PJ Media

I.M. Copper acknowledges the existence of the Constitution and the need for repercussions for police who are criminals. He mentions willful wrongdoing but skirts the issue of negligence. An honest mistake that causes no great harm is not a reason to fire someone. However a pattern of mistakes is perhaps a reason to closely examine someone’s suitability for a specific job.

Serious mistakes are another thing all together. We hold pilots, boat skippers, and truck drivers to quite high standards. After an accident occurs drug and alcohol tests are administered. Honest errors in personal judgment by well meaning people that cause harm to life or property often mean an end to an otherwise successful career. I suggest that the power placed in the hands of police officers by society is worthy of close scrutiny.

I am interested if he could opine on the case of Art Tesler. Mr. Tesler was convicted for his part in the homicide of an elderly lady in Atlanta. Negligence and a series of “mistakes” led to the homicide of a little old lady who valiantly defended herself when attacked in her home. Officers committed perjury to obtain a search warrant and then under color of an illegal warrant broke into her home. A court later determined a conspiracy existed amongst the officers involved to plant evidence and have another criminal give false testimony in an attempt to cover up their mistakes. Perhaps their claims of good faith that they identified themselves as police officers prior to attacking this brave lady should be taken with a grain of salt.

Perhaps I.M.Copper has an opinion of what has been described as “The Thin Blue Line.” Characterized as somewhere between an unwillingness to testify against fellow officers to outright perjury and tampering with evidence. It is certainly the perception of many that this exists. The case in Atlanta certainly does little to dispel this notion. That same perception is going to taint this case in Philly. Where is the trust, the respect? Why should we believe the police?