I genuinely can't stand cops. I think that the wrong kinds of people are attracted to police work, I think that police officers receive inadequate training, I think there's insufficient oversight within police forces, and I think that the police have far, far too much power and authority. And, personally, almost every police officer I know is an arrogant, uneducated, power-hungry asshole.
*BUT*...
I think the reaction to the video has been slightly disproportionate. The officer in the video is acting like a big, insulting asshole. But being a big asshole is a far cry from the routine police abuses that are much more worthy targets of public condemnation. The officer isn't hurling racial epithets, or making explicit, crude generalizations about the driver along racial/ethnic lines, or physically assaulting the driver, or issuing threats of physical violence, etc., all of which happen on a daily basis in NYC (and elsewhere). The officer is acting like a full-blown asshole and a petulant baby, but that's about it.
In these circumstances, his apology seems good enough for me. He's been embarrassed, publicly shamed, and I'm sure his career has been set back. That's plenty of recompense for a few minutes of yelling like a prick.
I'd rather we (i.e., the online rage brigade) focus our anger on juicier targets.
