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Posted on 11/19/2011 2:52:50 PM PST by NetLiberty
A non-violent protest at UC Davis turned chaotic Friday afternoon as police pepper-sprayed a group of students sitting on the ground. Videos shot at the scene show a policeman walking up to the protesters, pulling out his can of pepper spray to display to the crowd, and liberally sweeping the protesters with the stinging substance. Many students had their heads down, but at least one demonstrator was hit in the face. Other officers then followed suit, spraying many of the Occupiers who appeared to be sitting in a circle with their arms linked. By midday Saturday, videos of the showdown were circulating the Internet.
SOURCE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmJmmnMkuEM&feature=player_embedded
(Excerpt) Read more at newsfeed.time.com ...
Looks like stronghand rode the lightning!
Being pepper sprayed is no different than eating an egg omelet MRE with Tabasco sauce. Just saying.
“Looks like stronghand rode the lightning!”
Good enough. I believe he was a retread who defended abortion in the past.
Either way - trying to compare ows idiots to the TEA Party deserves the ZOT.
“They had every reason to remove the protestors from the sidewalk. They did not have the right nor the necessity to spray them like bugs in order to punish them. Courts punish. Cops arrest.”
You’re right. I agree with you that this is a dangerous precedent. The police have a duty to arrest these folks. If they actively resist, then force is appropriate.
Arrest every damn one of ‘em, but do not hose them down when they are just sitting there - because next time it may be done for refusing to vote for Obama, or some other ridiculous infraction.
If something happened previously, they should have been not arrested at that time.
Or you might say they are nothing less than that.
“have been not arrested”
Should have been arrested.......
I think this was pretty funny how he just sprays them like he is trying to fumigate the place. LOL
This proves that pepper spay is totally worthless and gives people false sense of security. Imagine if you were being attacked by a criminal. This liberal woman on FOX was saying that women carrying guns to protect themselves was bad. She said women can fight back and use pepper spray instead.
lol
I saw the video. That was an awful lot of pepper spray. One day my son accidentally srayed a quick spray of pepper spray in my house, and we all had to get out because that stuff was choking us. It was more than an hour before we could go back in the house. And I opened every window and door and turned the A/C on to get the fumes out. That stuff can be dangerous.
His was the only picture I saw on all the various news networks who was bloodied. He must have been the only one or they would have showed as many as they could.
I say the same thing about my cousin, who will clear an entire house whenever he farts!!!
I guess the occupiers all got their playbooks. Think I'll look up the word "occupiers" to see how that word is applied to these colicky babies.
First, I don’t think using pepper spray is brutalizing.
Second, every pro-life demonstration that I’ve been involved with has been legal and carried out with such intent to obey the law that when I “patrol” the line and remind people not to block the sidewalk or to trespass, they invariably thank me for the reminder.
Third, if there was to be an illegal pro-life demonstration, and I were consulted I would remind people that civil disobedience IMPLIES consent to civil penalties and failure to cooperate with lawful orders IMPLIES invitation to the application of force.
To judge by the photos I’ve seen, they used a low concentration of capsaicin. The stuff I’ve eaten almost knocks you down. Your eyes tear profusely and your nose streams mucus in an effort to wash the stuff away. It’s so painful that it’s difficult to focus on moving to the faucet.
Right! What you do, comes back to you.
“UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza said officers used force out of concern for their own safety after they were surrounded by students...”
I understand how a circle works. But I don’t considered it “surround” and a “safety” issue when one can step over some folks sitting on the ground like the cop with the pepper spray did.
And again - it looked to me like the active protestors that needed (and should be) arrested were those seated in a LINE blocking the path. The crowd gathered around were watchers, and only became a mob after the pepper spray and arrests. Of course they may have become a mob just based on the arrests as well.
It seemed to me that the cops were in MORE danger later on in the video as the mob pushed them back. And of course a moral victory for the mob. “Yeah - we pushed the cops back!”
"In the context of police canines, this court has explained that “no particularized case law is necessary for a deputy to know that excessive force has been used when a deputy sics a canine on a handcuffed arrestee who has fully surrendered and is completely under control.” Mendoza v. Block, 27 F.3d 1357, 1362 (9th Cir.1994); Watkins v. City of Oakland, 145 F.3d 1087, 1093 (9th Cir.1998). The same principle is applicable to the use of pepper spray as a weapon: the use of such weapons (e.g., pepper sprays; police dogs) may be reasonable as a general policy to bring an arrestee under control, but in a situation in which an arrestee surrenders and is rendered helpless, any reasonable officer would know that a continued use of the weapon or a refusal without cause to alleviate its harmful effects constitutes excessive force..."
I'll take it as instructive, at least of that police force. They act rashly and arrogantly. They lost sight of their goals and lost strategic advantage. They seemed very frightened of a bunch of loud mouthed cream puffs.
If it ever comes to facing off with some serious people who have legitimate grievances their lack of discipline and tactical know how will make that bunch fold up like a cheap suit.
That's no lie. I had a far greater reaction to getting one seed of some extra hot chile in my eye. What those cops had should be labeled 'mild' or 'medium' and sold in Canadian grocery stores as salsa.
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