If only that could change

How about we live in a world where not everything can be reduced to a single example or classification and good intentions can be ruined because of humankind's natural tendency to differ?

Not all cops in America abuse their power ya know, it's only the bad ones that get the publicity instead of the ones that actually care about the job they do

It’s easy to judge in hindsight and from safety. It’s easy to forget that when things go bad for police they tend to go really bad and really quickly. That officers spend all day every day seeing often the worst of individuals and humanity, and that in time- seeing how quickly a seemingly cooperative, friendly or harmless person for a routine stop can turn your colleague into a memorial plaque would likely make most people start to view the general public with distrust. One of the first things you learn when dealing with law is that everyone is a criminal, if you ant see how that just means it’s hidden. You learn dealing with people long enough that anyone is capable of anything- things you may have never even thought the worst humans were capable of.

Having your life in danger constantly all day- with stories like police officers being shot in the head while simply sitting in their cars on a break- it wears on you, might make you edgy, and the difference between ending your shift standing or in a bag is just a second- one of any many seconds in a long shift where you didn’t notice something or you reacted too slowly. We know that human beings operating under threat of danger chronically and at heightened levels of alertness are effected emotionally and mentally by the stress. It’s just a fact.

So that is true- but we also can’t excuse behavior based on those facts. We have seen an escalation of militarization and force writhing police in this country. We have seen officers go from active members integrated into a community to being hated and feared by the ordinary citizens they serve. We’ve seen increasing use of deadly force under conditions which have raised serious questions about the use of force. Police are just people after all- and as for being “trained” and all that- police training isn’t like in movies and a good majority of officers long term do not keep up on their training above or if even to minimum standards. It was common not so long ago that many people knew an officer who sold ammo for huge discounts. This ammo was the unused training allotment of other officers in their precinct. They’d give or sell all their allocated but unused training ammo to this one guy who would shoot some and sell the rest for cheaper than market but a profit.

These human officers weren’t movie characters who were glorified commandos. They had family’s and hobbies, most officers never fire a shot on the job anyway- so many don’t bother to dedicate their time after long shifts that could be used for family or relaxation or rest- to shooting at a range when they likely won’t ever shoot on duty anyway.

Many officers do get into the job for a desire for power or validation or other motives. Some are racist or prejudiced. Some do dream of being a “hero” like an action movie. When a cop pulls the trigger for the wrong reasons or when target should have known better- they need to be accountable. Police aren’t perfect. They make mistakes as they are human. Their mistakes may often cost lives or cause people harm- and by the same token they are humans who volunteered knowing potential risks and pledging to serve the public trust. An officer isn’t required to put their life down for another human but they also aren’t empowered to take another life because they weighed the possibility of death against the value of another human and decide they were worth more.

There’s no simple answer or easy fix and feeling police need to be accountable doesn’t mean you are against the police, and feeling police are humans and will make occasional mistakes and can’t be held to perfection isn’t taking the “side” of the police. Working to deescalate and partition police forces with an assumption that not every officer needs or should be authorized to use or access deadly force, and working to reintegrate police and those they serve vs creating more distance and room for distrust and hostility between police and citizens is a good start likely.

In the end though- the stakes are high. People are potentially facing death, long term prison sentences and other consequences which make it seem to them like a better silky thin would be to avoid being caught at all costs. Add in the mentally disturbed and those who would hold assaulting or killing an officer as a badge of honor and we see police do have valid reasons to be afraid. Give a scared person a gun and they’ll act like a scared person with a gun. Imagine if every time in your life someone startled you you’d been holding a gun- there’s a good chance training or no you’d have shot at least one person by now accident or otherwise.