Critical Thinking Fail: Police Shoot at Concrete Lawn Alligator

When I first heard this story on the local news I laughed.   But then as I thought about it more thoroughly, I think this is truly an example of how emotions often override logic. 

On Sunday, police in Independence, MO received a report that a child had spotted an alligator on the loose.  They arrived at the location (a residential pond), spotted the gator, and fired two rounds at it before they realized that it was a concrete lawn ornament.

Instead of taking a few seconds to think through the situation logically, check assumptions, investigate the evidence, and assess alternatives, the police reacted on fear and heightened emotions and mortally wounded this unarmed concrete alligator!

Any one of the following steps could have helped them avoid this embarrassing news story:

1)  Questioning the credibility of the source- a small child.

2)  Examining the likelihood that an alligator would be on the loose in Missouri.

3)  Contacting the homeowner to let them know they’re investigating a report of an alligator.

4)  Getting close enough to confirm the evidence of a live alligator (i.e. throw a rock at it)

5)  Consider alternatives to shooting the animal- could wildlife rescue have helped?

6)  Take the fact that the first bullet ricocheted off of the alligator as a sign that it wasn’t real.

Granted, the only thing harmed in this critical thinking fail was a lawn ornament (garden gnomes beware), but mistakes happen often when fear/emotions are involved.  In 1999, a man was shot 41 times when police thought he pulled a gun out of his jacket.  It was actually his wallet.

I don’t want to just focus on police, though.  We all react on fear.  Just the rumor that lay offs are looming has caused many otherwise ethical people to sabotage the careers of others as if they’re playing a game of Survivor.  Strange things happen when we let emotions override our logic.

Always remember to STOP and THINK before shooting the proverbial concrete alligator.

Did you shoot an alligator today?
By the way, Independence Police, in case you get a call about a monkeys on a totem pole, Big Foot, or zombie in the area, they are all available through Skymall. 

Editor’s Note: Breanne Harris is the Solutions Architect for Pearson TalentLens.  She works with customers to design selection and development plans that incorporate critical thinking assessments and training.  She has a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology and has experience in recruiting, training, and HR consulting.  She is the chief blogger for Critical Thinkers and occasionally posts at ThinkWatson.  Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter for more of her thoughts.