Didn’t the McKinney,Texas Police Officer Know He Was Being Recorded?

Washington Post ^ | June 8, 2015 | Marc Fisher and Peter Hermann

[lbryce]

A police officer slams an unarmed 15-year-old girl in a bikini to the ground, pulls his gun and kneels on her as teens on either side of him shout and, of course, record the encounter. Within hours, millions watch the video: Some see a defenseless black teen being manhandled by an out-of-control white cop; others see a lone, scared officer in the crowded, chaotic aftermath of a fight he doesn’t yet understand.

Cellphone video has become as much a part of policing as tickets and handcuffs. Video images of police shootings have sparked national turmoil. But Friday’s ugly, cacophonous scene in McKinney, Tex., at first seemed like something more routine — a call about misbehaving teens at a pool party on a hot Texas afternoon.

[Mr. K]

That is my take on it- they were “not respecting his authoritah!!!!!” and he thought physical force would in the middle of a crowd was the way to get it...

Way out of his league in this situation

[UCANSEE2]

Do you know how long it took between the time the first officer arrived on scene and before backup arrived ?

Do you know how many ‘backup’ officers were then on scene?

Did you know that the ‘teens’ had assaulted the security guards ?

Did you know the offensive rap music had been playing for over an hour?

Did you know that there were minor children who had injuries from the ‘brawl’ that happened before the first officer even got there ?

Did you know that the ‘teens’ were smoking pot, drinking alcohol, right in front of minor children ?

Did you know the party had been planned and advertised for a week, and that the whole thing was illegal ?

Did you know that other ‘teens’, not on the video, were interfering with the police ?

(He ran over to a group of kids and started attacking a teenage girl.) No , he didn’t. This was the girl he told to leave a dozen times. She left, but then returned and approached him from behind.

(This incited the group around her to try to move in to protect her.) Is that what they were doing ? Looked more like the guy thought he could sucker punch the cop and get away with it.

( If I was there I would have start yelling at the officer to calm down.) Because yelling is your ‘key’ to calming the situation ?

---

I understand your point. The officer was irate. He was ‘on edge’. I think you had to be in his shoes to understand his reaction.

He was there for a while, by himself, with over 100 adults and teenagers in various stages of anger. Some of them were running from the scene, others were arguing with him and would not follow his instructions.

What is amazing is that during all this, foot chases and all, he didn’t point his gun at anyone or use it.

Compared to many other incidents that have been in the news, his ‘control’ was pretty good.

[Mr. K]

I don’t know any of that and it is irrelevant to this discussion.

There are some who can be in control of a situation like that and some who cannot.

If you just LISTEN to that video, there is sudden panic every place he runs. And he is running back and forth ESCALATING the situation every place he goes.

You do see that, don’t you?