Why is it a death offence to kill a cop but not one to kill a normal person?

[ShawnD1]

The legal theory as I've heard that question answered by police spokesmen is that someone who would kill a police officer is even more dangerous to the general public than is a general murderer.

Makes sense. Lots of criminals try to hide their crime, and they give up when they know they're screwed. It takes a special kind of crazy to think about shooting your way out.

 

[Onceler]

You are ignorant, and generalize far too much. According to your logic, all priests are child molesters too. Since a few have been, when they are just the minority.

The vast majority of Police Officers do the job they are supposed to. Like every public profession, there are bad apples. And the media loves to zero in on them, and do not make nearly as big of a deal when good deeds are done.



A good Officer doesn't step out of line. That being said, sometimes you have to let the other party know who is in charge. And yelling over top of them, or putting them in the back of the car is the only way to do it sometimes. In domestics it is often the case that there is a lot of yelling from both sides, and they just need to shut up when let the Officer's do their job.

Also, lot's of Officers now days are Marines. And, Marines is ALWAYS capitalized. I thank you in advance for doing so in the future.



Another ignorant poster who thinks he knows what is going on. And thinks that his perception is fact.
1. 90% of my arrests are black people. Why? Because my beat is populated by 90% black people. I don't care what color you are, you have drugs on you (enough) you're going to jail, or get a mis cite.
2. Yeah, I would (and have) bust kids for open container. It's just a city cite, no big deal. It is also criminal trespassing, depending if they're cool or not. And why should the family coming to the park the next day to have a birthday party have to worry about beer cans and condoms all over the picnic tables because some punks had some fun there the night before? They shouldn't.
3. We have to be notified that a rape is actually going on. I can assure you, an in-progress call has everyone coming, as fast as they can. It wouldn't matter if the rape was in progress or already committed, it's still a "contact". So your assumption is wrong, and ignorant. And there is no quota for us.

You really have no idea what you're talking about.

The cops in the town where I grew up were anything but brave.

 

[Baasha]

Why make cops special.
It should be a hanging offence to murder anyone.

If killing cops didn't have such drastic consequences, the rate of direct assault on the police will skyrocket. Everyone knows the American "justice" system is a joke; thugs outside who live in hell think of prison as a resort hotel. They get free food, healthcare, and even security guards to "protect" them!

The only thing keeping those loons from attacking police is the death sentence. Trust me on that one; my friends are cops. The last thing I want to see are my buddies having to constantly fear for their already stressful lives.

 

[ShawnD1]

The only thing keeping those loons from attacking police is the death sentence.

It's not the law they're scared of. If you kill a cop, you can expect the other cops to beat the hell out of you.

 

[HeXen]

because Cops put themselves in danger as part of their job. Citizens don't put themselves there, they either happen into it or are instigating it.

 

[Moonbeam]

My one experience when talking to a cop was a bad one. The motel had hired some security for the place and it was a cop.
He kept on talking about torturing suspects with a stun gun so it wouldn't leave any marks. And talking about roughing people up. And saying how they couldn't arrest blacks because prisons had too many of them and they needed more white guys.
And he "Oh I forgot your not a cop", me "I wouldn't be able to I have an arrest record" , him "We all do how do you think we became cops in the first place?".
This guy was worse of a problem than the people he was supposed to be policing. We got more complaints than ever.

The police are your friend. You never harbor negative feelings toward them. Smile, say yes sir, do whatever they tell you quickly and without any resistance at all. Cooperate to the fullest degree and thank them for what they do. Always show your respect for them. Never forget that if you exhibit any negative attitude at all to the police it can get you killed. The shit attitude you now have will manifest in body language force is designed to remove. Why get yourself thrown to the ground and handcuffed or beaten or maybe even shot because of your asshole attitude. Think and stay alive. Practice by showing gratitude to God for every negative thing that happens. Never say give me freedom or give me death because freedom is within and can never be taken. Love everything. It will change your life.

 

[Darwin333]

Way to generalize. There are great cops and horrible cops. Just like EVERY other career out there.

The reason that so many people feel that way is that even the good cops tend to protect the bad. The "blue line" bullshit and all that. If you do good but protect those that do bad, what does that make you?

 

[Ackmed]

The cops in the town where I grew up were anything but brave.

That may or may not be. But you making sweeping generalizations of the entire law enforcement community is just silly. To put it lightly.

You making a judgement because of a snapshot you have of them, for their entire career is also silly. You said you had just one encounter talking to an Officer, and from this and observing however other many times, you made a judgement for that Officer, your town, and all Officers in the Country. Do you see how silly that is? Surely you've had a bad day, or moment and if all someone saw was that one snapshot of you, they would think you were like that all the time.

The fact is, Officers have bad days. They have personal problems, job problems, etc. That being said, it is not ok for them to bring that into work. However, it can be very hard not to at times. I'm sure everyone has snapped at someone, or done something they've regretted in the heat of the moment.

It is NOT ok for an Officer to break the law, bend the rules, etc just because they are "cops". But some do, that's a fact. There is a common saying, 10% of the people are 90% of the problem. Which is all too true. Most civilians do not interact with the Police at all, unless they are wronged. And it is the Officers job to conduct themselves in the highest regard at all times, leaving a good impression upon the community.

It can be very hard to do so at times, depending on where you work. I work on the "wrong side of the tracks", where there is a ton of gangs, drugs, prostitution, etc. You have to treat them differently that some upper class people, because they are street smart and can read you very well. They know the laws, they know what they can get away with, and they try to push you to get you to do something wrong all the time. It's so annoying, but part of it.

I say all that to say this, yes some Officers are bad. Some give the rest a poor name. I can assure you that most are good, and do the right thing all the time. I know in my Dept that is the case, while not huge, has well over 400 Officers. Don't let the one bad instance you had with an Officer burn that bridge, and don't let that headline make you think we are all that way. As I said, priests, teachers, congressmen, etc have all been making headlines of doing the wrong thing. That doesn't mean that they all are. It's the same for Officers.

 

[Darwin333]

If killing cops didn't have such drastic consequences, the rate of direct assault on the police will skyrocket.

Bullshit.

Everyone knows the American "justice" system is a joke

Yes they do, which is why the US whose population makes up a small portion of the worlds population has a full 25% of the worlds inmates. Think about that for a moment.

The only thing keeping those loons from attacking police is the death sentence. Trust me on that one; my friends are cops. The last thing I want to see are my buddies having to constantly fear for their already stressful lives.

Again, bullshit. I have yet to see a single shred of evidence that shows the death sentence is a deterrent. It is an effective punishment but that "loon" isn't thinking "damn, I would gladly kill you if all they would give me is life in prison but since the death penalty might be on the line (like they even know) I won't"

 

[Kantastic]

Because police officers are people who devote their lives to keeping the peace, attacking them is attacking the peace they defend.

Those glorified thugs do nothing but devote their lives to draining the tax dollars of hardworking citizens. Nothing resonates hypocrisy more than the NYPD's motto, "Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect".

Yes they do, which is why the US whose population makes up a small portion of the worlds population has a full 25% of the worlds inmates. Think about that for a moment."

We also have some of the most heinous definitions of what constitutes a crime warranting imprisonment.

 

[Doppel]

If killing cops didn't have such drastic consequences, the rate of direct assault on the police will skyrocket. Everyone knows the American "justice" system is a joke; thugs outside who live in hell think of prison as a resort hotel. They get free food, healthcare, and even security guards to "protect" them!

The only thing keeping those loons from attacking police is the death sentence. Trust me on that one; my friends are cops. The last thing I want to see are my buddies having to constantly fear for their already stressful lives.

I contend this to be bullsh*t and challenge you to prove it. Can you show any indication in any state without death penalty in which this was put in place and had a resultant effect on lowering the numbers of cops killed? Or in contrast the removal of death penalty for cops had an immediate impact on increasing the number killed? If not, this is another worthless law at the very best because it accomplishes nothing and worse than worthless because it is inherently unjust as well.

If you are indeed unable to find evidence backing your claims I hope you're willing to change them. If you find any real evidence it works (not anecdotes, I mean real statistics) then I'll rescind my view that this is an ineffectual law even if I have reservations about its relationship to justice.

 

[DCal430]

Way to generalize. There are great cops and horrible cops. Just like EVERY other career out there.

The courts have been very clear, police are not there to protect you. They have no obligation to protect you. Police have no obligation to respond to a crime in which someone life is in danger. Someone could be trying to bust into your home and kill you, you call 911 and guess what the police don't have to show up and help you. The courts have been very clear on this, it isn't a corrupt cop issue, it is an issue of law.

 

[DCal430]

Tell that to the victims saved.



So no black drug dealers have ever been arrested?



This is incoherent.

The police job isn't to save victims. The courts here have been very clear. The police do not need to do anything to protect and help anyone. They only need to arrest criminals, your protection is irrelevant.

The courts have said many times, if a police officer doesn't want to stop a criminal from taking a innocent person life they don't have too. No requirement to help victims, no requirement to respond to crimes in progress, no requirement to life a finger to help anyone in need.

 

[DCal430]

Many people think the job of the police is to serve and protect, WRONG it is to arrest criminals, not to protect ANYONE and definitely not to protect you.

 

[DCal430]

because Cops put themselves in danger as part of their job. Citizens don't put themselves there, they either happen into it or are instigating it.

Police are NEVER required to put them self in danger to help anyone, a killer is on a killing spree killing masses of people, the police don't have to respond and put them self in any danger. The courts have been VERY clear on this.

 

[HAL9000]

The police job isn't to save victims. The courts here have been very clear. The police do not need to do anything to protect and help anyone. They only need to arrest criminals, your protection is irrelevant.

The courts have said many times, if a police officer doesn't want to stop a criminal from taking a innocent person life they don't have too. No requirement to help victims, no requirement to respond to crimes in progress, no requirement to life a finger to help anyone in need.

They don't have to do a lot of things, and yet they do... Also you're talking about america and I'm not.

The basic function of a police unit is to protect the people.

 

[DCal430]

They don't have to do a lot of things, and yet they do... Also you're talking about america and I'm not.

The basic function of a police unit is to protect the people.

That might be true in the UK, but in the U.S it is NOT. The function of the police in the U.S is to arrest criminals NOT to protect anyone. The people have no one to protect them in the U.S except them self. That is a sad reality of the laws in the U.S, there is no law enforcement to protect the people in the U.S.

In the UK if your life is in danger and you call the police I assume they will come. In the U.S if you call the police they will come in a few hours when your dead.

 

[HAL9000]

That might be true in the UK, but in the U.S it is NOT. The function of the police in the U.S is to arrest criminals NOT to protect anyone. The people have no one to protect them in the U.S except them self. That is a sad reality of the laws in the U.S, there is no law enforcement to protect the people in the U.S.

In the UK if your life is in danger and you call the police I assume they will come. In the U.S if you call the police they will come in a few hours when your dead.

Arresting criminals does protect people....

So you're saying in America if a bank calls the police and says armed burglars are in the bank, the police think "ah fuck it, let's wait till they're done and then go down"... I don't believe that.

 

[Doppel]

The police job isn't to save victims. The courts here have been very clear. The police do not need to do anything to protect and help anyone. They only need to arrest criminals, your protection is irrelevant.

The courts have said many times, if a police officer doesn't want to stop a criminal from taking a innocent person life they don't have too. No requirement to help victims, no requirement to respond to crimes in progress, no requirement to life a finger to help anyone in need.

This is a case, like many, in which the law speaks to only one portion of reality. Regardless of whether cops legally have to protect or not the obvious reality is that they do and 99.99% of the time if you call 911 during a crime a cop will come there with the expectation of being put in danger.

That might be true in the UK, but in the U.S it is NOT. The function of the police in the U.S is to arrest criminals NOT to protect anyone. The people have no one to protect them in the U.S except them self. That is a sad reality of the laws in the U.S, there is no law enforcement to protect the people in the U.S.

In the UK if your life is in danger and you call the police I assume they will come. In the U.S if you call the police they will come in a few hours when your dead.

So utterly absurd.

You need to understand that your legalese doesn't hold a candle to what police actually do.

What's next, that parents aren't required to love their kids merely clothe and feed them? And then I say "sure, but in reality most parents do this anyway" and then you say "but they don't have to.". Ok, you get a cookie, cops don't "have to" protect people. Even though they do.

So you're saying in America if a bank calls the police and says armed burglars are in the bank, the police think "ah fuck it, let's wait till they're done and then go down"... I don't believe that.

Nor should you. Dcal has this strange sense that police only work within some highly limited legal capacity. He also doesn't realize these legal findings are set to avoid a precedent of people suing police departments for failing to stop harm to oneself (and this is reasonable as police are not omnipotent). That is it, they are not created to guide procedure and they don't.

 

[HAL9000]

That is my understanding of it, the law in America is set up so they can't be held as negligent for not being able to save someone... Which is clearly reasonable, the police shouldnt be sued for not being able to help.

I think it's quite clear to any reasonable person that the police do protect and serve

 

[HAL9000]

Those glorified thugs do nothing but devote their lives to draining the tax dollars of hardworking citizens. Nothing resonates hypocrisy more than the NYPD's motto, "Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect".

You can't generalise like that.

The police officers I know are great.

 

[werepossum]

You are ignorant, and generalize far too much. According to your logic, all priests are child molesters too. Since a few have been, when they are just the minority.

The vast majority of Police Officers do the job they are supposed to. Like every public profession, there are bad apples. And the media loves to zero in on them, and do not make nearly as big of a deal when good deeds are done.



A good Officer doesn't step out of line. That being said, sometimes you have to let the other party know who is in charge. And yelling over top of them, or putting them in the back of the car is the only way to do it sometimes. In domestics it is often the case that there is a lot of yelling from both sides, and they just need to shut up when let the Officer's do their job.

Also, lot's of Officers now days are Marines. And, Marines is ALWAYS capitalized. I thank you in advance for doing so in the future.



Another ignorant poster who thinks he knows what is going on. And thinks that his perception is fact.
1. 90% of my arrests are black people. Why? Because my beat is populated by 90% black people. I don't care what color you are, you have drugs on you (enough) you're going to jail, or get a mis cite.
2. Yeah, I would (and have) bust kids for open container. It's just a city cite, no big deal. It is also criminal trespassing, depending if they're cool or not. And why should the family coming to the park the next day to have a birthday party have to worry about beer cans and condoms all over the picnic tables because some punks had some fun there the night before? They shouldn't.
3. We have to be notified that a rape is actually going on. I can assure you, an in-progress call has everyone coming, as fast as they can. It wouldn't matter if the rape was in progress or already committed, it's still a "contact". So your assumption is wrong, and ignorant. And there is no quota for us.

You really have no idea what you're talking about.

Good post, and thanks for doing a dangerous and largely thankless job.

The police are your friend. You never harbor negative feelings toward them. Smile, say yes sir, do whatever they tell you quickly and without any resistance at all. Cooperate to the fullest degree and thank them for what they do. Always show your respect for them. Never forget that if you exhibit any negative attitude at all to the police it can get you killed. The shit attitude you now have will manifest in body language force is designed to remove. Why get yourself thrown to the ground and handcuffed or beaten or maybe even shot because of your asshole attitude. Think and stay alive. Practice by showing gratitude to God for every negative thing that happens. Never say give me freedom or give me death because freedom is within and can never be taken. Love everything. It will change your life.

Actually, this is largely true. Smile, be polite and respectful, and you'll seldom have a problem with cops, even with the assholes.

The courts have been very clear, police are not there to protect you. They have no obligation to protect you. Police have no obligation to respond to a crime in which someone life is in danger. Someone could be trying to bust into your home and kill you, you call 911 and guess what the police don't have to show up and help you. The courts have been very clear on this, it isn't a corrupt cop issue, it is an issue of law.

I don't think that's quite accurate. The courts have ruled that the police have no obligation to protect you, true, but that doesn't mean they aren't (in part) there to protect you. It just means that if they don't protect you, they have not legally damaged you. That's just government protecting government. That's the difference between having a right (such as free speech) and having a benefit like police protection. The benefit may be good and important, but there is no penalty if it is not delivered.

 

[DCal430]

This is a case, like many, in which the law speaks to only one portion of reality. Regardless of whether cops legally have to protect or not the obvious reality is that they do and 99.99% of the time if you call 911 during a crime a cop will come there with the expectation of being put in danger.So utterly absurd.

You need to understand that your legalese doesn't hold a candle to what police actually do.

What's next, that parents aren't required to love their kids merely clothe and feed them? And then I say "sure, but in reality most parents do this anyway" and then you say "but they don't have to.". Ok, you get a cookie, cops don't "have to" protect people. Even though they do.Nor should you. Dcal has this strange sense that police only work within some highly limited legal capacity. He also doesn't realize these legal findings are set to avoid a precedent of people suing police departments for failing to stop harm to oneself (and this is reasonable as police are not omnipotent). That is it, they are not created to guide procedure and they don't.

Doppel you are WRONG, there have been cases in which people were facing a home invasion, called the police for help and the police refused to show up until hours later. The result the people were killed. The courts said the police didn't have show up if they didn't feel like it.

 

[HAL9000]

Doppel you are WRONG, there have been cases in which people were facing a home invasion, called the police for help and the police refused to show up until hours later. The result the people were killed. The courts said the police didn't have show up if they didn't feel like it.

Source?

 

[DCal430]

Source?

I will look for it, it was a major court case, but it happen years ago could be hard to find. It was in New York, a woman called begging for the police to come, called 911 and the dispatcher had to tell her she would be on her own, that the police didn't feel like responding, and that no one would be coming help. She ended up getting killed.