LAPD Acts Against Elite Police Squad

Associated Press and CBS ^ | May 7, 2007

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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.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“I am the first to condemn police brutality, but rubber bullets, mace, no lingering injuries. Now an out of control cop breaking kneecaps, a jailer injuring wrists by using cuffs like vise grips, a much different story.”

That’s such a reasonable point. You’re right. Not every case of police misconduct is a case of police brutality and we should all keep that in mind. I appreciate you pointing that out.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“Have your cameraman show a belly welt, li’l miss hussy anchorlady but only if you also show a welt I can make on your neck in 30 seconds of puckering. Neither sting for long.”

Just above you distinguished two issues — whether there was misconduct and the what was the nature or severity of that misconduct. I hope you’re not wavering on that.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“It’s NOT the cops who are wrong, it’s the criminal illegal aliens.”

You seem to think it’s one or the other and can’t be both.

But that’s just a mistake. Right?

[blackie]

commendations not criticisms are in order!!

[JimRed]

I appreciate your courage and honesty in pointing that police consistently and deliberately abuse their powers in order to suppress anyone acquiring video tape of their conduct, particularly in these sorts of situations.

You fail to mention, however, that only the heavily edited versions of such tapes ever appear on the MSM, in keeping with their prevailing anti-law enforcement agenda.

They don't show the attacks on the cops, just the response.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“I’d like to know what’s so “elite” about them? What are they doing when they aren’t busting heads?”

The article claimed they were the city’s “premier” squad made of experienced officers with extensive training in crowd control.

Maybe their training could be improved. I don’t know. But the reference to experience caught my eye.

Personally, if it were up to me, I’d select for temperament, not experience. It takes tremendous courage, discipline and self-control to remain professional when faced with a crowd in the tens of thousands and having rocks and bottles of urine thrown one’s way. A police officer who’s distinguished him or herself in every other way and over the course of many years might not have the right temperament to pull it off. An officer who’s only been on the force a few years might do far better.

But let’s face it. It’s a lousy and thankless job and our only realistic option is to aim for “better”, not “perfect”.

All IMHO. I could be wrong and I’d be interested to hear back if you thought otherwise. I figure days I don’t realize I’m wrong about something are days I don’t manage to learn anything, and I like to learn.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“Go back to the liberal rock you live under.”

No thanks. I’d rather stand tall for freedom and liberty under the Rule of Law.

Of course, you’re welcome to do othewise. The Rule of Law has many domestic enemies, which is one reason I’m so passionate about the right to bear arms.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“Now - because I was not there, I am not going to make an accusation towards Mr. Stein, but - I am also not going to assume that the LAPD just randomly picked him out to put on the ground.”

Who said they picked him randomly?

Moreover, why are suggesting it would be worse if they did?

If they had picked him randomly, they’d be in a lot less trouble if “failing to notice he was a journalist” is a defense against the charge of violating LAPD policy regarding the handling of journalists covering a news event.

Of course, it would be an uphill struggle for them to convince anybody, seeing as Carl Stein was carrying one of those big heavy TV cameras and it had a “Channel 9” logo prominently displayed on it.

Given that set of facts, a board of inquiry would likely conclude they most certainly did not select him at random.

JimRed had an interesting point that’s relevant here: “The first rule of crowd control police work is ‘get the guy with the video camera’! Self protection, you know.” [See his post, #36 on this thread]

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“But, but, these people were Mexicans. The police should be able to do anything they want! (/sarcasm)”

It’s a fair point to wonder about the extent of that attitude on FR, but I’d like to hear your thoughts on a different, but related, issue.

To what extent do you think the fact the crowd was largely comprised of Mexicans had anything to do with the police response?

I wouldn’t think it played any role if their response could be explained by other factors. And so far from what I’ve read, I think it can. But I don’t know enough to a confident view one way or the other. Hence, I ask.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“They should give them a parade. I hate the way the politicians are using this. Is RIOTING protected by the Bill of Rights?”

I hate the way politicians use almost everything, not just this.

And no, rioting is not protected by the Bill of Rights.

But LAPD policy does protect journalists covering a news event, and officers who violate their department’s policies risk disciplinary action.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“Don’t put LA reporters on such a lofty pedestal...”

I haven’t.

I don’t have an over-all positive view of the media, but I have an extremely high regard for the role they play — much like one might have an over-all negative view about the LAPD but have an extremely high regard for the role they play, or a negative view about a particular President but have an extremely high regard for the office itself.

But you make an excellent point nonetheless, and would hope that the officers would be permitted the “Carl Stein was not merely covering the event, he was throwing rocks at us too” defense against the charge of violating LAPD policy regarding the handling of journalists.

[1rudeboy]

The illegal aliens do NOT have rights under the COTUS . . . .

Reminding of the comment Rep. Rogan made during the House Impeachment Hearings (from memory), "if I was still a sitting judge you made that argument in front of me, I'd be on the phone to the State Bar Association inquiring about the status of your law license."

But let's take your erroneous assertion as true . . . how do you expect a riot-cop, during a riot, to ascertain your immigration status? Or is it simply shoot first, ask questions later, and if wrong send flowers?

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“You fail to mention, however, that only the heavily edited versions of such tapes ever appear on the MSM, in keeping with their prevailing anti-law enforcement agenda.”

Er, that might because I don’t have a TV and rarely watch one.

Time is money for TV news, so they have to heavily edit tape of any event. When I do watch the TV news it seems they do a superficial job with every story and try to sensationalize wherever they can. The behavior of for-profit companies is almost always explained by market forces. In LA, in particular, that might skew coverage towards police misconduct and away from mob violence.

But your point about the police making the suppression of video tape job #1 would hold even if the networks played unedited versions. As you put, they act out of “self-protection”, and it’s much harder for an internal board of inquiry to make a finding against them in the absence of videotape.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“My guess is you’re a closet liberal”

I hear that from time to time on FR.

I’m in favor of smaller, smarter government, where size isn’t measured only in terms of expenditures and head counts, but also in terms of how broadly or extensively the government intrudes into the lives of its citizens.

So if you’re a social conservative, you’d probably think I’m extremely liberal, whereas I might think you’re comparatively liberal regarding fiscal/economic issues no matter how conservative you take yourself to be.

GW is so sincerely and authentically born again, he’s attracted phenomenal support from many social conservatives, and that’s always manifested itself on FR. But as the country has gotten to know GW a little better, his support has collapsed around that core constituency of his, and FR has started to reflect that as well.

At times I’ve wondered whether social conservatives might be a greater danger than fiscal/economic liberals. But over the last seven years or so I’ve begun to fear that there’s a lot of overlap between those two groups.

As for other issues, I’ve never met anyone on FR who isn’t comparatively liberal when it comes to the right to bear arms, and I constantly run across Freepers who don’t support the Rule of Law. C’est dommage.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

“What boils my blood is that there ARE real instances of genuine police violations of civil rights elsewhere but there IS NO evidence of any major injuries from anyone in this case. Dwelling on this [event] takes away the energy that should be devoted to real examples of civil rights violations.”

It’s not that I don’t share the sentiment, but I don’t think police misconduct of any kind should be _excused_ on the basis that much worse is going on elsewhere.

As for dwelling on this particular case, the best way to move attention elsewhere is for people to stand up tall and say “Yup, there was police misconduct there”, with no hint of evasion or denial. It’s the people insist that there was none that keep the issue alive.

[at bay]

police misconduct of any kind

If you walk away from a pd contact and the only thing bruised three days later is your ego, that is misconduct not worth whining over.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I am a strong supporter of police and I have nothing but respect for what they do. That said, my gut tells me that if the protestors had been white conservatives protesting against mexican immigration the police would have handled it differently. I really have no idea though because I wasn’t there to see what happened and I know better than to base my opinion on a news clip and a news story.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

Thanks. I appreciate you taking the time. I don’t know either, but it never hurts to ask.

[TheBattman]

So a camera on the shoulder automatically makes one an innocent bystander...

[Twink]

Cops are good. Mostly. And I come from a family of cops. And when riot police are assaulted, and they were assaulted, only an idiot would continue to fight them.

If a journalist was assaulted by the riot police, and I seriously doubt he was, he should have got out of the way for heaven’s sake. Just because he’s a journalist doesn’t give him any special rights. Once a peaceful demonstration becomes unpeacful, for whatever reason, and all are told to disperse, all, including journalists, should disperse.

It’s no wonder police are fearful of doing their job. It doesn’t matter what they do, they’re going to be reamed for it.

Even though I come from a family of cops, I’ve been talked to or some may claim “harassed” by them. We either want our cops to their job or we want to disparage them when they do what we want. I’m all for holding rogue cops accountable but most aren’t rogue cops. The majority follow the code. The riot police have an especially difficult job. Any sane or normal person would listen and get out of there once the riot police start doing their job. But I guess “journalists” don’t have to be street smart. I’m all for holding them (cops) accountable, but I hate that they’re not allowed to do the job they were hired for because certain factions of our society are so ready to cry or whine that they were ‘assaulted’ or their rights were denied somehow.

My opinion, inconsequential as it is, concerning what happened during the Illegal Immigrants protest, is the riot police did their job and now they’re being reamed for it. Just because a journalist was moved out of the way.

It’s not the cops job to direct the journalist to a safe area. If he was in the way, so be it. He got taken out of the way and the cops are being reamed because of it but I bet this journalist would be squawking (sp) about how the cops didn’t protect him if he was injured by the illegal immigrants protesting at this rally. But he was injured (his pride, and what a man he is) by being removed by those bad cops. Disgusting.