Originally Posted by OptionZero

I never said the cop was blameless. I said the cop should be punished but keep his job, given his past record.

For those of you calling for the cop's head, would you be equally supportive of changing sentencing schemes to ignore an individual's record (either a checkered one or a spotless one)?

You are correct that he is not flipping burgers. Even the courts have recognized that cops are expected to show thicker skin than an ordinary person in confrontational situations . . .

. . . but by the same token, his quality record is not 20 years of flipping burgers well, it's 20 years of policing well. You're going to give him zero slack because the situation demanded a higher standard, but you're going to ignore how he responded to those same situations before? Can't have it both ways.

If we're so sick of "bad cops," why are we so quick to throw away one that, for 20 years, has been a good one?


If this cop is willing to take responsibility for his actions, let him keep his job with the punishment and a reassignment. If he isn't, well, then, see ya.