I have an alternative - some people are just plain not fit to be cops. There doesn't always have to be some ulterior motive like racism or murderous intent. Not to say that that doesn't exist - there are plenty of incidents to point to things like that - but I think the conversation is stuck between "the cop is a blood-thirsty killer, send him to prison" and "cops are heroes, give him a medal". Do you know anyone who is a good, kind-hearted person who would make a terrible cop? Someone you would be scared to give a gun to at night because they might be jumpy or confused under pressure? I don't even mean someone who's clumsy and might Pulp Fiction you in the backseat, either - I mean someone who simply is not fit for this line of work. But if we only have to choose murderer vs. hero, then yeah, cops don't get charged and keep their jobs because it's impossible to prove that intent. Ideally, there'd be an independent panel - aside from the full, beyond-reasonable-doubt court setting - that could look at cases (possibly like this, depending on the details that come out) and determine that yeah, maybe Officer so-and-so didn't mean to shoot this person, but it happened and they should be given a desk job or graciously removed from service.

<steps down from soapbox>