Just curious. It seems to me (perhaps mistakenly) that police today are much more likely to shoot (often fatally) physically threatening, but unarmed, people than they were decades ago, when (IIRC) they would often surround them and give them a beat down with billy clubs to subdue them, before arresting them. Is this true or not? If true, why is this? Are police trained differently these days?
Maybe because people flip out on them more frequently?
Yes. Definitely yes. Years ago, all police officers were men, and they were also big men. Police departments had minumum height and weight requirements. Nearly all police officers were quite threatening just by their physical appearance, and didnt need a gun to intimidate. Also, we never heard of they types of police shootings that we hear about now, like emptying a gun in someone, or so many accidental shootings by police. Back then , police officers were “peace officers”, not “law enforcers”, and they were proud of being called “peace” officers. Finally, men did not become peace officers back then for the money(it was low paid) and they didnt do it just to make everyone else obey a lot of laws(Barney Fife was funny because he was atypical of police back then).
Well, they damn sure are in Portland, OR, especially if you’re black. (Feel free to do a Google search for evidence.)
I don’t know if they are or not. We in Houston all knew what a “throw-down” weapon was 30 years ago.