Most police killings in 2024 began with responses to non-violent offenses or cases where no crime was reported. How does this pattern affect police function?

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When police kill people during wellness checks, traffic stops, and mental health calls, they're not failing at crime prevention—they're succeeding at social control. Police don't accidentally kill unarmed people during minor infractions; they're deployed to use violence maintaining order in communities marked as threatening. The fact that most killings involve no violent crime proves police function as occupying forces, not public safety officials. It's working exactly as designed.

Most police killings in 2024 began with responses to non-violent offenses or cases where no crime was reported. How does this pattern affect police function?

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