General Police Abuse Thread

[Darth Yan]

Not to justify what happened, but even other witnesses thought it was a real gun at first. The entire thing is just a stupid tragic mess.

[Lagmonster]

I find myself not caring about the lives of cops anymore. They obviously feel that they're at war with the rest of the populace, so I see noting wrong with returning the favor.

You're wrong to think so. I'm angry about the violence, too, but it's gotta stop somewhere.

[Darth Yan]

My dad and I had a long talk; he said that on one hand yes Cops can have stressful careers and go through a lot. That's the reason he has more sympathy with Wilson than with.....say Zimmerman. Zimmerman was an idiot who was told not to go in. He wasn't in a high stress situation. Wilson's decision was extremely stupid with a tragic outcome but it can be explained as him being an idiot making a dumb decision under stress. Zimmerman has no such excuse.

[Joun_Lord]

My dad and I had a long talk; he said that on one hand yes Cops can have stressful careers and go through a lot. That's the reason he has more sympathy with Wilson than with.....say Zimmerman. Zimmerman was an idiot who was told not to go in. He wasn't in a high stress situation. Wilson's decision was extremely stupid with a tragic outcome but it can be explained as him being an idiot making a dumb decision under stress. Zimmerman has no such excuse.

What was stupid about Wilson's decision? His job as a copper is to catch criminal and law breakers. Brown was a criminal in Wilson's eyes, if the thing about him having heard about the store robbery being committed is true, and atleast a law breaker from his walking around in the middle of the street. He attempted to stop this wrong doer and got the fuck punched out of him for his trouble. The only thing that could be considered stupid is him gunning down Brown (downtown) if Brown was really 60 yards away, fleeing, or surrendering. If it is as Wilson and the evidence says that Brown was much closer and charging Wilson probably not with his hands up then Wilson had no real choice but to shoot or risk dying.

Zim-zam on the otherhand might have been a neighborhood watch guy but his job was to observe and report, not confront. He should have stayed in his truck giving descriptions when asked or acting like a racist douche and saying how Trayvon was up to no good and black according to MSNBC. Whether or not Martin was the cherubic little angel some of the media makes him out to be or the thuggish punk flipping off cameras and stealing crap like other media does doesn't matter nor does Trayvon (allegedly) pounding Zimmerman's head into the ground, if George had stayed in his truck all that could have been avoided.

Though one thing, Zimmerman was asked by a telephone emergency operator and not a actual LEO to not follow Martin, they cannot as far as I'm aware actually order someone do something. Merely suggest. That doesn't excuse Zimman from playing a cowboy but he technically wasn't ordered to break off pursuit, just asked to.

[lance]

Though one thing, Zimmerman was asked by a telephone emergency operator and not a actual LEO to not follow Martin, they cannot as far as I'm aware actually order someone do something. Merely suggest. That doesn't excuse Zimman from playing a cowboy but he technically wasn't ordered to break off pursuit, just asked to.

They didn't even ask him to not follow Martin, it was more along the lines of telling him that they don't need him to follow.

[Dominus Atheos]

So in addition to "wear a hoody", "reach into car to get your license" and "pointing", you can also add waling with your hands in your pockets to the list of "things black people can't do without looking suspicious".

[Dominus Atheos]

DENVER — FOX31 Denver has obtained video of a Denver Police officer punching an unarmed suspect in the face six times, then moments later, tripping the man’s seven-and-a-half-months pregnant girlfriend.

A witness who recorded the August arrest on his Samsung tablet said police then seized his tablet, over his objections, and when they returned it to him, the video of the arrest was missing.

However, the witness said he was able to recover the 55 second video clip because his tablet had stored it in the cloud. The witness then provided a limited-use copy to FOX31 Denver for our investigation.

http://kdvr.com/2014/11/24/denver-polic ... al-search/

Video at link.

[LaCroix]

POTUS is getting in on the issue of police militarization, finally.


(Posted here because I don't know if it should be discussed within this summary thread or deserves it's own thread.)

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc ... ce/383305/

Obama's Cautious First Step Toward Demilitarizing the Police
The president wants more money for local law enforcement and a limitation on the use of military equipment, but not a complete ban.
Russell Berman Dec 1 2014, 4:38 PM ET

Charlie Riedel/AP

Amid high tensions between urban communities and the officers that police them, the Obama administration on Monday made its first move toward limiting the use of heavy military equipment by local law enforcement agencies.

Releasing the findings of a three-month review of federal programs, the White House called for police officers to receive more training before using military equipment acquired from the government, and it asked Congress for $263 million for body cameras, training, and other resources for local law enforcement. The 19-page report also recommended that civilian officials be required to sign off on requests by police departments for military gear.

The recommendations appeared to be aimed at finding a middle ground: The White House is not calling for a halt to the transfers of military equipment to local law enforcement, but it wants more restrictions and oversight of the program.
"These programs can facilitate excessive uses of force and serve as a highly visible barrier between police and the communities they secure."

"Federal equipment programs provide for the reuse of valuable equipment and have contributed to the protection of the public and to reduced operational risk to peace officers, who put their lives on the line every day to keep the American people safe," the report said. "At the same time, when police lack adequate training, make poor operational choices, or improperly use equipment, these programs can facilitate excessive uses of force and serve as a highly visible barrier between police and the communities they secure."

The White House's announcement came as part of the broader response to the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and other U.S. cities following a grand jury's decision last week not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the August killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager. President Obama met separately on Monday with civil rights leaders and with local elected officials and law enforcement leaders to discuss the aftermath of the protests and ways to rebuild trust between police and the communities they serve.

An aggressive police response to the first wave of demonstrations in Ferguson over the summer—including the use of armored vehicles, tear gas, and other battlefield equipment—prompted fresh scrutiny of federal programs that allow local police departments to acquire new and used military equipment. The program that got the most attention was the Defense Department's so-called 1033 initiative, which transferred excess military equipment to localities after Congress created it two decades ago to help cities combat drug gangs. A bipartisan House proposal would have overhauled the program, prohibiting the transfer of many military-style weapons and boosting requirements for regular inventories of the equipment.

While Obama ordered a review of the transfer programs, the Pentagon and other security agencies defended their use more recently in helping major cities to prepare for possible terrorist attacks. The White House report noted that 96 percent of the equipment transferred under the 1033 program was "fairly routine" items like office furniture, computers, basic firearms, and protective gear. But that left 78,000 pieces of high-powered weapons and tactical vehicles sent to local departments in the last year and nearly half a million pieces since Obama took office. The report cited a lack of coordination among federal departments and a lack of consistent standards for how the equipment should be used.

Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri praised the other part of Obama's proposal—the expansion of body cameras—as "exactly the right move." Representative Hank Johnson of Georgia, a Democrat who called for changing the 1033 program, also applauded the White House recommendations while noting that his legislation would go even further to sever the link between the military and the police.

[Alferd Packer]

So in addition to "wear a hoody", "reach into car to get your license" and "pointing", you can also add waling with your hands in your pockets to the list of "things black people can't do without looking suspicious".

At least that cop was smart about the situation. He mirrored the guy's behavior and got him to take his other hand out of his pocket with the most awkward high-five attempt ever. But hell, it worked. He ensured that there was no escalation, put the guy at ease, and did his job.

Of course, that the incident even exists at all is damning in itself for many reasons, but at least this particular cop had the intelligence to not do anything to make a ridiculous situation worse.

[Dominus Atheos]

Mentally Ill Man Refuses to Take Medication So SWAT Shows Up and Kills Him

Midland, TX — Rosendo Gino Rodriquez, 49, was shot dead in an altercation Monday while Midland Police were conducting a routine welfare check.

The Midland County mental health unit was conducting a regular welfare check at a home on the 2700 block of Washington Street, when things went sour. According to the Midland police, Rodriquez became “aggressive” during the welfare check.

The term aggressive is used loosely by the MPD, as they claim he acted out said “aggression” by running away from them, back into his house, and barricading himself in a room.

The Free Thought Project would like to clarify the definition of aggressive for the MPD: ready or likely to attack or confront; characterized by or resulting from aggression.

A person running in their house and locking themselves in a room is hardly an act of aggression. However, the MPD treated it as such and responded with its SWAT team, BearCat armored vehicle and bomb squad robot with a camera to gain a look inside the home, as well as a DPS helicopter.

Police claimed that after Rodriquez went inside, they may have heard gunshots. However no gun was found, nor evidence of any shots.

Family members say their father had not been on medication. Monday’s welfare check was intended to talk the man into taking his medication.

Rodriquez, whose family has been trying to get him help, was likely distraught by this heavy onslaught of police presence and became quite fearful, locking himself in his bathroom with a machete.

City spokeswoman, Sara Bustilloz said police attempted to use “many methods” including a negotiator to make contact with Rodriquez and end the situation without incident. However, the “many methods” were simply rubber bullets which proved to be ineffective, thus leading to the incompetent officers switching to real bullets.

“This is not how we want these situations to end,” Bustilloz said. “We want them to end without incident, and we do everything in our power to make sure we can do it that way first.”

Officers eventually confronted the tormented man in his bathroom, where they found Rodriquez armed with a machete. After the heavily armed men in body armor, who apparently all forgot their tasers that day, “feared for their lives,” they opened fire on the man, killing him.


Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/mental ... ZgSDF8l.99

[Kamakazie Sith]

Why you using the Free Thought Project as a source for your article?

That's nearly as bad as using infowars.

Here; Source

The above, which is quoted below, gives more detail.

Barricaded subject declared deceased in officer-involved shooting

One man was declared deceased on Wednesday after he barricaded himself in his home for several hours after a disturbance with deputies, leading to an altercation with police and an officer-involved shooting.

Rosendo Gino Rodriquez, 49, was shot in an altercation with Midland police after he attacked officers with a machete in a confined space.
The Midland Police Department originally responded to assist the Midland County Sheriff’s Office on a disturbance call involving Rodriquez at approximately 10:18 a.m. in the 2700 block of Washington Avenue.

Midland County mental health officials were conducting a welfare check on Rodriquez when he acted aggressively toward them.
Rodriquez barricaded himself inside the residence and deputies retreated after hearing possible gunfire.
A Midland County deputy received minor injuries from shattered glass as a result of the incident and was treated on scene.

MPD negotiators attempted multiple times to make contact with Rodriquez but were unsuccessful.
Several hours later, officers entered the home, found Rodriquez in a small bathroom and used non-lethal bean bag rounds in an effort to force Rodriquez to drop a machete he was holding, but he was unaffected.

Rodriquez was in close proximity to officers and swung his weapon at them, resulting in the use of deadly force.
Rodriquez struck one officer with the flat side of the machete during the altercation.
This incident remains under investigation.

Per normal protocol, an external investigation into the officer-involved shooting will be completed by the Texas Rangers, and two officers involved in the altercation, who are identified as Sgt. Mitch Russell and Officer Sean Sharp, have been placed on administrative leave pending the completion of an investigation.
Next of kin has been notified.
*************************************************************
MIDLAND - Midland Police have shot and killed a man who attempted to attack officers with a machete.

This is the second time this year officers have had to use deadly force on a person.

Multiple units responded to Monday’s stand-off including the Midland bomb squad. Police say when it comes to stand-offs, they don't take any chances.
The Midland County mental health unit was conducting a regular welfare check at a home on the 2700 block of Washington Street; that's when the man they were checking on became aggressive, ran inside his home and barricaded himself in a room.

Midland Police used the bomb squad robot to get a better look at the scene.
"We were able to go in with the robot before anybody else, that way we don't have to put any lives at risk," Sara Bustilloz, Midland public information officer said. "It just gives us an idea of what we're walking in to so we aren't going into it blind."

Police found the man in a small room holding a machete. They used non-lethal force to try and disarm the man.
"The subject was swinging a machete in close proximity, in a very tight space," Bustilloz said.
Police say the man kept swinging, striking an officer in the arm. Midland PD officials say the officer was not harmed from the machete. Officers then used deadly force, shooting and killing the man.

"This is not how we want these situations to end. We want them to end without incident. We do everything in our power to make sure that we can try and do it that way first," Bustilloz said.

Family of man contacted CBS 7 saying he had mental health problems.
“We’ve tried to get my dad mental help for a long time,” the man’s daughter said. “We tried to get him admitted. The only way that could ever happen was for him to be a danger to himself or others.”

Family members say their father had not been on medication. Monday’s welfare check was intended to talk the man into taking his medication.
The family tells CBS 7 the man was admitted forcefully to a mental health facility in October, but the only way he could stay was if family pressed charges against the man.
They feel faults in the system is what ultimately led up to the tragic end of Monday’s stand-off.
Texas Rangers are now investigating the case.
Per protocol to Midland Police, two officers involved in the shooting are now on administrative leave pending the investigation.

[Kamakazie Sith]

So in addition to "wear a hoody", "reach into car to get your license" and "pointing", you can also add waling with your hands in your pockets to the list of "things black people can't do without looking suspicious".

At least that cop was smart about the situation. He mirrored the guy's behavior and got him to take his other hand out of his pocket with the most awkward high-five attempt ever. But hell, it worked. He ensured that there was no escalation, put the guy at ease, and did his job.

Of course, that the incident even exists at all is damning in itself for many reasons, but at least this particular cop had the intelligence to not do anything to make a ridiculous situation worse.

Yeah, this isn't a police abuse situation in the slightest. When you call the non-emergency line and ask for police services they will respond. In this case, people had called because this gentlemen was in the area and they felt he was suspicious. Whether that belief was valid or not is not and can not be determined by the call taker so an officer is sent out. I've heard that this particular area has been heavily hit with burglaries so the residents are very jumpy.

[Dominus Atheos]

5 percent of arresting NYPD officers make 40 percent of all resisting arrest charges

http://www.wnyc.org/story/can-the-nypd- ... usive-cop/

Editorial at link.

[Dominus Atheos]

So in addition to "wear a hoody", "reach into car to get your license" and "pointing", you can also add waling with your hands in your pockets to the list of "things black people can't do without looking suspicious".

At least that cop was smart about the situation. He mirrored the guy's behavior and got him to take his other hand out of his pocket with the most awkward high-five attempt ever. But hell, it worked. He ensured that there was no escalation, put the guy at ease, and did his job.

Of course, that the incident even exists at all is damning in itself for many reasons, but at least this particular cop had the intelligence to not do anything to make a ridiculous situation worse.

Yeah, this isn't a police abuse situation in the slightest. When you call the non-emergency line and ask for police services they will respond. In this case, people had called because this gentlemen was in the area and they felt he was suspicious. Whether that belief was valid or not is not and can not be determined by the call taker so an officer is sent out. I've heard that this particular area has been heavily hit with burglaries so the residents are very jumpy.

So you think that if someone called in about a white person who was suspicious because he was walking with his hands in his pockets, a police officer would have been sent to stop him until he took his hands out of his pockets?

[Agent Fisher]

*snip*

So you think that if someone called in about a white person who was suspicious because he was walking with his hands in his pockets, a police officer would have been sent to stop him until he took his hands out of his pockets?

From the sheriffs department that officer was from

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told me that McKean's video was an edited version of what actually occurred. He said:

The 911 call received by the Oakland County Dispatch Center originated from a nearby business that had been a victim, as well as its employees, of seven robberies. The caller and his employees were concerned about the individual who had walked by the front window of the business five or six times, while looking inside with his hands in his pockets. Fearing for their safety, the business dialed 911 and the Deputy responded. In the unedited version of the event, the individual stated that if he had called the police on a suspicious person, he would expect the police to respond, check the area, and talk to the suspicious person being called about. The Deputy did not detain or pat down the individual and considering the nature of the call responded in a very restrained and professional manner.
Bouchard added that the deputy had fully explained why 911 had been called with reference to him

So yes, pretty sure if it had been a white person, the cop would have talked to him.

[Kamakazie Sith]

So you think that if someone called in about a white person who was suspicious because he was walking with his hands in his pockets, a police officer would have been sent to stop him until he took his hands out of his pockets?

Yes. As you can see from the complete details regarding the call for service, in this case on 911, it was more than "walked by with hands in pocket". However, even he had just walked by with hands in pockets and it was called in on the non-emergency line it was still likely that police would respond.

Now there are always exceptions and I'm sure there is an agency, dispatcher, police officer, etc somewhere that would hear "white guy walks by with hands in pocket" and not send out a police response. Generally, a police response would happen to conduct a level one stop.

[Dominus Atheos]

Kansas Court Declares Plastic Bags Suspicious

The second highest court in Kansas declared last week that anyone driving with a torn plastic baggie is most likely involved in the drug trade and can be searched without a warrant. The state Court of Appeals came to this conclusion in upholding the conviction of Cameron Howard, who was found not with drugs but a lawfully purchased firearm.

On September 15, 2011, Prairie Village Police Officer Chad Loughman pulled Howard over. In the car's cupholder, Officer Loughman spotted a plastic baggie with a rip in the corner, and he noticed that the passenger seat was reclined (Howard's passenger was pregnant). The bag and reclined seat, the officer insisted, provided reasonable suspicion that criminal activity was involved.

"My training and experience with drugs and transportation of illegal drugs, that is a common practice that people wrap marijuana in particular in cellophane baggies and twist the baggies several times to keep it secured," Officer Loughman testified.

The three-judge panel rejected the idea that reclining is suspicious, but it upheld the plastic bag's significance.

"Like one-hitter boxes or tape-wrapped baseballs, people don't often carry baggies with torn corners, and Howard hasn't cited a common, legal use for baggie corners," Judge Steve Leben wrote for the court. "In the absence of another purpose, the torn corner in this case indicates that the baggie had been used to store illegal drugs, even though the police didn't smell marijuana or observe that Howard or his passenger appeared to be under the influence of drugs."

The search for drugs only turned up an AK-47, which Howard bought in Missouri after passing a federal background check. He was in full compliance with federal and state law to buy the weapon, but there was a complication. In 2006 Howard had pleaded guilty to burglary in Missouri. He never served time as the judge suspended his sentence as part of a diversion agreement that kept Howard from being considered a convicted felon -- in Missouri. Howard did not realize that Kansas does not accept this agreement.

The Court of Appeals expanded upon a Kansas Supreme Court decision to declare Howard a convicted felon according to Kansas standards. While the US Supreme Court allows police to be wrong about the law as long as their actions are objectively reasonable, Kansas offers no such leniency to motorists.

"Even if Howard thought he was not a felon, that would not have negated his general intent to possess the firearm," Judge Leben wrote. "The state did not have to prove that Howard knew about Kansas law regarding his felon status, and the evidence that he lawfully purchased the gun (as a nonfelon in Missouri) was neither probative nor material in his case."

The court upheld Howard's new felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. A copy of the decision is available in a 75k PDF file at the source link below.

http://thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2014/ks-baggie.pdf

http://thenewspaper.com/news/45/4594.asp

[Death from the Sea]

So you think that if someone called in about a white person who was suspicious because he was walking with his hands in his pockets, a police officer would have been sent to stop him until he took his hands out of his pockets?

many police departments have adopted a "you call, we come" policy, where no matter how trivial or stupid the request by the caller, the police must respond.

[Raw Shark]

So you think that if someone called in about a white person who was suspicious because he was walking with his hands in his pockets, a police officer would have been sent to stop him until he took his hands out of his pockets?

many police departments have adopted a "you call, we come" policy, where no matter how trivial or stupid the request by the caller, the police must respond.

One time I had a guy call the cops because I wouldn't take him to Taco Bell. The cop looked like he wanted to pistol-whip the guy.

[Borgholio]

So you think that if someone called in about a white person who was suspicious because he was walking with his hands in his pockets, a police officer would have been sent to stop him until he took his hands out of his pockets?

many police departments have adopted a "you call, we come" policy, where no matter how trivial or stupid the request by the caller, the police must respond.

One time I had a guy call the cops because I wouldn't take him to Taco Bell. The cop looked like he wanted to pistol-whip the guy.

Why wouldn't you? Just out of curiosity...

[Raw Shark]

[snip]One time I had a guy call the cops because I wouldn't take him to Taco Bell. The cop looked like he wanted to pistol-whip the guy.

Why wouldn't you? Just out of curiosity...

Strict No Food In Cab policy. Also, fast-food lines themselves around last call are always problematic. I told him I was not getting in line before I turned the meter on, he insisted that I take him there anyway, and then freaked out and called a very unamused cop when I told him to settle up and go inside.

VERY UNAMUSED COP: So why didn't you get out of the cab when he asked you to?

ENTITLED DOUCHEBAG: Because I'm paying him to go to Taco Bell!

VERY UNAMUSED COP: But the meter's off. So you're not paying him.

ENTITLED DOUCHEBAG: But I want Taco Bell!

VERY UNAMUSED COP: Get out of the cab.

YOUR DRIVER: May I go?

VERY UNAMUSED COP: [waves dismissively]

[Borgholio]

Strict No Food In Cab policy

Gotcha. Is that a company policy or just because you don't want to clean up the inevitable mess?

[Raw Shark]

Strict No Food In Cab policy

Gotcha. Is that a company policy or just because you don't want to clean up the inevitable mess?

The latter. If somebody gets Taco Bell in the cab it's like a ticking time bomb. Even if they sincerely intend to not eat it, they'll sit on it or fumble it while handing out tacos or something. One time I had an amorous young couple make out while rolling around in their nachos. The company doesn't care what happens as long as I bring the vehicle back clean (and sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who actually does that) and don't damage it. The extra buck they'll throw me for sitting through the bullshit of the fast food line is not worth losing 20 minutes on clean-up.

[Borgholio]

One time I had an amorous young couple make out while rolling around in their nachos.

You could have just said that it's nacho problem...

[Raw Shark]

One time I had an amorous young couple make out while rolling around in their nachos.

You could have just said that it's nacho problem...

The company'd cheese that argument without allowing it to age, with a contractually-enforced cleaning bill that'd cost me a lot of cheddar.