Right or wrong, the thing to keep in mind is that a policeman must always be alert to the possibility of being attacked, wounded or killed in every encounter.
Every time a policeman leaves his home and tells his loved ones goodbye he knows it may be the last time.
Everyone they meet is a potential threat and they have no immediate way of telling who is and who is not ready to physially assault them or shoot them.
A LEO cannot just assume you are a nice guy who is ignoring his order and approaching him just to have a conversation.
The Michael Brown incident is a good example.
When the LEO stopped him he had no idea that Brown would go berserk and try to kill him.
We hear endless wailing about the “unarmed teen getting ready to go to college”, but Brown was armed with his size and weight and surprised the officer by attacking him while the officer was at a disadvantage sitting behind the steering wheel.
For a few minutes he held the officer’s life in his hands.
Brown wasn’t trying to wrest the gun from the officer to go target shooting at the indoor range next Saturday.
I am bigger than the late Michael Brown and undoubtedly much more experienced in meting out pain and anguish, yet I am polite to everyone, including officers of the law, unless that proves ineffective.
I agree with you.
Since another Freeper, “Uncle Chip”, gave me such a hard time several days back, I have refrained from posting much, spending my time in thought.
It might be helpful if the media would bring on some wise talking heads to discuss the difference between racism and prejudice.
I am not racist, but I am prejudiced. I would assume that the police, who have to go into neighborhoods I avoid at all costs, might be even more prejudiced, considering what they have to face every day.
For those of you who want to ignore the common sense contained in this officer’s advice, please spend some time thinking about what the average police officer must deal within a daily basis, and why it might be wise to be polite and responsive when stopped or challenged.
We had a fine neighborhood police officer shot to death in a routine traffic stop here in the twin cities several weeks back. He was approaching the car, and the criminal just shot him in cold blood, leaving his widow and children without him.
This kind of incident affects all officers,and is why they may not be as “friendly” as we might wish.