The police think they are the military

[nitro]

"I got home from the bar and fell into bed soon after Saturday night bled into Sunday morning. I didn’t wake up until three police officers barged into my apartment, barking their presence at my door. They sped down the hallway to my bedroom, their service pistols drawn and leveled at me.

It was just past 9 a.m., and I was still under the covers. The only visible target was my head..."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opini...s-in-virginia-the-police-raided-me/ar-AAdtsd2

 

[sellindexvol66]

"I got home from the bar and fell into bed soon after Saturday night bled into Sunday morning. I didn’t wake up until three police officers barged into my apartment, barking their presence at my door. They sped down the hallway to my bedroom, their service pistols drawn and leveled at me.

It was just past 9 a.m., and I was still under the covers. The only visible target was my head..."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opini...s-in-virginia-the-police-raided-me/ar-AAdtsd2

Although I'm a conservative and right to bear arms guy...my view on police have changed completely in the past couple years. Each time they are caught on video , we see them doing things that they were accused of by the alleged criminals for years.


My fear now is if the police do not adjust their behaviors and mindset, what's next...your wife, sister, daughter is pulled over and starts crying hysterically then gets shot because the officer was afraid for his life?

Thankfully the gentleman in the article was trained and didn't move. I'm not sure many others of us would do the same.

 

[ipatent]

The author is a thoughtful person and raises some good points.

Policing is a profession where your everyday decisions can go disastrously wrong if there is a misperception, either for them or someone else. They have ordinary backgrounds and get ordinary pay, but when TSHTF are judged like they had a team of constitutional lawyers on call and infinite time to make a well-considered decision. Every time they stop someone or conduct a raid there is a worry something is going to go wrong and they could be hurt. It's not surprising they end up acting in a way that prioritizes their own safety over everything else.

I'd fault the ones who are corrupt or bullying for no good reason but we have to realize that they are where the rubber hits the road when government has to use physical force to enforce the laws and it isn't always a pretty job. Why would someone needlessly provoke a cop during a traffic stop? Make your arguments in court if you have any.

With all the recent stories about police abuse, there may be some agenda in play to reduce the independence of local police and implement a more top-down structure.

 

[jem]

Those policies need to be changed and anyone involved should lose that pay for 2 months.

That is absolutely outrageous behavior in response to a potential squatter. It could have been kids from the building or anyone else. There was no reason to assume that type of force was needed when a door knock could have been fine.

Better to let a squatter get away then risk killing him or her or them. if the cops don't feel safe let them knock on the door with their hands on their holsters.