Attitudes Must Change

Nearly getting away with murder: How the Walter Scott video exposed a corrupt system:

He probably would have gotten away with it.

That's the sobering reality of the video of South Carolina police officer Michael Slager shooting Walter L. Scott as he ran away, not posing the slightest threat to the officer. The utter indifference to human life evident in the video, shot by Feidin Santana, is horrifying. As Scott's father put it, "The way he was shooting that gun, it looked like he was trying to kill a deer." After Scott was felled by at least one of eight shots, Slager occupied himself with handcuffing Scott and possibly trying to plant evidence rather than making any immediate attempt to save his life. The phrase "cold-blooded killing" could have been invented for this shooting...

'The worst thing you can do in any encounter with a police officer is challenge his authority' -- I've read and heard this multiple times lately. Really? Isn't it on government to thoroughly indoctrinate officers on the boundaries of their authority? Getting a badge is does not mean carte blanche to say or do anything you want. If a cop cannot abide having his authority challenged verbally is his only recourse violence?  I'm sure there are many teachers, and other public servants, who are routinely abused by the public yet we don't start shooting. I expect the same behavior from cops-- remember: heat and kitchens.