Edit to add, look at old shows like Mcguyver or Knight Rider or Magnum PI. None of the main characters are cops and are constantly breaking and entering and stealing evidence for thier cases. But they're the good guys!
But there is a similar issue in all professional shows. Most lawyer shows involve lawyers breaking the law and it being framed as clever.
Lots of doctor shows solve the conflict by having doctors violate codes of ethics.
I do think that this is still a unique problem with cop shows because of the nature of the job. But also fundamentally, tv shows about jobs are usually really inaccurate.
The Wire was incredibly accurate and it is 1000% better than any lame ass paw patrol police procedural in existence. A detective only draws his service weapon 1 time throughout the entirety of the show. And it was to accidentally shoot an undercover police officer in pursuit of a perpetrator.
I was actually wrong. A police officer only fires a weapon 3 times in the entirety of The Wire. Once in the scenario that you named (when people start throwing stuff at the towers), one accidental discharge in the station, and once when the off duty officer is shot. All 3 times it was the same officer: Prezbelewki. Nobody shoots a kids eye out, Prezbelwski pistol whips the kid in the eye for leaning on his car. This incident is what causes the people in the towers to start throwing shit at them from their balconies and windows. Herc and Carver do not return fire at the towers. I had to go back and watch, its been a minute since I have watched The Wire. Its probably time for a rewatch. I need to hunt down the entire series on DVD.
Nah, he took the fall for himself. He was just given the option to fight it politically using his scumbag father in laws connections and refused. Because he knew that he had no business being a police officer and had earned his punishment.
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u/master2139 18h ago
Isnt that most shows nowadays? Ive watched 3 seasons of Tracker and that guy breaks the law as a matter of routine every single episode.