In my many years in LE, I was repeatedly impressed, or even astounded, at the degree of restraint officers use to avoid having to use deadly force, often at their own peril. Now and again a Tackleberry gets through screening but the selection process normally weeds them out.
I have no illusions-sometimes officers make mistakes with tragic outcomes, but it is such a rare occurrence as to be statistically insignificant.
So here is the reality of it. Some criminals die while resisting or in custody due to pre-existing medical conditions or substance induced altered states.
Some of these individuals die in "suicide by cop" scenarios. Some die of suicide rather than being taken into custody, or had planned suicide before committing the crime that brought attention from LE.
Some die resisting arrest by direct action by the police after directing violence at the police or others. A good number of those were mentally ill and posed a threat to the community at large. Some die by indirect means, such as a car crash in a pursuit or other misfortune. I recall one in particular where the suspect jumped the railing of a bridge thinking he was jumping into water but there were only large rocks.
We have in this country several subcultures whose primary means of resolving differences is violence. Where criminal acumen and capacity for violence are valued traits. Often from fatherless homes with no positive role models and zero impulse control. Where obtaining things or wealth by legitimate means never enters their thinking. Programmed from infancy to resist law enforcement and defy authority, and to embrace lawlessness. Nd some are just predators by their nature.
So along comes Officer Dogood, charged with protecting lives and property, preventing crimes, and arresting evildoers. Trying to thread the maze of law and policy to apprehend criminals and keep order. It is a built in ignition point for violence when Officer Dogood and members of the violent subcultures come in contact wth one another. We arm and train the officers and expect them to go about their duties without beng intimidated. While it may be prudent to run away at times, our system of laws consistently holds that an officer need not retreat from the lawful performance of his or her duty. The criminal subcultures do not like that LEO's will pursue their wrongdoing with impunty. So when they get thumped, or shot when resisting, they play the race card, or police brutality card. Or riot and burn down cities.
The truth is that, if we eliminate killings within and by these subculures, our violent crime stats would be among the lowest in the world, and by extension police killings would plummet.
That's the view from my saddle.
