If It Quacks Like A Duck …
If you use deadly physical force that results in the actual death of someone who did not pose a deadly threat to you or another, you are a murderer. It is irrelevant whether or not you are wearing a uniform.
Badtux notes that the head of the Fraternal Order of Police is making threats against Quentin Tarantino for acknowledging that some police officers have murdered unarmed civilians.
The BBC reports on a recent case: Louisiana marshals face murder charge over boy’s gun death. The officers were charged with murder based on the video from their body cameras.
Law enforcement officers would be better served by getting rid of the ‘bad apples’, not attacking the people who notice they exist.
2 comments
I’ve long held the opinion that many police oficers are overtrained, under-educated and underpaid.
The Job should require a 4 year degree and should be a salaried posistion. Using the police to raise revenue should be illegal
An associate’s degree would be sufficient, with an emphasis on communication skills, both oral and written, as well as the criminal law. The actual police academy could concentrate on the physical side and specific techniques involved with the job. Law school is only a three-year course.
Most officers prefer hourly as it is rare to work less than 40 hours and you get time and a half when you go over. When I was promoted to a supervisor’s rank I became salaried and lost time and a half. The guys working for me made more money than I did all too often.
Actually using the police to raise revenue is illegal in most states if anyone would prosecute the local governments that do it. These prosecutions are rarer than prosecuting the police officers who murder people.