Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A Father’s Activism Changed the Law: Cops in WI No Longer Allowed to Investigate Themselves
thedailysheeple ^ | December 15th, 2014 | lily dale

Posted on 12/16/2014 7:21:48 PM PST by TurboZamboni

Long before the Ferguson situation occurred, another young man named Michael B. was shot and killed by a police officer.

Here's his story.

Ten years ago, 21-year-old Michael Bell, Jr., pulled up to the house where he lived with his mom and sister in Kenosha, Wis., about an hour south of Milwaukee. A police officer who, according to a police report, chose to follow Bell after observing his driving, arrived shortly after. A subsequent toxicology report showed that Bell had been drinking that night.

Dash cam footage from inside the squad car shows Bell exiting the vehicle he was driving, where he was confronted by the officer. The two walked off-camera, where police tried to arrest him. A struggle ensued, and while his mom and sister watched from the house, Bell was shot, point-blank, in the head. (source)

The police officers involved in Bell's shooting claimed that the young man ignored commands to get back into his car, and that he fought with officers. Bell was eventually Tasered several times.

The struggle continued, apparently, and one of the officers yelled out that Bell had his gun.

Bell's mother and sister, who were watching the altercation unfold, heard the officer as well, and they tried to yell that Bell did not have the officer's gun.

Then another officer then shot Bell in the head.

Bell's father, Michael Sr., told NPR he'll never forget the phone call he received from his oldest daughter that night:

(Excerpt) Read more at thedailysheeple.com ...


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; michaelbell; police; wisconsin

1 posted on 12/16/2014 7:21:48 PM PST by TurboZamboni
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: TurboZamboni

“Bell’s father, Michael Sr., told NPR...”

Stopped. Right there.


2 posted on 12/16/2014 7:24:40 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

I cannot recall ever listening to, or reading an NPR story.

not going to start now.


3 posted on 12/16/2014 7:38:41 PM PST by txnativegop (Tired of liberals, even a few in my own family.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TurboZamboni

Nothing frustrates me more than nimrods Left and Right who are perfectly fine with our out of control cops & only come out from under their rocks when somebody injects race. Then, they pretend it’s 1971; Hippies vs. Hardhats, Rednecks vs. Black Panthers, Archie vs. Meathead.

Talk radio, FNC, and half of FR are no better than Al Sharpton and Holder. And corrupt, statist thugs will continue to terrorize ALL of us.


4 posted on 12/16/2014 8:10:55 PM PST by Forgotten Amendments (Peace On Earth! Purity of Essence! McCain/Ripper 2016)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Forgotten Amendments

Thanks. I quite agree.

Automatic assumption by way too many on this site that when a cop shoots a black person it’s justified, and when a cop shoots a white person it isn’t.

I think all lives matter, and American cops shoot too many people.


5 posted on 12/16/2014 8:41:01 PM PST by Sherman Logan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TurboZamboni

Totally agree with the new law but why was the kid fighting the cops?


6 posted on 12/16/2014 10:07:31 PM PST by Cen-Tejas (it's the debt bomb stupid)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cen-Tejas

“Totally agree with the new law but why was the kid fighting the cops?”

He had been drinking as it said in the story.


7 posted on 12/17/2014 4:45:53 AM PST by dljordan (WhoVoltaire: "To find out who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: TurboZamboni

Cops have a brotherhood mentality at best, a gang mentality at worst. In no way, shape, or form is a police investigation of a ‘brother’ trustworthy. You don’t let family investigate their own.

This is what you get

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3228539/posts


8 posted on 12/17/2014 7:56:19 AM PST by LevinFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dljordan

.......hmmmm, I see he was drinking, I was just wondering more specifically what happened to set the cops off e.g. did he take a swing at one, pull a knife, kick one in the groin or what?

For a cop to put a gun up to a young mans head and pull the trigger, there must have been an EXTREME provocation.

Oh well, in any event, the City paid big and I hope the cop got his due.

Thanks for writing.


9 posted on 12/17/2014 8:42:23 AM PST by Cen-Tejas (it's the debt bomb stupid)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Cen-Tejas

“For a cop to put a gun up to a young
mans head and pull the trigger, there
must have been an EXTREME
provocation.”

Not really. Roid rage, for one. Cops have a lot of loose cannons they choose to protect. Look up officer Harless of Canton. When you teach a group they can get away with murder, you’ll find plenty who use it.


10 posted on 12/17/2014 9:00:16 AM PST by LevinFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Cen-Tejas

“For a cop to put a gun up to a young mans head and pull the trigger, there must have been an EXTREME provocation.”

I’m starting to have doubts these days. We’ll probably learn more in the days to come.


11 posted on 12/17/2014 9:46:22 AM PST by dljordan (WhoVoltaire: "To find out who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: dljordan

........I’ve tried to keep an open mind about cops for 50+ years and be fair in my assessments of individual incidents. The main thing there is just “wait for facts”.

But, like you, these days, I’m beginning to have doubts. My mind is reeling from all these “incidents” and I find it (my mind) asking “what the hell is going on?”


12 posted on 12/17/2014 10:40:25 AM PST by Cen-Tejas (it's the debt bomb stupid)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: LevinFan

I looked up Harless. Isn’t he the poster boy for what’s wrong with our LEA’s. Doesn’t the hiring process need acute attention in terms of standards? Sounds like Canton handled that situation well?

For a simple Real Estate License, i.e. to sell an fn house, you have to have “continuing annual education”. I’m not aware that cops that carry guns and have all this power have ANY continuing education requirements? Am I wrong?

Don’t cops need to be hired on renewable contracts in order to make getting rid of the bad ones easier and less costly for governmental agencies (state, local, feds).

Should cops be allowed to unionize?

There’s no shortage of questions out there.


13 posted on 12/17/2014 10:50:54 AM PST by Cen-Tejas (it's the debt bomb stupid)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Cen-Tejas

“I looked up Harless. Isn’t he the poster boy for what’s wrong with our LEA’s.”

Nope. He isn’t the poster child for what is wrong with LE. LE by its nature will attract the wrong people. What is the poster child of what is wrong with LE is how other LE responds to people like Harless. WITH SUPPORT. Team Blue trumps all other concerns.
Time and again, we see these problem officers who are habitual bad cops, and LE as an institution refuses to address it, while they demand public support.

I don’t attack modern LE for their ‘bad apples’. I attack LE because they welcome and protect their bad apples. Because they are arrogant and obnoxious in their behavior. They defend cops that walk the street with attitude problems, the kind who talk down to people. They think it is their due, to be able to vent their frustrations from behind a badge. They protect cops who lie, who commit crimes, on and on. Their idea of professional conduct and accountability stinks.
They attack anyone who questions their actions, as though they are supposed to be above criticism. No other profession, outside of bouncer, would allow such behaviors as LE thinks is their right. And you’ll note that a lot of cops would look at home as a bouncer.


14 posted on 12/17/2014 2:12:20 PM PST by LevinFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: LevinFan

Excellent comments! Very informative. Thanks.


15 posted on 12/17/2014 3:28:10 PM PST by Cen-Tejas (it's the debt bomb stupid)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Forgotten Amendments

+1


16 posted on 12/18/2014 10:40:17 AM PST by Half Vast Conspiracy (I'm done being even remotely civil.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson