Posted on 08/03/2010 3:19:27 PM PDT by Bigtigermike
Sgt. Matthew Grimes was asked to give a presentation to a church audience on July 24 at Municipal Gardens, in the 1800 block of Lafayette Road.
During the presentation, an altercation broke out in the crowd, and Grimes intervened. The officer was thrown to the ground and drew his Taser, ready to stun one of the people involved, police said.
At that point, someone stepped in and told the officer that the incident had been concocted to test the reaction of the officer to the situation, police said. Grimes suffered severe back spasms after the incident and was taken to Methodist Hospital for treatment.
James Harrington, pastor of the Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church, said he set up the scenario to test a white officer's reaction to a fight between two black men.
"Their job is to protect and serve, and even though they have families and children, that they don't put any regard to their safety," Harrington said. "I don't think it was dangerous because it was in a controlled environment."
Harrington denied that the officer was injured.
"We are trying to do anything that we can to save the lives of our children," he said. "We have to have live demonstrations of violence carried on by professional actors who are trained to do what they do."
Willard Gupton, a park manager who police said had advance knowledge of the plan, was suspended in the wake of the incident.
"I can basically say we didn't do anything wrong," Gupton said Friday evening. "It was simply just trying to make a teachable moment, to try and teach young people about violence."
(Excerpt) Read more at theindychannel.com ...
Nuts!
GD headcases...
I read this and started thinking, he was probably being setup for a civil rights lawsuit against the city and a little “Race Baiting” publicity for some activists.....likely happens much more than we can even imagine.
Didn’t Obama use the phrase “teachable moment” with regards to the Gates incident?
Sickening...
I'm impressed that he didn't cap a half dozen people.
Old ladies, kids.. whoever was in range.
Since it didn’t end up on Youtube I guess they didn’t get what they wanted.
It’s lawsuit time, and make it a big one.
Can we all simply agree that teachable moments suck and we shouldn’t have them anymore? Please?
My gawd that’s just industrial-strength stupid.
Something like that could easily go very badly.
Assault
Conspiracy
Hate crimes
cival liabity for injuries to officer.
Hey Reverend, let me introduce you to new concept. It's called Conspiracy, as in conspiracy to disrupt the peace and conspiracy to assault a police officer. You are guilty of PWS, preaching while stupid, and admitting your crime to the public.
It brings to mind the story about the boy who cried “wolf!”. Maybe next time the officers won’t take the situation seriously.
On several occasions as a state peace officer I’ve had people come up and say, “Hey could we play a *joke* on old so-and-so? Just *pretend* to arrest him and...”. It’s amazing the level of stupidity out there and we wonder how we got Obama??
Great observation.
Exactly right.
I thought the same thing. Next time these airheads dial 9-1-1 for real, the Dispatcher should tell 'em the criminals are probably just actors and that isn't real blood emanating from a victim's gsw.
My guess:
1. A second officer will always be assigned to assist the speaking officer at future presentations.
2. Officers will do fewer presentations.
Here’s a teachable moment. Pastor Harrington, who retired and made you Sergeant Grimes’ training officer?
Isn’t this ‘post-racial’ multicultural society just great?
Must be pathetic to always be a victim.
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