The cop was over reacting, no question about it. However it sounds like the issue stemmed from a computer system that did not make it clear that it was a plate

The cop was over reacting, no question about it. However it sounds like the issue stemmed from a computer system that did not make it clear that it was a plate that was missing and not the car. I wonder what the actual screen looked like that the officer misread. He was driving, reading and typing in a license plate, and reading the computer readout. Seems like a color coding system or some kind of better UI could have prevented him from mis-interpreting that the car was stolen. It sounds stupid to say that a UI fix could prevent this kind of violence but I wonder if it could have and how often this type of thing happens. Proper communication is the first line of defense against conflict.