The state of Virginia is undoubtedly a safer place than a war zone in Iraq. Yet Army veteran Alex Horton’s experience on both sides of a raid belies this truth:

My situation was terrifying. Lying facedown in bed, I knew that any move I made could be viewed as a threat. Instinct told me to get up and protect myself. Training told me that if I did, these officers would shoot me dead.

Read Horton’s well-informed rebuke of overly aggressive policing in America, and realize that this is not an isolated incident.

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