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[–] 11 points 1 day ago

The role of police is - in theory - meant to make arrests based on the notion that someone may be guilty of a criminal act.

Exactly. It's not to try to execute them on the spot for being suspects of a non-violent crime.

In any nation with Rule Of Law that police officer would've been sitting in jail right now for murder for having pulled and fired a gun in that situation.

Were I live (Portugal), merely pulling the gun out would've landed that officer in hot water. Shooting it and killing somebody would've landed him in jail (whilst there would have been a weeks/months long outrage on the Press for what he did and the police leadership that let such a person through the cracks).

Shit, the other day a small group of riot police charged some demonstrators against housing costs who had set up in a square in Porto a camp with some tents very lightly wounding 1 person and it was massive news and a formal Inquest has now been openned on it by the Public Prosecution Service (which can lead to criminal charges). Now, I'm not saying it will lead to criminal charges, I'm saying the level of what's considered acceptable police violence is WAY lower than in the US.

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