Criminal Behavior

[House of Mustard]

Here's something I've always wondered:

Why do police/citizens/politicians always label criminals as cowards?  For example, refering to the recent shootings in Washington DC and Maryland, the governor and chief of police keep calling the shooter a coward.

Now, I'm not condoning criminal behavior at all, but what is cowardly about this?  What do they expect the guy to do?  Get in a boxing match one on one with the Police Chief to prove he isn't chicken?

This has always bugged me.

[Fellfrosch]

I think they call criminals cowards because they don't own up to their crimes--they commit them in secret and then hide. I suppose you could call this cowardice, but the only other option would have to be labelled stupidity: being noisy and public about a crime only helps the police catch you. Bravery, as the police often define it, is little more than chest-thumping arrogance that dooms you to failure. Which is, coincidentally, what they're probably trying to do--goad the sniper into making a mistake.

[Spriggan]

Now not all crimanals are cowards, but don't confuse bravery with stupidty.  But as for this sniper he is one, someone who shoots defencless people and dosen't even confront them is a total ball-less coward.  But Fellfrosch is right the police don't know who this guy is so if they goad him enought maybe he will make a mistake or give some clue as to he is.

[House of Mustard]

But what makes him a coward, Sprig?  He's not out to get these specific people (presumably) - he's just out to kill people to scare the general population.  What, exactly, is he hiding from?  What is he scared of?  If you just say he's scared of getting caught, then is that cowardice or intelligence?  Or are you saying he's scared of getting hurt if he were to, say, walk up to them and get into a fist fight?  Would you then say that the American Military (who prefer to use Tomahawk Missles and Airstrikes to attack unseen foes) are cowards?

The sniper is an evil criminal.  Many words can be used to describe him.  But not 'cowardice'.  I'm not saying he's brave, I'm just asking "What is he so scared of?"

[Fellfrosch]

I have to side with Mustard on this one. Sniping people from a hidden location, while evil, is much smarter than coming out into the open and stabbing them. What could he hope to accomplish by being more brazen?