Quote:
Originally Posted by masraum
Did you read the post above? I think it's pretty clear that what the poster is saying, is that the old guy complied with the cops requests, and that was the correct behavior. It was a comment about the folks that don't comply and argue with the cops and end up with the situation going very wrong. Yes, the cops appear to have made several huge mistakes in this situation, but at least the old couple did what they needed to do and it didn't go worse.
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Yes, that is exactly what I was trying to say. No doubt about it, these cops didn't use any common sense. I'm not giving them a pass by any means. They deserve the criticism, and maybe even a hefty legal judgement against them. It was a simple clerical error that precipitated the incident. OK, mistakes happen. From then on they got VERY heavy handed. But the old guy demonstrated very correctly what everyone should do in the situation. He stayed pretty damned calm and did everything correctly.
We've been treated for months on end to this story of the kid in Missouri who got shot, and of the big guy selling cigarettes in NY. Whether they were guilty, or not. Black, or white. Rich, or poor. If both of those guys had acted like this old gentleman from Washington did, they'd be alive and it wouldn't have made national news (or even local news!).
I don't agree that most people have lost respect for law enforcement. They have a tough job. Not one I would want. They have my support, but at the same time, I don't put them on a pedestal. Its a job, like anything else. There are bad cops, to be sure, but they represent small percentage. About 1000 cops on our local police force. Out of 1000 guys in any job, odds are you are going to get a few turkeys (1, 10, 100?). The other 900+ are good folks. And sometimes the good ones make mistakes. That doesn't change the fact that in virtually all cases, good, bad, or indifferent, it is going to be the individual's attitude and interaction with the police that ultimately determines the outcome.