Edit: Cops Endure Public’s Ire

From the safety of your living room sofa or peering protected behind your desktop computer at work, it’s pretty easy to convict “overzealous” cops. It’s also not always fair. Law enforcers were derided as a bunch of Barney Fifes when their suspect survived a fusillade of bullets in a Post Falls shootout early last Sunday morning. As one result of 14 officers being placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting, versions of a new joke popped up. Question: How does a cop earn months of paid vacation when he doesn’t have any vacation time left? Answer: Just shoot at somebody. They were called knuckle-draggin’ Neanderthals and worse after a dramatic, recorded encounter between two sheriff’s deputies and a couple of young men who were suspected of dealing marijuana. At a Coeur d’Alene gas station, the young men argue they said “Nickelback;” the deputies say they heard “nickel sack.” Before cool heads prevailed, a deputy had allegedly drawn his gun and one suspect had been handcuffed. A razor-thin line separates tension and tragedy/ Mike Patrick , Coeur d’Alene Press Editorial Board. More here .

Question: Has your support for local police been shaken by recent events involving shootouts and the infamous ‘Nickleback’ video?