In these two recent deaths one of the most alarming aspects for me is that "ordinary" and rather junior police officers being involved in what started out as fairly minor incidents, these incidents were allowed to escalate to a point where death occurred. The escalation was caused not by the victim but by the police themselves. The frequency of these types of incidents raises the question what is the general mentality of police officers in NSW, do they perceive themselves as 'above the law' are they a force of vigilantes, is it systemic, is there a Rambo culture existing. Many questions need to be answered about the mentality of NSW police officers in general.
Then there is the attempted 'cover up', not merely by those directly involved in the incidents, as that could be explained as trying to protect ones ass, and that is understandable. What is worrying is where senior officers are orchestrating a 'cover up' after the event, that is far more difficult to explain.
The first step in ridding NSW of unpalatable police conduct is to remove police powers of police investigating police. What Greens NSW MP David Shoebridge has called for, a totally independent body to investigate serious police incidents is absolutely correct. Unfortunately both the Liberals and Labor in NSW have been found wanting on this issue. Who or what are they protecting?

I'm nearly 70 years old, and the NSW Police force has been corrupt for all my years on Earth. Occasionally, they get caught and there's a big scene and something is done about it, but it NEVER goes completely away. Why not? It's because of the corrupt and illegal police "culture" of backing up fellow officers who do something illegal. For example, if one officer assaults a prisoner/suspect/member of the public in an illegal way, and it's witnessed by another officer, then that other officer must NOT under any circumstances arrest the officer who committed the assault. If he does try to arrest the officer, he can kiss goodbye FOREVER to a successful NSW police career. He/she will be harassed and bullied as much as possible by other officers.

It's a horrible culture of utter corruption in this regard, and a culture that applies to ALL NSW police officers, and not just a mere minority of bad apples. They WILL always try back up and protect other police officers who commit illegal acts, NO MATTER WHAT.

"Verbal" is and always will be the weapon of choice for any Police Force.
How the hell do you expect to control to populace if not through that single element of fear.
That knock on your door, or worse, the crashing through your door, that leads to the discovery of "evidence" and incarceration and corroborated (by police),"statements of implication" (Records of Interview)"P.I.R's" (Police Incident Reports) that have your name all over them, even your fingerprints or DNA "found at the scene of crime).
These are the tools of terror used by police to "uncover" crime or criminal behavior and induce "public cooperation" in securing that "final solution". "THE RESULT THAT POLICE WANT"
If the "final solution" required the manipulation of facts or the restructure of stated words or the "refreshment" of an officers recollections of a given statement or even the generation of "necessary" evidence then so be it for the greater good (of the "Force")
Police tactics in NSW or QLD or anywhere in Australia are no different than they were in Hitlers day or Lenin or the Inquisition. They are just a little more refined but just as good at generating that same old element of FEAR that divides "Them from Us"
In a "good" democratic society like we have no law is ever repealed because it might be needed as that "obscure" one. They are simply made temporarily redundant.
When I joined the "job" you had to buy your own weapon and it had to be concealed from the public so as not to cause alarm. Today the uniforms and jackets are especially cut to expose the lethal threat of a police utility belt. Ever wondered why?
All our laws state what you "CAN'T" do. There are none that state what you "CAN" do. Think about it.

Poor Mr "Gaff", please tell us .... are you taking cocaine or LSD tonight?

Are you in the police force still gaff100? If you are you should be sacked for admitting what you and other corrupt cops do. You had to buy your own gun when you joined the police force you say? I don't believe you for a second, though if you are a cop the truth is never part of your belief anyway. Buy your own gun, crap absolutey crap! No wonder people NEVER TRUST the coppers.

misanthrope,
No I am long retired and living off my ill gotten gains in the far north tropics. In the 60,s police were able to be armed, the choice was yours but if you choose to you paid for it yourself although you did get an ammunition allowance. Out west you could shoot certain classes of citizens on sight if they acted suspiciously (in your opinion) but you did have to make a report at the nearest police station. You even got fined a 'silver' coin for "lawful Killing". Haven't we come a long way. Now you get issued with a very effective killing device (Glock 9mm) soon to be upgraded to .50 cal and you cannot kill citizens unless you have in-house corroborating statements by your fellow officers attesting to the necessity of your action.
Mate, "reasonable suspicion" is the greatest tool in the police kit. With "reasonable suspicion" one could even remove any 'suspicious' misanthropes that might be hanging around street corners or public toilets so keep your head down.