I often (disgustedly) hear "it's a war out there". The only "war" that is equivalent to the current policing in the US is the occupation of the axis post WWII. It's absolutely a war, but it's a war where the natives are being raped and pillaged by the occupying force with no recourse because they already lost.

I'd be willing to wager the source of violence in police|public interactions is the public in less than 5% of interactions, probably less than 1%.