Posted on 01/30/2015 9:16:46 AM PST by Leaning Right
A Seattle history teacher who was pepper sprayed during a peaceful Martin Luther King Day Jr. rally is suing the cops who allegedly attacked him.
Newly released video showed a Seattle police officer pepper spraying Jesse Hagopian as he walked home from the Jan. 19 rally, his lawyer said.
Hagopian, who teaches history at Seattle's Garfield High School, spoke at the event and was on the phone with his mom when the spray hit his eyes. He was on his way to his 2-year-old son's birthday party, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
Bull Dykes on steroids?
I saw [on TV] some gal cop training her sidearm towards a guy with hands cuffed behind his back who was down flat on his belly when her pistol discharged and the bullet struck a couple feet in front of him. That guy popped up to his feet so quickly, it was amazing, and he was rending the very air blue with comments while two cops were hanging on to him. Damndest thing I saw in a long time—it was like he did the super-worm!
Apparently the police had set up a line of cops to keep people back from the street. This guy was approaching the police line and she was yelling “Get Back.” He was obliviously walking into the street, not paying attention since he was talking on his cell phone.
No matter who one is it is not wise behavior to walk into any street, especially one with a line of police, while talking on a phone or otherwise not paying attention.
One has to wonder what he can contribute as a teacher when his erratic walking is worse than one would expect from a five year old. Every year we have a lot of jaywalkers killed in Seattle as they try to stroll across in front of crs.
Nothing. All the local TV channels here showed it. Seattle PD is currently under a microscope for their thuggish behavior. This dwarf on the bicycle isn’t going to help matters one bit.
Maybe they should stop spraying and start spaying. :)
She looks smaller. B^)
Did you forget a sarcasm tag?
Are you saying the guy on the phone, and the nice old lady in the blue scarf in the background of the angry she-elf’s spray gun, deserved to be sprayed here?
Last I checked, the rule was ‘minimum force necessary to compel compliance’.
There is a cop literally directly in front and to the left of the history teacher that wasn’t worried about old lady or history teacher.
Is it your position that walking around a barricade toward the sidewalk while talking on the phone ON A STREET CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC is cause to be sprayed with bear repellant?
. . . Or were you kidding?
Criminal charges perhaps for assault? She clearly was in no danger whatsoever and went off. If a citizens does this they are going to jail. Double standard anyone? Her fellow officers are not doing themselves any favors by protecting her actions or those of any bad cop. Their behavior taints all cops, it shouldn’t but it does.
I will support cops to a point but when they get another set of laws to live by than us, all bets are off. With that you get nothing but contempt and hatred from the public because they know whatever the cop does will be tolerated and what ever they do will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Makes for an inevitable clash between the two sides down the road and it won’t turn out good for the police, think Custer.
In the video it looks like the crowd is breaking up and people are just gradually walking away. None of the other cops seem particularly bothered.
Maybe she was all cranked up on too much strong coffee. She certainly is reacting to something.
Fox News just said they have before and after footage coming up. Maybe that will explain it.
It won’t turn out good for anyone. We need the thin blue line, and assault under color of authority would be a good charge.
Yes, it definitely leads to mixed emotions.
When one lives in Seattle, one needs to pay attention to the thin blue line.
Ever since the 1999 peaceful WTO protests turned in the 40,000 Battle in Seattle riots the cops have been quick to react to any behavior that appears out of sync to them.
They were harshly criticized back then after the mayor and police chief held them back from action. My office was on Fourth Avenue at the time on the block where the police set up their line when things started turning ugly. It was peaceful until rioters gased the street and set trash cans on fire. My building and all office workers were taped in against the gas.
The guy must not be much of a history teacher if he doesn’t understand that one needs to pay attention around the po-pp here in Seattle.
Same here. I grew up in Philly and we (friends, Family) always considered the police to be one of us, the good guys. They were our neighbors, our uncles, cousins, etc.
By the early 90's, my view of the police totally changed. One example of why; I was heading back in the University City (Philly) and at the off ramp of 76, on a median, I saw a child in stroller and another child holding onto the stroller, no adult in sight.
I pulled up to a stopped paddy wagon to inform the police and have them get to those kids.
One cop went to grade school with me, both cops made jokes, neither was interested in serving those particular citizens.
They are the kids that were picked on in grade school and the bullies from high school given the authority over others that they've always craved.
Not all police are like this but every year it is becoming more "us versus them" instead of "protect and to serve".
Won't happen. (Do you know how difficult it is for agencies to fill -- let alone replace sex-based & other quotas established in LiberalLand???)
I agree we need them, but if they are held to totally different set of laws and standards where they go free and we would get thrown in the klink for the same action, it will break down eventually.
Robin Port is Britain's Officer Levitt! HA!
Dwarf cops?
I thought it was a dwarf.
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.