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Comment by bane | Hacker News Reader

So for police it's a binary outcome? Either they handle a suspect and everthing is peaches and cream or they die?

You need to go spend some time in a police station, do some ride-alongs.

Here's a number, in 2012 ~53,000 officers were assaulted in the line of duty. Those assaults could have happened from arresting a dangerous gunman to booking a 130 pound 24 year old for B&E.

It's important to have perspective about what police do and deal with everyday. They aren't acting irrationally. There really are reasons for why they do what they do, even if we disagree with their actions.

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> Here's a number, in 2012 ~53,000 officers were assaulted in the line of duty.

One of those assaults was a suspect bleeding on their uniforms as he was having his head stomped. They charged him with destruction of government property for his blood stains.

Of course, I don't think just one of those 53,000 was like this. It wasn't a fluke.

>It's important to have perspective about what police do and deal with everyday. They aren't acting irrationally.

Sure they aren't. Most of them are psychopaths(yes,"psychopath" term is not a perfect model for describing personality disorders, deal with it) who are using their privileged position and monopoly on violence to satisfy their urge for power and control.

It is perfectly rational if you understand that police are NOT there to "serve and protect" you and not legally obliged to protect you and are blue wall of silence covers up "the bad apples".

> Most of them are psychopaths

That's quite a claim. Demonstrate it.

I certainly can't do it in a rigorous, scientific manner. However, my line of thinking is as follows. Persons with antisocial personality diaorder ( a correct term) fail to exhibit guilt, empathy or admit the responsibility for their actions among other factors. That is consistent with general, averaged cop behavior in US and existence of blue wall of silence that effectively prohibits making those accountable for multiple transgressions accountable.

But yeah, I was too irritated by apologists and didn't use enough guarding. I'll admit that I have no proof of "most" police officers being psychopathic. I am sure many of them are, though.

We need every cop to wear cams as soon as possible. Then all these "the cop is the perp and the perp is the victim" idiots can watch the videos and shut up.

Whenever police end up using force, they inevitably attach the "assault of police officer" charge, to justify their use of force. If they did not, the defence could ask: well, why did you beat him up?

That's not really correct. It does happen, but not as a typical case.

I'd be interested in independent and unbiased studies of violence against police officers if you have any.

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