Since you didn't indicate where you're actually from, I'm not sure what to make of your anecdotes. I'm from a small town in Indiana that has/had very little actual crime and yet a relatively large police force. When I was a minor I was harassed multiple times by police for violating curfew. Took a few rides in a cop car for nothing other than being out past 11pm. In 2004, some of Indiana's curfew laws were struck down by the federal supreme court, but that didn't stop the bastards, and new laws keep coming. Have a look at the mess here:
Having been on the receiving end of (just a little) police harassment, it's very easy to see how aggressive policing has led to tragedies like this one and countless others. Cops deal with a lot of bad characters, but it seems they're too often looking for trouble when they harass people like this.
3rd world. It would be pointless to divulge more because: people would have a hard time believing it, it would detract from what happened to Sandra and it's quite off-topic. The core of the point is that there are good cops and bad cops.
> I was harassed multiple times by police for violating curfew.
There's a line. Harassment/your experience is firmly on the wrong side of the line. Being kindly escorted home during a lawful curfew is not the wrong side of the line. I'd happily oblige to the later: the cop is just doing his job.
What I'm really trying to say is: the American police force seems so have a bunch of bad apples, however, you really don't want to tie the hands of the good apples.
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/tag/curfew
Having been on the receiving end of (just a little) police harassment, it's very easy to see how aggressive policing has led to tragedies like this one and countless others. Cops deal with a lot of bad characters, but it seems they're too often looking for trouble when they harass people like this.