Another "I can't breath" death: Police Reform & Protests in the USA

[eschatological]

I thought to myself, "I'm not gonna watch a 15 minute video on a police interaction."

And then I watched the whole thing.

And now I'm angry.

Every cop I have ever worked with (one summer in law school at the Manhattan DA, one year in our prosecution clinic) or against (first 5 years of my career at LAS) has been like this - casually assured that they were always in the right. Always asserting their version of reality. It was especially telling that he kept saying the guy said "That's fine" to him being arrested, when the guy actually said "I do" to the question of whether he understood he was under arrest, and then followed it up with asserting he didn't agree with the arrest.

What a fucking piece of shit. I just wish body cameras were standard back in the late 00s when I first became a public defender.

[Xyonai]

Because that would be doing the same thing than they are doing and you would just putting yourself down to their level.

Oh wow!! Someone telling us to capitulate to fascists and nazis because being mean to them makes us just as bad as fascists and nazis. Haven't seen that pseudointellectual drivel get thrown up up before.

Yeah no fuck that shit lmao. Last time we gave them a 'platform' they killed millions of people in a globe spanning war and within state sanctioned death camps. You don't debate evil, you tell it to fuck off and before you start with the pearl clutching 'But who do you decide is evil~?' shit you can shove that up your ass too. It's an Ideology worth nothing but scorn and derision; and comparing someone waving around a Swastika who believes that the Blacks and Jews must be purged to the minority groups that they want gone who's only 'sin' is being born different is craven and devoid of all rational thought.

[DingDongKing]

Oh wow!! Someone telling us to capitulate to fascists and nazis because being mean to them makes us just as bad as fascists and nazis. Haven't seen that pseudointellectual drivel get thrown up up before.

Yeah no fuck that shit lmao. Last time we gave them a 'platform' they killed millions of people in a globe spanning war and within state sanctioned death camps. You don't debate evil, you tell it to fuck off and before you start with the pearl clutching 'But who do you decide is evil~?' shit you can shove that up your ass too. It's an Ideology worth nothing but scorn and derision; and comparing someone waving around a Swastika who believes that the Blacks and Jews must be purged to the minority groups that they want gone who's only 'sin' is being born different is craven and devoid of all rational thought.

The poster you quoted is the type who tells victims of unprovoked violence that they 'asked for it'.

[Specialka]

The poster you quoted is the type who tells victims of unprovoked violence that they 'asked for it'.

Why are you lying so much ? Can you quote me when I said that ?

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If it were any other job they would most likely be fired on the spot, but when that job is being a police officer (one of the most important jobs in a community as it has direct power over the populace) they get special treatment and are allowed to be bigots?

What kind of ass-backwards thinking is that?

And they should not. Before every firing, there should be an inquiry if the accusations are true. In this case, the police officers should be suspended while the accusations are verified (which will be quite easy with the number of witness and the videos), then they should be fired.

[Endus]

And they should not. Before every firing, there should be an inquiry if the accusations are true. In this case, the police officers should be suspended while the accusations are verified (which will be quite easy with the number of witness and the videos), then they should be fired.

If we're talking suspension without pay (which means they're basically fired, but if cleared on investigation can come back), then fine. Suspension with pay should not exist for cases where an officer may have abused their power. That's for cases like injury recovery or mandatory suspensions after a shooting even if it's crystal clear it was completely justified (say, a police sniper taking out a violent and armed hostage-taker on direct orders and with clear visibility).

[Edge-]

I thought to myself, "I'm not gonna watch a 15 minute video on a police interaction."

And then I watched the whole thing.

And now I'm angry.

Every cop I have ever worked with (one summer in law school at the Manhattan DA, one year in our prosecution clinic) or against (first 5 years of my career at LAS) has been like this - casually assured that they were always in the right. Always asserting their version of reality. It was especially telling that he kept saying the guy said "That's fine" to him being arrested, when the guy actually said "I do" to the question of whether he understood he was under arrest, and then followed it up with asserting he didn't agree with the arrest.

What a fucking piece of shit. I just wish body cameras were standard back in the late 00s when I first became a public defender.

Clearly distressed woman, "She's talking in circles, I think she's on narcotics."

Yeah guy, yeah. I just skipped through it, but holy shit does the cop seem like a right piece of human garbage.

[Benggaul]

Clearly distressed woman, "She's talking in circles, I think she's on narcotics."

Yeah guy, yeah. I just skipped through it, but holy shit does the cop seem like a right piece of human garbage.

Much like eschatological I didn't intend on watching the whole thing because I was getting angry pretty much right from the first 30 seconds. It just gets worse and worse as the video goes on. I want this asshole to be famous.

[Edge-]

Much like eschatological I didn't intend on watching the whole thing because I was getting angry pretty much right from the first 30 seconds. It just gets worse and worse as the video goes on. I want this asshole to be famous.

Jesus...2 minutes in of straight watching and I would not be remotely surprised if that cop beats his spouse and/or kids if he has them. He's telling her she's having a mental health crisis, demanding that the speech pathologist give a mental evaluation while the officer is present in the station, gaslighting her, intimidating the dude who is trying to help, refusing to find another officer who the woman may be comfortable with as she's expressed she doesn't feel safe with him.

Fuck this guy. His ass deserves to be fired for those two minutes alone. Why does he need to speak with her in private when she doesn't want to? Why is having a witness there so bad?

That John guy from the hospital is a champion. This is how everyone should act when police are harassing and intimidating someone, especially a minority with English as a second language. Supportive. Empathetic. Adamant.

6 minutes in and I'm done. Fuck that cop. I wish I could believe that he'd be reprimanded for his behavior, at the very least, and preferably fired for abusing his power as an officer, but we know nothing will probably happen because there remains strong pushback against holding police accountable.

[eschatological]

Keep in mind, she's not suspected of a crime in any way until this officer starts making his baseless accusations. She's saying she's a VICTIM of a crime, and clearly at some point prior to this video, the cop was dismissing her out of hand, making her upset, and not wanting to be alone with him. This is literally the lobby of a police station where people go to report crimes.

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Jesus...2 minutes in of straight watching and I would not be remotely surprised if that cop beats his spouse and/or kids if he has them. He's telling her she's having a mental health crisis, demanding that the speech pathologist give a mental evaluation while the officer is present in the station, gaslighting her, intimidating the dude who is trying to help, refusing to find another officer who the woman may be comfortable with as she's expressed she doesn't feel safe with him.

Fuck this guy. His ass deserves to be fired for those two minutes alone. Why does he need to speak with her in private when she doesn't want to? Why is having a witness there so bad?

That John guy from the hospital is a champion. This is how everyone should act when police are harassing and intimidating someone, especially a minority with English as a second language. Supportive. Empathetic. Adamant.

6 minutes in and I'm done. Fuck that cop. I wish I could believe that he'd be reprimanded for his behavior, at the very least, and preferably fired for abusing his power as an officer, but we know nothing will probably happen because there remains strong pushback against holding police accountable.

The update in the comments say that John got all the charges dropped against him MONTHS after the arrest, and that the cop in question no longer works for SFPD, because SFPD has an actually pretty progressive police commissioner?

[Edge-]

The update in the comments say that John got all the charges dropped against him MONTHS after the arrest, and that the cop in question no longer works for SFPD, because SFPD has an actually pretty progressive police commissioner?

Oh damn, that's a pleasant surprise.

[wunksta]

Just another in a growing list of reasons why reforming and defunding the police needs to happen. This is a cop trying (unsuccessfully) to intimidate a witness and acting like a little child when his bullshit gets called out.

15 minutes of gaslighting.

[Benggaul]

Keep in mind, she's not suspected of a crime in any way until this officer starts making his baseless accusations. She's saying she's a VICTIM of a crime, and clearly at some point prior to this video, the cop was dismissing her out of hand, making her upset, and not wanting to be alone with him. This is literally the lobby of a police station where people go to report crimes.

That's the thing that I kept coming back to....she's not being charged of a crime, she's either a witness or a victim of one and he's treating her like garbage because she's upset and English isn't her first language. And then he's going after a guy who is trying to HELP the woman.

[Edge-]

https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3gz...s-at-the-polls

In which Michigan sheriffs are openly refusing to enforce the states ban on guns at polling places.

Remove them from office, charge them with whatever the appropriate criminal charge for refusing to uphold the law is, and bring in sheriffs that will enforce laws regardless of whether they personal agree with them or not.

Police continue to think they are above the law.

Reminder: A Michigan militia was stopped from carrying out a plot to kidnap and kill/strand the governor of Michigan. And a sheriff defended them by saying they were only trying to "arrest" her by kidnapping her and potentially leaving her in the middle of the lake on a disabled boat. Because I guess that's how he thinks arrests happen?

[Mayhem]

https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3gz...s-at-the-polls

In which Michigan sheriffs are openly refusing to enforce the states ban on guns at polling places.

Remove them from office, charge them with whatever the appropriate criminal charge for refusing to uphold the law is, and bring in sheriffs that will enforce laws regardless of whether they personal agree with them or not.

Police continue to think they are above the law.

Reminder: A Michigan militia was stopped from carrying out a plot to kidnap and kill/strand the governor of Michigan. And a sheriff defended them by saying they were only trying to "arrest" her by kidnapping her and potentially leaving her in the middle of the lake on a disabled boat. Because I guess that's how he thinks arrests happen?

Well, this tells you something about police training in Michigan and the requirements to become a Sheriff.

[Edge-]

Well, this tells you something about police training in Michigan and the requirements to become a Sheriff.

Looks like they have to pass a law enforcement test, be 18 with a clean record, and have a GED. No actual training - https://www.empco.net/msa/information.php#minquals

Which isn't surprising, I have no idea why on earth we elect sheriffs in this country anymore to begin with. That's some antiquated, "we just need a good sheriff to protect us kindly white folk" bullshit.

[Mayhem]

Looks like they have to pass a law enforcement test, be 18 with a clean record, and have a GED. No actual training - https://www.empco.net/msa/information.php#minquals

Which isn't surprising, I have no idea why on earth we elect sheriffs in this country anymore to begin with. That's some antiquated, "we just need a good sheriff to protect us kindly white folk" bullshit.

http://www.howtobecomesheriff.com/ho...f-in-michigan/

Those seem to be the requirements.

[Benggaul]

*sigh*…

Protests swell after police shoot and kill a man in West Philly

Walter Wallace Sr., the man’s father, said his son appeared to have been shot 10 times.

“Why didn’t they use a Taser?” the senior Wallace asked outside a family residence on the block. “His mother was trying to defuse the situation.”

He said his son struggled with mental health issues and was on medication. “He has mental issues," Wallace said. "Why you have to gun him down?”

One witness, Maurice Holloway, said he was on the street talking to his aunt when he saw police arrive. Wallace had a knife and was standing on the porch of his home, Holloway said, and officers immediately drew their guns.

Wallace’s mother chased after him as he walked down the steps of his porch, still holding the knife, according to Holloway. His mother tried to shield Wallace and tell police he was her son.

“I’m yelling, ‘Put down the gun, put down the gun,’ and everyone is saying, ‘Don’t shoot him, he’s gonna put it down, we know him,’” said Holloway, 35.

Wallace brushed off his mother and walked behind a car before emerging again, Holloway said.

“He turns and then you hear the shots,” Holloway said. “They were too far from him; it was so many shots."

Gripp said it was unclear how many times the man was shot or where he was struck. The officers fired possibly a dozen or more times, according to an account by witnesses and family members. Police marked the crime scene with at least 13 evidence markers.

Both officers, who were not publicly identified, were taken off street duty pending an investigation.

I understand that things are tense with it comes to someone who's armed, but SURELY you can reach for a TASER instead of your gun when it's someone armed with a knife? Especially if they are several yards away from you and only start coming towards you AFTER you've drawn your weapon?

[Themius]

*sigh*…

Protests swell after police shoot and kill a man in West Philly



I understand that things are tense with it comes to someone who's armed, but SURELY you can reach for a TASER instead of your gun when it's someone armed with a knife? Especially if they are several yards away from you and only start coming towards you AFTER you've drawn your weapon?

Especially when dealing with a KNOWN MENTALLY Handicapped person

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

This won't end until privilege is addressed AND removed and the police is reformed.

[Shadowferal]

*sigh*…

Protests swell after police shoot and kill a man in West Philly



I understand that things are tense with it comes to someone who's armed, but SURELY you can reach for a TASER instead of your gun when it's someone armed with a knife? Especially if they are several yards away from you and only start coming towards you AFTER you've drawn your weapon?

No
You come at anyone with a weapon and you're dead.