The problem with US police is that they now want to behave like deployed military troops without any of the risk. They want to play with all these "cool toys",

The problem with US police is that they now want to behave like deployed military troops without any of the risk. They want to play with all these "cool toys", and pretend they are raiding some compound in Fallujah or something, but they refuse to risk their life. That's how they end up killing people who are fetching their ID in their pocket, or people carrying a black book, or really just standing there. The excuse is always the same: I feared for my life. And their superiors always back them up: The officer thought he was in danger, police officers have the right to use lethal force if they think their life is in danger. I remember reading an amazing post by a vet who joined the force, and he was totally baffled to see that his new coworkers were more agressive than his platoon in Irak. Guess what, real military troops accept the fact that sometimes they'll get shot and die. They always make sure that the guy on the other side is actually shooting at them before they open fire. And when they don't, they're punished. Severely. I know it's not a popular opinion in a country where cops are called heroes. But I'd rather see 10 dead cops than a single innocent citizen shot. It sucks, it's a lot to ask for, but it comes with the job. When you're a cop you have to put the life of others before your own. Otherwise become an accountant.