This list which compares the excuses made by abusive men with documented excuses for police brutality from Our Enemies In Blue, by Kristian Williams (A stellar must read book) is useful in combating the piss poor excuses po-lice give for their actions.
1) Denial “I didn’t hit her”
“The professionalism and restraint displayed by the police officers, supervisors and commanders on the ‘front line’…was nothing short of outstanding”, “America does not have a human-rights problem”
2) Minimization “It was only a slap”
The injuries were “of minor nature”, “Police use force infrequently”
3) Blame “She asked for it”
“This guy isn’t Mr. Innocent Citizen, either. Not by a long shot”, “They died because they were criminals”
4) Redefinition “It was mutual combat”
“Resisting Arrest”, “The use of force is necessary to protect yourself”
5) Unintentionality “Things got out of hand”
“[O]fficers have no choice but to use deadly force against an assailant who is deliberately trying to kill them”
6) It’s over now “I’ll never do it again”
“We’re making changes”, “We will change our training; we will do everything in our power to make sure this never happens again”
7) It’s only a few men “Most men wouldn’t hurt a woman”
“A small proportion of officers are disproportionately involved in use-of-force incidents” “Even if we determine that the officers were out of line….it is an aberration”
8 ) Counterattack “She controls everything”
“The only thing they understand is physical force and pain”, “People make complaints to get out of trouble”
9) Competing victimization “Everybody is against men”
The police are “in constant danger”, “[L]iberals are prejudiced against police, much as many white police are biased against Negroes”, The police are “the most downtrodden, oppressed, dislocated minority in America”
Police also have the a 10th excuse, the “Hero Defense”
“”The police routinely do what the rest of us don’t; They risk their lives to keep the peace. For that selfless bravery, they deserve glory, laud and honor”
“”The police create a sense of community that makes social life possible”
“They alone stand guard at the upstairs door of Hell”
Usually the po-lice will use a combination of these excuse for one lone incident. But the more we know about their kind and their ways, the better positioned we are in combating their abuses and lies.
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