Seems to me that the reason this sort of thing happens is that in the 21st century there is a general expectation from people in power/authority that they must

Seems to me that the reason this sort of thing happens is that in the 21st century there is a general expectation from people in power/authority that they must be obeyed, and that "common people/citizens" who do not obey have crossed authority and can be dealt with in virtually any manner they choose, including physical violence. This perception has formed because governments have moved more and more towards this manner of interacting with "common people". When I see this, it seems to be precisely the same behaviour as when the police beat people up for questioning their authority at any level. In summary: "Well he didn't do what he was told, so what did he expect?"