Video of arrest sparks investigations

[Mike Tx]

One thing that should be pointed out is that the officer clearly slammed the suspects CHEST into the hood, not his head.

I think it would be interesting to see the video from the service station security camera because the guy who shot the film we saw started shooting after the incident began, but of course we probably never will.

What I find even more typical, regarding the outcry over this as yet unexplained incident, is the lack of any outcry from the pigs in the media over the FBI shooting a white kid in the face while same kid was following FBI instructions at gunpoint.

As to the rodney king incident, there was a video released to the rest of the world, and one released here in the US. The one sent out to the rest of the world clearly showed king got what he deserved. The one we saw was sheep dipped.

[Mike Tx]

Video of arrest sparks investigations

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[FLLawdog]

I'm not saying that they were right and wrong because I'm an entire continent away from the action. However, a guy in the safety of a hotel room armed with a video camera has only a slightly better view of things.

Yes, police brutality happens. Yes, the good guys do get caught up in emotion, but just because the LEO's were white and the suspect was black....you know the media slant.

"He couldn't have been resisting because there were five officers". I've never seen anyone resist even though the deck was stacked against them .

Like I said, I'm reserving judgement unlike our friends in the paper have done.

[Mike Tx]

Whatever the facts are, the media is already spinning and the lawyers counting the loot.

[FLLawdog]

And the cameraman's 15 minutes are ticking.

[jarhead6073]

All the officers weren't white. One was black and at least one was hispanic. I think two were white. But what matters is that the one who did the hitting was white.

From what I've seen (which is the same thing that everyone else has seen) it looks bad for the officer. I have no idea what happened before the tape started rolling (or was conveintly edited) so I'm not going to say that he should have criminal charges or anything like that but he was definately in the wrong.

[Branden Whitney]

The first thing I noticed was the huge cut over one of the officers eye. Either the kid had a weapon, or he really needs to cut his nails.

But, the clocking him was alittle drastic. Then again, the only thing I saw was what happened after the arrest. Making it hard to find out what really happened. But I have seen better slams and punches thrown in fights between children. Hell, I have thrown people into things harder than that (in kid fights over stupid things, but I am learing to control my temper better). And I didnt see him bleeding.

But as always, isnt it wierd how it seems they always have a camera ready when a black kid is being arrested. Strange...

I guess the next few weeks will tell if L.A. will loose some more cops. Even though they need more to deal with all the gangs in the area.

[ 07-09-2002: Message edited by: Branden Whitney ]

[klar]

Hmmm was not resisting after he was in custody? Oh come on how many criminals sit there in handcuffs and com=ntinue to profess their innocence or sit there and tell you exactly where to go and how to get there and to make sure you stop by and take your mom who they know personally with you. I think there is a lot more to this than we are seeing and as more details are put out we might here it all but you all know the media they have a cah cow in their pockets now and they will make sure the stuff against the officer is front covage while the stuff for the officer is buried somewhere if told at all.

Klar

[Evnings]

Camera angles may not always give a true representation of what happened. Clever editing can make the most innocent, or defensive action, seem like an act of the devil himself.

What I didnt see in the clips I've seen of the incident was what happened prior to the person getting arrested and the subsequent dog pile on the side of the squad car.

The Rodney King incident video had been severely editted prior to being aired on TV. They didn't show Rodnet King being nasty to the officers prior to them being really nasty to him.

The OJ Simpson " if the glove doesn't fit, you cann't convict " deal is pure garbage and has similiarities to this incident. We were shown on TV OJ trying to slip his hands into the glove and couldn't do it. Yet, there were several things that could have changed the visual image we saw. The gloves could have shrunk or his hands could have swelled up, or he purposedly did not allow his hands to get into the glove. I know that at certain times on off the day, my hands are swollen. In this incident, the guy could have been wearing the officers out with his legs or thrashing his handcuffed hands around.

It is a common misconception that you cannot hit a person that is handcuffed. I have hit people that were handcuffed before. Back in the day prior to pepper spray, arrested people who assaulted officers by kicking them, biting them, and shoving themselves into the officers would receive negative reinforcement. I knocked some teeth out of a handcuffed guys mouth one night because he was assaulting me while he was handcuffed. I wrote it up in the report exactly what had happened. I fully expected a law suit. None ever came.

I am in by no means condoning bouncing prisoners heads off book in tables or giving them screen tests. But sometimes, a handcuffed person needs a little negative reinforcement to facilitate movement.

The truth, while always should be able to be clearly seen, can be easily distorted by man and machine.

[ 07-09-2002: Message edited by: Evnings ]

[FLexplorer]

When I watched the video a couple more times on the web, you can CLEARLY see the officer cut above his ear AND right before the officer punched him, the suspects heard turned that way and you could tell he said something to the officer. So I think that the officer just lost his temper. The media jumps over anything involving a white officer and a black suspect, all saying that race was involved :roll:

[klar]

OF course it was a race issue everyone knows that us whites have nothing better to do than go out and look for some minority to beat up on especially when they have been handcuffed.


Geesh give me a break.

Klar

[Nittany Lion]

I have seen the video a couple of times.

First, with respect to the race issue, race probably had nothing to do with it at the time (unless we find out this officer is a closet member of the Klan). However, we all know, even if the officer regularly attended NAACP meetings, this is going to be turned into a race issue. And all cops are going to be once again painted the bad guy.

Second, it is inevitable that the tape will be broken down NFL style. From what I saw from a Non LEO perspective, there was clearly a fight, as I would bet the suspect resisted and the officer had to do whatever it took to get those cuffs on. If anyone has a problem with that, then they are just people who hate cops no matter what.

The suspect was cuffed and they got him to the car. It looked as though the suspect was still resisting and the officers had to restrain him. But during that struggle, the punch to the head seemed to go to far. It looked as though it was out of frustration, which is understandable as I would probably want to give the guy a wack if he just fought with me, but it is wrong none the less.

That officer is probably going to be punished and maybe he should be. But I hope the other officers don't get dragged in because from what I could see, they did nothing wrong.

[nickg]

i wouldn't give any credence to the tape because of the fact that you do NOT see what happened BEFORE the incident. so until that information is made public i think all opinions should be considered as JUST opinions.

besides, johnnie cochran has already ordered the perp to take a urine test. he stated "if you analyze the pee, you must set him free!!"

[Branden Whitney]

This really bugs me. Since it appears that the officers could have been shot and hit with a car. But if something happens to the innocent black kid there will be legal problems. It kind of makes you wonder if anyone really cares about what happened BEFORE that occured. It seems like no one is interested in the entire story as long as they have something to complain about.

I am not saying hitting him was the best way of dealing with him. But how are we so sure he wasnt just returning the favour for the cut over his eye. We arent, but now it will be a big thing on races because the white cop hit the black kid. I think people have to understand that even cops break under a certain amount of stress.

I also think we should remind them who watches them and their children when they are asleep in their nice beds. Protecting them from killers, rapists, ect. Then let them decide who is pure evil.

But now the poor L.A. police will have to deal with this crap all over again. And after that, everyone pulled over for a traffic violation will greet the officer with, "I didnt mean to. Just dont beat me. I will never do it again.".And I will be able to deal with that when I get to join the force. Because who knows how long the images of those evil people beating that boy will last in peoples heads.



[ 07-09-2002: Message edited by: Branden Whitney ]

[Nittany Lion]

Originally posted by Branden Whitney:
But how are we so sure he wasnt just returning the favour for the cut over his eye

But that is exactly the problem, IF that were his motives. God knows, I would want to "return the favor". But the cop can't do that. When the guy has the cuffs on him and he is still resisting, they need to restrain him. But that is not the time to seek revenge for the previous fight. The officer should have been focusing on assisting his fellow officers getting the guy under control, and not retribution.

I am sure most of the LEOs here, will recount situations where they wanted to beat the living heck out of some guy they fought with, but they didn't because that makes them no better than the criminal. It is an amazing test of restraint for anyone, but that is the burden officers must deal with.

And with regards to the fight that occured before the suspect was cuffed, I am sure the officer did whatever he had to do to get control of the situation and stay safe. I don't think any reasonable person would have a problem with that.

But again as someone pointed out, this is all specualtion and opinion on what little snipit of what happened.