Cheer up! You are 29 times more likely to be killed by a cop than a foreign terrorist.

If you worry a lot about foreign terrorists and the threat they pose to your personal safety you can breath easy. You are 29 times more likely to be killed by a uniformed police officer than a foreign terrorist. It is a sad fact that the most lawless segment of society is the very segment hired to protect society. In 1994 the US Government passed a law authorizing the Pentagon to donate surplus Cold War era military equipment to local police departments.In the 20 years since, weaponry designed for use on a foreign battlefield, has been handed over for use on American street against American citizens.
 


The most galling aspect of this disgrace is there is seldom any accountability. Even the FBI kills people without ever having to justify its actions. In the case of Ibragim Todashev he was shot 7 times. Months after the FBI issued several conflicting accounts of the shooting it was ruled as appropriate use of force. The NYT reports that since 1993 the FBI has shot 150 people with about 70 of them fatal and never has the agency admitted any culpability.
The violence done to frequently innocent people in SWAT raids is often hidden from public view but street cops seem almost driven to violate more or less innocent people a broad daylight. In the video below the California state trooper delivers 11 blows to the head of a 51 year old grandmother who was guilty of felony jaywalking.. Of course the department promises a full investigation but cannot comment on the officer because of the ongoing investigation.



This video went international when it was picked up by the UK Daily Mail. It's another felony jaywalking and in this case failure to show an ID. Never mind the woman is a faculty member of Arizona State University and the cop is a campus cop.



Naturally the authorities found there was no wrong doing.