Spiff - without a doubt, the powers that be need to punish those cops who act inappropriately. However, putting a guy in jail doesn't undo the fact that some poor schmo just got his head caved in by a maniac with a badge and an 8 pound flashlight.
To reiterate my point: if you take the flashlight out of his hands, maybe he won't hit at all. Maybe he'll hit with something less violent, or maybe he'll have to go look for something violent to hit him with, and in the meantime, come to his senses. In these last three scenarios, the victim is better off.
In truth, the law is trying to PROTECT victims as a first level of defense. As a second level of deterrence, the law will PUNISH the wrongdoing cop. If PROTECTION is your main goal, and PUNISHMENT doesn't serve to protect, only deter, then the primary goal has failed.
No, cops shouldn't hit people on the head. But they do. If it were me, I'd rather be hit on the head by something softer and lighter, AND see the cop get punished rather than take my licks with a heavy-weight flashlight, and revel from my hospital bed about the fact that some low-life cop is being reprimanded or jailed.
