Video shows Seattle cop arresting elderly black man using golf club as cane

http://www.washingtonpost.com ^ | January 29 at 7:53 PM | By Elahe Izadi

[redreno]

William Wingate had been standing on a busy Seattle street corner in July, leaning on a golf club he uses as a cane, when a police cruiser pulled up and the officer inside yelled at Wingate to “put that down.”

The resulting exchange — in which the officer claims that Wingate swung the club at her after she asked him to “shut it down” before she arrested him – was captured on the cruiser’s dashboard camera, the footage of which Seattle Police released this week as it apologized for the 2014 incident.

The response to that video prompted Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole to announce Wednesday that she was ordering a comprehensive review of the officer’s performance during Wingate’s arrest and another incident. She did not name the officer, but multiple local outlets have reported her name as Cynthia Whitlatch.

[Georgia Girl 2]

is she the same cop who pepper sprayed the guy at the MLK rally?

[houeto]

There was NO REASON for him to react like he did.

But I'm sure glad that he did. Now this power-tripping POS dyke with a badge, a gun and an attitude is off the streets, hopefully for good!

[tbpiper]

She also said she had video of him waving it at her. Somehow that segment failed to make the release.

[SW6906]

Give me a break, newbie. Are you seriously equating a cop asking you to put down your "cane" to being herded onto cattle cars for the gas chambers? Hyperbole much?

Ever heard of Godwin's Law?

[BenLurkin]

Considering that homosexuals already have a severe psychological problem — how is it that PD’s hire any?

[SW6906]

"But I'm sure glad that he did. Now this power-tripping POS dyke with a badge, a gun and an attitude is off the streets, hopefully for good! "

I definitely agree with that aspect of it, but I still believe it all could have been over in minutes if he just obeyed a simple lawful order from a police officer.

[muir_redwoods]

The funny thing is that for the ten years I taught martial arts, I taught a whole set of cane techniques designed to maim and injure. I never did learn any using a golf club. For me, a cane would be a preferable weapon to a golf club and the cops would have no issue with a cane. Except perhaps the Seattle cops.

This cop is deranged. Fit for duty, perhaps in that department but seriously deranged.

[petercooper]

Beast.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

If he had a cane, that couldn’t be used as a weapon?

Not balanced right and the degree of loft is all wrong.

[muir_redwoods]

Maybe he could have licked her boots at the same time. Just to be sure he didn’t offend his rulers.

[trisham]

Of course it could. Anything can be used as a weapon. Some things simply make better weapons.

[ansel12]

She claims he waved it at her as she drove by in a police car.

He’s lucky she didn’t come back and gun him, instead she got a false conviction which was later learned to be false.

[momtothree]

A 70 year old man. A veteran. Worked as a bus driver for 35 years. Never been arrested. He spent a night in jail for a golf club. Shameful... absolutely shameful.

[ansel12]

Not balanced right and the degree of loft is all wrong.

Bull, the cane is an excellent fighting weapon. I got so confident with one that I used to play old man in the alleys, looking for muggers to practice with.

They even make tweaked fighting canes.

[9YearLurker]

The dude uses it as a cane. (And probably in a pinch as self-defense, too.)

[9YearLurker]

Bingo.

[PGR88]

Of course it could. Anything can be used as a weapon. Some things simply make better weapons.

Exactly - so the cop is just harassing him. If the old guy had a cane - it could be a weapon. If he had car keys, they could be a weapon, if he had a sharp pencil, it could be a weapon, etc...

[trisham]

Yes, exactly right. She’s an incompetent bully.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

If the elderly man was using the golf club as a cane, and put the “effing” club down as you mentioned, the elderly man might have fallen down and seriously injured himself.

I doubt the female cop would have cared.

[skinkinthegrass]

a cane made out of 1/2 inch
sch. 80 stainless steel pipe.I'd love of those..
Maybe use some #5 stl. rebar. w/a good hook.