What rights are we protecting?

There is yet another story on CNN today about police brutality coming out of Philly. Three suspects were pulled out of a car Monday night and were struck with police batons while they were on the ground. The news is saying the violence was not necessary and that the rights of the suspects were disregarded. The rights of the suspects???

How about a little back story to the suspects: they were just minutes before involved in a shooting that left three people wounded, and then led police on a chase lasting 32 minutes and left at least three other vehicles damaged and their innocent occupants injured. So, to recap, they shot three people, ran from the police, and caused potential harm to dozens of other innocent people on the road, but yet we are worried because a office struck them with a baton to get them out of the vehicle? Wow, that makes sense to me.

I am not for police brutality, do not mistake me on this, and there is a line that has been and will again be crossed where the officers may use more force than necessary. What gets me though, is there is all this concern for the suspects, and yet no regard for any of the victims here. One of the suspects mother commented to CNN after seeing the video of the police hitting her son "I just burst out and cried. I was appalled by it." She was appalled by the fact that police had hit her son with a baton. However, she was okay with the fact that her son had just been involved in a triple shooting and a high speed chase that left other innocent people injured. Sounds backwards to me. Oh, and all of this is coming just days after one of their fellow police officers was killed by a bank robber. Do you think they may be dealing with a little stress?

Again, I am not saying that police should abuse their power, I am saying that we need to understand their frustration though. They have an often thankless job, yet they put their lives on the line everyday for the rest of us to be safe. And when people like that go out and shoot three others and then risk many more lives by trying to run from the police, and they get the sympathy, it is puzzling. We just need to remember who are the victims and who are the criminals. I am sure many will disagree with me, but put yourself in the shoes of the victims and their families. I bet you wouldn't think the officers used too much force then.