>Police brutality happens regularly to working class white Americans as well.

I'm sure, but it's worth pointing out the overtly racist elements of police behavior. It's not even remotely out of the realm of possibility that these cops have gotten it in their head that they are some of the "good ones" who either personally or whose family at one time escaped the hood, and have contempt for those who have not. I've personally head almost as many black people as white people make the comment that "there's n*****s and then there's black people." (EDIT: Though, to be fair, my social circle is mostly white. It's possible there's a bias there, regarding which black people choose to be a part of that circle or are made to feel uncomfortable doing so.)

Here's a personal anecdote. Probably about 10 years ago or so, I was in an acquaintance's back yard. There were a group of white adults, white teenagers, and one black teenager. All of us were borderline white-trash at the time.

A cop car comes screaming up the driveway. Two officers jump out, ignore every single white person, and tackle the black teenager. They ended up fracturing his skull and breaking his nose. We later found out that they were doing a drug bust... at the wrong house. I offered to testify, but the victim and his family never took me up on that and I have no idea if it went anywhere.

The point is, we were all very obviously of similar economic background--but somehow that was not enough to cause police brutality to the white people, but was enough to cause police brutality against the black person.

I think it's true that police action is largely class-based, but it's also important not to forget that there are racist elements at play.