In the wake of yet more police brutality….. Alton Sterling was shot to death in Baton Rouge, La. by police this past Tuesday after a complaint was called in to the authorities who said Sterling had threatened someone with a gun while selling CD’s outside of a convenience store.
Sterling did indeed have a gun in his pocket, but the video that was released to the public and was filmed by another bystander, clearly shows two police officers having restrained Sterling and opening fire on the man while he was being held on the ground. In the clip, Sterling’s hands and arms were held down and the coroner’s report revealed that he was shot more than twice in the chest and back. The two officers have been put on administrative leave since the incident.
1,152 people were killed by police in 2015 and 30% of them were African American. 97% of those fatalities led to NO charges against police officers.
I’m not pointing fingers, but it seems to me that there’s a solid chunk of corruption and itchy trigger fingers working in the United States Law Enforcement business these days. I get it – the job is hard, you could very well be on the other end of a gun yourself, but when you watch a video like this (and so many more like it) where cops fire off what sounds like six blasts at a dude, inches away from him while he’s being held on the ground…. Enough is enough…. The USA is becoming a warzone and it’s horrifying.
Not to make light of a grim situation, but this is an entertainment news outlet and I want to share with you my top 5 favourite corrupt cop movies in the wake of yet ANOTHER incident of American Police Officers abusing their power on society… Seems appropriate.
#5. Filth (2013)
James McAvoy’s portrayal of a drug fuelled psychopath stopping at nothing to get a promotion at his job is one of the best roles of his career. It just also happens to be that he’s a British police detective… Filth jolts back and forth between black comedy and serious drama, making for a very unique and twisted experience. Watch for the photo copier scene early on…
#4. Léon: The Professional (1994)
Gary Oldman…. Oh Gary Oldman… His over-the-top performance of a dirty cop who at one point runs a psychotic kill-crazy rampage on an entire family in an apartment building is one of the most frightening things he’s ever done onscreen. The film features a powerful performance from Jean Reno as a hitman, but Oldman steals every damn scene he’s in as a man who has turned so vile and so evil…. He may be the worst movie cop in the history of film in this…
#3. Bad Lieutenant (1992)
Harvey Keitel’s lead performance of a crack and sex addicted police detective in this indie flick from director Abel Ferrara is hands down one of the darkest things you’ll ever see at the movies… At one point he pulls over a car with a young girl in it and proceeds to pleasure himself while standing outside the driver’s side door and she can only sit there and take it from this gross evil bastard. This movie – my god – it is something else…
#2. Equilibrium (2002)
The futuristic action flick Equilibrium may not seem like a corrupt cop flick at first, but OH YES, — it most certainly is children. In fact, it’s the most terrifying scenario in this category out of all of them. Apparently just feeling emotion will warrant your arrest and or death at the hands of Clerics who are super cops hunting down those who stop taking their mind numbing drugs… Because emotion leads to war and crime don’t you know? Christian Bale stars in this sci-fi classic and it’s a movie everyone should watch – especially now.
#1. Training Day (2001)
Director Antoine Fuqua’s finest film and Denzel Washington’s Oscar Award winning performance as a corrupt LAPD detective is easily the strongest movie in this category. Washington is at his best here and what makes this film work, is how you start to get swayed by this bad cop’s charm until it’s too late… The scene where Ethan Hawke’s character gets dropped off at the gangmember’s house to die is one of the most intense and frightening things I’ve ever seen in a movie – Denzel is one bad dude – “King King ain’t got shit, on me!”
Runner-Ups: LA Confidential, Narc, The Violent Cop, The Departed.
Featured Street Art Photo Credit to AzWasHere