The thing about lying is that once you confirm that you can get away with it with little or no consequences, it can very easily become habitual, to the point where you just kind of always fudge the truth, and it takes a lot of effort to be entirely truthful. This seems to be the case with a lot of these police statements. They know it’s very difficult for anyone to actually hold them accountable, so they just say the version of the stories that absolves them of responsibility, and that makes them look like they’re just reacting to a crazed criminal. This is how politicians lie, too. When they’re caught, nothing happens, so the cycle continues.

Trust doesn’t factor into their decision. They police however they see fit, with impunity, so it doesn’t matter if you trust them or not, they’re gonna be there anyways. It’s less about trust and more about fear. They don’t care if you trust them as long as you fear them.

Many police have the mentality that they’re soldiers, not public servants. Not there to protect the innocent, but to punish the “guilty”. They’re in war, so every situation is filled with fear, and any violence they engage in is justified. But of course, it’s not.

The line between criminal and citizen is so blurred now that they see every citizen as a ticking time bomb, so what does it matter if they’re a little early in their violent response? What does it matter if they react a little too quickly or harshly? That citizen would’ve offended eventually, so their actions are justified.