Maybe it's just me, but this whole video...the way it's edited, the dialog that is heard, the basic reactions of the participants and the extras, etc...seems really really staged.

Like I said, maybe it's just me, but after the first viewing my gut said "fake". If it is totally legit then I think the cop did step way over the line...however I think very few of us know what it feels like to walk close to the line every day. I used to play in a tabletop rpg with a cop (he had his pistol on him even when we were playing...it was very surreal) and he and I had some very frank discussions about his profession. When I first met him I thought "Whoa...this guys a giant dickhead." Once I got to know him, and more importantly once he got to know me my opinion changed quite a bit. We're still friends and I have a mountain of respect for him, and a better picture of what its like to walk in his boots...every day. One of the most memorable things that he said to me went something like this:

"I don't think people out in the general population know how it affects your psychology to constantly be reminded of the math. The math of how we [cops]perceive "you guys" viewing us ends up roughly like this.
-75% of the population thinks we're automatically an asshole and are only around to harass them
-20% genuinely hates us and will do anything to hinder or foil us without actively committing a crime
-3% are just waiting for their chance to shoot us and get away with it
Lastly there are the 2% who seem to appreciate what we do and generally try to be as helpful as possible...and those two percent are almost universally military, ex-military, civil servants of some kind or someone who is already committing some crime that we probably wouldn't give a shit about but they're scared out of their continence that we might catch them.

If the math looked like that on my occupation I might come across as abrasive and callous after a while as well.

Quantum I am on the same page with you my friend. There is an old analogy that I think applies here and it is that there are three types of people in the world (as pertains to this discussion).

-There are Sheep, there are Sheepdogs, and there are Wolves.
-Wolves want to kill Sheep at all costs.
-Sheep don't want to get killed.
-Sheepdogs do whatever is necessary to stop Wolves from killing Sheep.

and sadly...
-Sheep despise Sheepdogs when there are no Wolves around.
-Sheepdogs continue to guard Sheep knowing full-well that they are reviled.

The direction that our society is heading is to villify the Sheepdog and to sympathize with the Wolves. Problem is, if it continues, there will be no Sheep or Sheepdogs left.

I would like to toss +1 points to Bellman.

"Harridan"

Priceless.

Obsidian - Great catch, I have also read the book "On Killing" and I found it to be a very thought-provoking read.

I once wrestled an angel of the Lord in order to get Fallout 3 made. He came to me one night to tell me about some big blah blah blah, I said "My friend and I want Fallout 3! I'll wrestle you for it!" and I did, and I won. It was awesome.

Remember the U.S.S. Liberty.

That is all I really have to say. Thank you.

One less car for a carbomb to ride around in.