Look, I have a lot of respect for decent cops. My problem is the jerks that get into the profession and then go crazy with power, are terrified of the public, and who are sometimes too eager to want to kill people.
Search “donutwatch” on this very forum and you’ll find hundreds of accounts of idiots doing stupid things.
Heck, right now there’s a flourishing industry of “First Amendment Auditors” who are just guys with video cameras who make recording from public places. Which is perfectly legal and a protected 1st Amendment activity, and it’s also excluded as a probable cause in several states such as California (CA PC 148(G))
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=148.
These auditors have reams of videos on You Tube and elsewhere that show them doing something 100% legal and then they get threatened, beat up, arrested, and etc. by badge wearing jackasses who are literally breaking the law!
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=first+amendment+audit
These auditors go on to reap sometimes massive court settlements because the cops are absolutely wrong and they keep doing it! It’s all about their power and it has NOT ONE THING TO DO WITH THE LAW.
Now think about it: These cops are going after people who are livestreaming their video and they don’t care that they’re breaking the law.
Imagine what they do when there isn’t a camera around?
So sorry, I’m not sipping the cop-worshipping Kool Aid here.
Yes, there’s a lot of good cops and I sure wish the hell they’d start doing something about the bad ones!
If I saw some crazy looking dude standing around filming our office, I’d call the police and have him removed.
I guess, some people just have too much time on their hands.
I know there are asshole cops out there. Lots of them. When I’m forced to interact with one, my #1 goal is to get OUT of the situation, as peaceably as possible. I’m not going to get into lawyerly discussions with an asshole wearing a belt full of nasty weapons.
I’ll take my chances with the next level of the justice system.