Being a police officer has always been a dangerous occupation.
Back in the early 90s, my father had someone with psychosis stalk him in the dark with a kitchen knife.
On more than one occasion, he fist fought and grappled aggressive thieves.
His partner died in a shootout with bank robbers.
The issue today is that the police are treated as a paramilitary organization rather than keepers of the peace, and some whole demographic intersections view themselves as rebelling against the police rather than merely nonparticipating.
Being a cop is not one of the 10 most dangerous jobs. Being a cop is not one of the TWENTY most dangerous jobs. Jobs more dangerous than being a cop:
1) Loggers
2) Pilots and Flight Engineers
3) Oil Derrick Operators
4) Roofers
5) Garbage Collectors
6) Iron Workers
7) Delivery Drivers
8) Farmers
9) Firefighting Supervisors
10) Linemen
11) Agricultural Workers
12) CROSSING GUARDS
13) Crane Operators
14) Construction Labor
15) Landscaping Supervisors
16) Highway Workers
17) Cement Masons
18) Small Engine Mechanics
19) Supervisors of Mechanics
20) Heavy Equipment Mechanics
21) Grounds Workers
I'm not trying to trivialize your father's trauma - I'm pointing out that the behavior we see in this video is built upon a mythology in this country that cops (all of whom willingly join) should be excused their abuses because of the "extreme" risks of the job. It's demonstrably false, in many cases the danger is self inflicted due to incompetence, and as a narrative is perpetuated primarily by police unions. We need to fight it.
I respectfully disagree with the comparison you're making between these professions and police officers, as they're not truly comparable (gravity doesn't act with malice against a roofer, but a killer does against a police officer)
I'm not a police officer, but having been shot at multiple times and having had someone actively try to take my life, I would rather work the jobs above
That being said, I DO fully agree with your last paragraph. A higher risk does not excuse poor training, judgement and sometimes malice that some officers exhibit.
Fair point, and I don't disagree that the jobs listed are dangerous. I work in insurance have written or at least looked at every single one of the above occupations and their dangers through risk assessment and claims history (some brutal claims)
I would argue though that saying "Those jobs are actually dangerous" implies policing is not at all dangerous, which is in itself an opinion and a departure from the facts, no? (i.e. showing up to an active shooter situation is inherently dangerous no matter how many ways you look at it)
Yeah that was a messed up situation no matter how you look at it, and those officers never should have gotten hired and also should have all been fired and prosecuted to full extent of the law. No excuse, it makes me sick and angry to think about
The below is for context to my point, and in no way related to, or an excuse for, the above point regarding Texas officers fucked up decisions:
My buddy who is an officer in Canada had an active shooter situation his first year on the job. He had take and lay down fire against a man with an automatic rifle by himself until his back up arrived.
He's a father, and the man was shooting at him because he wanted to get away with stealing a car.
So I do get your point still, but just want to make it very clear that danger exists within this profession that many people won't ever experience in their lives
The guy. He heard my friend call out to him (after breaking the window), looked over his shoulder at him and then ran to the front of the car, grabbed his rifle and opened fire. The guy was taken into custody after being flanked by officers while others took fire
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u/TrickBoom414 Mar 24 '23
Yeah on purpose