from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2020/08/24/rams-xavier-jones-darrell-henderson-undrafted/

Now that the Rams will use more of a committee approach, they could go four-deep on the 53-man roster and utilize each player. Darrell Henderson Jr. is a lock for the final roster, but his hamstring injury could sideline him until the season opener.

That may afford undrafted rookie Xavier Jones the chance to earn a spot on the 53-man roster instead of the practice squad. Regardless of whether Henderson misses two weeks or a month, Jones’ opportunities just increased.

…rushed for 1,276 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior in 2019 and was named one of the 10 Doak Walker Award semifinalists for the best running back in the country.

WATCH: Van Jefferson snatches Adonis Alexander's soul in training camp. #LARams @HardEarnedYard @MyFantasyLeague #NFL #NFLTwitter pic.twitter.com/Ugdj6EFQCk

— Jayrese Jones (@PotPharma) August 29, 2020

This is why Jacob Blake had a warrant out for his arrest

https://nypost.com/2020/08/28/this-is-why-jacob-blake-had-a-warrant-out-for-his-arrest/

The cops involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake — which touched off a fresh wave of angry, anti-police sentiment across the country — were attempting to arrest him for violating a restraining order stemming from an alleged sexual assault, The Post has learned.

Blake, 29, was forbidden from going to the Kenosha home of his alleged victim from the May 3 incident, and police were dispatched Sunday following a 911 call saying he was there.

The responding officers were aware he had an open warrant for felony sexual assault, according to dispatch records and the Kenosha Professional Police Association, which released a statement on the incident on Friday.

That police union statement also claimed that Blake was armed with a knife at the time of the shooting — and had put one cop in a headlock and shrugged off two Taser attempts while resisting arrest.

Blake, who was paralyzed in the shooting, had been handcuffed to his hospital bed due to the warrant, which was vacated Friday, according to a statement released by his lawyer, Benjamin Crump. His restraints were removed, but he is still facing the criminal charges, Crump said.

Blake is accused in the criminal complaint, which was obtained by The Post, of breaking into the home of a woman he knew and sexually assaulting her.

The victim, who is only identified by her initials in the paperwork, told police she was asleep in bed with one of her children when Blake came into the room around 6 a.m. and allegedly said “I want my sh-t,” the record states.

She told cops Blake then used his finger to sexually assault her, sniffed it and said, “Smells like you’ve been with other men,” the criminal complaint alleges.

The officer who took her statement said she “had a very difficult time telling him this and cried as she told how the defendant assaulted her.”

The alleged victim said Blake “penetrating her digitally caused her pain and humiliation and was done without her consent” and she was “very humiliated and upset by the sexual assault,” the record states.

She told police she “was upset but collected herself” and then allegedly ran out the front door after Blake, the complaint says. She then realized her car was missing, checked her purse and saw the keys were missing and then “immediately called 911,” the complaint alleges.

The alleged victim told cops she has known him for eight years and claims that he physically assaults her “around twice a year when he drinks heavily.”

Police filed charges against him for felony sexual assault, trespassing and domestic abuse in July when a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On Sunday, within three minutes of responding to the 911 call, Blake was shot 7 times in the back as he attempted to get into his car.

Calls to Blake’s fiance, Crump and the Kenosha Police Department have gone unreturned.

8 takeaways from Rams’ 2nd scrimmage at SoFi Stadium

Cameron DaSilva

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/lists/rams-sofi-stadium-scrimmage-takeaways-highlights/

The Los Angeles Rams held their second scrimmage of training camp at SoFi Stadium on Saturday afternoon, one week before final cuts and two weeks before the regular season begins. It featured fewer plays than the first scrimmage but was designed to be a competitive day, especially for the Rams’ younger players.

Reporters were in attendance for the game and shared some insight on Twitter during the scrimmage, including key plays and details from the depth chart.

Here are eight takeaways from reporters’ observations and Sean McVay’s comments afterwards.

Goff starts hot, throws two picks later

Jared Goff wasn’t as sharp as he would’ve liked in the first scrimmage, but he started the second scrimmage on fire. According to Eric Williams of SI, Goff completed 11 of his first 13 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. However, he only completed eight of his last 13 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions.

So in total, he was 19-for-26 for 183 yards, which is still a decent stat line.

Young starts in Howard’s place

Travin Howard missed the scrimmage with a knee injury, which he presumably suffered in the team’s last practice on Thursday. Sean McVay didn’t have much of an update, other than to say he’s being evaluated.

Kenny Young got the start next to Micah Kiser, so he’s the No. 3 linebacker on the depth chart. Clay Johnston and Troy Reeder were the second-team linebackers, indicating they’re behind Young in the pecking order.

Kicking battle remains close

It wasn’t a stellar day for any of the Rams’ three kickers. At one point in the scrimmage, they missed five straight field goal attempts combined from 48 yards until Austin MacGinnis made one.

The coaches tried to make things interesting by playing random sounds like Chewbacca’s yell and the Twilight Zone theme song while the kickers were kicking, attempting to simulate the distractions of a real game.

Lirim Hajrullahu came in as the most consistent kicker of the three, but Sam Sloman and MacGinnis seem to be in the hunt still.

One factor to consider with Saturday’s kicks is that Johnny Hekker, the usual holder, was not at the game as he was awaiting the birth of his child. And the backup holder, Cooper Kupp, was also limited – not by injury, McVay said – so the Rams were down to their third holder, John Wolford.

No clear RB1 yet

Malcolm Brown opened the scrimmage with the first-team offense, which seems notable. That could be how the Rams offense takes the field in the season opener, but there are still two more weeks to go before Sept. 13.

Cam Akers worked with the starters on the second drive and according to Kevin Modesti of the L.A. Daily News, Akers seemed to get the bulk of the carries.

The Rams are bringing him along quickly and giving him a lot of work in practice, and that figures to continue in the regular season with Akers getting a good chunk of the carries.

Jefferson opens with 2nd team, makes play of the day with 1st team

Van Jefferson has been the star of camp, but he didn’t open the scrimmage with the starters. Instead, he was running with the second-team offense, with Josh Reynolds working alongside Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods on the first-team. However, Jefferson once again got chances with the first-team and he made the most of them.

He made a spectacular catch with David Long Jr. draped over him in coverage, going for a 30-yard gain. It was the play of the day on a pass from Goff.

Rapp sits but expected back Monday

Taylor Rapp was still sidelined with a knee injury on Saturday, continuing his two-week absence from practice. However, Sean McVay shared some good news after the scrimmage. He said Rapp is expected back on the field Monday when the Rams practice, which is a positive development for the young safety.

Jordan Fuller got the start in his place and has earned those reps with a strong training camp, but Rapp is a standout player for L.A.

Kiser stands out

Micah Kiser appears to have locked up a starting job at linebacker and cemented that spot on Saturday. In what the Rams called the “Mamba Tourney” in honor of the late Kobe Bryant – a competitive period between the two sides – Kiser blitzed up the midle, tipped Goff’s pass and picked it off for a turnover.

Kiser is known for being a good run defender, but he’s had a strong camp and received positive reviews in coverage, too.

Floyd wreaks havoc

At one point in the scrimmage, Floyd dominated the right side of the Rams’ offensive line – including the tight ends. He had two would-be sacks against the first-team offensive line, presumably with Rob Havenstein blocking from the right tackle position.

That’s a great sign for the Rams, who need all the help they can get at outside linebacker.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Rams are getting a good long look at Clay Johnston before next week’s cuts. He got some time on the field with the twos, but also is on during today’s “developmental” period.

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
I asked Rams DT Aaron Donald which players have stood out to him as far as making plays during the two scrimmages, and he said ILB Micah Kiser and RB Xavier Jones.

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
Travin Howard sat out today’s scrimmage with a knee injury. Sean McVay doesn’t know the severity, but this is not good for the Rams

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Aaron Donald wants fans: “We need fans in there just for the excitement and the fun of it. But ain’t nothing I can do about it. I think we can try to figure something out to get some type of fans in here. I feel like it’s a big stadium, spread people out. But, it ain’t my call.”

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Rams backup QB John Wolford has worked a lot with rookie receiver Van Jefferson during the onboarding process. What are his thoughts?

“He’s awesome.”

For those at home wondering how the Oculus lights up after a Rams touchdown. pic.twitter.com/ikySHhPDUH

— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) August 29, 2020

Looks like some good protection for Goff here https://t.co/ouBJLcakQh pic.twitter.com/BHNOoOERZx

— 𝕋𝕠𝕞 – 𝕃𝔸 ℝ𝕒𝕞𝕤 (@TL_LARams) August 29, 2020

Mike Smith@MJSmitty625
Them: “it’s their business, if they do not want to make a cake for a same sex couple it’s their choice.”

Also them: how dare this business tell me I need to put a mask on to enter it, it’s my constitutional right not to wear a mask, even if it’s inside a business.”

Jacob Blake and Kyle Rittenhouse: Should police have used different tactics?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53954181?SThisFB&fbclid=IwAR3n0DJxQWGVQe88ORMlv3N5T7I8XF9FxibSQi_8PJlY8tvGqFWvI6imdY8

Two incidents have turned Wisconsin into the latest epicentre of America’s police protests. What can the footage from two different shootings tell us about US policing?

The first saw Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black father, shot several times by a white officer, leaving him paralysed in hospital. The second followed in the unrest sparked by Mr Blake’s shooting, where white 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed two protesters.

We asked two law enforcement experts for their take on the viral footage: New York Law School criminal law Professor Kirk Burkhalter, who served 20 years in the New York City Police Department, and Brennan Center national security fellow Michael German, who was an FBI agent for 16 years.

First, let’s break down the two videos.

What do we see in the Blake video?

In a bystander-filmed clip of the police shooting, Mr Blake is seen walking around to the front of his vehicle. One of the two officers following him at this point has a weapon drawn. It is unclear what the police officers said before the shooting.

What do we know about Jacob Blake’s shooting?

Blake opens the door and leans into the car. The officer grabs his shirt and opens fire. The other officer also draws his gun.

Seven shots can be heard in the video, as witnesses scream.

Just before the first video that was released begins, police reportedly wrestled and tased Mr Blake. Investigators said a knife was later uncovered from the floor on the driver’s side of Mr Blake’s car.

What can we see in the Rittenhouse videos?

Mr Rittenhouse has appeared in a number of different videos from Tuesday night’s Kenosha protest. In one, he speaks to police, who offer him water.

Later, he is seen in footage running from a group of people, one of whom appears to fire into the air.

Who is US teen accused of Wisconsin protest murders?

Mr Rittenhouse appears to shoot a man who tries to assail him. As he flees and is chased again, he falls to the ground and shoots again. A man falls to the ground, and many shots can be heard.

Following this incident, Mr Rittenhouse approaches police vehicles with his arms in the air, his weapon slung across his chest.

A bystander calls out that the teenager “just shot” people, but the police vehicles pass by to attend to the injured protesters.

Should police have responded differently?
With Jacob Blake…

While there is no specific rule for every single scenario, both experts note that as far as we know, Mr Blake was not being arrested or wanted for any heinous crime (like mass murder).

The whole encounter played out in around seven seconds.

“The effort to prevent him from getting into his car and driving away is what led to the violence,” says Mr German. “They had his licence plate number, if they needed to go arrest him later, he would be easy to find.”

Prof Burkhalter adds that in the moments leading up to the shots, officers “passed through several decision points where, arguably, they could have made more effective decisions”, like tackling him or tasing him again.

“When someone resists arrest and they attempt to walk away, which happens often…that in and of itself is not carte blanche to use deadly physical force, period.”

The retired detective adds that if Mr Blake threatened deadly force, drawing weapons could be justified. But he says it’s “particularly disturbing” that an officer grabbed his shirt with one hand and fired with the other.

“It didn’t appear to be life threatening at that particular point and holding someone in place so you can shoot them, unless they are actually armed at that time, seems wildly problematic.”

There’s also a lack of situational awareness, Prof Burkhalter points out, calling it “an absolute miracle” that none of the seven shots ricocheted to strike the children in the car.

…and Kyle Rittenhouse?

Prof Burkhalter begins: “It is absolutely ridiculous that, confronted with this person, the police would not take action.”

Rendering aid, he says, is of course the number one priority.

“However, there were a significant number of police officers on this street. I would guess that some of those officers could have rendered aid and others could have pursued this man.”

And as Mr German notes: a rifle shot is loud. For officers to respond and see anyone walking towards them with a rifle is a “serious violation of police safety protocol”.

“To let that person go behind the police line is astonishing,” he says.

How do the responses compare?

There are clear differences for Prof Burkhalter. One man who may or may not have been reaching for a knife was “corralled, [an officer] holding his shirt like he’s some type of animal” and shot multiple times, he says, while the other was walking down the street with an assault weapon.

But while a lot of emphasis is placed on the actions of a single officer, Prof Burkhalter says “there’s often a lot of blame to go around”. In both incidents, he asks: “Where is the supervisor who was responsible for these actions?”

Letting an armed individual walk behind the line of cars “is astonishingly dangerous for the police officers themselves,” Mr German points out.

These two incidents highlight the ways “police are trained to be afraid of certain situations and not others,” he says.

The first shooting took place in broad daylight on a residential street. The second, in the middle of the night in a chaotic civil unrest environment.

“The situations are just so opposite in how the police should have responded compared to how they did.”

So how should police training change?

Mr German criticises the development of a “warrior cop mentality” in the last two decades – the idea “that police officers in their daily work are at extreme threat from the communities they serve and…treat very incident as one that could end their lives”.

He says research shows that fear of death creates a mind-set that “demonises out-groups”. Acknowledging the existence of conscious biases and racism will be key to reforming US law enforcement, he says.

And there’s another problem Mr German – who did undercover work with far-right groups – has seen play out in recent years.

White supremacist groups and armed militias have been seen interacting with police at protests. “It’s astonishing that even at the leadership level, they don’t recognise the danger they’re putting their officers in by suggesting those far-right militants aren’t the bigger threat,” he says.

US white supremacist propaganda ‘rose in 2019’

For Prof Burkhalter, it’s time to throw out the book on policing altogether, and pen a new one for the 21st century.

In lieu of six-month academies, he suggests officers have a more undergraduate-style training: two years where trainees learn from department personnel and civilian academics about history, psychology, immigration law, sociology, and participate in on-the-street training with guided reflections.

Policing standards should also be set at the national level, and there should be a national registry. Pay increases could also help attract a wider range of prospective candidates, he adds.

With this dream in mind, Prof Burkhalter thinks the movement to defund the police – that is, to cut police funding and redistribute money to social programmes – “would only compound the problem”.

“Revising departments and the training, the education that I’m talking about – that requires funding.”