As you know (email), my friend’s brother, Alexander Jason helped these guys out!

http://www.alexanderjason.com/

To try to answer your questions:

I didn’t mean to say everyone only has negative experiences (I did word that poorly, I realize). Only that those who do tend to have a bias against cops because, like you said, they see it as the norm.

From my standpoint, it’s true I have only had a few and they have been far in-between but the few I’ve had weren’t exactly pleasant. I’m not saying I have a bias against cops, but can see how someone would.

I never meant to imply that I hate cops because of that one instance (I don’t). Although, I DO hate her. I can’t help it. I just meant that I’m not going to automatically assume that the cop’s version is correct, nor would I assume it isn’t.

Let me try to re-group so you will hopefully better understand what I was going after.

First – I was not in any way trying to demean the experience you had or to say it wasn’t true. What happened, happened, and I sure wasn’t there, so I have no position to judge it from. I can only take what you say at face value, and I have no cause to believe you are or would falsify. I hope that clears up any misconception you may have from that angle. If not, tell me how I need to clarify.

Kerri, Here’s the statement of yours that first grabbed my attention: “However, the problem is that because the death was caused by a cop there isn’t going to be a fair investigation.” That SOUNDED to me like you felt cops were bad. But I can see how, in re-reading what I wrote, that you could feel that I fell prey to the same over-generalization I was complaining about. You didn’t say all cops were bad. But you did say that if a cop was involved, there could not be a fair investigation. I took issue with that then, as I do now. But perhaps I can be clearer that I understand you’re not claiming all cops are bad cops.

In your response you said: “Only that because people only have negative expiriences they end up cynical, with a bias against cops.” So let me ask you: Are you saying that the only experiences people have with cops are bad experiences? That seems to be it from what I read. I suppose that would be true of people only had ONE experience with a cop, and it was bad. But how many people only have ONE experience with a cop? I suppose it’s possible, but I could think it unlikely. So do you mean that you never had a cop treat you nicely, never had a cop do something for you or a friend that was positive? Nothing? If so, that’s a shame, and truly sad. IF I am reading the sentence I quoted correctly, and IF it is true the people in general only have bad experiences with cops, it’s a sad thing.

If that is the case, I think there really needs to be some more outreach by the cops that have given only this negative experience, and, on the other side of the coin, there needs to be some seeking of real understanding by these folks who say they only have bad and no good experiences with cops. Because at this point, I’m not quite on board with the idea that an entire department of police officers could exist that only gives negative experiences to all with whom it has contact.

I still it’s not a good way to recognize reality to paint from the specific to the general based on one experience. I stand by that. I hope that’s not sounding arrogant, but simply logical.

I personally have seen instances of cops being investigated, and I can say that the persons making the complaint or wanting the investigation were treated every bit as fairly as the cops, and that more often than not the cops had a greater burden of proof than a John Doe off the street would have had. PC – do you find this to be true, too, or am I just a bit off the mark?

Let’s see where we stand now, Kerri, OK?

406, OUT

People like Kerri, who have unfortunate incidents where there may be a cop who has run afoul of the law and what is right, see their experience as the norm rather than the aberration. It is a matter of the misuse of logic that paints from the specific to the general: I *KNOW* for sure this cop was bad and we got a raw deal, therefore ALL cops are bad and people always get a raw deal. That kind of logic simply doesn’t get it in the world of reality.

It’s the same logic as saying “I know for a fact that 406 is fat because he eats too much. Therefore all people who are fat are that way because they eat too much.” It doesn’t work for fat people and it doesn’t work for bad cops.

I wouldn’t dare say that Kerri isn’t telling the truth. But I would urge Kerri to use the brain God gave her to see past the fallacy of that kind of thinking. It simply doesn’t represent the facts. It simply isn’t true that because a cop is involved there isn’t going to be a fair investigation. In fact, if you look at the total number of investigations about possible cop wrongdoing, you’ll see far more of them are weighted, as far as pure fairness is concerned, against the cop rather than for the cop. Looking at cops through glasses tinted by this experience is not likely to produce an accurate picture of cops.

406, OUT

I’m not really sure why they wouldn’t take the case. I would have to bring it up with my aunt. It didn’t happen in a city though. I don’t know if that would have something to do with it?

Kerri

One other thing. I am surprised no lawyer would take the case. In most major cities, there are scores of lawyers that LOVE to sue the police. I don’t know why this happened in your instance, but I assure you the opposite is the norm. Too many people sue the police too often in most metro areas.

PC