If you piss off the cops, you’d better mean it.

My big problems with Chris Dorner, as I’ve mentioned, were twofold: First, he targeted innocents and that’s a big no-no in my imaginary ROE. I don’t care if they are related to somebody you hate, you don’t get to do that. Second, he was fundamentally unserious. He made a lot of big talk, and had nothing to back it up with. All he could do was spray, pray, and die horribly. He really should have stayed home.

None of which leaves the Socal cops off the hook for the ludicrous way they handled the matter. Yes, when somebody’s really murderously out to get you there’s no shame in bringing the pain right back to them. I wouldn’t even deny that right to a cop, and I don’t like cops. But there are rules, even when you’re not a cop. For example, you don’t get to light up everybody who just makes you nervous, whether or not they are even tenuously involved.

Supposedly, when you are a cop those rules are detailed in writing because the situation might actually arise. Cops keep telling us what heroes they are. They’re the sheepdogs, the thin blue shell that protects the flock from the wolves all around. In the past few days we got a ringside seat to how seriously they really take that.

Of the various commentaries on their performance, I found this the most cogent I’ve yet seen. It doesn’t even mention the various shootings of innocents, concentrating on the rules of engagement once they actually had their guy. Basically, he’d have been safer as a mujaheddin in Afghanistan who’d just pissed off a bunch of Marines. And they’re supposed to kill people and break things.

So much for “peace officers.”

H/T to Linoge.