When Cops Fuck Up

I fully support the police. It's a job I would never want or could I do with any degree of success.
I also don't understand the mentality of "fuck the police" much less even running from them or cursing at a police officer. I have many dear friends and a handful of family members who make their living behind the badge.
I fully support the freedom of speech and still think it is America's most fundamental right. Our ability to have civil discourse through our speech without fear of imprisonment or retribution from the government goes to the core of what makes our country so great.
So when did police forces become the Vatican?
As a lifelong and proud Catholic I become very displeased with my church over the last 15 year as it continue to bury its collective head in the sand in admitting to and dealing with a sad and dark history of pedophile priests. We even had a Pope as recent as 2010 choose to classify the allegations as "petty gossip" in his Palm Sunday homily. Any Catholic, like myself, who was outwardly outspoken about our church's handling of the priests who committed these heinous crimes were considered "not real Catholics" or were chastised for not being in lock step with our spiritual leader.
Turns out our new Pope has done a pretty good job in clearing  up and admitting to the church's gross mishandling of this epidemic.
Now it seems that whenever Americans want to voice concern or frustration over how area police forces are handling their job of "protecting and serving" the citizens are being treated with the same sort of outcries and criticism that were thrown towards those who were critical of the Catholic church.
Cops are humans. Cops fuck up. Sadly when they do fuck up it could have fatal consequences. This column isn't about the perceived lack of justice for families in St. Louis, New York and Cleveland who recently lost loved ones at the hands of police officers. This column isn't about how the Grand Jury process might be impartial to law enforcement.
Since when do police forces feel justified in "demanding an apology" from people who show their support to those who died at the hands of police?
A child shouldn't be playing with a toy gun (without any orange safety tape or paint on it) and pointing it towards police officers. A repeated perpetrated of petty street crimes shouldn't be arguing with police when told to stop what he is doing. A suspect in a strong-arm robbery shouldn't reach for a cop's gun while sitting in his car and not expect to have lethal force used upon him.
But when all three of those people above are killed at the hands of the police then families, communities and activist of all kinds have the right to speak up in support of those victims. They shouldn't feel ashamed nor should they be forced into an apology for showing their support. It also doesn't mean that they don't support the police or law enforcement.
Since when does wearing a badge mean you are omnipotent? Maybe the apologies should be coming from cops who kill a 12 year-old child or choke out a suspect whose last words are "I can't breathe."
When cops fuck up they need to be ready for the criticism that comes their way. Maybe then we can make progress in this country when it comes to race relations.