Cheered When Sheriff Gets It

As a teen of the 60's, with Southern civil rights marches, the dogs, the murders of marchers, etc. the crowd in the theater in Detroit, when I saw it the first time it was released, we all cheered when the sheriff went down with his patrol car. The only thing that didn't seem right when I just saw it again is that I remember the light bar flashing lights as the car sank. Have to admit, even after all these years, I still cheer when the sheriff goes down.