This is the heart of the issue.
Most police don't believe there is any accountability, even if they are good police who always do the right thing.
Most, of course, will always try to do the right thing, but those who don't try are rarely weeded out of the system. This, of course, is enabled by the otherwise good people who are part of the criminal justice system: the police, prosecutors, and even, someitmes, judges who allow criminal behavior to go unpunished, and regularly object to attempts at accountaility.
This explains the impulse to tear it all down, in my opinion. The overwhelming support for the very few criminals who abuse their power puts the entire system into question.
It doesn't (to me) mean that "everybody in the organization is racist and the whole thing should be disbanded/defunded" though.
I take it as simply being that when something like this happens, it's easier for those not involved, good people, to turn a blind eye than stand up for what they know is right.
Not a criticism of the individuals, I know I'd find it hard to stand up and risk being ostracized - it's a criticism of the system where doing the right thing isn't the easy thing.
[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/what-polic...
[2] https://mfranciswrites.medium.com/5-good-cops-that-got-fired...
Maybe what both sides could unite around is an organization that will back up these officers?
~ "The Good Apple Officer Organization"
At the most basic level, could cover the pensions of whistle-blowers - and I'd guess for every story we hear now, would get a dozen more out there.
I genuninely believe most people who join law enforcement want to make the world a better place. Question is simply how can we help them do this?
Combine that with the fact that the officer thinks it okay to knock a woman unconscious for no reason, blatantly lie about it and face essentially no repercussions besides maybe going to a new department a town over. How can policing in America actually get improved during our generation?
edit: reading this made me sick
