I have never had a bad encounter with a cop. Yet I still see countless examples of abuse and criminal behavior from police and the lengths that the police forces will go to shield their own.

> So I take all of these "cops are evil" claims with a grain of salt

No need to take any "claim" as fact when there is tons of actual evidence in the form of recordings, law suits and more. I simply do not understand how someone is able to have a positive view of police with the access we have to information. Police are not your friend, they do not serve you and they should not be trusted.