(08-05-2020, 07:43 AM)copycat Wrote: Does anyone else find it odd that the two officers that had only been on the job for a week were assigned together or did I mis-read the article?

It's not really odd to me, though it's all about perspective and what the wording is.  I doubt that they were "assigned together".  I don't know if this is the case or not, but consider this scenario.

A couple (or perhaps a group) of rookies finished their training as far as riding along with their training officer(s).  They get assigned to their own patrol car on their own.  The two "new guys" happen to be in the area and "free" when what is perceived as a "routine" call comes in.  Dispatchers don't consider the experience level when assigning calls.  An officer assigned to his or her own patrol car is "just another unit".

To kind of give an analogy consider pilots.  At some point a pilot is able to fly an aircraft on his or her own without an instructor.  The pilot is certified and able to fly on his or her own, but doesn't have the experience to handle a stressful situation.  The pilot is still a pilot much like the police officer is still a police officer (not a trainee).

I kind of suspect that this might have been the case since when Mr. Floyd was taken into custody he wasn't taken to the nearest patrol vehicle.  Usually whichever officer is the first to respond is the "primary" officer on-scene, therefor they probably took him to the initial responding officer's vehicle.

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