I make this statement based on the fact that scenarios involving excessive force, coercion, lying, and planting evidence are not uncommon. Reports are all over the media, if you just choose not to ignore them. Video evidence of excessive force is uploaded to FB by someone, somewhere, seemingly every day. Minority communities complaining for decades about police abuse, with plenty of objective evidence to back up many of their claims. We have the the highest % of our population in prison of all industrialized nations. Also, even worse, the highest % of our population in prison for non-violent offenses. Baltimore, NYC, and Chicago PD's, all skewered by the DOJ for systemic violations of civil rights. Baltimore cops caught planting evidence. Phoenix sheriff had to be ordered by a federal judge to stop violating civil rights and he ignored the order and was cheered on by many for it. San Jose (I think) has had complaints against the police skyrocket while internal investigations of alleged misconduct decrease. These are just the ones off the top of my head from the past year or so. Police repeatedly shooting unarmed suspects and always - every_single_time - it was the fault of the suspect and never an issue with the temperament of the cop or with their training. The 4th amendment has chipped away to the point that for all practical purposes, it no longer exists.
There are bad cops out there. But there also bad EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, nurses, teachers, politicians, priests, rabbis etc. You name it, and I can find at least one "bad" member of that profession. But just because one guy is bad doesn't make them all bad.
And whether you like to believe it or not, a lot of those suspects that cause riots when they get shot by police were actually acting in self defense. And when they don't, then yes, criminal charges are filed and a trial is held. I mean, if you were accused, you would want to be able to defend yourself, you wouldn't want to just be convicted by the lynch mob outside right? And no, I'm not saying all the shootings were justified, but many/most are...
And for the most part, we just accept it all as the price of having the cops keep us "safe". I don't know if it's that we've been that thoroughly conditioned to submit unquestioningly to authority, or if it is a form of cognitive dissonance.
Cops have a job to do. And they are trained, in the academy, that they are always right (even when they aren't, or have no legal basis to do what they are trying to do). And once they initiate an arrest, regardless of if it's a legit arrest or not, they are able to escalate the situation and use force to gain compliance. The time to argue whether you committed a crime or not is not while you are being arrested; that's what the trial is for. I have friends in law enforcement, and 99.99% of the time (maybe higher) when they are putting cuffs on someone, it's because said person committed a crime.
Which is why I don't fault the other cops for not getting involved; the office was making an arrest. Them interfering once the arrest was initiated was probably only going to make a bad situation worse.
What is so different about this video, that people actually overwhelmingly support the cop's victim in this case? Just the fact that she wore scrubs instead of a hoodie or a flannel shirt? Because I've seen lots of videos of very similar actions by the cops, but because it's in a parking lot instead of a hospital, and the person is wearing casual clothes instead of a healthcare uniform, the comments are overwhelmingly against the victim. People always just assume that the cops must have had a reason for the rough treatment, and have little or no empathy for the person getting roughed up for some minor "crime".
Seriously? Your going to go with that argument? If she had been dressed differently the outcome out be different? So your going to ignore the fact that she was doing her job. and the fact that “implied consent” law changed in Utah a decade ago. And in 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that warrantless blood tests were illegal. and the fact that her employers written policy was being enforced, and her supervisor was on the line confirming it. and the fact that she was unarmed. and while she was verbally protesting the arrest, she wasn't really resisting the arrest, such as by attacking the cop or attempting to cause him any bodily harm. Oh, and she's not under the influence of any mind altering substances (except for maybe too much coffee).
So there are several differences in the circumstances in this arrest and many of the others. Including the fact that his supervisor said if she won't give you what you want, arrest her.
And yes, with the number of cops who die every year I can totally understand why they see the public as a threat. Maybe you'd like to look up how many get shot?
https://www.odmp.org/search/year/2017 In case you don't want to actually deal in facts, 3/4 of the way through 2017, there have been 87; 31 were killed by gunfire. Last year there 146 cops killed in the line of duty; 63 from gunfire.
I'm not saying cops are perfect, and there are some bad ones out there. But there are even more who just want to do their job and make sure they go home to their families at the end of their shift.
