This is so beyond ignorant of what law enforcement does, its staggering. NO POLICE OFFICER simply follows someone home. When they see something, they are trained to deal with it, right then and there. It's not macho, its protocol
Well, FUCK protocol. It is institutionalized macho crap.
I don't think the alternatives you are offering are practical.
What happens to most jaywalkers is that they are offered a warning or a citation on the spot.
Then in a month or so they can defend their case in a court, judges do tend to support the case presented by a policeman , but beating the rap is not unheard of.
Just a few years ago I was issued a citation for running a red light, and obstructing the intersection.
I thought I had a chance of persuading the court that this was a mistake on the officers part so I went to court.
Once it was finally my turn the prosecution asked if I would like to see the dashcam video before the Judge saw it.
The main thing the dash cam proved was that the view from the patrol car was obstructed, so it was inadequate to prove my guilt as it was also inadequate to prove my side of the story, that the car in front of me had stopped just past the intersection leaving me for ten seconds waiting for him to get out of my way while my rear bumper was hanging out into the intersection.
The Prosecutor offered to split the difference and reduce the charges, which looked to me like a bird in the hand .
I remember well how cautious the patrolman was approaching my door. I made my hands visible and spoke very mildly, as it is an old tradition in the South to be polite to well armed people.
I can see the difference between my situation and that of Michael Brown, I am white and also I did not jump on the patrolman and try to grab his gun.
Perhaps you think that the key difference is that I am white , while I think the key difference is that I did not jump on the guy and try to kill him.
