Doc_Jude
3rd Black Belt
Cops have the potential to be killed in everything they do. Their job is to go towards danger; to go to the sound of the guns. Cops make "routine" contact with people under the worst possible situations, and, in the US, there's always a gun there when a cop is there. I've gone on calls that seemed to have no potential for violence, only to end up wrestling with someone... I've seen someone who had never been even uncooperative suddenly attack one of my partners... and seen someone known for fighting and resisting go meek as a kitten. You never know what's going to happen, yet, out of hundreds of traffic stops, Terry stops, and other contacts with people -- I've only had a handful of fights. That's why complacency becomes such an easy trap.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of LEOs, but since my daughter was born I just can't put myself in harms way like that voluntarily.