That's not a punitive power. Police must have the ability to immediately and forcefully control a dangerous situation and often that means taking a perp down quick and hard.
This society has degenerated into a quivering, spineless position of being fearful that these genuinely bad and dangerous thugs must be treated with kid gloves lest their feelings get hurt. That has emasculated law enforcement and left it almost impotent to address crime. We've handcuffed the police and then are baffled why criminals run free.
Any law that prevents an officer from being able to completely control a dangerous situation is bad law. There are so many of these bad laws that police have to focus on walking the tight line instead of getting the job done. Result - more cops wounded or killed, less effective law enforcement, a rapid fear of Internal Affairs, and a CYA policy above all else.
Police officers trying to do a tough job are immediately portrayed as the bad guys, and the bad guys become media darlings.
A high speed chase is one of the most dangerous, unpredictable events that can occur for a police officer. When the perp is finally stopped, he often lashes out with deadly force at the nearest target - cop or bystander - so yes, if a flying tackle bodyslam, or the infamous chokehold, neutralizes him in a hurry, it is a good thing to do. It makes the situation controlled now - not after he has a chance to harm someone. You can't play nice in that situation, people get killed.
If this society wasn't so concerned with coddling criminals and prosecuting police, no lying would have taken place because no inane laws would have been broken.
All I can say is that I 'm glad saner heads prevailed. I'm glad the 3 cops were fired. I'm glad the instigator had to relinquish his peace officer's license. I'm even glad he has a record and community service to complete. Let him contemplate his actions as he picks up trash in his orange vest, or in his new job at 7-11. Justice has been served.
Go Judge Dread!