>what tom said is somewhat correct, if a cop kills another person they have been the judge, jury and executioner and in our name wether we agree with it or not. only a judge can preside over a case, only a jury convict a person and only an executioner can kill them, when you kill someone you have judged them to be something, dangerous, you have decided to kill them, a jurys verdict, and you have killed them, executioner.>~M
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>>>The good thing about being a policeman is that you can act as judge, jury and executioner, in the name of society.

I disagree, strongly. Police officers are charged with upholding the law and protecting society from persons that break the law. Its a dangerous job, and as such, they have been given the authority (and the means) to defend themselves and general society from said persons.

Does that mean that they "can act as judge, jury and executioner, in the name of society"? No. That statement implies that they are permitted to execute lawbreakers based on the officer's own judgement regarding the severity of the crime. I guarantee you that no municipality in the US has ceded such authority to their police department. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, even the most violent offenders are to be brought in ALIVE for their day in court. We do not live in some "Judge Dread" society.

Are there accidents? Yes. Are there instances of abuse of authority? Certainly. The officer on the street is, after all, human, with all of the flaws and judgement errors that go along with it. But as far as I know, any instance where an officer has used armed force is reviewed to make sure the force was applied within the rules of law. And that is the key. There is ALWAYS a review, and while we may not always agree with the outcome, we are also not responsible for reviewing the facts of the case and pronouncing judgement as to the appropriateness of the officer's response.

To say that a cop "can act as judge, jury and executioner, in the name of society" is just flat wrong, not only from the point of view of the law, but also from the point of view of the thousands of hard-working officers across this country (and I'm sure yours as well).