In Hudson v. Michigan, Scalia dismissed the exclusionary rule on the basis of an alleged "new professionalism" in police departments that made them more accountable for their behavior. So, with that in mind, one has to wonder how it is a sign of new professionalism that a cop had to shoot a Chihuahua/Jack Russel mix, and another was incapable of dealing with an ornery old woman without resorting to violence and tazing her.
A key part of professionalism in law enforcement is to be able to deal with low risk targets without resorting to the use of weapons. A professional cop would have at least kicked the dog out of the way or thrown it in a trash can rather than take the risk of injuring a bystander through the discharging of a firearm in a very public place over a minimal threat. Likewise, a professional cop would have been able to control his emotions in dealing with that old woman, not to mention being able to restrain her without using a weapon that could easily give her a heart attack.
When it comes to progress, the wheels are spinning, but the car isn't moving. We just trade one set of problems for another. 50 years ago, police were, on average, less respectful of civil liberties, but no remotely self-respecting police department would have tolerated a cop that had to repeatedly shoot a 20lb dog in order to control it or use a weapon on an ornery old woman who didn't want to sign her traffic ticket. Even if their superior didn't try to fire them, their peers would have made them the laughing stock of the department.
A key part of professionalism in law enforcement is to be able to deal with low risk targets without resorting to the use of weapons. A professional cop would have at least kicked the dog out of the way or thrown it in a trash can rather than take the risk of injuring a bystander through the discharging of a firearm in a very public place over a minimal threat. Likewise, a professional cop would have been able to control his emotions in dealing with that old woman, not to mention being able to restrain her without using a weapon that could easily give her a heart attack.
When it comes to progress, the wheels are spinning, but the car isn't moving. We just trade one set of problems for another. 50 years ago, police were, on average, less respectful of civil liberties, but no remotely self-respecting police department would have tolerated a cop that had to repeatedly shoot a 20lb dog in order to control it or use a weapon on an ornery old woman who didn't want to sign her traffic ticket. Even if their superior didn't try to fire them, their peers would have made them the laughing stock of the department.
Here's another professional for ya: rookie cop runs over girl on beach