My position towards the police is fairly nuanced. I believe the overwhelming majority of law enforcement do a tough job to the best of their ability. Still, I’ve seen far too many examples, ranging from abuse of power to complete ineptness, to ever generically “back the blue” without question. Too many GOP officials haven’t learned that lesson, though.

Republicans need to respect law enforcement, and we should be the party that does the most to promote public safety. But I also think it’s time for the GOP to stop being so reflexive in how they respond in situations like this. If we are going to wait for the facts to condemn the police (a process that has been completed in this situation), we should also wait for the facts before putting our stamp of approval on their actions.