Reply #6: Yep. They get to shoot someone without (usually) killing them.

[shawcomm]

They seem to get off on being able to use a weapon of some sort. I hate that COPS show, but it seems the small fraction of time when flipping past it, I invariably see some cop shooting pepper spray. They are told these are 'non-lethal' and think that means non-harmful.

If a cop cannot deal with a woman nearing her 80s, then he or she doesn't have the judgement to be a police officer.

They're like politicians - the people who want the job probably shouldn't be allowed to.