What. The. Actual. Fuck. Anyone who would shoot someone over a can of soda is a ruthless criminal that should be behind bars.

I live about a 30 minute drive from where this happened, and in my opinion, this seemed like excessive force, I counted 13 seconds from when the cops stop their vehicle to when they fired. The guy is saying shoot me, he's clearly mentally disturbed, and the cops had time to use their taser or pepper spray. But they didn't. They neglected their other options and went straight to deadly force. That's wrong. Hell, the cops could of set themselves up so one had a taser, the other their side arm, and depending how it played out one would taser and the other not do anything and the other would shoot if it got out of control.  Either way, they had time to assess the situation and could of handled it differently, and that man would still be alive.

Bean bags> taser> guns

The kid was yelling "shoot me!" While walking towards the cops in a threatening manor...idiot got what he was asking for.

Also, given that the guy stole the 2 sodas, placed them on the ground, and WAITED for the police to show up, tells anyone with a brain, that he was outright LOOKING for a confrontation with the police. Why? We'll probably never know. But he definitely had intentions to harm an officer.

Oh no! Now we'll never find the cure for cancer.

Well, you can't say he wasn't asking for it

I can't stand most cops, but ANY American is entitled to defend his or her life- cops included...

I love how everyone is screaming they could have tased him.  How quickly everyone forgets, "Don't tase me Bro!"

Two key factors in the case of Mr. Powell that prove to me without a doubt that SLPD arrived with the intent to kill.

1:09 words of wisdom

I'm just glad I don't live in US. I was planning of going this winter up there for vacations, but first Ferguson now this..what the hell guys? I'm calling off that trip.

I'll try to help a little but I know it won't do any good but here goes nothing.

Shoot him once if you're gonna shoot, you don't gotta unload a clip into his chest... come on man.

"Shoot me now motherfucker" - Famous last words, rip.

This lad will not be a problem in the future...Problem solved.

min 1:27 Police tells him take your hands out of your packet.