Yes and it is for a good reason. Earlier today in New Jersey:
> A jury yesterday found Spolizino, 37, not guilty of death by auto and leaving the scene of a fatal accident in the death of 24-year-old Stephen Clifford on April 19, 2013. An aggravated manslaughter charge had been tossed earlier by the judge.
> Authorities said Spolizino was driving 60 miles per hour -- 35 MPH over the speed limit -- when his vehicle struck Clifford on Kennedy Boulevard. The state argued Spolizino caused Clifford's death through the recklessness of the speed at which he was driving.
> The jury disagreed.
> Video showed the pickup continue north on Kennedy Boulevard where it went through a red light at Montgomery Street before pulling over.
> The video then showed the pickup go into reverse and back up to Montgomery, the officer quickly dialed 911 and a witness said he saw the officer at the scene of the crash within five to 10 minutes of the impact.
> During the trial, Garrigan noted that Clifford was crossing against the green, implying that Clifford bore some of the responsibility. He also noted that speeding on Kennedy Boulevard is common.
I don't have any insight into the case in particular but I really doubt the outcome would have been the same if the person driving were not a police officer.
In other news, the NJ police had choice words for Tarantino.
> The New Jersey State Policeman’s Benevolent Association has become the latest police organization to call for a boycott of Quentin Tarantino’s films, following the director’s participation in an anti-police brutality march in New York last weekend.
[...]
>“Quentin Tarantino needs to understand that as a public figure his voice is one that people listen to,” Colligan’s statement continued. “He has an obligation to be more responsible. This is not a movie, this is real life where police officers lives are impacted by his words.”
You know what impacts police officers' credibility more than a director's words? The benches of police officers that filled up in solidarity of a police officer who doesn't deny that he was behind the wheel of a car in a hit and run case driving 60 miles per hour on a 35 miles per hour area. Would any of the police officers be there if it was... I don't know... an undocumented immigrant without a license or an out of state driver or anyone who was not a police officer?
It isn't a value judgement, but I would certainly prefer a system that is structured to reward rational actors and execute the stated mission. The current design seems pretty ironic to me.