Posted on 07/17/2013 2:00:56 PM PDT by Altariel
SAN MARCOS, Texas -- A police officer in San Marcos is in jail after arresting a pedestrian whom police say didnt break the law.
Corporal James Angelo Palermo, 40, conducted a traffic stop on May 29 during his midnight shift patrol near 126 S. Guadalupe Street.
According to the arrest affidavit, Palermo stopped a Toyota Prius shortly after 1:00 a.m. for driving the wrong way on a one-way street and began questioning the driver.
A pedestrian walking by was called over by Palermo and asked why she was walking by his traffic stop. He then asked for the womans identification.
When the woman insisted she had done nothing wrong Palermo slammed her against the Prius; then onto the concrete driveway near his patrol car.
Palermo arrested the woman for obstruction. After his supervisors reviewed his report and talked to the pedestrian she was released.
Upon further investigation supervisors found the woman had lost two teeth and suffered a concussion during the illegal arrest.
Palermo was arrested for aggravated assault by a public servant. The woman is currently being treated for her injuries and could require further surgery, according to the affidavit.
The department issued the following statement:
"Cpl. James Palermo of the San Marcos Police Department was arrested Tuesday, July 16 and charged with aggravated assault with serious bodily injury by a public servant, a first degree felony, in connection with an incident that occurred May 29 in which a woman suffered serious injuries during an arrest. Police Chief Howard Williams ordered an internal investigation on May 30.
Employed by the SMPD since 2000, Palermo has been on paid administrative leave since June 10 while the San Marcos Police Department conducted the investigation. The arrest was reviewed by the Hays County District Attorneys Office and by a prosecutor with the Texas Attorney Generals Office.
Palermo was booked in the Hays County Law Enforcement Center Tuesday afternoon and awaits magistration."
Remember Attwater vs Lago Vista??
It’s much easier to lick boots if you’re on your knees. Putting your backside way up will make it easier for the cops partner to do his business, too.
“Look...we all know there are mistakes made. What is the point of posting every abberant situation? What exactly does it contribute to the important topics around here. Every other day there is a, “See!!!! Another bad cop story. Gee, we are good to catch these bad apples.” Please. Don’t waste the bandwidth...we get the picture, already.”
Yes, yes, nothing to see here ... move along. what’s the point of FR if not to highlight this kind of thing? Lord knows these cops are rarely ever held accountable for their crimes. Just like those LAPD cops that blasted away at two little old ladies delivering news papers. I think they got an award for marksmanship but that’s about it, meanwhile the tax payers of Los Angles get tagged for $4.5 million and then will have to pay for pension of these idiot (attempted murders) for the text 30 to 40 years.
Should be a capital crime. Hang him.
Oh, yeah. ‘Well, I supported Attwater but to reverse twenty million tickets across the country would have been inconvenient to LEO so sorry’
“Look...we all know there are mistakes made. What is the point of posting every abberant situation? What exactly does it contribute to the important topics around here. Every other day there is a, “See!!!! Another bad cop story. Gee, we are good to catch these bad apples.” Please. Don’t waste the bandwidth...we get the picture, already. “
First things first, brushing aside violent crimes, committed under color of law, as ‘mistakes made’ is abhorrent.
Second, these cases are publicized, and should publicized, because not only does the difficulty of a cop’s job not excuse criminal behavior, but rather a cop’s position makes criminal behavior by the cop (and particularly violent criminal behavior) far worse. Cops are public servants, who hold vital positions of public trust. When they commit violent crimes under color of law, they not only violate the law, they also violate that trust. That’s why these cases are, and ought to be, publicized every single time.
Look at this article - this guy was charged with “aggravated assault by a public servant” - there’s a reason that is a separate category of crime, not just plain aggravated assault.
>> “Why are we so quick to judge and condemn this cop?” <<
.
Now we know what kind of excrement you’re made of.
I agree it’s a stretch. I think you are on target on this one.
“In the cop’s defense, he did at least user her to bash a Prius.”
That isn’t funny.
Well, actually it is.
What you “feel” is irrelevant to the fact as to whether or not she had a legal obligation to show ID.
Thank you for establishing that you were perfectly aware of the facts, but chose to mislead other Freepers.
Rather telling that he/she/it doesn’t consider government employees abusing and harrassing law-abiding private citizens to be “[an] important [topic]”
Change “police officers” to “redcoats”, and some here on Free Republic would still be loyal Tories, insisting abuses were “not that bad”.
oh please..bs..the circumstances were bad enough to have his own bosses arrest him! Daaaa!
I have a sneaking suspicion that this fellow wasn’t exactly the best-liked officer in the department.
I used to work with a guy who got sick of paying tickets and started wearing seat belts. His insurance was fix’in to drop him.
“Any and all responsibility for the department lies with the Chief - and it’s very apparent they need another one”
New blood might be necessary, as the present chief started with TPD decades ago, “growing up” there, from police cadet to chief. Kind of one dimensional, I’d say.
If you get hit by a car or drop on the street, while no one can ID you at least you have clean underwear. . .right?
;-)
I've spent 2 days in a hospital listed as a John Doe. I didn't see that it affected medical care (when I woke up).
/johnny
What. . .you mean you don’t follow your mother’s advice to always wear clean underwear when leaving the house?
Just kidding. . . .having fun this morning.
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