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I think due to the type of training and framing of protest situations most police departments receive in the US, as well as the culture instilled in officers, t
by datameta 6y ago
I think due to the type of training and framing of protest situations most police departments receive in the US, as well as the culture instilled in officers, their ego and need for absolute control of the situation stands in front of any other other considerations including avoiding excessive and disproportionate use of violence.
To them a thrown water bottle is a sign of greatest disrespect and loss of face in their power position before the crowd. As Straub points out in the article they are trained to imagine the high likelihood of bricks or molotovs or acid to follow. They are specifically trained to respond with fear-inducing force. Their primary de-escalation tactic is escalation - pure and simple.
- loco5niner 6y ago> To them a thrown water bottle is a sign... they are trained to imagine the high likelihood of bricks or molotovs or acid to follow It doesn't require training. My first thought when I read "thrown water bottle" was, "I have no idea whether that's water or urine".
- bjornsing 6y agoI thought you were going to say “water or gasoline”. But I guess different things terrify different people.
- loco5niner 6y agoYou're right. Gasoline is much more terrifying. Urine was just my gut reaction.
- mindslight 6y agoSure, but an officer's mental process is irrelevant to whether they're committing assault, murder, etc. Focusing on the training is a red herring, the immediate problem is one of incentives. We've already got a straightforward way of categorizing prohibited behavior - the law - and we need to start by applying it to the police as well. Every one of those videos shows an aggravated assault, and these violent criminals need to be prosecuted and locked away from society.