What does the heightened awareness of police-brutality mean for "movie-cops"?

[DetlefK]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027260148
Cop handcuffs innocent man, THEN arrests him for an assault that never happened.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027260086
Cop slams a teenager to the ground that asks for help.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027260135
Cop runs over fleeing suspect with his car. PD calls it justified.

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I mean, there are the tropes of the good cops who go by the book and the "loose cannons" who don't go by the book "but they get results, dammit!"
"Lethal Weapon" is the most famous example. The recent movie "Sicario" also fits.

Lots of good cops, going about their boring, everyday business. And from time to time a "loose cannon" shows up and causes havoc and controversy.

Now look at the three examples of the day up there:
The cop who goes by the book falsely arrests somebody on made-up charges.
The cop who goes by the book mishandles somebody asking for help.
The cop who goes by the book tries to kill an unarmed, fleeing suspect.

If those things are normal, then what is left to show that a particular cop in a movie is the "loose cannon": the violent, unpredictable one?
Should he shoot a fleeing suspect, make a flimsy excuse and get away with it? Nope, ordinary cops already do that.
Should he plant/falsify evidence? Nope, ordinary cops already do that.
Should he destroy evidence, e.g. someone's Smartphone? Nope, ordinary cops already do that.
Should he handcuff someone, wait until the citizen protests and then arrest him for resisting arrest? Nope, ordinary cops already do that.
Should he rob out-of-state travellers with civil forfeiture because the PD gets a cut of the booty? Nope, ordinary cops already do that.



What is there left to do for "loose cannons" in movies?
What outrageous thing could they possibly do to top what by-the-book-cops are already doing and getting away with in real life?????????

[Locrian]

1. maybe...

Maybe we'll start seeing more "good cop in a bad system" stories? "Serpico" was a great movie.

[Jerry442]

2. Rockford was a P.I., not a cop, but...

...it was a pleasure to watch well-written plots based on a decent, sensible guy doing stuff.