I think this was the exact right way to go. Whoever was managing this for the police perhaps took a measured gamble knowing the media was going to over react and the race baiters were going to be there regardless. The media and their minions shot their wad for all to see and now when the facts are solidly in the police are deconstructing everything that has been said. I for one commend the police for making sure they had the facts absolutely straight. If their facts had been shaky they would have been torn to pieces. Even if the officers face had been bloodied in this explosive environment I can see the upper management dispatching reliable lieutenants to go and make absolutely sure what the facts were. that would be looking at the medical reports and talking to doctors and witnesses and that simply takes time.
Right now it looks like the police has the upper hand solidly and that is because they did their homework. As far as your friends thinking the officers was rogue that was what they were supposed to think according to the media story line. Now that the facts are solid, everyone is thinking they were wrong to think that. The officer was a total pro. As I said the police handled thismasterfully.
Of course now they’ll whine that they took so long to come out with the truth just to make them look bad.
Relevant aphorisms:
- Those who know, don’t talk. Those who talk, don’t know.
- Don’t talk to people who don’t matter about things that don’t matter. Talk to people who matter about things that matter.
In this case, the general public doesn’t need to know the details, and (on the whole) doesn’t WANT to know the details - most people just want whatever fragments support their prejudices. The correct details, in context, are too complex/verbose for the rioters. The people who matter are the defendant/cop, witnesses, legal system, and jurisdictional political officials; gather the facts and present/discuss with them, make the facts _available_ to the public, and leave it at that.