Civil Liberty - The shape of things to come?

Recent events in Rothbury in Northumberland have highlighted the impact of violent crime on both the public and police as deranged gunman, Raoul Moat, went on the run after shooting three people, including a police officer. According to the first reports from police he apparently killed himself after armed police officers confronted him in the small market town in the North East of England.

In the US, the shooting of police officers is increasingly commonplace, as this article illustrates here.

The combination of guns and a substantial black underclass make policing increasingly difficult in certain urban areas of the US. Moreover, police incompetence or overreaction will usually illicit a violent response, as recent events in Oakland, California, show here.

Another violent incident in Oakland, California, in March 2009, resulted in the death of four police officers. Following the murders, some sections of the black community now regard the killer as a hero. Watch this video clip here.