re: Nothing will change until we have an honest discussion in this country

Possible issues:

By and large, whites are far less sympathetic than blacks to a criminal who has been mistreated by the police. "Police had to chase the guy for 40 minutes, then he ran from his car ... who cares if he got a beating?"

Militarization of the police - combative tactics often escalate too quickly into force

Officer Safety: The numbers of police being shot (both numerically and as a % are way down from the 70's) - is there an overemphasis?

Has resisting arrest become more acceptable in the black community?

What role does the disproportionate participation of blacks in violent crime play?

What education and/or training and/or psychological background makes an officer less likely to use excessive force?