Reality is that the officer used excessive force on an old man. This man’s life is altered forever. I hope he gets a good settlement. No officer should use that kind of force on the elderly. They are frail.
This is an institutional problem. Training and expectations. Police training is fairly uniform throughout the country because curriculum that has been developed is widely distributed. The outcome of the fairly uniform training is fairly uniform.
Until Police, and courts for that matter start asking a simple question: Does my presence or actions make the situation better or make the situation worse? It is a simple question.
I can find guys to crack head in a bar for $8 an hour. If that’s all the cops are, then we are paying them way more than they are worth
Cops, cities are playing a very dangerous game right now. They are pushing the law and order citizens who pay the bills to the edge of violence against them. The time will come when the mob comes for them. When it does, all the nice shiny cars, well buffed oak furniture will not save them. The mob will drag them from their cars, chambers, and light them on fire in the gutter. The mob will be made up of the criminal element. The difference is that the law abiding citizens will just let them burn. They won’t resist the tyranny of the mob, because it will pose less of a threat than the tyranny of the Cops. That is the tipping point these institutions are toying with. Very dangerous for everybody involved.
Law Enforcement: Change your values, training and expectations while you still can. Before you can’t.