"alleged fare-beater had charged at the officers with a knife and made verbal threats against their lives; "
The fare jumper sociopath escalated to violence and threats with a deadly weapon. That’s the person responsible here.
I’m sure you would use your Jedi mind tricks in this circumstance.
Read up on how knife attacks go down in close quarters. Theres a reason British police frequently wear knife vests.
what was the crime committed by the bystanders who got shot by the police?
The violence wouldn’t have been escalated if
- The cops didn’t chase them down for a measly fare
- The cops weren’t absolute monsters that shoot first and ask questions never
Simple cause and effect, coupled with pre-existing fear of cops because of the multitude of times they’ve shot a person dead over nothing, or kneeled on their neck until they were dead over cigarettes.