davebro - // "In my view, that is presuming to a ludicrous degree, that criminals are bright enough to make a risk assessment before they embark on criminal activity,"
Maybe the cops are as thick as the robbers and don't do a risk assessment when restraining a violent criminal in a stressful situation. I don't think DC was thinking - if I kill this guy I will end in prison for a long time! //
I think we can take as read that in general terms, police officers are brighter than criminals - regular hours, pension, meal subsidies, that kind of thing - with obviously exceptions on both sides.
But you are quite right - the notion of possible anticipation of actions and consequences is something neither side can factor into their chosen career path, because, put simply, life isn't like that.
Laws are for everyone, or they are pointless, and the moment you start saying that criminals deserve to die because they are criminals, and police officers deserve to escape punishment because they are police officers, then you are looking at the end of the law, and the end of society as we know it.