This kind of crap is why I left law enforcement after 14 years in it. I was a jailer for a while, and ended up hating myself for witnessing but not being able to stop things like the article author went through. I went from jailer to dispatcher, then terminal operator. Even there, detached as I was from the violence and corruption, I still knew I was supporting it as well. I'm finally out of that career, working as the sole IT staff for a private company.

While I know that there are a lot more good cops than bad cops, there are also, among the good cops, way too many bullies who seemingly don't even realize what they are doing. They are generally good, family oriented, helpful people, but they are trained in the POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) classes to never, ever trust the citizen. That mistrust bleeds over into their personality and they sometimes don't even realize they have become jerks and bullies. I'm not defending them; it's just been my observation that while the job does attract a certain bad element (low to average intelligence combined with laziness and a lust for authority), it also attracts those who want to do good but end up warped into becoming oppressors despite their good intentions.

And there are a few truly good cops who would prevent something like what we read escalating like it did. They do exist, but they generally don't last very long in that line of work, because they can't take the constant pressure to be part of the team and cover up the bullshit.