In one of the most astounding scenes to come out of the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, a police officer who identified himself only as "Officer Go F*ck Yourself" on Tuesday leveled his rifle at civilians and profanely threatened to kill them.
"I'll f**king kill you. Get back," the officer says, swinging his rifle in the direction of a camera. Still brandishing his gun, the officer then declines to give his real name.
A second video shows the same cop still pointing his gun at protesters, prompting another officer to step in and force down the barrel.
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The police in Ferguson have come under fire not only for their militaristic crackdown on protesters, but also for their alleged carelessness and seeming unfamiliarity with their high-powered weaponry. And indeed, this incident seems like another clear example of that recklessness: The very first rule of gun safety, per the NRA, is to always point the muzzle in a safe direction — i.e. not at people — in case the gun goes off. --Jon Terbush
UPDATE: Later Wednesday, the St. Ann, Missouri, police identified the officer as Lt. Ray Albers, who's been with the St. Ann Police Department since 1994. After the incident, Albers was relieved of duty and suspended indefinitely. "The unified command strongly feel these actions are inappropriate, and not indicative of the officers who have worked daily, to keep the peace," said Officer Brian Schellman, a spokesman for the St. Louis County Police.
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