US: New cop shooting in Minnesota: woman livestreams boyfriend"s dying moments
Diamond Reynolds recounts the incidents that led to the fatal shooting of her boyfriend Philando Castile by Minneapolis police during a traffic stop. Many viewers wondered how she maintained such an exceptionally calm demeanour after witnessing unthinkable violence. Was it psychological shock or the well-practised behaviour of a black woman familiar with the risks of a violent interaction with law enforcement?(ERIC MILLER / REUTERS)
By Danielle PaquetteThe Washington Post
Thu., July 7, 2016
Seconds after shooting the man he had just pulled over, the police officer yelled at a woman in the passenger seat: Maam, keep your hands where they are.
Diamond Lavish Reynolds watched blood drench her boyfriends white shirt. She did not scream. She did not cry. Her language remained polite.
I will, sir, she replied, calmly. No worries. I will.
Reynolds recorded the conversation on her phone, live-streaming a routine traffic stop that turned deadly and caught the worlds attention. In the background, as the officer shouted expletives, she continued to narrate the experience with startling composure.
He just shot his arm off, Reynolds explained to viewers, matter-of-factly.
By Thursday morning, the roughly 10-minute Facebook video had garnered more than 2 million views, and many viewers wondered how Reynolds maintained such an exceptionally calm demeanour after witnessing unthinkable violence. Was it psychological shock or the well-practised behaviour of a black woman familiar with the risks of a violent interaction with law enforcement?
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Reynolds said she found strength for her daughter, who also witnessed the shooting from the back seat.
My daughter told me stay strong, and thats what I had to do, she said. My daughter told me, dont cry, and thats what I had to do. My daughter prayed for me.
Trauma experts say her demeanour shouldnt surprise those whove worked with victims of violence. Jim Hopper, a psychology instructor at Harvard Medical School, watched the footage Thursday and said her response was consistent with what he calls a dissociative state.
In the immediate aftermath of horrific violence, he said, victims dont always sob. Reynolds face appeared stoic. Her voice remained steady (You told him to get his ID, sir. His drivers licence, she told the police officer). But it doesnt mean she wasnt afraid.
People are literally not feeling in their body whats going on, Hopper said. That circuitry can basically shut down. This is the brain on horror.
In the car, as Castile moaned beside her, Reynolds kept talking, repeating similar phrases:
Please, Jesus, dont tell me that hes gone.
Please dont tell me hes gone.
Please, officer, dont tell me that you just did this to him.
Its easier to appear unfazed, Hopper said, if a victim has something to focus on. Sometimes, its helping others. Sometimes, its calling for help. In Reynolds case, its telling the world what happened to Castille.
Shes grasping for dear life to these phrases, to this phone, he said. You can think of it as a life raft to try to get through this.
Hopper, who studies the impact of trauma on the brain, compared Reynolds reaction to what he has witnessed among victims of sexual assault. When they report attacks to authorities, he said, they often sound like theyre reading from a grocery list. Trauma can trigger pain-regulating hormones, which can make a victim appear to be relaxed, even apathetic.
Academic research has found the physical manifestation of trauma can be subtle. A 2014 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration emphasizes that people dont respond to trauma like actors in Hollywood movies. Survivors immediate reactions in the aftermath of trauma are quite complicated and are affected by their own experiences, the authors wrote. Coping styles vary from action-oriented to reflective and from emotionally expressive to reticent.
Another study from the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma found the bulk of a victims emotional response often spikes in the days after a traumatic event, rather than in real time.
On social media, Twitter users offered another explanation. They lauded Reynolds behaviour as a deliberate act of defence.
Lavish Reynolds managed to be calm before her dying boyfriend bc if she panics the officer might kill her too, shows much strength, offered one Tweet.
Another said, Lavish Reynolds calm demeanour (esp in front of daughter) is something I wouldnt been able to do if it were me. That lady is PURE STRENGTH.
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHsBTSR0XWQ5b0kFLawqMGQO2cTqg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779152220499&ei=TtR-V-iEAYXP3AHh6af4Cg&url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/07/07/he-just-shot-his-arm-off-the-startling-composure-of-girlfriend-in-minnesota-shooting.html
