What are police to do? They clock someone driving 98 mph in a 45 zone. Weaving in and out.  They finally pull him over and ask him for his license. He refuses. They ask him to step out of the car and he responds with a #&*@ you. Bystanders begin filming the stop with their smart phones.  They begin taunting the police. The guy in the car is emboldened.   And arrogant.  You tell me — what do the police do? Do they drag the guy out of car?  Whack him around a bit if he resists?  Shrug their shoulders and leave saying “have a nice day“? 

What if the guy stopped is a suspect in a triple homicide?  Does that make a difference?  What if he’s got a gun?  Knife?  Baseball bat?  And he’s using – or has used – it?  

The headlines today often include videos of law enforcement officers throwing an offender to the ground. Or dragging him or her out of a car. Scandalous!  But in the vast majority of cases, the cop is justified in the stop.  But our “media” rarely shares context.  In most cases, the cop gets vilified by the press. And by onlookers (who may be chanting “kill the pigs“).

Let’s say you’re a cop.  Yeah you.  How would you react to situations like the above?  Seriously.   What should police do?  You tell me.