Why Police Have a Negative Image

A writer writes.

I just watched a video of the antics of several Caucasian policemen in New Mexico.  The video shows a policeman stopping a van driven by a woman for going 70 in a 55 miles per hour zone.  The policeman asks her to wait right there, and he walks back to his car.  For some reason the woman drives off.  The police follow her and stop her again, this time just asking her to get out of the car.  The woman declines doing so but finally gets out and goes to the back of the car.  When asked to put her hands behind her back she declines and attempts to get back in the car.  The policeman attempts to stop her from doing so.  Her son and another of her kids gets out of the car to come to the aid of their mom.  Apparently the policeman attempts to taser her oldest son who gets back in the car.  Then one of the cops goes to the passenger side of the car and demands that the son open the door.  When he does not, the policeman uses his baton to break the passenger window.  The mom then drives off.  As she does so another policeman, fires his gun at the van.  Thankfully he doesn't hit anyone in the car.  The mother finally ends the chase when she stops in front of a hotel.

What those policeman have done in addition to making a fool of themselves, is to make an enemy of a young black male.  His view of policemen will forever be clouded by their questionable behavior.  He will forever not trust a policeman.  He will question the authority of a policeman to ask him questions.  Policemen should realize, they too are role models.  Their behavior needs to remain exemplary in all instances.  They are entrusted with weapons that can kill people.  Use of those weapons should be on an as needed basis.  Why a policeman would feel threatened by a car moving away from him is severely questionable.

The policemen took an opportunity to handle the situation in a more diplomatic fashion and blew it.  Now it's just another instance of armed policemen going wild.  Some would say the mother should have just complied with the policeman.  More facts will come out in the next few days.  But, does it take bullets to stop a mother and a van full of kids?