situation and you'd have a ward full of corpses within a few days. Hell, put a regular prison guard in that situation and you'd have a similar outcome. But my family members aren't MMA experts, and have never been [seriously] injured in their job. They've been properly trained, that's all. Cops are trained like they're being shipped off to 'Nam in 1969 to fight an unseen, non-uniformed enemy.
"Often life threatening" is not likely to be true. Sometimes, yes. Often? No chance.
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I’m sure his new home will be a bastion of good will and humanity.
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