Top cop: 'Entire city should be enraged' by officer's slaying

Chicago Breaking NewsCenter online ^ | 7/9/10 | William Lee

[originalbuckeye]

Chicago Supt. Jody Weis said today he "simply cannot understand" how the man charged with gunning down an officer "can have such a total disregard of life."

"The entire department is saddened beyond belief," Weis said hours after Bryant Brewer, 24, was charged. "The entire city should be enraged."

Brewer is accused of grabbing Officer Thor Soderberg's gun and fatally shooting him in the parking lot of a police facility in Englewood Wednesday afternoon. He was shot and wounded by officers and remains at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

"I simply cannot understand how a person can have such a total disregard of life and for those who keep order on our streets that he could attack, disarm and then shoot and kill a uniformed police officer in broad daylight," Weis said at police headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave.

Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis discusses the murder of Officer Thor Soderberg at a press conference at police headquarters this morning. (Alex Garcia/Tribune)

Weis said Soderberg, 43, was leaving work at the police facility at 61st Street and Racine Avenue to play in a volleyball game. He was an instructor at the police training academy but had been deployed to a special task force aimed at combating youth violence.

"This is the time of the day where officers breathe a sigh of relief. Their tour is over and now they get to be with their families and their friends," Weis said. "However because of the incomprehensible acts of a 24-year-old convicted felon, Officer Soderberg did not make it to that volleyball game. Officer Soderberg was killed by this vicious criminal," Weis said.

The 11-year police veteran was still in uniform in the facility's parking lot when Brewer approached him from behind and reached for the officer's weapon, according to police.

During a struggle, Brewer grabbed Soderberg's handgun and shot the officer, authorities said. Brewer then crossed the street, weapon still in hand, and shot at Richard Mints, a contractor sitting on a nearby porch.

Officers rushed to the scene and shot Brewer during an exchange of gunfire.

Brewer did later "make an admission" to the crime, said Wentworth Area Detective Allen Szudarski.

Weis praised Englewood residents, saying 18 witnesses came forward after the shooting.

Asked about what could be done about security at police parking lots, Weis said police facilities have video surveillance, but added that little could be done to prevent such attacks by people with little regard for human life.

"There's really no level of security you can put up that will prevent a person like that from attacking someone. And unfortunately we lost an officer in this case," he said.

Weis couldn't confirm claims by Brewer's family about the suspect having a history of mental illness. "From everything we've seen so far, we have somebody who was just trying to rob and attack an individual, and that individual had to be a police officer. So I don't know what was going through this guy's head, why he would attack a police officer in broad daylight. That's something, I guess, only he will know," Weis said.

Weis praised the fallen officer, who he said had a passion for teaching police recruits. "He was as good as a police officer can be," Weis said.

A bond hearing for Brewer, of the 5800 block of South Wolcott Avenue, is expected to be held at noon. He is charged with murder, attempted murder and armed robbery.

[DesertRhino]

One think ive learned here at FR,, is that if someone strongly dislikes Cops, Jews, France, Iceland etc,,, that there’s not much realistic chance for rational discourse.

So ok,, you are right. That cop in Oakland MURDERED that guy! He thought,, “i’ll put away this Taser,, then bust a cap in him”. Than you for teaching us that it wasn’t an accident. And i bet all the cops around laughed about it too. I’ve been so wrong!/

[dragnet2]

Only an idiot would think the Bart cop intentionally murdered this guy in broad day light in front of all his co-workers and dozens of by-standers....

They know damn well this was unintentional.

[astyanax]

"And you wonder why that is when the police can murder civilians with impunity?"
I think you've been watching too many movies...

[DesertRhino]

“Mayor Daley will use this incident to further restrict guns.”

Exactly right. No exaggeration, i think Daley is more likely to deploy unarmed cops, or to have them turn in guns at the end of the shift, than to decide citizens need to be armed.

He is truly a deranged statist drunk on his father’s corrupt “tough guy” reputation. He has nothing but contempt for normal people (including 99% of cops into that same category)

[astyanax]

"Mehserle had his taser out, put it away, pulled out his gun and fired but we're expected to believe that he made a mistake? Really? "
Do you have a link for that? (other than Kos and the DUmmies?)

[bwc2221]

Aren’t you late for your ACLU meeting?

[Filo]

What kind of leftist lying freak are you?

ROFL. Typical ad-hominem from those who have nothing intelligent to contribute.

No surprise there.

Ya think the Bart cop intentionally murdered this guy in broad day light in front of all his co-workers and dozens of by-standers?

Pretty much, yeah.

"Second-degree murder is ordinarily defined as 1) an intentional killing that is not premeditated or planned, nor committed in a reasonable "heat of passion" or 2) a killing caused by dangerous conduct and the offender's obvious lack of concern for human life. Second-degree murder may best be viewed as the middle ground between first-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter."

There was no reason for Mehserle to have his gun out and yet he put his taser away to draw it. There wasn't even a reason for the taser. That falls well within "dangerous conduct and the offender's obvious lack of concern for human life."

You'll note that none of his coworkers had any weapons out, lethal or otherwise.

The Bart cop was in the process of performing his job, going after thugs on a train...He made a huge terrible mistake and will serve time in prison...It was not intentional murder, you AH.

Yes it was. It may not have been premeditated (although I firmly believe that replacing a taser with a pistol qualifies as premeditation since that didn't happen by accident) but it was murder.

Your criminal piece of sh*t in Chicago was a violent known felon, that went after and INTENTIONALLY MURDERED this cop....

That is correct. And how would you feel if that "criminal piece of sh*t" got 4 years for his murder?

You AH....

Lack of control. Contempt for civilians. Minimal brainpower. Apologist for bad cop behavior. Ayup, we've found ourselves another cop.

[DesertRhino]

“They know damn well this was unintentional.”

It’s part of the mentality that truly believes cops cover up for each other. I can’t think of another profession that more regularly polices itself, (”polices”,,for want of a better term)

How many lawyers, doctors, politicians, bankers, judges, truckers, oilmen, airline pilots, etc,,, report and stop it when they discover criminal wrongdoing within their own professions? It’s not even close,,,,
It’s always a good belly laugh when attorneys and judges speak of a “wall of silence”,,, etc,,
You want a man bites dog story,, find stories of lawyers and Judges turning in their peers for smoking pot or driving drunk on the weekends.

Meanwhile, every week you can find a story of a cop arresting another cop for DWI.

[Filo]

I think you've been watching too many movies...

Nope. Just reading the news.

I could cite dozens to hundreds of cases if I needed to.

Hell Cato has nearly that many for just SWAT murders.

[Filo]

One think ive learned here at FR,, is that if someone strongly dislikes Cops, Jews, France, Iceland etc,,, that there’s not much realistic chance for rational discourse.

Add bootlickers to your list.

As for disliking cops, the evidence makes that all but mandatory.

So ok,, you are right. That cop in Oakland MURDERED that guy! He thought,, “i’ll put away this Taser,, then bust a cap in him”. Than you for teaching us that it wasn’t an accident. And i bet all the cops around laughed about it too. I’ve been so wrong!/

Welcome back to reality.

And regarding the other cops. I wonder why nobody arrested Mehserle? It's that thin blue line thing...

[bwc2221]

In checking your posting history, every post on record has been to bash police officers. You obviously have an agenda.

Perhaps DU or the Daily Kos might be a better fit for you.

[Filo]

Do you have a link for that? (other than Kos and the DUmmies?)

Posted elsewhere and it's from ABC News which ain't much better than KOS, but:

This article states that: "Oscar Grant took a cell phone picture of BART officer Johannes Mehserle holding a Taser, just moments before he pulled his gun and shot and killed Grant on a BART platform on New Year's Day 2009."

The same information made several major news services.

I haven't seen the picture(s) in question but believe that they were used in court as well.

So anyone who believes the story that Mehserle mistook weapons when he clearly swapped them is an idiot. a boot-licker or both, plain and simple.

[astyanax]

Watch the video.
He’s wrestling with the kid.
He pulls out the what he thinks is his taser.
Check out his reaction after the shot.
Obviously an accident.
Your claim that he put away his taser to draw his gun is either dishonest or ignorant.

[Filo]

Aren’t you late for your ACLU meeting?

If the ACLU and I agree on this (which I doubt) then it'll be the first time ever.

Thanks for the attempted ad-hominem.

[Filo]

In checking your posting history, every post on record has been to bash police officers. You obviously have an agenda.

Every post, eh? Honesty is too much for you, right?

Perhaps DU or the Daily Kos might be a better fit for you.

And you'd likely feel more comfortable in an SS uniform.

[dragnet2]

Ya think the Bart cop intentionally murdered this guy in broad day light in front of all his co-workers and dozens of by-standers?

Pretty much, yeah.

Of course ya do freak boy.

[Filo]

Watch the video.

I have. Clearly you haven't.

He’s wrestling with the kid.

No he isn't.

He pulls out the what he thinks is his taser.

But he just put his taser away...

Check out his reaction after the shot.

I couldn't care less how a murderer reacts to his crime.

Obviously an accident.

Not to a reasonable observer it ain't.

Your claim that he put away his taser to draw his gun is either dishonest or ignorant.

So my citing news sources and facts is dishonest and ignorant while you making specious claims without evidence and pretending that you know what Mehserle was thinking is what?

[Filo]

Of course ya do freak boy.

More brainless blather from the boot-lickers. Look at the evidence. That's all I had to do.

Mehserle put away his taser in order to draw is sidearm and then shot an innocent, restrained man in the back.

That's as simple as it gets for those with brains. Cops and boot-lickers, however, don't have that qualification.

[Eagles6]

Howzabout us Crackers go on a rampage and steal some shoes for retribution?

[astyanax]

He may have had his taser out at one point, but it was several MINUTES before the shooting happened.
There are 2 cops trying to restrain the victim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKy-WSZMklc
You are obviously not "a reasonable observer"...