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 think the Cap'n is just a troll. At least I hope he is.
"NOPD looting - check
NOPD stealing Caddys - check
NOPD ghost payroll - check
NOPD beats stuffing out of old man - check "
LOL, man, this one post in a few weeks drew about 10 replies....
I'm not saying that the PD isn't corrupt.
There were federal agents working the scene as well.
I'm just saying there's more to this story than the MSM's portrayal of this victim as an innocent school teacher.
"Ever been to NO? "
Errr, I'm geographically located between NO and BR, yes, I've been to NO.
20+ times a year for, oh, the last 20 years of my life....
If you happened to catch any of the updates on this story following my original post questioning the victim's complete innocence, you'd have learned that his "plea" to the second officer about "not interrupting" his conversation with the mounted officer included several "F-you's"....
The NOPD's legal representation claims to also have proof that the victim was severely intoxicated and that his defense of the officers is iron clad.
Cheers to you Cap'n
Do your views on this subject extend towards what is happening in Islam today? Does your disdain extend to posters in here who also condemn all Muslims for the actions of the minority of yahoos? I'm just curious because your statement reminded me of the startling parallel of the two situations.
Just as we call for "peaceful" Muslims to expurgate the radical element from their fold, so we should demand that the majority of good, hard working cops eliminate the bad element from their midst. It is incumbent upon them to do the right thing.
I agree, now if the "good cops" would just start turning in those that are breaking the law what a wonderful world it would be, but instead they turn their faces away, they must protect their own. Enough said.
Very recently I was pulled over by local PD (in La. near NO) for not coming to a complete stop at a set of RR tracks.
Admittedly, a pretty petty offense right...?
I step out of my vehicle with paperwork in hand, both hands in plain view at my side and walk towards the two officers, smoking a cigarette.
Driver barks out- "Stop right there sir", radios central dispatch from his shoulder mounted radio something or other as if he had a "troublemaker" on his hands.
Driver again barks out- "Put out the cigarette sir"
Second officer walks up to me and checks my paperwork, I lean on my own vehicle and put my hands in my pockets.
Driver barks again- "Take your hands out of your pockets NOW sir"...
Radio dispatch returns with message, some numbered code that means to "let me go" due to the fact that I'd have the problem resolved anyway due to my relations with my local municipalities (I repair all city vehicles including police cars with transmission related breakdowns)...
Moral is- I could have been a smart a$$ but I followed each command of a very rude, but also clear police officer and avoided an potentially escalated situation.
Your analogy does not describe the situation.
"If you want trouble with the police just try arguing, resisting arrest, running from them, or anything that smacks of arrogance. Someone with a gun says stop, then stop. This isn't rocket science!"
Exactamundo Doc....
Lawyers always talk like that. It's as much a part of pre-trial ritual in the USA as is the way sumo wrestlers circle one another before contact in Japan.
The man claimed it was physically impossible for him to put both arms behind him... now suppose that proves true, that puts them in position to receive one whale of a lawsuit, bringing in ADA and all that good stuff. Why didn't they just grab his arms, cuff him, and be done? Instead of playing rambo-hide-from-the-camera.
Another guy who doesn't know me from Adam calling me a loser. You'd make a fine cop too.
You don't have to defend me. If you knew what you were talking about we wouldn't even be having this discussion.
Those cops are going to walk.
I never said I was proud of it.
I said the media didn't show the whole thing to begin with and hyped it up. A week later they come out with a few more minutes of tape that they withheld which shows the guy resisting arrest.
The only thing people are mad about is this cop punching this guy in the head. If he didn't punch him there would be no story.
I wouldn't punch anybody in the head because 1. I know better, you'll break your hand. 2. It doesn't look good. 3. there are more effective ways of getting someone under control than hitting them in the head.
Although we are permitted to hit people in the head.
I only saw one officer hitting this guy in the head. Why were the others charged?
I'll tell you why, this is a knee jerk politicrat reaction to something that doesn't look good on TV.
Simple as that.
toasted sugar corn puffs????
Don't be hatin'
I don't know anything about the guys psych eval. I'm not here to discuss that.
Here's what I will tell you. I've been in a few scrapes on the job myself. Sometimes with people who are bigger than me or more motivated that me.
When I get into a fight while I'm working, I'm going to try to end it as fast as I can. Anyone who is crazy enough to fight with the police just might be crazy enough to grab his gun and empty a magazine into him.
So, I only play the game for so long, after that I do what I have to do no matter how it looks to anybody else. That's what this looks like to me.
You don't see any officers in this tape (that I've seen) cracking this guy's skull with nightsticks, which they had.
If some of them knew a nice carotid choke this would have never been on the nightly news.
Sorry bub, I been here since '99.
Thank you Sir.
Yes, I believe there is much more to this story than meets the eye.
In fact I'm sure there is. The MSM is mad because some cop put his hands on one of the powerful people.
Why else wouldn't they release ALL of the tape. Show some now to hype it up and hide any esculpatory tape.
We all know how honest the MSM is. "Let them eat cake"
The NOPD's legal representation claims to also have proof that the victim was severely intoxicated and that his defense of the officers is iron clad.
Can't be. A NOPD officer stated on FOX News on Friday that no field sobriety, breathalyzer test, or alchohol-blood test was done on this individual.
How are they going to prove it. Their word?
The credibilty of these officers is already in question.
"Those cops are going to walk."
Well if they do lets hope there won't be 700 million dollars worth of damage to private property as a result.. then again, I doubt that would happen since there isn't much left to trash and loot in NOLA.
Thanks for providing the link. This is the first I've heard of this incident.
My perception. They older man was NOT resisting arrest. He was facing the window/wall listening to the officers. The mounted policeman kept deliberately using his horse to block the video. I saw nothing the older man did that warranted being hit on the back of the head several times nor did I see anything to warrant him being thrown to the ground. I heard him tell the police while he was on the ground he couldn't turn over because they were on him. (paraphrased) Not that it means anything but I also saw someone's cell phone fall to the ground and spin several times. I saw the blonde lady being directed away from the scene. I saw the street dressed police types come up to assist the uniforms. To me it appears there was no reason for their intervention unless it would have been to help the older man.
I watched the tape twice. Once without sound and then with sound. My impression is the police were the one's who escalated the situation and used undue force.
Maybe they have a witness bar tender or other bar patrons.
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