"By invoking a fear of violence and the authority of a badge and uniform, he manipulated these people," prosecutor Thomas Spota said. "They had no reason to doubt his ability to follow through on his threats or challenge what they logically interpreted as the legal authority of a law enforcement officer."
I'd say once he started unzipping his pants, that was a pretty strong clue he'd exceeded any legal authority...and it seems he was a natural predator, selecting only the weak, the weak-minded and the young.
But we've all been conditioned by the state since toddlerhood to accept police as special authority figures who issue commands we had better follow, a concept reinforced by experience and/or the news just about every day of our lives.
Hopefully, "The Only Ones" Files help to break through some of that conditioning, so we can apply a more critical eye to our law enforcement interactions, and be informed and on guard to deal with situations where lines of legality and propriety are crossed.
Here's another take on this story. Yeesh!
[Via Cryptic Subterranean and Declan]