Experts? That would, presumably, make anyone with an IQ above fifty an expert.

One's ability to imagine unlikely situations does not necessarily mean one supports police physical abuse of people. I certainly don't, but I have a very lively imagination.

I'm generally anti-authoritarian in outlook but I don't think it requires much imagination to come up with circumstances for justified use of at least limited force (if only self-defense!).

This breakdown makes more sense (I wonder whether this was a follow-up question and whether the answers to the more general question were answered more on the basis of a respondent's general thoughts about excessive use of force):



It's sad but I guess not surprising that anyone would approve of hitting people during an interrogation or for using "bad words"

I just think most violence in unjustified.
and I grew up in a home with a lot of it.
most of it was abt doling out 'punishment' which in my older and wiser years I have come to equate with fulfilling some kind of sadistic impulse. in my experience a lot of cops have these sadistic impulses.
so giving carte blanche to striking ppl scares me a bit, as it should you.

That could just as easily be the headline. The survey says:"— A larger number of blacks could approve police striking a murder suspect who is being questioned: 24 percent, compared to 18 percent of Hispanics and 12 percent of whites."
Yet further down it says 1/4 of blacks DONT approve of hitting someone who is punching you? So some who think its ok to hit while questioning DONT think its ok to hit back when being assaulted? Bullshit.

24% approve of hitting a murder suspect and 75% approve hitting someone who is punching you. The remaining 25% Not approving of hitting for punches probably Does Not overlap with the 25% who approve hitting a murder suspect.

Unless you find someone who just hates cops regardless of the situation. It would be nice if the next question was "Is it ok for YOU to hit someone who is punching you?" and see if those who answered "no" for the cops would also answer "no" for themselves.
My headline is just as valid as the one used in the OP, but then it doesnt convey the message that the "poll" wants to put out there.

But I agree with you; the 2 numbers dont have to be the same people

Even if someone throws a punch or spits in their face, I'd like to have police that are calm and talk down a person rather than the typical roid-rage "respect my authorta!" crap we seem to get all too often.

I think they have different bases. They likely filtered out those who could not imagine any circumstances in which hitting would be appropriate, the asked about specific situations among those who generally are ok with hittin. This is why the numbers cited are squirrely.

"Seven of 10 whites polled, or 70 percent, said they can imagine a situation in which they would approve of a police officer striking an adult male citizen"...

I'd say 30 percent have no imagination then. Of course there are going to be situations where an officer may have to fight someone. Domestic violence situations come to mind.

Should have been do you approve of a number of police piling on a person and causing great bodily harm or even death? Do you approve of handcuffed or unarmed citizens being shot by police? Do you approve of officers not being held accountable for on the job infractions?

I'd like to see a poll with these and other questions.

nothing new in that OP title...... but seems like a really bullshit poll, with numbers skewed to prove what, I don't know. I just know that POC, in this country/culture get hit more, shot more, killed more, while unarmed, than other citizens.