Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the earthquake, outside of the office building the entire scene is out of continuity. Just watch the woman with the orange dress.
Continuity mistake: During the scene at the airport when the tower OK's the plane to land we can see it is a 707 with TWA-like colors of red and white. Then when there is the shot of the plane on the ground it turns into a DC-8 with orange markings. When the plane takes off into the air the camera shows the 707 again.
Continuity mistake: When the aftershock hits L.A. and destroys Wilshire Plaza, the camera shows the destruction underground and at some point a brick pillar falls over. Instead of being made of brick it's really made out of wood with brick type wallpaper. You can tell this because if the pillar was really made of brick, when it fell over chunks of brick would at least break off. (01:38:20)
Continuity mistake: When the big afro gal opens her jacket to show Lew her shirt, her nipples change appearance between shots, from visible, to smooth like she's wearing a bra, and then visible again.
Continuity mistake: After the drunk faints, there's a wide shot of the dam. The number of people next to the railing differs between wide and close shots.
Continuity mistake: When afro gal Rosa is arguing with Miles and her brother at the motorcycle rally, she tells Miles he's crazy and walks off camera. But in the following shot she is suddenly 150 ft. Distance away. (00:42:13)
Continuity mistake: When the man eating chicken falls off the balcony, curtains appear on the windows behind.
Continuity mistake: When the man at the dam presses the elevator button its red light glows. Then the shot changes and it's unlit. Shot cuts back to the previous angle and it's glowing again. (00:08:04)
Continuity mistake: When Stewart is about to save Sam, in the wide angle Sam is lying down, both legs opened wide. In the close-up he is crouching next to the railing. This swaps back and forth.
Continuity mistake: When Sam is saving the last man in the building, he is sitting down with both hands holding the hose. From an aerial angle, half a second later, his position is completely different. (01:16:01)
Continuity mistake: When Stewart and Remy stare at the destroyed building, the sky behind is cloudy and dark, but when the shot focuses on them it is a bright and sunny day.
Continuity mistake: When Corry rides his bike towards the bridge it's too big for him, the seat being lower than the handlebars. A shot later the kid is way taller and the bike is tiny in comparison.
Continuity mistake: When Denise escapes from the rolling home, she trips and her jeans get covered in dust. A shot later they're clean.
Continuity mistake: Sam stretches out his right arm to save the man hanging by a girder. A shot later his left arm is stretched. Then a shot later his right arm is extended.
Continuity mistake: Before the mother is covered in glasses, she runs away, her hair covered in dust. A shot later it's clean and shiny. This is because the actress was replaced with a stunt with a wig. (00:58:50)
Continuity mistake: A huge chunk of ceiling falls right next to the drunk guy, but the very next shot of him shows not an inch of dust around and the exact lighting as he had before the mess.
Continuity mistake: During the quake, Corry is riding his bike on the bridge and loses his balance, then rests his left hand on the bridge. A shot later it's holding the handlebar.
Continuity mistake: When Rosa exits the cinema a woman in pink with a white purse runs away. Several seconds later she is inside the cinema and is running away again.
Continuity mistake: During the fight at the bar, the bald man is lying against the wall, with a man on top of him. Immediately after, barely half a second later, their positions are totally different: the bald man is away from the wall and on top of the other man plus the surrounding people have changed places and pool cues have appeared out of nowhere.
Continuity mistake: After Adams talks to the farmer, his aide is inside the trench, walking right next to the wooden ladder. A shot later he is four meters away from the ladder.
Chosen answer: Before he put the uniform on, he was a complete nobody, having the respect of no-one. Now that he's in uniform, he demands that people should respect him, and coupled with the powers of Martial Law (where looters can be shot on sight), takes the lack of respect too far and shoots them.
GalahadFairlight