Posted on 01/31/2006 11:06:24 AM PST by SmithL
Saint Louis -- Black activists on Tuesday called for the firing of police officers who were shown on live television swinging night sticks and punching and kicking a suspect after a car chase.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol was investigating to see if the four officers involved had acted illegally.
The suspect, Edmon Burns, 33, of St. Louis County, was treated at a hospital and released, and was jailed. No charges had been filed. His attorney did not return calls Tuesday.
Burns and one of the four officers, from St. Louis, are black, The three other officers, from suburban Maplewood, are white.
The chase began Monday in Maplewood, where officers said they noticed a man in a van acting suspiciously. It ended in St. Louis.
Much of the chase was shown on live television shot from a KTVI-TV helicopter, along with the officers apparently beating the man for several seconds. What could not be clearly seen on the video was how much the suspect was resisting.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I agree. It's a wonder any good men want to become police officers any more. Low pay, plenty of danger, major lack of gratitude from those most in need of police protection--why should they bother?
There seems to be an awful lot of people with nothing better to do than follow cops around with video cameras.
I dont know about anyone else but when I saw the video I felt a little safer.
"How many out here have ever been pulled over and been beaten by a cop?"
One of my old friends was walking to his home from the local bar when he was "jumped" by several deputy sheriffs and was beaten up by them.
Turned out - they had the wrong guy.
Then they started lieing to cover it up.
I wish I'd never been pulled over, but I've never been beaten. OTOH, I've never made the Cops chase me down.
I have a problem with the kick that the one officer delivered.
bump
Of this I am thankful.
Big deal. Anyone who has spent the least bit of time around the criminal justice community is well aware of the time honored rule that says if you run from the police and they catch you, there will be an ass-whupping. Every streetwise person is well aware of this rule and makes a calculated decision when they decide to run from the cops. Is it right for the cops to do this? - NO. Do I really care or have any sympathy for someone who suffers the wrong end of this rule? - NO.
Nah, I saw the video on Fox; it was helicopter footage, because this happened at the tail end of a car chase.
But would you have kicked him in the head with your boot? Liberal tripe seems to be in the eye of the beholder. The cop I saw was about the third or forth on the scene, and he immediately went to kicking. Kicking what, I don't know, and admited such, but it looks quite like an over-reaction, by him specifically, not necessarily the others.
I think it is safe to assume that even cops sometimes over-react, possibly less so than civilian mobs, but they really need to learn to keep their cool. After all, it isn't always just one perp you're dealing with. If you stand up to kick the guy, his partner could take aim at you.
I have been beaten by cops, twice.
Once when I was 14, another just over a year ago.
Neither incident was remotely justified.
I have also been threatened with death by cops, merely for taking their picture while they were violating the 4th amendment rights of several individuals who were doing nothing more than "Cruising".
Nothing happens to bad cops, they lie, they lie in their report, they lie in court, they lie for each other.
They do not even have to lie well, when their own statements are clearly contradictory, they still get extra credibility, because they are cops!
I also know people who the cops planted "contraband" on, in their vehicle.
Cops also tamper with evidence when they can, I can never be on a DUI case jury because I KNOW the cops can, and do, manipulate the breathalyzer.
The phrase "drop gun" or "Throwaway gun" refers to the guns cops carry to plant on the body of an unarmed "suspect" they have killed.
Those term go WAY back, are in common usage by cops, and reflect ongoing behavior.
I used to be naive enough to think the above behavior was rare, an aberration.
I now know better.
I suspect that some of this is related to the general decline of American society, and more of it is related to the "winking" at civil rights violations per the "Patriot Act" and public frustration with the (incorrect) media & L.E. fed perception that crime in general is still growing at an alarming rate.
It seems that local cops tend to reflect the standards of Fed's, and when the Fed's lower the standards of their conduct so do the locals.
Okay, now you can flame me , blame me, and ignore the facts, cozy in your denial of the truth.
Until it happens to YOU!
"plenty of danger"
BS!
Police work is hours of boredom, lots of paperwork, and rare moments of adrenaline rush.
The one FACT the PD Unions and publicist DO NOT want to know is this:
The most dangerous person most cops ever have to face, is themselves!
Suicide is FAR more common than serious assault by a suspect.
Most cops never face serious danger from "suspects" in their whole careers.
The entire "Putting their lives on the line every day" mantra is a MYTH!
Driving a Taxi is more dangerous, working a commercial fishing boat is more dangerous!
If you value FACT over emotion, stop letting the cops manipulate you with their emotion based lies.
Not enough, actually.
Isn't it interesting how FEW cops have video equipment in their vehicle to record their actions?
Since the video becomes evidence, and the defense can subpoena the UNEDITED tape, it seems few cops are willing to be on video.
As so many here like to claim in so many threads, "if they have nothing to hide, what are they worried about"?
If a person has nothing to hide they go willing to the police department and sort out the details with a lawyer. No one gets hurt.
WOW!
Yours may be the most ASS-U-ME'ing post I have ever seen!
I was actually just trying to do my laundry that night, but the cops blocked my return to the laundromat to pick up my dry clothes, after I left to get some dinner.
So I had to park a block away, and walk back to my laundry.
I took the camera to document what was happening, since I doubted anyone would believe it without the pics.
They were not "just" abusing kids fourth amendment rights, they were blatant about it.
At that time and place cruising was NOT illegal.
As I recall, it was summer, 1985-86, El Camino Blvd, Santa-Clara, CA.
That was THE main street of that town, and a major shopping district, with a multiplex and an out-door theater.
But they were conducting warrant-less stops and searches, en mass, for no more reason than the persons mere presence.
If what they were doing was legitimate, there would have been no reason for them to threaten me for documenting it.
And yes, they did steal my film, had my car towed, arrested me on trumped up charges, threatened my life, and generally worked overtime to lose any shred of respect I might have had for them prior to their thug behavior.
The phony charges were dropped by the DA, my camera was returned minus the film.
I was not cruising, and I keep a camera handy in the same way that I carry flares, a spare quart of oil, tow strap, tire chains, etc.
But if you really believe that the cops can do no wrong, enjoy your naivete while you can.
In this case, "acting suspiciously" seems to have meant DWB.
"How many of you know anyone who is a decent and ordinary person with respect for the law - that has been beaten by a cop?"
........................
Arthur Heller is among the 3,000 New Yorkers a year who formally complain about police brutality or misconduct. His case stands out because Mr. Heller's cousin is the city's police commissioner, Raymond Kelly.
"Mr. Heller claims he was beaten by two plainclothes officers after his MetroCard didn't work properly two weeks ago. Cops have been cracking down on MetroCard abuse, and Mr. Heller apparently found himself caught up in an ongoing effort to prevent subway fraud."
http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=26436
I was a cop briefly. The things you list are among the reasons it was so brief--I just couldn't be part of it.
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