POLICE RESTRAINT - DALRYMPLE's HYPERBOLE

Theodore Dalrymple, whose writings I generally admire, admits that he is prey to a prevailing left-liberal misconception. In Taki's Magazine, he writes:

Let me interject that I hold no brief for the police in America, at least in the cities. They inspire me with a frisson of fear every time I see one, though I break no law. Their manner is more that of masters of the public than of servants of the same; many of them seem to be the kind of people who wanted to be soldiers but couldn’t make the grade because they were not fit enough. They look menacing and seem to shoot to kill on relatively slight pretexts (or perhaps they are just bad shots). 

According to the FBI's figures, however, American policemen are physically assaulted more than 50,000 times a year.  Fewer than 500 people are shot and killed by the police in a typical year.

That makes one police killing for every 100 physical assaults on a police officer.  Hardly people who "shoot to kill on relatively slight pretexts," Mr. Dalrymple.

You owe American policemen a profound and abject apology.