Banner year for Biden? Top political gaffes of 2014

Any election year can pretty much guarantee a steady stream of political gaffes, and 2014 was no different. Democrats and Republicans alike had their share of foot-in-mouth moments -- as did, you guessed it, Vice President Biden. Here are a few gems that stood out this year.

• 1. Biden's swipe at US allies

  

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  Perhaps the most significant stumble of the year -- considering the diplomatic damage it did -- came not during the campaign but a policy speech by Biden in October.
  While speaking at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the veep hit a diplomatic nerve after he sounded off on U.S. allies in the fight against the Islamic State, suggesting they contributed to the instability in Syria.
  "The Turks ... the Saudis, the Emiratis, etc. What were they doing?" he said. "They were so determined to take down [Syrian President Bashar] Assad and essentially have a proxy Sunni-Shia war." Biden added: "They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad — except that the people who were being supplied were al-Nusra and Al Qaeda and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world.”
  Some analysts suggested there was a hard dose of truth in Biden's remarks. But they caused diplomatic problems at a very sensitive time -- just days earlier, the U.S. and some of those nations had launched a coordinated airstrike campaign against the Islamic State in Syria.
  Biden quickly apologized to the U.S. allies.
  Incidentally, the remark wasn't the only Bidenism that day. During the same event, Biden also replied to a question from a student who identified himself as the vice president of the student body. "Isn't it a b-tch?" Biden responded. "Excuse me ... the vice president thing."

• 2. Grimes and the 'sanctity of the ballot box'

  

  AP
  
  Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes tried for months to distance herself from President Obama -- but really went the extra mile during a cringe-worthy interview with a local newspaper.
  During an October sit-down with the Louisville Courier-Journal editorial board, Grimes three times refused to answer whether she voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012. Instead, she replied, "I respect the sanctity of the ballot box." Her attempts to duck the question landed her in the media spotlight, and not in a good way. She continued to get hammered for the dodge until Election Day, when she lost to Republican Mitch McConnell. 

• 3. No place like home?

  

  AP
  
  Republican Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts was faced with the biggest challenge of his political career this year. In a race full of unexpected twists and turns, Roberts ended up facing independent candidate Greg Orman after his Democratic challenger dropped out. In the end, he won.
  But his campaign for months was shadowed by a telling gaffe from a radio interview over the summer. In the interview, Roberts said he goes back to Kansas "every time I get an opponent -- I mean, every time I get a chance, I’m home.”
  At the time, the gaffe fed into critics' narrative of Roberts as an absentee senator, one too close to Washington and out of touch with his state. 

• 4. 'A farmer from Iowa who never went to law school'

  

  AP
  
  While speaking at a fundraiser earlier this year, Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, was caught on tape dissing the state's Republican senator, Chuck Grassley -- and in one fell swoop, Iowa's farmers as a whole.
  Braley, a trial lawyer by training, appealed to the attendees, "if you help me win this race, you may have someone with your background, your experience, your voice." Braley, referring to Grassley, said the alternative is: "you might have a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school, never practiced law."
  Not exactly the kind of thing you want to say in Iowa.
  After the tape was made public, Braley apologized to Grassley and to anyone he may have offended. He lost the election to Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst.

• 5. Biden: 'I mean, these Shylocks'

  

  AP
  
  Biden had another doozy while speaking at an event in Washington, D.C., in September.
  Recalling how when his son was serving in Iraq, troops spoke about the tough housing market back in the U.S., he said: "People would come up to him and talk about what was happening to them at home in terms of foreclosures, in terms of bad loans ... I mean, these Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men while overseas."
  Shylocks is considered an offensive term for Jews by some groups. Biden later apologized for the remarks.

Republicans prepare for battle with unions in 2015, after midterm gains

Republicans in statehouses across the country are plotting a tough new campaign to check the power of labor unions and chip away at their political influence. 
The GOP lawmakers, buoyed by sweeping midterm victories at the state level, are weighing so-called "right-to-work" bills in several capitals once new legislative sessions start in January. The measures, already in place in two-dozen states, generally prohibit unions from forcing workers in the private sector to join and pay dues. 
"The accumulated gains by Republicans in state legislatures will certainly increase pressure on, and within, the GOP caucuses to expand right-to-work laws," Louis Jacobson, state politics columnist for Governing magazine, told FoxNews.com. 
Wisconsin and Ohio are considered among the mostly likely to back the legislation, as Republicans control both chambers of those legislatures and the governorships -- though those governors seem lukewarm to the idea. Colorado, Missouri, New Hampshire and New Mexico also could see battles over union power next year. 
Once again, Wisconsin is expected to be at the forefront of the union drama. 
Republican state Rep. Chris Kapenga plans to propose a right-to-work bill for private-sector workers. And state Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, the Senate majority leader, claims his chamber will act quickly to pass such legislation. Gov. Scott Walker, though, repeatedly has suggested he doesn't want the legislature to tackle the issue right now. 
"As he has said previously, Gov. Walker's focus is on growing Wisconsin's economy and creating jobs," spokeswoman Laurel Patrick recently said. "Anything that distracts from that is not a priority for him." 
The stance might seem unusual for Walker. 
In 2011, he pushed a law through the legislature that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public-sector workers and included right-to-work language for those workers. Walker's move -- prompting weeks of massive protests and a failed recall effort -- raised his national profile to the point that he's considering a run for president. 
But with a 2016 decision looming, he likely wants to avoid another potentially extended and perilous state-level fight, Marquette Law School professor Paul Secunda said. 
Kapenga told FoxNews.com that he and others are working on the union legislation but declined to speculate on what Walker might be thinking. 
"I don't want to put words in his mouth," he said. "My job is to lay out a compelling case. But I plan to sit down with him." 
Meanwhile, big labor is gearing up for a battle. 
"We'll fight this every step of the way," said Phil Neuenfeldt, president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. The private-sector union also is reportedly planning similar efforts in other states. 
Twenty-four states already have right-to-work laws, including Michigan and Indiana. 
Supporters say the laws give workers more freedom since they aren't required to join unions or have dues deducted and argue such laws help attract businesses. 
Opponents -- including Democrats and the labor unions that often support Democratic candidates -- argue the laws are bad for workers, hurt the economy and are designed to weaken union power and political clout. 
Both sides likely would agree the battle would impact a relatively small and dwindling percentage of workers. 
Roughly just 11.3 percent of private- and public-sector workers were members of unions last year, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. The number is down from 20.1 percent in 1983 and a record high of nearly 35 percent in 1954. 
In Ohio, right-to-work legislation died without a vote this year and failed in a 2011 referendum that was backed by GOP Gov. John Kasich. 
The issue is expected to resurface in 2015. But Kasich, who won reelection this fall, has not said whether he would sign such legislation. 
He told a Gannett newspaper editorial board in September that companies appear willing to come to Ohio despite no right-to-work laws. 
However, political observers suggest Kasich, who during his first term presided over an improving state economy, didn't want to jeopardize that success or his reelection bid by alienating pro-union voters and others. 
Jacobson said that while GOP state lawmakers may move toward pressuring the unions, "in 'purple' states, the governors may feel pressure to quietly downplay such efforts, especially if they have aspirations for national office." 
In New Mexico, Democrats have control of the state Senate. But in November, Republicans won the House majority, which could give them their best opportunity in decades to pass such a bill. 
"This time could be the time we get it through both houses," Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle, a Republican, said just days after the Nov. 4 election. 
GOP Gov. Susana Martinez appears to support right-to-work legislation. But she did not make the legislation a big part of her successful re-election campaign, and whether she would sign such a bill remains unclear. 
In Missouri, the measure narrowly failed last year. But Republicans this fall added to their two-thirds-plus majority in both legislative chambers, which means they would be able to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. 
In New Hampshire -- where a right-to-work bill died earlier this year -- a Democrat kept the governor's seat, but Republicans won control of the state House and maintained control of the Senate. 
Republicans also passed such a bill in 2011 when they controlled both chambers, but it was vetoed by then-Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat.

'The Interview' release marked by capacity crowds

Hundreds of theaters made special arrangements for the highly-talked about comedy depicting actors James Franco and Seth Rogen assassinating the North Korean dictator to be shown in its theaters Christmas Day.
Tt turned out to be a mega hit.
Sony Pictures received a lot of backlash for initially calling off the release of the controversial film, “The Interview,” but the turnaround made the movie available on digital platforms and in more than 300 theaters on Christmas making it a special event for families around the nation.
"We are taking a stand for freedom," said theater manager Lee Peterson of the Cinema Village East in Manhattan, where most of Thursday's seven screenings had sold out by early afternoon. "We want to show the world that Americans will not be told what we can or cannot watch. Personally, I am not afraid."
At Atlanta's Plaza Theater, a sell-out crowd Thursday hailed the film's release, washing down popcorn with beer and cocktails and uniting for a boisterous sing-along of "God Bless America" before the opening credits.
"This is way more fun than it would have been," said Jim Kelley of Atlanta, who waited outside with his daughter, Shannon. The elder Kelley added, with mocking sarcasm, "This is almost dangerous, like we're living life on the edge."
Theater security was light as the movie industry took the threat of a 9/11-style attack more seriously than the government. Homeland Security shot down and credible threats in a statement last week.
Meanwhile, Darrell Foxworth, a special agent for the FBI in San Diego, said Wednesday the agency was sharing information with independent movie theater owners showing "The Interview" out of "an abundance of caution" and to educate them about cyber threats and what help the FBI can offer.
Kim Song, a North Korean diplomat to the United Nations, condemned the release Wednesday, calling the movie an "unpardonable mockery of our sovereignty and dignity of our supreme leader." But Kim said North Korea will likely limit its response to condemnation, with no "physical reaction."
Decisions to show the movie through the Internet could open up companies to hacking. Xbox and PlayStation's online gaming services were down Thursday afternoon but the cause was unclear. Meanwhile, YouTube and other Google products were not having any disruptions. A Microsoft spokesman confirmed the Xbox outage but declined further comment. Sony PlayStation representatives did not immediately respond to inquiries.
In Little Rock, members of an Arkansas family who say they otherwise would have never seen "The Interview" were among the first patrons at the Riverdale 10 theater. Kay Trice and her husband drove an hour from Stuttgart, Arkansas, to see the movie with their daughter and appreciated "the freedom to see it."
"It should be shown in this country and somebody in North Korea should not have the right to scare us out of seeing this," Trice said.
The threats and controversy ultimately did not stop moviegoers from seeing the movie. However, some attendants cautioned movie buffs about the politics of the movie.
"No one should go into expecting it to be a serious commentary on politics," 34-year-old Derek Karpel said. "But it's fun. People should go."

Merry Christmas

Christmas and fathers: Four lessons we can learn from Joseph

Mary, the mother of Jesus, features prominently in our Christmas celebrations. Christmas carols, greeting cards and nativity reenactments all celebrate the important role she played in the birth of the Messiah. But what about Joseph? What does the Christmas story say about the role of fathers?
The Gospel of Matthew, written in the second half of the first century to a predominantly Jewish audience, places Joseph at the center of the birth of Christ. Complimentary to the Gospel of Luke where most of the activity centers on Mary, Matthew reports that it is Joseph that is instructed by an angel in a dream not to call off his impending marriage to Mary. Joseph is pictured as a decisive leader, protector and provider for his family in this Gospel.
The birth narratives of Jesus in Matthew, not only highlights the importance of family as the building block of a stable society, but also communicates the importance of fathers in the raising of children. With Joseph as our example, four lessons for fathers can be taken from this Christmas story.

Being a father is a matter of the heart. Joseph is a great role model for those fathers that have chosen to raise non-biological children as their own. Fathers create homes for children by enlarging their hearts and providing a safe and nurturing environment for them.

First, to be a father is not just a biological description. Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus, but as instructed by the angel took Mary as his wife and provided a home for Jesus. Being a father is a matter of the heart. Joseph is a great role model for those fathers that have chosen to raise non-biological children as their own. Fathers create homes for children by enlarging their hearts and providing a safe and nurturing environment for them.
Second, fathers model good values to their children. Matthew calls Joseph a just man. This is in sharp contrast to the wicked Herod in the same Gospel, who kills numerous boys in his narcissistic rage as he attempts to remove the pending threat of the birth of the King of the Jews. We are inundated with so many painful recollections of fathers that did not match the expectations of their children. 
Good fathers embody the moral and hopeful ideals of their children. They model the way.
Third, fathers do all in their power to protect their family. Joseph, warned in a dream about the murderous plans of Herod, moves his family to the safety of Egypt. This selfless act of Joseph illustrates what good fathers do best – they place the interest of their families above their own.
Lastly, fathers provide a future for their children. Once again, Matthew records that Joseph in returning from Egypt scanned the environment and decided to move Jesus and Mary to Galilee, far from the watchful eye of Archelaus, the ruler that succeeded Herod. Good fathers recognize that fathering does not end when children turn of age. Fathers consider the future of their children beyond their own mortality and work to provide a prosperous and successful future for them.
Perhaps the time has come to reconsider the role of Joseph in our celebration of Christmas. May we rediscover not only his good example, but the stabilizing and transformative effect that good fathers have on children, families and societies.

Never mind that indictment: Rep’s tenure defined by vulgar balcony threat

It's natural to distill great works of literature and cinema into single scenes. 
"Where's Papa going with that axe?" wrote E.B. White at the very beginning of "Charlotte's Web." The line is so simple. Yet the innocence of the question cuts to the bare conflict of the spider-pig saga, and foreshadows the morality play. 
It's masterful. 
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," penned Charles Dickens in launching "A Tale of Two Cities." Everyone knows the quotation even if they haven't read the book. 
Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" is reduced to the famous shower episode. Jack Nicholson defines "The Shining" when he hacks his way through a door and shouts "Here's Johnny!" Who can forget Rocky Balboa bounding up the 72 steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art? 
Leitmotifs are not just the stuff of books and film. In fact, they serve as quintessential markers in political scandals. They illustrate the politician in question, their transgression and his or her ignominy. 
Such is the case with Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y. He pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to a single charge of tax evasion. People may not be familiar with the particulars of the congressman's 20-count, federal indictment which accused him of everything from mail fraud to lying under oath while operating a now-defunct restaurant called "Healthilicious." All of that is in the fine print. 
Instead, Grimm's scandal is encapsulated in a brutish exchange with NY1 congressional reporter Michael Scotto following President Obama's State of the Union address in January. After Obama's speech, Scotto interviewed Grimm on-camera from the third-floor Rotunda in the Cannon House Office. Near the end of the interview, Scotto follows up about the federal probe involving Grimm. The congressman is having none of it. In fact, Scotto doesn't even get the question out. Scotto only offers up the preface "since we haven't had a chance to talk about." 
Grimm cuts him off. 
"I'm not talking about anything that's off-topic. This is only about the president," fumes Grimm before storming away. 
A somewhat bewildered Scotto then turns to the camera. He tells viewers that Grimm "doesn't want to talk about some of the allegations concerning his campaign finances. We wanted to get him on-camera about that but as you saw, he refused to talk about that." 
Scotto then tosses back to his colleagues in the studio in New York. But that's not the end of it. Grimm returns to the camera frame and blusters about tossing of another kind. 
A former undercover FBI agent and Marine, Grimm stands around 5'8". But he's built powerfully with broad shoulders and thick arms. Grimm towers over the reedy Scotto, backing the reporter out of the picture. 
"Let me be clear to you. You ever do that to me again and I'll throw you off this f---ing balcony," warns Grimm. 
"It's a valid question," Scotto protests. 
"You're not man enough. I'll break you in half. I'll break you in half. Like a boy," Grimm threatens. 
And so goes the Grimm narrative. He may be a convicted felon. He could face anywhere from one to three years in a federal prison. He may be a tax cheat. He may not hold his congressional seat. In fact, the line of questioning Scotto hoped to pursue touched on the congressman's ethics challenges. Yet the entire episode is concentrated into Grimm's hectoring of Scotto and the consequences of being chucked off the mezzanine. 
Narrative: Michael Grimm and the congressional balcony. 
This is how people track political scandals. 
Former Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., is serving the longest-sentence ever meted out to a lawmaker (13 years) for accepting bribes on behalf of a tech company and currying favor with African leaders. When FBI agents raided the congressman's home in 2005, they unearthed $90,000 in cash stuffed inside boxes of Boca Burgers and Pillsbury Pie Crust in Jefferson's freezer. 
Narrative: Cold, hard cash. 
A spokesman for former South Carolina governor and current Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., made headlines when his boss disappeared for six days in 2009. The flak explained that the governor was away, hiking the Appalachian Trail. Turns out he wasn't. The married Sanford had traveled to Argentina and was conducting an affair with Maria Belen Chapur. Sanford and his wife Jenny split. The now-congressman later engaged Chapur but broke it off in September. 
Narrative: "Hiking the Appalachian Trail" is now a euphemism in American politics. 
Former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., found himself in hot water when he sexted inappropriate pictures to women. Weiner later resigned and tried to run for mayor of New York. At first, Weiner denied the photos were of him. In fact the New York Democrat told reporters he could not "say with certitude" that the photos depicted him. Later during the mayor's race, it was found Weiner sent additional photos to a woman while using the handle "Carlos Danger." 
Narrative: No one will ever use the word "certitude" again. And everyone chortles at the vainglorious sobriquet, reminiscent of "Jonny Quest." 
In 2007, police at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport arrested then-Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, for soliciting a cop during an encounter in the restroom. Police say Craig tapped his foot and inched closer to the foot of an undercover officer while sitting in a restroom stall. The arrest report stated that Craig told officers he possessed what they termed "a wide stance." 
Narrative: Bathroom humor about "wide stances." 
Some scandals foist labels onto lawmakers who get into trouble. Reporters dubbed former Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., the "Cocaine Congressman" after officers picked him up in a sting where he purchased coke outside a Washington, D.C., restaurant. A few months later, pundits deemed Rep. Vance McAllister, R-La., the "Kissing Congressman" after a security video showed him making out with an aide. 
Narrative: Alliterative titles capture scandals with unparalleled efficiency. 
Former Rep. Eric Massa, D-N.Y., faced allegations of sexual harassment from male congressional staffers in 2009. During an appearance on Fox News, Massa contended that he not only groped an aide, but "tickled him until he couldn't breathe." Massa resigned after 14 months in office. 
Narrative: The phrase "tickle fight" entered the vernacular. 
And then there are some political scandals that barely even qualify as scandals. 
In 2011, then-Rep. Chris Lee, R-N.Y., who was married, sent shirtless pictures to a woman on Craigslist. Lee claimed he was a divorced lobbyist. The woman handed over the photos to Gawker. Lee wasn't accused of doing anything illegal. Just something odd which wasn't even lewd. The story broke on a February afternoon. Lee resigned his seat by 5:30 p.m. the same day and buzzed out of Washington. 
Narrative: None evolved. The only narrative was Lee's breakneck departure from Congress. 
The tales go on and on. They may reflect how sports aficionados condense major events into simple narratives. Try the phrase "wide right" on a Buffalo Bills fan sometime. A routine 1983 contest between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees is immortalized as the "Pine Tar Incident." You can strike up a conversation with any reputable Cincinnati Reds or Boston Red Sox partisan by simply uttering the phrase "Game Six." And the mere mention of "Steve Bartman" is sure to boil the blood of any Chicago Cubs loyalist. 
This is how we classify and scrub political scandals, too. Balcony. Cocaine Congressman. Carlos Danger. Tickle fights. It's a form of short-hand. A sorting system  which political devotees deploy to stay current. 
That's an important tool. Because everyone knows there's another political scandal lurking around the corner.

US military equipment being detoured for possible battle vs. ISIS

The U.S. military has been stockpiling huge quantities of gear in Kuwait in preparation for shipping it across the border into Iraq for possible use in a coordinated offensive against the terrorist group Islamic State, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The gear is being housed near a busy commercial port, which is now the place where roughly 3,100 vehicles -- mostly ambush-protected vehicles known as MRAPs – are parked, in addition to electronic equipment and other supplies, the magazine reported, citing defense officials.
The gear, which is primarily from the U.S. Army, will be repaired and assessed for use as planners decide what the United States and its allies will need to defeat Islamic State, also known as ISIS.

“I don’t want to disclose any timelines.”- Lt. Gen. James Terry

“From June to December, we’ve worked a lot on moving items into Kuwait,” Air Force Maj. Gen. Rowayne “Wayne” Schatz, the director of operations and plans for U.S. Transportation Command, told U.S. News. “The Army is holding the gear there, and it has room to hold it, as the mission fleshes out.”
The U.S. military reportedly is planning a massive spring offensive to help Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters take back territory from Islamic State. But Lt. Gen. James Terry said, “I don’t want to disclose any timelines.”
The original plan, which included destroying, selling or giving away as much as $7 billion worth of equipment in Afghanistan to aid the war effort there, was scrapped as the rise of Islamic State -- also known as ISIL or by “Daesh,” its Arabic acronym -- prompted the military to stash some of that equipment back toward Iraq.
More than 1.1 billion pounds of equipment has been turned into scrap materials, U.S. News reported, citing documents the magazine was given by the Defense Logistics Agency.
Some of the excess equipment, known as “white goods” – like power tools, air conditioners and tractors – is sold in yard sales that have brought in roughly $2 million to date.
As many as 140,000 people and 333,000 tons of cargo shipments that have included thousands of vehicles and 20-foot shipping containers were moved so far this year.

Protesters rally for second night after shooting near Ferguson

BERKELEY, Mo. –  Demonstrators took to the streets for a second night after a white police officer in Berkeley, Missouri, killed a black 18-year-old who police said pointed a gun at him.
Dozens of protesters held a vigil late Wednesday at the gas station in the St. Louis suburb where Antonio Martin was shot, and they briefly blocked traffic on Interstate 170 during a march before returning to the station. Berkeley Police Chief Frank McCall told KMOV-TV that six to eight people were arrested.
Later, about 75 people staged a peaceful protest early Christmas morning outside of a nearby church, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Police in riot gear were present.
The actions were calmer than a night before, when a crowd of about 300 people gathered at the gas station, throwing rocks and bricks in a scene reminiscent of the sometimes-violent protests that followed the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson.
Unlike in the death of Brown, who was unarmed and whose shooting was not captured on video, Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins said Wednesday that surveillance footage appeared to show Martin pulling a gun on the unidentified 34-year-old officer who questioned him and another man about a theft at a convenience store.
Hoskins urged calm, saying, "You couldn't even compare this with Ferguson or the Garner case in New York," a reference to the chokehold death of Eric Garner, another black man whose death was caused by a white police officer.
Hoskins, who is black, also noted that unlike in Ferguson -- where a mostly white police force serves a mostly black community -- more than half of the officers in his city of 9,000 are black, including top command staff.
State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, a Democrat who has been critical of how police handled the Brown case, also said the Martin shooting was far different than Brown's, noting that Martin pointed a weapon at the officer.
"That officer not only has an obligation to protect the community, but he also has a responsibility to protect himself," said the senator, who is black. "Because of the video, it is more than apparent that his life was in jeopardy."
But Taurean Russell, co-founder of Hands Up United, asked if police had any reason to question Martin in the first place. Mistrust of police remains high among blacks, many of whom are weary of harassment, said Russell, who is black.
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar did not provide more details Wednesday about the theft Martin was being asked about. He said Martin pulled a loaded 9mm handgun and the officer fired three shots while stumbling backward. One hit Martin, who didn't fire his own gun. He died at the scene.
"I don't know why the guy didn't get a shot off, whether his gun jammed or he couldn't get the safety off," said attorney Brian Millikan, who is representing the officer. He said that the officer was lucky to be alive and certain he had no choice but to use lethal force.
Police throughout the country have been on alert since two New York officers were gunned down in an ambush last weekend by a man who had made threatening posts online about killing police. He later killed himself.
St. Louis County police and the city of Berkeley are investigating the shooting of Martin, which Belmar called a tragedy for both Martin's family and the officer, who has been on the force for six years.
"He will carry the weight of this for the rest of his life, certainly for the rest of his career," Belmar said of the officer. "There are no winners here."
The officer wasn't wearing his body camera, and his cruiser's dashboard camera was not activated because the car's emergency lights were not on, Belmar said.
Police released surveillance video clips from three different angles. The men can be seen leaving the store as a patrol car drives up. The officer gets out and speaks with them.
About 90 seconds later, one appears to raise his arm, though it's difficult to see what he's holding because they were several feet from the camera. Belmar said it was a 9mm handgun with one round in the chamber and five more in the magazine.
Police were searching Wednesday for the other man, who ran away.
Belmar said Martin had a criminal record that included three assault charges, plus charges of armed robbery, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
Phone messages left for his parents were not returned. His mother, Toni Martin-Green, told the Post-Dispatch that Antonio was the oldest of four children.
"He's like any other kid who had dreams or hopes," she said. "We loved being around him. He'd push a smile out of you."
His was the third fatal shooting of a young black man by a white police officer in the St. Louis area since Brown was killed by Ferguson officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9. Kajieme Powell, 25, was killed Aug. 19 after approaching St. Louis officers with a knife. Vonderrit Myers, 18, was fatally shot on Oct. 8 after allegedly shooting at a St. Louis officer.
Each killing has led to protests, as did a grand jury's decision last month not to charge Wilson in Brown's death.