A motorist who happened to be white and deaf was killed last week in North Carolina, by a cop during what should have been a traffic stop.
Unfortunately, this is what it's going to take to make America look a little more closely at the policies that govern the rules of engagement for law enforcement personnel. Does that sound a bit militaristic? Good, because our local law enforcement departments have become de facto paramilitary organizations, like what you used to read about in banana republics, back when media entities had foreign offices.
Race is more often than not a factor in these incidents, but if we really want to get to the bottom of why harmless, unarmed people are being routinely killed by cops for no good reason, we have to address the training policy of using deadly force as a first resort, when it used to be a last resort.
Unfortunately, this is what it's going to take to make America look a little more closely at the policies that govern the rules of engagement for law enforcement personnel. Does that sound a bit militaristic? Good, because our local law enforcement departments have become de facto paramilitary organizations, like what you used to read about in banana republics, back when media entities had foreign offices.
Race is more often than not a factor in these incidents, but if we really want to get to the bottom of why harmless, unarmed people are being routinely killed by cops for no good reason, we have to address the training policy of using deadly force as a first resort, when it used to be a last resort.
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