[arthurus]

The syndrome is so widespread that I have to assume that it is part of a policeman’s training and may well be practice to accustom then to shooting beings out of hand. It becomes easier for an officer to shoot a person once he is used to the expectation that if he goes on a call he gets to shoot any livestock that is present, especially knowing that he need only say,”I felt threatened” and at worst he gets extra paid vacation time, at best he gets a promotion and a medal. This is an element of The Terror in its classic Soviet and French Directoire sense.

[Salamander]

Even knowing how to say the phrase “I felt threatened” should disqualify a person from being a cop.

They’re supposed to be the fearless, selfless heroes who protect those of us who might *actually* “feel threatened” by someone/thing.

[Talisker]

The syndrome is so widespread that I have to assume that it is part of a policeman’s training and may well be practice to accustom then to shooting beings out of hand. It becomes easier for an officer to shoot a person once he is used to the expectation that if he goes on a call he gets to shoot any livestock that is present, especially knowing that he need only say,”I felt threatened” and at worst he gets extra paid vacation time, at best he gets a promotion and a medal. This is an element of The Terror in its classic Soviet and French Directoire sense.

Yep. I read about it starting to happen a few years ago, and knew what I was looking at.

It's a bad, bad thing - and it goes WAY beyond dogs.