Comment by dependenttypes

> Because shooting looters is disproportionate

Debatable

> You arrest them and charge them for burglary, and then determine mitigating factors

This is not possible to be done in scale in a mass-looting situation.

> The looters aren't shooting people

The looters are looting while using the threat of violence.

> As for why it is bad to kill someone that isn't a killer, we have to go back to general moral philosophy and common law

You say that as if it is some form of universal truth. I do not share your personal morals regarding this.

> Yes, in times of mass-looting, it would be better to have a functional police system that would be able to arrest, charge for burglary, and then determine mitigating factors by looking at the overall context

Certainly, but my argument is that no police force on the planet would be able to handle mass-looting in scale and in the way that you propose. This is like saying "just stop putting bugs in your code". Anyway, this whole thread is about trump saying that he will send the military if the governor is not able to handle it his own way - which is likely similar to the way that you are proposing.

> the aim is to re-assert control in a non-escalatory fashion

How are you planing to do that? Especially in a way that has the least amount of looting happen.