Quote:The idea is not cops bad, criminals good. The idea is that police conduct is supposed to be at a higher standard, whether or not they had a bad day or whatever. Juxtaposing them against criminals doesn't excuse their behavior. Either they need better training dealing with the public at large or if the training is sufficient, something must be done to discourage them from not adhering to said behavior.

 

Its supposed to be, but cops are human too and can be jerks as well.  That's not illegal.  When a cop does do something illegal and there is proof of that, the cop gets punished accordingly and often more severely than just the typical person.  The problem here is that so many people are ignorant of the actual law and want instant gratification or they believe justice has been averted.  

 

I've repeated many times, the law doesn't use 20/20 hindsight as to whether an officer was right or wrong.  The law only looks at if an officer was reasonable.  Was it reasonable for that cop to believe this person had the means, opportunity, and intent to cause them or someone else serious harm?  If so, the cop is always exonerated.  Even if it turns out that it was just a hair brush that was being pulled from her purse.

 

Point A:  An old lady is pulled over for speeding.  Officer asks to see her ID and she politely responds, "Certainly, officer."  She reaches into her purse and the cop fires one off into the old lady.  There are witnesses and camera footage.  The cop is going to go to jail for some sort of serious felony charge.

 

Point B: An old lady is pulled over for speeding.  She matches the exact description of the local "Serial Killer Granny."  The officer asks to see her ID and she calls him and pig and tells him that he'll never take her in alive and suddenly lunges for her purse.  The officer puts  a bullet in her.  It turns out the old lady wasn't the killer, and was just senile and reaching for her denture cream.  The officer will not and should not be in any trouble even though his interpretation of what was actually happening is wrong and an innocent old granny was gunned down.

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