Well, since the thread has taken a turn this way, I'll throw another .02 worth in. In the last 20+ years, TV and Hollywood has made police officers out to be something they are not. The generation of officers we have now, have grown up believeing cops can do no wrong, and are superman. Sorry, to much smoke getting blown up their butt. Is it a tough job. Yep, it can be. Can also be very boring with all the paper work. It's a job. Take it as such. So many of these shows make it out that every day every cop is getting into a car chase or shoot out. Talked to many officers that went 20 or 25 years and never had to draw their gun. This guy obviously did wrong. How much disipline should he recieve, let the review board decide. If he's under to much stress, get him in a different position before he hurts someone. And as far as the racial tone of the event, I think the person that threw the snowball and hit him was black also. No racial prejudice here. And, we'll never know if he was hired becasue of affermative action, I really don't care. Being what the percentage is of blacks in D.C. is to white, being a black cop is probably and advantage. I personally wouldn't be a cop in D.C. no matter what color I was. gypsyman