Hacker News Reader

I really enjoyed the article as well, though I wouldn't consider it one-sided. While it aims to argue for changes to the current state, I thought its derivations of police culture and behavior were directed at the forces that shape them, not condemning any individuals. At different points, it very vividly brought me into the disparate mindsets that underly the racial tensions prevalent in the news.

TL;DR Fantastic read, would recommend!

View on HN

I think this article primarily aims for understanding, and to the extent that one sees a bias it says more about which side they don't empathize with.

> Usually they [police] confront situations of conflict they did not cause, but which they are required to enter as third parties

This is a good description of responding to a domestic disturbance or stopping violent crime. But I think a good part of police running amok is precisely due to situations that don't fit this bill. Traffic tickets, drug possession, "jay" walking, home raids. No conflict exists until the police create it, at which point they aren't in the situation as a mediator but as biased second party that still operates with impunity.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com