The Daily Show has probably the darkest, funniest post-Ferguson take on police shootings yet


The death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, thrust the issue of police shootings into the news. On Monday night's Daily Show, correspondent Jordan Klepper connected some unusual dots, starting with the typical Daily Show panel of citizens who, in this case, don't trust the police — then veering off into an unexpected direction.
Klepper highlights a program started recently by the Austin Police Department to keep police from using lethal force unless absolutely necessary — and to ruin the joke a bit, the program is aimed at reducing police shootings of dogs. And here's the really dark part: In Austin at least, people complain a lot louder when police kill a dog than when they shoot a person. That's why the Austin PD is taking its program national. This gives Klepper an idea for how to decrease police fatalities of humans — and whether or not you see where this is headed, the Reservoir Dogs homage at the end of the clip ties everything together pretty beautifully. --Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murders
speed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bail
Speed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambush
Speed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrial
Speed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC parade
speed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack