More Stupid Political Ideas

It's a known fact that police politicians are more interested in protecting their own butts than they are in solving problems “rank and file” cops face every day on the street. That becomes obvious when you look at some of the fool ideas they promote. One such fool idea is the one that allows (forces) cops to “fire warning shots” instead of shooting AT a suspect who is shooting at them. This is being discussed (and recommended by) the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). A basic result of such a policy would be the cop hesitating while making sure a “warning shot” would not harm an innocent person and that there would be a suitable backstop for the bullet he would fire. Meanwhile the bad guy is shooting at him without considering such options. Usually, things happen so fast as to make it impossible for such "reflections" and decision making  This will, of course, result in cops being killed while they try to consider their options to stay out of trouble. Mostly this policy helps the police politicians cover their own butts in case of a questionable shooting. Shooting to wound is also not an option, since there are arteries everywhere, and a shot to the leg or arm could cause arterial bleeding that can kill in minutes. It strikes me that the only purpose of this is to give “political cover” to the brass, while making shooting incidents more difficult for the cops involved (who do not wear many stars). (Bearing Arms)