Does a rubber bullet slow down hurt stun someone? Why didn't the cop who killed the Louiville protester use a RUBBER BULLET instead?

Thank for a very helpful reply Walt. When they shoot is it always "to kill"? Could they not aim for a leg instead? Of course I'm not a gun person so I have no idea how much harder that would be..smaller target and all. What about always having a stun gun on hand? How long do they disable someone? I shall ask. Happy Tuesday to you!:)

Yes ... they are trained to shoot for "center mass", because that's the largest part of your body.
Unless they have sniper training, then they are taught to shoot for the head as well.  Because shooting someone in the head will prevent them from doing something like triggering a bomb or killing a hostage.

Why aren't regular police taught to be expert marksmen?
Because it would require a LOT more training time and money.
Also, when you are in a high-stress situation, it's easier to aim for the largest target area.
Even then, think of how many bullets are actually fired - vs how many hit the target - when police DO use their weapons; and you will understand that police officers are notoriously bad shots in the field, compared to when they do target practice.

Like the difference between engaging in basketball PRACTICE and playing a real game against a real opponent? That does not comfort me. "Notoroiously bad shots in the field"? OMG. That's where I would be...in the field. An "innocent"victim of friendly fire? Oy vey! So OK. How close do you have to be to use a stun gun Walt? What effective distance do they have? It seems to me that when you use a bullet it should be as a last resort and not due to racism bent or fear in the field. I just thought of another question to ask. Thanks Walt and Happy Tuesday! :)

My ex-father-in-law was a range officer with the Oregon State Patrol.
He taught that if an opponent was within 20 feet of you (the officer) ... even if you had your gun out and aimed, the opponent had time to rush and hit you before your reaction to fire.

Unlike civilian target practice, police aren't really taught to look behind the target (in case they miss).

I think the range on a stun gun is about 20 feet.
And they are worthless against someone "jacked up" on drugs (such as meth).

Really? What does being "jacked up" on drugs do for you strength-wise Walt? That's very scary. What your former FIL told you is hard for me to grasp though. I mean 20 feet is pretty far away. How long does it take to pull a trigger? Very ignorant about all the parts to this. How can anyone run faster than a trigger can get pulled? Thank you for your reply Walt! :)

Most people can easily close 20 feet within 2-3 seconds.
Cops are trained to NOT have their finger on the trigger, until they are shooting.
This is to prevent an officer from accidentally shooting the suspect, if startled.

So they have to process the person is actually attacking them, put their finger inside the trigger guard, and pull the trigger.

My FIL demonstrated it to a group, while I was watching.  Blanks in the gun, of course.
But yes, whomever was playing the suspect was able to get close enough to knock the gun aside and stab the officer (fake knife, of course) before the officer could fire.

EDIT:  That's why officers are also trained to back up when being charged, if they are holding a gun on the person. This post was edited by Walt O'Reagun at June 2, 2020 2:29 PM MDT

Thank you for taking the time to explain it. I visualized it as I read your response a second time and I see the problem. So cops are operating under a handicap of sorts which doesn't help them in the trenches. I wouldn't be a cop for anything. Your life in on the line ALL THE TIME. Then on top of that you get abuse as part of your daily routine. Did your former FIL ever regret his choice of profession? I'm glad no sons are cops or anyone we know as far as that goes. Maybe among the most thankless jobs one can have. I'm gonna ask. :)