I respect the police and it probably is true that this kid did something that warranted a strong response. And even if the cop overreacted in the heat of the situation, I am willing to give him lattitude becaus it is a dangerous job where you have to make snap judgments.
But having said that, I agree with others that the response, with military vehicles on the street, is obscene. These vehicles and the riot gear need to be taken away from the police.
I am also willing to give a certain amount of latitude for errors in judgment made by officers under extreme stress - IF the mistake is recognized and corrective actions taken.
But I have NO sympathy for a police officer, or police department, that lies to cover up such mistakes and tries to pretend that no one did anything wrong.