The wrongdoings are serious and it does look like there are some bad apples amongst police. And it does seem that the SIU is too quick to dismiss allegations of serious wrongdoing.
But ... .
It's easy to base judgment on the many by considering the actions of a few.
And it's also easy to look back and see that someone is a harmless drunk who might have been a danger. Hindsight is always perfect. When considering self defence it's not fair to use to nice a calculation as to appropriate force.
http://www.thestar.com/mobile/NEWS/article/886939
James Morton
1100-5255 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario
M2N 6P4
416 225 2777
2 comments:
I think we have to remember that police are human beings like the rest of us, and while they are certainly not above the law - nor should they be treated as such - they do have what many consider to be an impossible job to perform.
How many other jobs do we know of where your actions, formed by split second decisions, will potentially be picked apart by judges and lawyers who have the benefit of ample time and not being under the same stress to make that split second decision? Add to that the fact that any day on the job could be their last, and you have a job that has the bar set very high.
One thing that has been (sadly) missing from the Star series has been any examination of the 'intent' of the officer and/or a pattern of similar behaviour. I'm sure one can go and pick up plenty of examples of where police may have used a bit more force than what was needed, but was it their intent to do so? Or was it something that happened in that split second as their mind tried to determine the best course of action?
Slightly off-topic, but if you get the chance James I'd be interested to hear your musings on a topic that seems to have popped up of late, that being those who think Omar Khadr could/should be charged with 'treason' upon his return to Canada. Any thoughts?
Treason is a tough crime to prove and would be highly political. My sense is a charge of taking up arms against Canada might work but even there the politics would be brutal. And because of his age the offences would all be YOA so his time in custody would almost certainly be nil bc of what he will have served.
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