I too work in law enforcement, have for 5 years.

Let me first start by saying.....just because we put on a badge, does NOT make us perfect! Yes, we are held to a higher standard, looked upon as "perfection", but when I go home at night, take off my duty belt, and step out of my uniform, I am just like YOU! Human!

I agree, some officers cross the line. Sadly, they are the ones who get the media, the recognition, the generalization for the rest of us...bad. I am sure there are a LOT less articles, videos, etc of officers who do above and beyond our job each and every day. And what about those officers and their families who make the ultimate sacrifice and are killed while protecting and serving??

As Bard pointed out, several videos show only the footage they Want you to see. Do you know what happened Before the camera "turned on"? Do you know the stress? Do you know if that officers life was endangered??

I would welcome Anyone to attend some of our training sessions. Learn the Use of Force continum that we model after. Be put into the dangers of the job daily..and Then pass judgement. Yes we are trained, we are suppose to live to a higher standard, but no amount of training will "take over" natural instincts when your life is being threatened.

As for Taser..when it is used properly, it is, in my opinion, one of the best defenses we have on the market. In our department, we are required to be tased in order to carry. Yes, I was tased! I carry it! I use it! It has saved my ass several times! I encourage you to look at all the continuing research that Taser has posted on their site..www.taser.com.

I am sure if you asked my partner or Bard's, they would tell you what it is like each and everyday to kiss us good bye, and know that there is a chance we won't come back home.

Again, I by all means am NOT condoning the actions of theses officers, but I'm giving u the perspective of an officer.

I understand that not all cops are bad and you guys do see some messed up stuff that would affect even the most grounded person. But please explain to me a situation where it would be necessary for 5 cops to beat down an unarmed citizen or mace someone in the face if they are not a danger to you?

MSNBC on NYPD Police Brutality during Occupy Wall Street protests last month
 

This is bullshit he didn't even go to an emergency. It's just a power trip. Crazy people should not be allowed to be cops.

I agree. This is more about road rage. Imagine if it was your mother in the back of that ambulance

The laws in Australia are different to the US ... just wondering if the Wall st. people could have the officers involved charged with assault?

They could try and probably have, but as Lawrence O'Donnell said, they won't face any real punishments. Police brutality is underreported by the news media and isn't part of the national conversation. It won't be unless something horrifically egregious happens, for the media to pick up on it. :(

I can only speak for my department and it is a small one but if a complaint is made it is investigated and most of the time the officer is guilty untill they are proven innocent. as a supervisor I have to investigate and I look at all sides I have to if my officer is ut of bounds I sure as hell don't want them on my squad. granted we have not had a brutality complaint. but I can tell you I was investigated once on how I took a male down because he claimed to much force.. untill the chief saw the bruises on my thigh where he had grabbed me after resisting another officer.

There have been quite a few cases here in CA that are examples of what you and bard are talking about- what was the full context of the incident? I don't think it is fair to show one portion of what was going on and to be honest, it isn't right for the media to blast these tapes until they have been checked out and without full details. Probably not much can be done about this and to me, it could be media misconduct- irresponsibility in reporting. As a citizen, I want the true facts and the whole story.

Some of these situations here have led to officer's being disciplined (or even to criminal charges and fired) because the internal investigations did see that there was misconduct.

I remember seeing s program about how some police departments have had "innocent" people get hurt while they are trying to act and those people had been hurt do to the interference of someone trying to videotape what was going on and got in the way or distracted the officers and they missed things like a weapon being drawn and shots fired that hit just someone in a neighborhood who came outside to see what was going on or hit through a window, perhaps just out taking a jog or run. Or an officer is hit. Always two sides to a story.

These images bother me, but I also know that they may not be the whole story. If it is shown that an officer (s) are doing wrong, then they should be prosecuted or disciplined by their superiors. And if someone gets an innocent person (or officer) hurt or killed because they are totally focused on a video tape and have no official capacity in being part of an arrest, let's say, they ought to be held accountable. No, I would not want to be partnered or married to a cop- it is a very dangerous job.

I do see the positive side to tasers, but I hope police departments are given all of the facts by manufacturers.

I just wanted to point out..."crazy" people are Everywhere and no matter all the steps and precautions a company, a department, a squad take..the crazies get thru! Personally, I went through a written test, verbal test, 2 board interviews, extensive background check, 10 references called, ALL work history verified, fingerprinted, polygraphed, drug screen (hair), drug screen (urine), a physical, a fitness test, firearms training, taser training, pepperspray training (and yes, I was tased AND sprayed) , and a 3 month long academy...AND I elected to become CIT certified.....do you know any other profession this thorough?

So let me tell you about the Back Page, 2 paragraph article in todays paper that reads: soldier shoots off duty cop. Happened in Colorado yesterday. Yes, one of our military soldiers sat as a Bait, pretending to be stranded, and shot an OFF duty officer who stopped to offer help and killed him. This officer did Not have to stop, he Chose to because he is a good guy, he honored his badge..and what did he get? A small little article on the back page, I'm sure that will bring his family comfort at night.

See...not all "crazies" can be weeded out...even in our military

Lol...Wow, pure ignorance. Apparently, these lovely officers of the law have never watched an All-Blacks match.