"Cops generally do a helluva great job in really, really difficult circumstances."

I couldn't agree more. But when they fk up and someone dies or is beat up who didn't need killing or being brutalized, it's beyond tragic. Especially so when inexcusable action is defended. People should not be the innocent victims of over zealous gun packing thugs.....the consequences are too high.

In the video of the wood carver, for instance, you can hear an eye witness say, "He didn't do anything." The killer/officer's response...."He had a knife."

It is not a long leap to replace "He had a knife" with "He had a sharp pencil"

I don't think we can afford stupid cops. If anything, they need to be thoroughly screened and trained first to de-escalate volatile situations, not crush them with force. Cops have a right to go home safe. So did those who were needlessly killed or roughed up. Cops need to be good examples if they expect respect. And if they don't care if they are respected (not to be confused with feared), they need to be gone. Period.