I grew up as a very “Law & Order” kind of guy. I always identified with the police in any situation. It wasn’t until I landed a job as a Basic EMT on an ambulance crew (way back in 1980…or was it 81?) that I saw a side of law enforcement that forever changed my perceptions. We worked closely with a county sheriff’s office, and I witnessed firsthand multiple incidents that left me with an abiding distrust of police. The people who become policemen and deputies aren’t saints. Like anyone else, law officers choose their occupation to satisfy their own personal needs. Unfortunately, all too often the “personal needs” being satisfied by a career in Law enforcement are dysfunctional ones. Petty egos, out-of-control aggression and the misguided idea that wearing a uniform, strapping on a badge and gun and driving around in a car with flashing lights is going to get recognition, power and respect; these are just the tip of the iceberg.
There is an old saw that says that in matters of power, those who actively seek out power are the least fit to wield it. This is true from the board of your local Home Owner’s Association all the way up to the most powerful position in the world, the Presidency of the United States. And it includes people who seek out a career as a policeman. By the fact that they choose the job, they should be suspect.
If you are unconvinced, take a look at the video links below. Unfortunately, incidents like this aren’t as uncommon as you would hope.