Justin why are we screwed? Four of those cops were fired on the spot, three others face criminal charges. The kid got roughed up real bad but justice has been served. The public no longer has to worry about these officers, whether you believe it or not cops are held accountable for their actions. You've been watching way to many cop shows on TV. The kid got caught red handed trying to burglarise someones home, Justin if it would have been your house you would have pulled out your pistol and probably shot him dead. Then you would be a hero LOL. Cops do have a right to be scared of modern day youth. Almost 50% of all violent crimes are committed by persons under the age of 25.  In 2006, those committing homicide, 1,111 were offenders under the age of 18. 15% of all arrests in 2006 were done to individuals under the age of 18. Right now a teenage gang member is one of the most dangerous situations a city cop has to deal with, cant legally use force on him if he is still a minor but yet him and his buddies are armed and ready to take you out of this world in a heartbeat.

I thought long and hard before chiming in here. I am a law abiding citizen. Yet I have had police hold a gun on me twice, and detain me twice, all because of mistaken identity, and scare the pee out of me when I was 6. I get a little nervous when I am around them. That being said, in my capacity as a director of the condo corp I live in and as a teacher of youths who have usually run afoul of the law I deal with the police quite a bit. Here in Canada I have only met one police officer who I felt should be kicked off the force. All the rest were polite (even the ones who hassled me) and business like. They are not paid very well for what they do and they are over worked because there is not enough of them to do the job they are mandated to do.
My point is ; here in Canada, if they stop someone chances are the person they stop will not have a gun. In the U.S. chances are much higher the person stopped will have a gun. This is undoubtedly very stressful to them. They are people just like you and me and we ask them to do a very difficult job that requires reserves of personal control that very few of us have. Studies have shown that regular every day people can cause pain to helpless people if they believe they are doing the right thing and are sanctioned to do it.
I do not in any way condone what those cops did. But I also refuse to paint all police with the same brush. There are bad apples in every bushel and they are dealt with.
Just my 2 cents.

Cops get away with that crap on TV, not in real life. You think with all the lawyers in the world you can beat an unarmed suspect half to death and get away with it? Sure there are a few bad cops out there and every now and then a good cop can make a mistake. There are a few bad bikers out there but that doesnt mean everyone on this forum deals illegal drugs and guns like the Hell's Angels. If a crack cocaine dealer selling drugs to kids at your childs school gets arrested does it make the news? Ya ever seen the bloody underwear of a little 10 year old girl who has been repeatably raped? My wife has and she put the low life SOB away for a long long time who did it. She's been pinned down by gun fire, had her throat slashed by crack cocaine dealers and had her face busted up to many times to count. And really for what, so John Doe general public who watches way to much TV can talk sh!t about her. Anyone on this forum wanna get shot at or cut for $14 an hour. She doesnt really make that, several nights a week she comes home and is on the phone for hours working a case and not getting paid. Three law enforcement officers have been gunned down in the county I live in in the last 10 years. No criminals in this county have been shot and killed in that 10 years. Next week she'll have 20 years service. Why she stuck it out that long, I'll never know. Pay and working conditions suck and then there's John Q Publics attitude of her like I see on this forum. She took an oath to sacrifice her life if necessary to protect the public that seems to for the most part hate her, just like those 73 NY City Cops who died as a result of 9-11. Most Law Enforcement Agency's have job openings, even in this economy. There's a reason for that. I'm sorry if you dont like the sherriff of the county you live in but he can be voted out next election. Next time you stop at a convience store and you dont get robbed or you drive through a green light at an intersection and you dont get run over its because she and thousands more like her are out there. She took an oath to sacrifice her life for you if necessary, would you do the same for her?

Rough neighborhood.

Lynn, Mass  Cops gave you a break if they caught you partying - they didn't arrest you - they beat you in the park - then told you to cut it out. That's neighborhood cops for you - good Irish folk.

TC

"whether you believe it or not cops are held accountable for their actions."

"Cops get away with that crap on TV, not in real life."