“Street cops are killing people EVERY SINGLE DAY in this country. They’re the threat.”
If someone shots at a freerepublic poster, return fire can be expected.
If someone shots at a police officer, return fire can be expected.
The human brain is organized in a certain way. Primitive responses to deadly threats are handled quickly at a close-in level and higher-level thinking takes longer to kick in.
If I see a serpentine shape on the ground I will react, maybe a second before I realize it is a mere black racer snake, or oddly shaped stick.
A soldier in combat cannot be held to the same standards as a man sitting comfortably in his home.
The two exist in different worlds, where different rules apply.