Posted on 06/16/2010 9:54:20 AM PDT by Niuhuru
This is the moment a white American police officer punches a teenage black girl in the face after a dispute about how she and her friend crossed the road. Video footage of Officer Ian Walsh lashing out at the 17-year-old in Seattle has shocked the U.S.
The teenager reels backwards in shock from the blow before clutching her face while a bystander can be heard asking: ‘Are you serious?’
Police arrested the girl, Angel Rosenthal, and her friend, 19-year-old Marilyn Ellen Levias, both of whom have criminal records. Seattle Police chiefs have launched an investigation into the alleged assault after viewing the video footage. Civil rights activists are outraged and say the punch was an action of anger not self-defence. The incident comes weeks after another two Seattle officers seen kicking a Hispanic robbery suspect who later turned out to be innocent. James Kelly, who heads the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle group, said of the police: ‘Shame on you. The use of violence in the form of a full-blown fist to the face was wrong.
‘What the 17-year-old did was wrong,’ he told ABC News. ‘I'm not making any excuses for her, but two wrongs don't make a right.’ And a woman with whom the 17-year-old lives echoed his statements.
‘She's not a criminal,’ the woman, who would not give her name, said as she waited for a juvenile court hearing for the teen yesterday. ‘She ran into a situation that maybe wasn't right, but two wrongs don't make a right.’
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
That was funny but probably not pertinent. LOL
I looked at it. He was justified. It looked as if he might have become embroiled in a much larger melee without necessary backup had he not done what he did. That punch may well have dissuaded others from joining the fracas.
If white people aren’t allowed to enforce the law on black people, that’s fine with me.
Let the bodies stack to the sky.
A more fitting one would have been “Pair of criminals attack officer”.
I thought this happened downtown, this was at Franklin High School.
This cop seriously needs to have his head examined.....
Yes, I agree.
It shows enough. He used the proper amount of force to defuse the situation.
Jaywalking is a much bigger deal in Seattle than it is in, say, Florida.
Seattle officer punches girl in face during jaywalking stop
the incident began when an officer spotted a man jaywalking in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way S.
The man was some 15 feet away from a pedestrian overpass, police said.
More to the story, guaranteed!
I have a feeling "Martin Luther King, Jr. Way" is probably not a good place for a white cop to be. Doesn't Seattle have black cops to send there?
The only problem I see is that Officer Walsh needs better training. It took him far too long to control the subject.
A modest propsal- drivers of non-speeding vehicles get a $100 bounty for each jaywalker they clip...No fair speeding up to get them, though.
The Seattle Times is reporting “near Franklin High School on Monday afternoon.”
MLK is a block away. The time indicated is 3:00, that’d be about when school kids are getting out.
I don’t see if the 17yr old was a student. The girl that got punched, is 19, a little old to still be in school, but then again, considering the student body demographic, it’s probably not out of the question.
One would think that they must.
I would think what’s the most pertinent is that they jaywalked by a footbridge right by a cop.
Get that tail light/license plate light/turn signal fixed! Seriously, have they stated seemingly legitimate reasons for the pullover, or do you believe you are truly being profiled?
If you are it is wrong; I've never had to walk in your shoes but I can imagine the aggravation.
A small edit.
Watch the video. The officer was being assaulted by the girl as he was trying to cuff her friend. He should get a commendation.
Which probably happens at that location hundreds of times every morning when classes start, and every afternoon when they let out.
But yeah. The law is being broken, and the jaywalking tax collector is within his rights to enforce the law since the city is going broke and all. Sure worked out well for this guy. His replacement will need to write about a million more to cover the costs of the settlement Seattle is certain to payout.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.