Posted on 10/13/2005 3:00:39 PM PDT by freepatriot32
MANATEE - Getting shoved around, handcuffed, manhandled and witnessing a police beating - these are the memories two young hurricane relief workers from Manatee County say they took away from Bourbon Street in New Orleans on Saturday night.
After about a month of volunteer work in areas hit hard by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Manatee County residents Calvin Briles and Mike Monaghan decided to take it easy in the Big Easy for an evening.
The two men, program consultants for the Volunteer Center of Manatee County, had spent the day buying chain saws and delivering them to volunteer reception centers to aid in rebuilding what Katrina destroyed. Afterward they went out to dinner and had a couple of drinks on Bourbon Street on Oct. 8.
While strolling along the strip, Briles and Monaghan noticed a scuffle.
Briles said they saw New Orleans police officers punching, kicking and kneeing a man to the ground and another official shoving an Associated Press Television News producer who was taping the beating. On Monday, two police officers accused in the beating of Robert Davis, 64, and a third accused of grabbing and shoving the AP journalist pleaded not guilty to battery, according to The AP.
"We couldn't believe it," said Briles, a 21-year-old University of South Florida student and self-described humanitarian from Palmetto. "We saw the man being beat and the cameraman pushed. . . . It was just a bad situation."
Briles and Monaghan were not bystanders for long.
When law enforcement officials tried to clear spectators out of the area, Briles said, "I want to tell somebody about this."
He said that's when a man wearing a U.S. Customs vest grabbed him, threw him against a dark blue Chevy Impala, pressed his head against the hood and told him, "It's none of your business."
"I was just manhandled like I've never been before," Briles said, adding that another unidentified official also pushed him around. "They wouldn't let me say anything."
Monaghan, a 22-year-old USF student and Bradenton native, said he was shocked when he saw his friend thrown against the Chevy.
Monaghan and Briles - both former presidents of ManaTeens, a youth program of the Volunteer Center of Manatee County - have known each other since sixth grade.
"I was scared to death - didn't know what really to do," Monaghan said. "I wanted to make sure they weren't going to punch and hurt Calvin."
Monaghan said he saw Briles' cell phone hit the ground as he was pressed against the car and handcuffed.
Monaghan said when he bent over to pick up the phone, a police horse "nudged" his head with its snout and an unidentified official grabbed him from behind and asked him why he hit the horse.
He said he hadn't hit the horse but that the official handcuffed him, kicked his legs open and searched his pockets.
"I knew what was happening was all a bunch of bull," Monaghan said.
He said he was let go shortly after, but Briles remained face down on the pavement.
Briles said officials listed a handful of charges he would face, including impeding a federal investigation. Still, no one read him his rights, he said.
After checking into Briles' record, the officials let him go. Briles said they told him things would have gone less smoothly if he had a criminal history.
"Had I been someone convicted of a felony in the past," Briles said. "It would have been the criminal's word against his."
"We felt violated," Briles added.
The two reported the incident to the FBI and to U.S. Customs officials Sunday morning.
And, said Monaghan, they have no plans to return to New Orleans unless they are duty-bound.
"We enjoy helping people," said Monaghan, who dropped two classes this semester at USF so he could volunteer with post-Katrina efforts. "But it's very hard to fathom what happened to us Saturday night. . . . We were trying to have an enjoyable night, but our enjoyable night turned out to be crap."
Erica Rodriguez, Herald reporter, can be reached at erodriguez@HeraldToday.com or at 745-7095.
I'm not saying there isn't corruption on the NO police dept. All I'm saying is every case has to be taken on a case by case basis.
I'm betting that these officers will end up with no charges filed.
The only one that may get charged is the one who did the punching.
The media just released another minute of the tape. It shows two officers talking to the male who then begins to resist their efforts to place him in cuffs. Then two more officers show up and appear to stand by until it gets worse.
Does it bother you that you don't know the whole story? Does it bother you that the media has more tape that they haven't released?
It does me. Whether or not these guys are found guilty or innocent.
Thanks, I'm glad you think I'm a part of America's finest.
America is turning into a cess pool. Or has turned.
Am I ready to change my tune because one of the officers had psychiatric treatment?
I don't think so.
Maybe it saved his life. A couple guys I worked with commited suicide.
Maybe cap'n (why sully that name of pure, sugary goodness?!) will get shot on a traffic stop when he decides to start hitting someone because they mouthed off to him.
hahahahaha... I love it here. Now someone saying maybe I'll get shot on a traffic stop.
I love it.
You'd make a great police officer Skywalk. We need thugs like you, come and take the test, we're hiring.
I'll show you everything in my bag of tricks. I like your attitude.
"America is turning into a cess pool. Or has turned."
I don't blame you for this, but surely you must know in a free nation that the PEOPLE are what will turn it around, not the cops or even the rules we 'burden' them with?
That's total BS.
Guys who are 64 or older RARELY post a threat to any young buck of a cop.
I'd have taken my licks ~ crawl on the ground or whatever ~ then figured out how to get even with them. Bet they'd all like to borrow money some time in the future, maybe drive a better car, you know, live large. They need good credit ratings. By the time I was done with their public paper trail they'd have to do business with organized crime to make headway, or even support their families. Ruining their lives and condemning them to Hell is the best way to deal with any cops that get out of hand.
Of course the people will turn it around. I'm guessing after the second civil war.
I like your style too, we can use guys like you. How'd you like to be a detective?
That is my guess, as well.
And FINALLY someone labels me a thug. Man, I've been looking for that street cred for awhile.
1)Urban background--Check
2)Anti-authoritarian--Check
3)Guns--Check
4)Stamp of approval from a cop--Check
5)Black ancestry--Check
I'm set, loc. ;) Now, I'm going to go book some studio time and laid down some rhymes.
Well, since you have my stamp of approval, how about cutting me in on the profits???
20% sounds good.
I suppose I should have said something more understandable ~ like "Revenge is a dish best served cold".
I suppose the Lord will repay all of us.
I wonder if the ATF was involved?
I'm saying there is corruption throughout the NO police department, and losers like Cap'n Crunch who defend bully cops are a major reason.
But I must agree with him, based on personal experience no charges will be made against the cops who assaulted and intimidated numerous innocent civilians.
The video tape is the only wild card in this situation - otherwise the old man - and probably others - would have been beaten worse and spent some time in jail, while thug cops trumped up felony assault charges on them. I'm sure the youg men got quite an education on "the rule of law" from those cops.
And "men" like the "Cap'n" will continue to defend thugs in blue. And then will cry foul when more and more of us wonder what in the world is going on in the minds of people who would defend them.
I suggest everyone watch this unedited release of the tape from the AP and see for themselves if the poor NOLA police were just doing their job or if they are power-crazed thugs let loose on society ;)
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/scp_v3/viewer/index.php?pid=16012&rn=49750&cl=105226&ch=68276
ping
read the order of events, toasted sugar corn puffs. he goes wacko... doubtless psychiatrically hospitalized (that's s.o.p. after someone tries to commit suicide, they don't just make a nice appointment with Mr. Shrink next week and hope he goes). FOLLOWING this, he becomes a cop. is there something wrong with this picture? psychiatric hospitalization = no guns for some time, in most states.
You are seriously proud of that police work demonstrated on that video?
1) A few seconds after the suspect puts his hands behind his head, a police officer starts punching him in the back of the head.
2) A blond women asks the officers the stop hitting the man and is herded off by a police horse.
3) Officer Smith assaults a TV producer and then orders cameras to be shut off. Orders people to leave the street.
4) People in the crowd are so disgusted by the police's actions they are saying 'are you getting this on tape' and sarcastically saying 'god bless America'.
5) It takes 5 young male officers to detain one 64-year old man saying 'I can't' to requests to put his hands behind his back due to old football injury to his shoulder.
Then the officers are arrested for official misconduct and assault.
This is police work you are proud of? What department to do you work for - South Africa?
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