In a recent interview on Brannon Howse’s broadcast, retired Los Angeles Police Department Captain Greg Meyer discussed his new book, Hard Cases: Police Use of Force in America. Aimed at both law enforcement and the general public, the book seeks to demystify the complex and often controversial topic of police use of force, offering a perspective grounded in decades of experience and firsthand accounts. Meyer, who served with the LAPD from 1976 to 2006 and has since testified as an expert witness in over 70 cases, brings a unique lens to high-profile incidents like Rodney King and George Floyd, shedding light on the training, policies, and societal pressures that shape police actions.

A Window into the Officer’s World

The interview began with Howse recounting a body camera video he’d seen that day, showing an officer exercising remarkable restraint in the face of aggression. The officer, confronted by a man making physical threats, used pepper spray only after de-escalation failed, later admitting his hands were shaking from adrenaline and fear. Meyer, reflecting on this, emphasized that such encounters are not anomalies. “Police officers are trained to respond,” he said, “but any human being would feel some fear” in such unpredictable situations. His book, written for laypeople, aims to bridge the gap between public perception and the reality officers face—where the ultimate goal is simply to return home safely to their families.

The Fear of Following Training

A recurring theme in the discussion was the growing reluctance among officers to act decisively, driven by fear of prosecution or public backlash. Howse cited the case of an Alabama officer who, following his training, shot a man threatening suicide with a gun, only to be imprisoned due to political pressures. Meyer noted this is part of a troubling trend: “Nobody wants to be the next CNN poster child.” He explained that in some jurisdictions, officers are backing off from proactive policing, wary of aggressive prosecutors and media scrutiny. “It’s not good for public safety,” he warned, attributing this shift to a lack of support for officers doing their jobs as trained.

Revisiting Rodney King: Policy Over Personal Fault

Meyer’s firsthand involvement as an expert witness in the Rodney King case offered a sobering look at how policy decisions can lead to tragedy. In 1991, the brutal beating of King by LAPD officers sparked nationwide outrage, but Meyer argued the root cause was a politically driven shift in tactics. Prior to the incident, politicians had banned neck restraints—a safer, more effective method for subduing suspects—in favor of nightsticks and karate kicks. “They were following their policy and training,” Meyer testified at the time, placing blame on the “kinder and gentler” approach forced upon the department. The result? A “regrettable mess” that saw two officers convicted in federal court after an initial acquittal, serving over two years in prison.

Had neck restraints been permitted, Meyer asserted, “you would have never even heard the name” Rodney King. The incident underscores a key point in Hard Cases: when the public or prosecutors dislike outcomes, the fault often lies with the training and policies, not the officers executing them.

George Floyd: Myths and Misunderstandings

The conversation turned to the 2020 death of George Floyd, a case that reignited debates over police brutality. Howse admitted his initial reaction to the viral video was outrage, only to later question the narrative as more details emerged. Meyer, who served as an expert witness for one of the officers, revealed critical context often overlooked: Floyd’s death was not solely attributable to Officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on his neck—a technique Minneapolis training permitted. “The coroner said it didn’t have anything to do with the death,” Meyer noted, citing the medical examiner’s preliminary view that Floyd’s drug levels suggested an overdose scenario.

Meyer criticized the duration of Chauvin’s restraint but questioned the charges against the other officers, particularly rookie Thomas Lane, who merely held Floyd’s ankles. With access to 80,000 pages of case files and multiple unseen videos, Meyer detailed a chaotic struggle preceding the infamous footage—Floyd resisting arrest and requesting to be placed on the ground. He debunked media claims, such as the myth that an officer’s weight was on Floyd’s back, clarifying it was below his buttocks. Yet, the politically charged atmosphere and riots ensured convictions, a pattern Meyer likened to the Rodney King aftermath.

The Broader Crisis: Recruitment and Standards

Howse raised a provocative concern: Are anti-police movements and inadequate pay driving qualified officers away, leaving departments with substandard recruits? Meyer agreed this could be true, though he lacked hard data. “It’s getting harder and harder to recruit qualified officers,” he said, pointing to the chilling effect of seeing peers jailed for split-second decisions civilians can’t fathom. In some regions, pay fails to reflect the job’s demands, deterring top candidates. Meanwhile, lowered standards—tolerating past drug use or aggressive behavior—may exacerbate the problem, feeding into narratives that justify calls to federalize policing, a prospect Howse fears could erode local control.

The Role of Body Cameras

On body cameras, Meyer offered a balanced view. “Overall, I think they’ve been good,” he said, noting they often exonerate officers in lawsuits by showing their efforts in chaotic situations. However, when media cherry-pick “ugly” clips, they can distort reality, amplifying public mistrust even when officers act appropriately.

A Call for Understanding

Hard Cases aims to counter these distortions with facts, offering a behind-the-scenes look at training, legal standards, and the human element of policing. Meyer hopes readers—cops and civilians alike—gain a clearer picture of what constitutes legitimate force, often misunderstood due to Hollywood’s sanitized violence. As he put it, “Most people wouldn’t know a use of force that’s legitimate if it punched them right in the nose.”

Available on Amazon, the book is both a resource and a plea: support officers by addressing flawed policies, not punishing those who follow them. As Meyer concluded, today’s officers face challenges unimaginable in 1976, when he began his career inspired by a sunnier California—and shows like CHiPs. For those seeking to understand the badge’s other side, Hard Cases is a compelling start.