The Washington Post op-ed, "I’m a cop. If you don’t want to get hurt, don’t challenge me," captures an attitude toward policing that is common among U.S. law enforcement. Author Sunil Dutta, a 17-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, alludes to the many occasions he deescalated dangerous situations without using force, and granted that there are misbehaving police officers out there. He also wrote, "If you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, just do what I tell you. Don’t argue with me, don’t call me names, don’t tell me that I can’t stop you, don’t say I’m a racist pig, don’t threaten that you’ll sue me and take away my badge. Don’t scream at me that you pay my salary, and don’t even think of aggressively walking towards me. Most field stops are complete in minutes. How difficult is it to cooperate for that long?" (He doesn't seem to realize that some innocent civilians are stopped by police regularly.)

He adds, "Feel free to sue the police! Just don’t challenge a cop during a stop," as if the typical American wrongly harassed by police officers can simply go home afterward, contact the attorney they have on retainer, and win vindication in court. The other bit of ostensibly practical advice that he gives: "If you believe (or know) that the cop stopping you is violating your rights or is acting like a bully, I guarantee that the situation will not become easier if you show your anger and resentment. Worse, initiating a physical confrontation is a sure recipe for getting hurt. Police are legally permitted to use deadly force when they assess a serious threat to their or someone else’s life. Save your anger for later, and channel it appropriately. Do what the officer tells you to and it will end safely for both of you." While it's true that escalating a confrontation with an abusive police officer can get one killed, there are times when submitting—whether to a Kelly Thomas-style beating or a choke hold cutting off one's breathing—results in the death of an arrestee.