Cops TV Show: At least 12 officers that were on the show were later killed on duty

[Renew Deal]

This is really a fluff piece for Cops. They are coming up on their 1000th episode, but that statistic is shocking.

http://video.aol.com/video/youve-got-cops/1000112862

[Bragi]

1. All right, here's a theory

My theory of this would be that the Cops TV show selects and follows the most aggressive and violence-prone cops they can find, the kind who like to sue their knees and body weight to push people's faces into the gravel stones on their driveway, while loudly demanding that they calm down and not resist being assaulted.

I think these kind of cops are more likely than most to meet with a violent end, which would explain them having a higher than average death rate.

[Renew Deal]

2. Or maybe, being a cop is a dangerous job.

:think:

[pipi_k]

4. thank you...

Every day they get to go home to their families is a good one.

[MedicalAdmin]

5. It is. But that is also no excuse for some of the abuses that happen.

In my experience most cops are professional. But I just had an encounter with a cop who obviously had either anger or control issues. I wasn't speeding. Nothing was wrong with my car mechanically. My mistake? I didn't pull over fast enough when he flicked his lights on.

That's right. I was driving along and about 1/2 mile back he turned on his lights. When I saw them I pulled over to the right lane and slowed down in preparation to stopping if I needed to (as required by law). But he wasn't on a call. He pulled up behind me FAST, slammed on his breaks, flashed his brights and his spotlight at me and pulled me over. Then he proceeded to give me a 20 minuete lecture about how dangerous his job was constantly asking me if I wanted to kill cops / was looking to get arrested / lose my license / etc. It was seriously creepy.

I was honestly afraid for my life because he kept his hand on the grip of his pistol and the holsters safety strap had been unsnapped. In other words he was steaming mad, slightly irrational, I was alone on a road at night without much traffic, and he could have blown my head off, dropped a drop weapon in the car and call it a day. This was seriously fucked up.

I used to be an officer. Most are OK. But some... and the other officers and especially those in the command structure need to do more to get rid of those who make a bad rep for every other good officer. The blue line cuts both ways.

[pipi_k]

8. I know that the first person

to agree with you would be Mr P himself.

Eighteen years on the job and he never fired his weapon. And this was working in a fairly large city.

anyway, when he sees footage of police abuse, he is disgusted.


Weed out the bad ones...definitely...

[ret5hd]

7. Not as dangerous as a miner or fisherman

on edit: in fact, cop isn't even in the top 10.

[pipi_k]

9. Not sure how reliable this is, but....

here's a list of the most dangerous jobs in the US...


1. Logger
2. Pilot
3. Fisher
4. Iron/Steel Worker
5. Garbage Collector
6. Farmer/Rancher
7. Roofer
8. Electrical Power Installer/Repairer
9. Sales, Delivery, and Other Truck Driver
10. Taxi Driver/Chauffeur


http://money.howstuffworks.com/10-most-dangerous-jobs-in-america.htm

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

20. Or keyboardist for the

Grateful Dead

[ret5hd]

10. (crickets)

[tuckessee]

11. It's not as dangerous as being a cabbie or electrician.

Or even a third shift convenience store clerk.

[pipi_k]

3. Just wondering...

if you've ever seen the show.

I have, lots of times. Mr Pip is a retired cop, so he likes to re-live the job he had to leave because of injuries sustained when he chased a robber across the roof of a department store, slid on the ice, and fell over the edge.

anyway, many of those episodes don't show real aggressive cops. Some of them show cops who respond to repeated calls from little old ladies who just want someone to come talk to them.

Some of them show cops who respond to domestic violence calls where there are small children upset and crying and these cops are almost in tears themselves as they hold the babies and comfort the children.

Some of the shows involve cops who find dead bodies...suicides or murders. Accident victims. Cops who pull people over for DWI and put up with the most nasty verbal abuse (and kicks to the groin) from drunks.


Anyway, you know the top cause of cop deaths?

Motor vehicle accidents. Because they spend a lot of time out in traffic, either in their cars, on motorcycles, or at construction/prior accident sites.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_officer#Line_of_duty_deaths


One of my own uncles was killed in his patrol car while he and his partner were stopped at a red light. Drunk driver.

Oh...and Mr P's partner...

He died from Salmonella poisoning after eating at a National chain restaurant.

[Bragi]

18. Yes, I've seen it a few times

It always struck me when I watched the show that many of the cops on COPS were way more aggressive than seemed to be necessary, and often acted in petty ways that seemed certain to inflame and escalate tension rather than ramp it down.

In contrast, a while back I caught an episode or two of "Women Cops of Memphis" or whatever its called, and I was impressed with how that show depicted these cops as being very adroit in dealing with situations by de-escalating tensions and calming things down.

Not sure if this highlighted a difference between female and male cops, or Memphis cops in particular, or if maybe it was just a different approach to the storytelling by the show's producers.

[Supply Side Jesus]

12. If you had a clue, you would be dangerous...

what a shame

[EFerrari]

17. Yep. It has to be "good" television.

Nobody is going to film nothing happening. An old friend of mine is a producer for Cops. He's the one that told Michael Moore that he'd film white collar crime if Mike could get them to take off their shirts and run in traffic. He was also the co-creator of the show.

[joeybee12]

6. actually, considering the line of work, i'm kind of surprised that number isn't higher...nt

[WingDinger]

16. I told a corrupt judge that he was going to get the cops killed by

allowing them to do corrupt copping. AG had their asses when I referred to their policing as mordida. After I accused the judge of getting cops killed, he needed a recess. I was the first perp of the day as I am disabled. And right after the first perp.

[tuckessee]

13. How were they killed?

Around my neck of the woods the only cops of any kind to die on duty during the last 40 years were killed as a result of driving like a maniac while chasing people for minor traffic violations or getting shot by other trigger happy cops.

[WingDinger]

14. Cops on film is what kills them, that is why you get 75 years for filming one.

[Supply Side Jesus]

15. LoL

:crazy: :silly: :dunce: :freak:

[ohnoyoudidnt]

19. 1,000 shows and they have never done an episode in Orlando.

I have heard Disney pays them not to. I wonder if there is any truth to that rumor.

[The Midway Rebel]

21. A thousand episodes, average of maybe 5 cops per show...

12 out of 5000 maybe 6000? Maybe not that shocking. Probably very dangerous spending all that time behind the wheel and on the road. Watched part of the video, I did not hear or read HOW they died.

That show loves showing poor people, sexual deviants, pot smokers and drug addicts getting hassled by the law. It is a freak show along the lines of Jerry Springer.

[Renew Deal]

22. Of they love showing it.

That's what cops deal with.

[MilesColtrane]

23. Yeah, I hate it when they show a couple of cops rousting some...

pathetic addict with a rock then acting like they just took down Pablo Escobar.

[The Midway Rebel]

24. C.O.P.'s Trifecta

Crack addicted transgender prostitute = ratings week sweep! Bonus points if the victim of the show is an ehtnic minority.