Early in my law enforcement career a noted member of our State's Judiciary spoke at our annual convention. His speech scolded us because our official office was as a gatherer of facts and preventer of escalating criminal actions, not to act as an on-scene judge of rights or wrongs, or to make statements or take actions for our judgements as to guilt or innocence. That social responsibility is reserved for the judiciary and is the backbone of our democratic form of justice in government. And, when we talk of police reform that's the lesson still not adequately addressed by police training.
Maybe I didn't witness what happened in this Texas shooting but, it has all the earmarks of happenings where a weak-mind and personality in an official capacity went beyond his duty to gather facts and was frustrated in his attempt to "hold court" right there. Yes, it appears a witness was unimpressed with the officers demeanor (and bias?) and just wanted to leave until his witness account was taken by a responsible law enforcement officer rather than an unhinged overweight badge-heavy adolescent. Police reform? You're damned right it's needed. (Enlightened Prisoner 10-7-20)
