It is difficult for many of us to muster empathy for people accused of crimes who have complaints about the way police treated them.
This lack of empathy probably occurs because ordinary folks do not think they will be in situations like people accused of crimes.
kAmx7 E92E :?4=F56D J@F[ 2==@H >6 E@ :?EC@5F46 J@F E@ p?E9@?J (2ED@?[ cb[ @7 r@C2=G:==6[ 2?5 y6??:76C !C:E492C5[ 2=D@ cb[ @7 u@CE s@586]k^Am
kAm%96:C 6IA6C:6?46D D9@F=5 36 2 H2<6\FA 42==] (6 D9@F=5 2D< 8@G6C?>6?E =6256CD[ 6DA64:2==J :? y@9?D@? 2?5 w2>:=E@? 4@F?E:6D[ 2 3F?49 @7 “H9J” 2?5 “9@H” BF6DE:@?D — BF6DE:@?D 23@FE E96 6G6?ED 2?5 564:D:@?D E92E =65 E96D6 EH@ A6@A=6 E@ 36 ;2:=65 2?5 E96:C =:G6D EFC?65 E@ADJ\EFCGJ]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D ?@E D@>6 2C42?6 6I6C4:D6] %96 E2IA2J6CD 2C6 A2J:?8 (2ED@? 2?5 !C:E492C5 2 4@>3:?65 Sg`d[___ E@ 4@>A6?D2E6 E96> 7@C E96 92C> E96 ;FDE:46 DJDE6> 42FD65]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D ?@E :?E6?565 2D 4C:E:4:D> @7 =2H @77:46CD 2D 2 H9@=6] (6 @H6 E96> @FC 8C2E:EF56] qFE E96 24E:@?D @7 2 76H @77:46CD 2?5 AC@D64FE@CD :? E96D6 42D6D F?56C>:?6 AF3=:4 ECFDE[ C6DA64E 2?5 4@?7:56?46 :? @FC ;FDE:46 DJDE6> — ;FDE 2D DFC6=J 2D C6DA64E 7@C %6I2D A@=:46 H2D 6C@565 3J E96 G:56@ @7 4@AD =@:E6C:?8 :? E96 D49@@= 4@CC:5@C :? &G2=56[ %6I2D[ H9:=6 a` DEF56?ED 2?5 E62496CD H6C6 36:?8 <:==65 5@H? E96 92==]k^Am
kAm%96 EC@F3=:?8 6G6?ED :?G@=G:?8 (2ED@? 2?5 !C:E492C5 H6C6 3C@F89E E@ =:89E C646?E=J 3J 5@8865 C6A@CE:?8 3J %C:D9 |692776J @7 E96 r652C #2A:5D v2K6EE6 2?5 z6=3J (:?86CE @7 E96 u@CE s@586 |6DD6?86C] %96:C 2CE:4=6D[ 2?5 x@H2 4@FCE C64@C5D[ 96=A FD F?56CDE2?5 H9J E96 EC62E>6?E @7 (2ED@? 2?5 !C:E492C5 :D 2 A6CG6CD:@? @7 x@H2’D DJDE6> @7 ;FDE:46]k^Am
kAm(2ED@? DE@AA65 7@C 82D 2E 2 r2D6J’D :? x@H2 r:EJ :? s646>36C a_`f] (:E9:? >:?FE6D[ A@=:46 @77:46C %C2G:D vC2G6D AF==65 :?[ 92G:?8 366? 5:DA2E4965 E@ 4964< 2 C6A@CE @7 2 C64<=6DD 5C:G6C :? E96 2C62]k^Am
kAm(2ED@? ?6G6C 2C8F65 H:E9 E96 @77:46C] w6 ?6G6C EC:65 E@ 7=66] (92E6G6C vC2G6D 2D<65 9:> E@ 5@[ (2ED@? 4@>A=:65] qFE vC2G6D H2D 4@?G:?465 (2ED@? H2D :>A2:C65 3J 2=4@9@=[ >2C:;F2?2 @C 2?@E96C 4@?EC@==65 5CF8]k^Am
kAmvC2G6D 2D<65 9:> E@ A6C7@C> 2 D6C:6D @7 7:6=5 D@3C:6EJ E6DED[ E96? E@ 8:G6 EH@ 3C62E92=JK6C D2>A=6D] t249 E:>6[ E96 E6DED D9@H65 E96C6 H2D ?@ 6G:56?46 @7 :>A2:C>6?E]k^Am
kAmvC2G6D 2D<65 r@C2=G:==6 A@=:46 @77:46C y677 #6:?92C5 E@ 4@>6 E@ E96 x@H2 r:EJ DE2E:@? 2?5 A6C7@C> 2 G:DF2= 6G2=F2E:@? @7 (2ED@? 7@C D:8?D @7 5CF8 FD6] #6:?92C5 925 366? EC2:?65 E@ A6C7@C> E96D6 DF3;64E:G6 6G2=F2E:@?D] #6:?92C5 4@?4=F565 (2ED@? H2D F?56C E96 :?7=F6?46 @7 >2C:;F2?2]k^Am
kAmvC2G6D E96? 2D<65 (2ED@? E@ 8:G6 2 FC:?6 DA64:>6?] %92E E6DE D9@H65 ?@ 6G:56?46 E@ DFAA@CE #6:?92C5’D 4@?4=FD:@?] }6G6CE96=6DD[ vC2G6D 492C865 (2ED@? H:E9 5CF?<6? 5C:G:?8 2?5 =@4<65 9:> FA :? E96 y@9?D@? r@F?EJ y2:=] %96 492C8:?8 5@4F>6?ED 5@ ?@E >6?E:@? (2ED@? 925 A2DD65 E96 32=2?46[ 3C62E9 2?5 FC:?6 E6DED]k^Am
kAmpE E96 E:>6[ (2ED@? H2D @? A2C@=6 @? 2? F?C6=2E65 492C86] %96 x@H2 r:EJ @77:46C ?@E:7:65 E96 A2C@=6 @77:46C @7 E96 2CC6DE[ <?@H:?8 E92E H@F=5 6?DFC6 (2ED@? H@F=5 C6>2:? :? ;2:= F?E:= E96 ~(x 42D6 H2D 25;F5:42E65]k^Am
kAmp >@?E9 27E6C 9:D 2CC6DE[ ?@E E96 52J 27E6C E96 2CC6DE[ A@=:46 D6?E (2ED@?’D FC:?6 DA64:>6? E@ 2? @FE\@7\DE2E6 =23@C2E@CJ E@ 4@?5F4E >@C6 D@A9:DE:42E65 E6DED 7@C E96 AC6D6?46 @7 4@?EC@==65 5CF8D] %9@D6 E6DED 2=D@ D9@H65 ?@ 6G:56?46 @7 5CF8D[ :?4=F5:?8 42??23:D]k^Am
kAmqFE :E H@F=5 36 7:G6 >@C6 H66<D 367@C6 (2ED@? H2D C6=62D65 7C@> ;2:=] p?@E96C >@?E9 H@F=5 A2DD 367@C6 AC@D64FE@CD 5C@AA65 E96 ~(x 492C86] %96J ?@E65 :? 4@FCE 5@4F>6?ED[ “2?E:4:A2E65 AC@3=6>D @7 AC@@7 72E2= E@ E96 AC@D64FE:@?j 3C62E9 2?5 E@I:4@=@8J E6DED 42>6 324< ?682E:G6 7@C 2=4@9@= 2?5^@C 4@?EC@==65 DF3DE2?46D]”k^Am
kAmqJ E96 E:>6 E96 42D6 H2D 5:D>:DD65[ (2ED@? 925 366? AF?:D965 2A=6?EJi w6 DA6?E ?62C=J E9C66 >@?E9D :? ;2:=] w6 =@DE 9:D ;@3 2?5 9:D 2A2CE>6?E 5FC:?8 E92E E:>6]k^Am
kAmy6??:76C !C:E492C5’D 6IA6C:6?46 :D D:>:=2C] $96 DA6?E ab 52JD :? E96 w2>:=E@? r@F?EJ y2:= :? a_`h 27E6C 36:?8 492C865 H:E9 2:5:?8 2?5 236EE:?8 :? 2EE6>AE65 >FC56C]k^Am
kAm!C:E492C5 H2D 244FD65 @7 5C:G:?8 2 42C 36=@?8:?8 E@ 2 7C:6?5[ y24@3 p52>D[ H96? E96 EH@ DFAA@D65=J 7@==@H65 qC:2??2 !FC46== 2D D96 5C@G6 ?62C $EC2E7@C5] !FC46== 244FD65 p52>D @7 7:C:?8 2 8F? 2E 96C 7C@> E96 >@G:?8 42C 2?5 E96? 2E 96C 42>A6C H9:=6 D96 H2D :?D:56]k^Am
kAm!FC46== 2?5 p52>D 925 H92E s6AFEJ $96C:77 s2G:5 %FCA6? 42==65 2 “G@=2E:=6 A2DE]” %96C6 2=D@ H2D 2 7F?52>6?E2= AC@3=6> H:E9 !FC46==’D 2==682E:@?Di w6C DE@CJ 492?865 H:=5=J 5FC:?8 :?E6CG:6HD H:E9 w2>:=E@? r@F?EJ D96C:77’D @77:46CD]k^Am
kAmx? s6AFEJ %FCA6?’D C6A@CED[ !FC46== ?6G6C >6?E:@?65 36:?8 7@==@H65 @C 2?J 8F?D9@ED 36:?8 7:C65 2E 96C] $96 E@=5 9:> D6G6C2= E:>6D D96 H2D :? E96 42>A6C 2?5 ?6G6C D2H 2 42C @C D9@@E6C]k^Am
kAmw6C DE@CJ 492?865 H96? D96 H2D BF6DE:@?65 3J $96C:77 s@F8 %:>>@?D] $96 E96? D2:5 E96 7:CDE D9@ED 42>6 H9:=6 D96 36:?8 7@==@H65 3J 2 42C 5C:G6? 3J !C:E492C5[ H:E9 p52>D D9@@E:?8 2E 96C 7C@> E96 A2DD6?86C D62E]k^Am
kAmq2D65 @? E92E :?E6CG:6H[ 2EE6>AE65\>FC56C 492C86D H6C6 7:=65 282:?DE !C:E492C5 2?5 p52>D] %96J H6C6 F?23=6 E@ A@DE Sd__[___ 42D9\@?=J 3@?5[ D@ E96J H6C6 ;2:=65]k^Am
kAm(96? !C:E492C5 H2D BF6DE:@?65 E96 52J 27E6C 96C 2CC6DE[ D96 D2:5 D96 H2D 2E H@C< :? u@CE s@586[ ba >:=6D 2H2J[ 2E E96 E:>6 @77:4:2=D D2:5 E96 D9@@E:?8 @44FCC65] p 4@\H@C<6C G6C:7:65 !C:E492C5’D 2=:3:[ 2D 5:5 D64FC:EJ G:56@]k^Am
kAmx? 2D<:?8 7@C E96 492C86D E@ 36 5:D>:DD65[ E96 AC@D64FE@C D2:5 :E H2D “AFCDF2?E E@ 7FCE96C C6G:6H 2?5 :? E96 :?E6C6DE @7 ;FDE:46]”k^Am
kAmx7 E96 6G6?ED 56D4C:365 :? 4@FCE 5@4F>6?ED :? E96 EH@ 42D6D H6C6 ?@E 6?@F89 E@ DE@<6 AF3=:4 @FEC286[ E96 HC@?87F=\2CC6DE =2HDF:ED 3J (2ED@? 2?5 !C:E492C5 7F6=65 AF3=:4 C624E:@?] %96 x@H2 r:EJ 2?5 r@C2=G:==6 4:EJ 4@F?4:=D E@86E96C 28C665 E@ A2J (2ED@? Sbh_[___] w2>:=E@? r@F?EJ 28C665 E@ A2J !C:E492C5 Scad[___]k^Am
kAm}@ @?6 DF886DED @77:46CD D9@F=5 ?@E 92G6 E9@C@F89=J :?G6DE:82E65 E96 2==682E:@?D 282:?DE (2ED@? 2?5 !C:E492C5] qFE EH@ A6@A=6 H:E9 ;@3D H6C6 =@4<65 FA 7@C H66<D[ 56AC:G:?8 E96> @7 E96:C 7C665@> — H9:=6 @77:46CD EC:65 E@ 2DD6>3=6 6G:56?46 E@ AC@G6 E96 DFDA:4:@?D 2?5 2==682E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%92E G6C:7:42E:@? D9@F=5 @44FC 367@C6 A6@A=6 2C6 ;2:=65] &?56C E96 p>6C:42? DJDE6> @7 ;FDE:46[ H6 5@?’E =@4< A6@A=6 FA @? 2 9F?49 2?5 E96? 8@ =@@<:?8 7@C AC@@7]k^Am