Reprinted from www.dailykos.com by shaunking
Well, here it is. All of the proof we ever needed. Not only are American police, from coast to coast, shooting first and asking questions later, they are being trained to do so in seminars by a psychologist who openly promises them that he'll testify on their behalf if anything ever goes wrong. He's already done it nearly 200 times.
Meet Dr. William J. Lewinski.
No matter what the circumstances are in a police shooting, he's the guy departments lean on to say it was completely justified and unavoidable.
His conclusions are consistent: The officer acted appropriately, even when shooting an unarmed person. Even when shooting someone in the back. Even when witness testimony, forensic evidence or video footage contradicts the officer's story.He has appeared as an expert witness in criminal trials, civil cases and disciplinary hearings, and before grand juries, where such testimony is given in secret and goes unchallenged. In addition, his company, the Force Science Institute, has trained tens of thousands of police officers on how to think differently about police shootings that might appear excessive.
It's actually big business. A quick scan of Dr. Lewinski's website has him teaching large workshops in Chicago, San Antonio, Orlando, and in other big cities across the country. Can't make it to his conferences, don't worry, he'll come to your department, and officer your officers a certificate on how they are basically allowed to shoot first and ask questions later. He charges $1,000 an hour for his testimony and is, unsurprisingly, willing to testify for hours on end.
Hell, his whole company is named Force Science Institute - as in the use of force by police. This business is so lucrative that it's all he does. Experts are denouncing his work as phony and dangerous, but police departments could care less.