LAPD Acts Against Elite Police Squad

Associated Press and CBS ^ | May 7, 2007

[bd476]

LAPD Acts Against Elite Police Squad

Los Angeles Police Chief Says Elite Officers In May Day Melee Off The Street, Will Face Consequences

LOS ANGELES, May 7, 2007


This video image provided by KVEA/Telemundo
shows KCAL cameraman Carl Stein on the ground
during a police response during an immigrants
rights rally, Tuesday May 1, 2007, in Los Angeles.
(AP Photo/KVEA/Telemundo)

---

(AP) Police Chief William Bratton said Sunday that up to 60 members of an elite squad that swarmed into a park and fired rubber bullets during a May Day immigration rally are no longer on the street.

Bratton said he spent the weekend viewing video of the MacArthur Park incident and he said LAPD failures were widespread with officers from the top on down culpable.

"I'm not going to defend the indefensible," Bratton told journalists groups during a meeting at a television studio in Hollywood. "Things were done that shouldn't have been done."

Journalists were among those roughed up as Metropolitan Division's B Platoon moved through MacArthur and fired 148 rubber bullets to break up what had been a peaceful and lawful immigration rally.

Police said they moved in after rocks and bottles were thrown at them by 30 to 40 agitators, he said.

The Metropolitan Division is the city's premier police squad, made up of experienced officers who have extensive training in crowd control.

Bratton said up to 60 members of the Metro's B Platoon are no longer in the field. Additionally, he said, some officers will "in all likelihood" not return to the Metropolitan Division.

"Some of this will be career-impacting," Bratton said, adding that imposition of permanent discipline will await completion of the Police Department investigation.

Journalist organizations asked why officers ignored LAPD policies toward the news media worked out after reporters were assaulted during the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

A 2002 agreement called for designation of a safe spot for reporters covering news events. LAPD spokeswoman Mary Grady acknowledged reporters were not given "a designated safe spot" at MacArthur Park.

"There appears to have been here a failure to communicate," Press Photographers Association local president John McCoy said.

[Twink]

The cops sure would have handled it differently if it were a rally or protest of white male conservatives postesting illegal mexican immigration. As would the news media. The white male conservatives who broke the law would have been treated way differently, the cops would have shot them and the MSM would be reporting what a wonderful job the riot police did for curtailing the violence. But because it was a minority, illegal at that, protesting violently and assaulting the riot police, and a so called journalist too stupid to get out of the way, and the riot police doing what they were trained to do, it’s all about how horrible the riot police behaved and how they broke the law.

It’s becoming a crime to be a white male conservative, protesting anything, or even being a white male. A white male in this country has little if any rights. Fortunately, I’m a white female so I still have the gender thing going on. I could claim a gender crime or a gender discrimination of some sort. Doesn’t matter if it’s true, I can still claim it. A white male has nothing and still has to fight all the minorities (be them women, race, etc). And it doesn’t matter how intelligent his argument is, the fact he’s a white male negates everything else.

Again, if it were white conservatives protesting mexican immigration (and illegal immigration) the police would have handled it differently possibly but the outcome would be different. You wouldn’t hear whining from white conservatives about how badly they were treated by the horrible police. Maybe it’s because they really do value what it means to be a cop, what it means to follow the law of this country. If it were white conservatives protesting against illegal mexican or even legal immigration, the police wouldn’t have HAD to resort to defensive measures to control the situation. How many riots occur because white conservatives, meaning white males, violate the laws of this country? Not too many from what I’ve researched lately. White conservatives, white males mostly, can’t protest anything without being labeled some sort of derogatory term and reamed in main stream media.

Fortunately, I’m a female so I still have the gender thing going for me.

[CCGuy]

“I take no delight in knowing that, but I believe in the rule of law.”

Than you must believe that every illegal should be arrested and deported immediately. I agree!!

[CCGuy]

I would like the illegals to be dealt with as well.

Cops are not infallible, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt unless I know otherwise.

What bothers me most is the illegals instantly being portrayed as victims when it is they that victimize the tax-payer every day.

[dragnet2]

Nobody ever heard of Carl Stein. He’s the poor guy that has to carry the heavy camera around on his shoulder. He’s not on TV. He’s not even listed in the credits. I don’t see why you think he’d have an ego problem.

Are you suggesting if the newsman wouldn't have been knocked down, roughed up, everything was A-OK? Or do police no longer have the right to order everyone out of an area?

[Twink]

Yep. They play the victim role.

I agree, cops aren’t infallible and some shouldn’t be in that position at all - just like some teachers shouldn’t be teaching and some workers, in every field shouldn’t be in that field. It happens across the spectrum. But we hold cops to a higher bar, or a higher margin of integrity, as we should. Yet, we only ever hear about the rogue cops not about the countless cops who uphold our laws every day and face a whole lot of crap for being what they are. The majority who have integrity, who deal with insults and bureacratic nonsense daily, and have to defend their job to protect those who so easily blame them - for either not doing their job or for doing it. They can’t win.

What happened in the current LA riots is no different than what happened back in the early 90’s during the Rodney King fiasco. Those rioting are protrayed as “victims” despite how violent they act, and those trying to bring order are protrayed as monsters. It’s sickening.

Cops are not infallible. They suck a lot of the time and do great a lot of the time. I wonder what we want from them sometimes. Most are law abiding, take their job seriously, follow the law and protect us from those who don’t. And of course there are those who don’t, those who are rogue cops, and that’s all we hear about.

The riot police in the current L.A. topic, I sure wouldn’t want to be them in this country, just like I wouldn’t want to be in the military - it’s a bad bad thing and those poor victims, etc. RME.

I come from a family of cops and it hasn’t helped me when I get pulled over during a quota traffic stop(except sometimes, lol but it’s not often). Plus, I break quite a few traffic laws and don’t get caught so I’m not complaining when I get stopped.

Everyone is a “victim” expect white males. They’re the only segment of society that has no recourse.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

You’re right. I think the US should retake control of it’s borders.

On the other hand, I believe in free market economics, so I don’t want the government restricting the flow of labor and services at the border. That’s socialism.

[sgtbono2002]

Yes and they report it so fairly too dont they, DUmmy.

[caver]

I’d agree, it would seem that temperament would be a requirement for crowd control. And it is a thankless job.

The odd thing is that those riot police have to know that they are being watched and filmed, yet they go and do things that will get them in trouble. It seems they went over the line as far as crowd control goes.

[ohioman]

We can see yor true colors.

You are no friend of the police when attacked by illegal scum in our streets. I bet your Spanish is much better than your English.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“I bet your Spanish is much better than your English.”

Name the stakes. I’m in. What’s your house worth?

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“Yes and they report it so fairly too dont they”

The only thing worse than having the news we have now would letting the state interfere in any way with how the news gets reported.

[vicosal]

dang all his talk about whining illegals -lol!yea real whiners !crying about LOW PAY_NO INSURANCE _NO INCOME TAX—bS—latinos are the only people in this country WHO dont whine-WE latinos send our children to die and fght for this country-take menial jobs and do it greatly and proudly -dont take it to heart when we are accussed of being criminals lowlifes ETC-dont riot in the streets when ONE OF ours is beaten down-are humble not loud and bolsterous!AND WE CRYING AND WHINING?LOL......please if they sent in 200,000 latinos instead of white male victims of reverse racism -WE WOULDA WON TEH WR IN IRAQ by now!!blinded by ignorance!

[Clemenza]

You’re OK with me, as long as you are not here illegally, or Puerto Rican... ;-)

[philetus]

Don’t get mad at Bratton. He’s just following the national trend.
He’s seen soldiers get prosecuted for doing their job.
He’s seen Border Patrol prosecuted for doing their job.
He’s seen police not prosecuted for not doing their job, so
ergo, he sees he needs to prosecute his police for doing their job.