Oakland's Police 'Riders' on Trial [more corrupt Drug Warriors]

Washington Post ^ | January 26, 2003 | Liz Garone

[MrLeRoy]

OAKLAND, Calif. -- At the high point of their careers, the so-called "Riders" were considered the best and the brightest, veterans whom rookie police officers tried to emulate. Their specialty: bringing in reputed drug dealers in record numbers from the crime-plagued streets of West Oakland.

Now, three of the four rogue officers are on trial here for using dishonest and sometimes brutal tactics in making those arrests.

Clarence "Chuck" Mabanag, 37; Jude Siapno, 34; and Matthew Hornung, 31, are charged with a total of 26 criminal counts, including kidnapping, the beating of falsely arrested suspects, and submitting falsified police reports. A fourth officer, Francisco "Choker" Vazquez, considered the Riders' ringleader, fled before prosecutors were able to charge him.

[MrLeRoy]

Wod_list ping

[Hacksaw]

Who cares?

[MrLeRoy]

Who cares?

Police beating citizens and falsifying reports is a matter of indifference to you?

[corkoman]

When you were an addict I would have cared for you.

[HELLRAISER II]

While I realize not all cops are bad, this is the kind of stuff that i'm really tired of hearing about.

[HELLRAISER II]

Wow, now I can see why it didn't bother you that the cops shot an unarmed kid in the back.

[MrLeRoy]

And how often do you hear this kind of stuff about cops in any other line? Drug-warring attracts and inspires the worst in law enforcement.

[Wolfie]

I'm starting to think that "Training Day" was a documentary.

[weikel]

It probably was.

[weikel]

Im damn sure "The Shield" is a documentary too.

[Mark17]

for later

[corkoman]

Bingo - Training Day was disturbing. What is more troubling is reading real-life accounts of that behaviour. The premise of TD was the ultimate corrupting effect of drug money. And it will not stop until those who perpetuate drug prohibition are turned around. Sad how long it takes.

[Wolfie]

Looks like it:

Three Chicago Police Officers Charged With Drug Conspiracy

[HELLRAISER II]

It definately makes you wonder. Training day was a disturbing vision and yet it was a great movie, Have you 2 ever watched the Shield? It's definately in the same realm as these guy's.

[weikel]

Well "The Shield" guy has a few redeeming qualities. He will go after some really bad people sometimes and is pretty effective at it. Most of these guys don't have any of those redeeming qualities.

[Kerberos]

"Well "The Shield" guy has a few redeeming qualities"

Yeah but keep in mind that Vic did murder a fellow police officer in his quest to do good.

[HELLRAISER II]

Yes, this is true. But in my own mind if I was a Cop, I would do everything by the book. That means I wouldn't speed, I wouldn't do drugs, I wouldn't shake down crooks for protection money etcc.....and this is what I hate about cops like this.

[weikel]

Missed the 1st episode heard about that.

[Kerberos]

"Missed the 1st episode heard about that."

It was pretty gnarly. But that is kind of the whole premise of the show. It plays on the fact that sometimes the difference between good and bad is not real clear and that most people are neither all good nor all bad, but instead have elements of both.