Officer cleared of wrongdoing

www.wndu.com ^ | 8.14.03 | Reporter Mark

[freepatriot32]

Officer cleared of wrongdoing

Video from surveillance cameras showed the jury the incident exactly as it happened

Posted: 08/13/2003 06:16 pm

Story filed by NewsCenter16 Reporter Mark Peterson

Today former inmate George Staggs, who suffered injuries while in custody at the St. Joseph County Jail, asked for $330,000 in damages. Staggs alleged that a member of the Mishawaka Police force used excessive force against him when he was an inmate at the jail.

Much of the treatment of Staggs while he was an inmate was captured on videotape by the jail surveillance cameras in October of 2000. 

The video shows Staggs in handcuffs following orders to sit in a restraint chair. Staggs is then ordered out of the chair so that the officer can retrieve his handcuffs. According to the officer, it was then that Staggs became combative. The officer forced Staggs into a nearby wall and then forced him to the ground.

Staggs says that his leg was broken during the incident and it is permanently damaged.

After viewing the tapes and hearing two days of testimony, a jury in South Bend's Federal Court rejected Stagg's claims and decided that the officer accused of police brutality did nothing wrong. He was cleared of all wrongdoing.

The accused officer, Eric Laudeman of the Mishawaka Police Department, said, "I always contended I used the minimal amount of force necessary. I think the jury's decision reflects that."

Stagg's attorney, Jeff Kimmell says, "The city of Mishawaka got lucky today because this officer should not be on the force. If this kind of conduct is condoned and acceptable, then we all need to be concerned."

Staggs admitted he was loud and verbally abusive while being booked for public intoxication. But he contends that as a handcuffed 130-pound man surrounded by five officers, he wasn't a threat to no one.

Attorneys for Officer Laudeman countered that their client didn't mean to injure anyone. They said he had used the same takedown move numerous times in his career without causing injury.

"I think different people could see it different ways but I think along with Eric's testimony watching the video made it clear that what he did there was what he needed to do," said defense attorney Lynn Kalamaro.The jury reached their verdict in less than two hours.

[Ensonicus]

Umkay, so why did the jury see it differently in such a short time (two hours)?

[Ensonicus]

Although I have no opinion on this case, I think your evaluation of the "average" Leo is incorrect. I believe that the profession is probably the most corrupt of any profession. Most are losers and crooked.

Wow, even Al Sharpton isn't that condemning

[Ensonicus]

You're right man cops are no good, next time someone in my family gets robbed I'm calling Maxine Waters or Harry Brown!

[eno_]

If by college edumacashun you mean a a guy too dumb to make noncomm going into community college so he can learn how to make probable cause out of thin air, yeah, I can see criminals being able to hack that.

[eno_]

Might as well. What's the robbery solution rate in your town?

[eno_]

In plenty of cities it is perfectly accurate to say that most cops are corrupt.

[eno_]

Google up Philadephia police corruption.

Thousands of hits, and 20 current news stories, including one that mentions that Kosovo is safer than Philly.

Or compare their payroll, crime rates, solution rates, etc. Either they are monumentally incompetent, or most are bent. The likely answer: BOTH!

[babygene]

" Call me naive all you want, but to say MOST LEO's are corrupt is just showing your ignorance."

And yes, you are entitled to your opinion, just as I gave mine. And no, my standard for having an opinion does not require having it proved, just as yours doesn't.

I'll stand by my belief that the profession is probably the most corrupt of any profession.

[Graybeard58]

"Where is your PROOF? Just because you repeat it enough, doesn't make it true".

Awww why'd you tell him. I wanted to hear him wax grandignorantly some more.

[babygene]

" In plenty of cities it is perfectly accurate to say that most cops are corrupt.

Where is your PROOF?"

Where is YOUR proof that it isn't so.

[sandydipper]

Handcuffed?? It's a major restraint on anyone becoming combative. But then the dick head shouldn't expect Days Inn accomodations in a jail house.

[appalachian_dweller]

The police corruption problem is in the larger cities. When the politicos are crooked, the cops can be as well. It seems to be a city problem.

I live in town of about 20,000. I trust the police there. I have had only good experiences when I have had contact with them which has been only twice.

A speeding ticket: I was going way too fast, got pulled over. Officer could have written me up for reckless (I said I was going way too fast), but just got me for speeding.

Attempted home invasion of my mother's house: I got a call in the middle of the night that someone had broken the sliding glass door. I must have been over there in 5 minutes, but when I arrived, the police already had the guy in custody. They were exceptionally professional and very reassuring.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to trumpet the horn for the police. I'm just saying that the vast majority are honest, hardworking, and doing an extremely difficult job.

I've found that if you treat them with respect, they will treat you with respect. On the other hand, if they or anyone else try to infringe upon my rights (2nd Amendment), all bets are off.

[eno_]

Unfortunately, big cities is where most police, and most police spending go, too.

It is also self perpetuating: You can live a modest and uneventful life in a small-town PD, or you can go to the big city and play the game. It takes a pretty strange personality to want to be a cop in a big city, and there is no shortage of applicants.

[tsomer]

Google up Philadephia police corruption

It's unfair to single out the police. Everything on the Philly public payroll is corrupt.

[eno_]

No, it isn't moronic.

Take, for example, the Rampart scandal in L.A. The whole station was corrupt. Not surprising: once it reaches a critical mass, it goes up to close to 100%.

Do you think Rampart was an anomaly?

Or, look at it this way: You can measure the number of drug runners by the numbers convicted, or you can impute the number from the volume of drugs. Similarly, if most precincts operate similarly to corrupt precincts, you can draw what conclusion?

[Graybeard58]

"Similarly, if most precincts operate similarly to corrupt precincts"

Is this supposed to be logical or are you trying to pull one of them thar spoofs on us?

What an idjut!

[eno_]

Yup. The people here asserting that "most" police are not corrupt wouldn't think twice about concluding that most or all of the school district, or other municipal departments are corrupt. There is no reason to think Philly, or Chicago, or New Orleans, or any other city PD is LESS corrupt than the rest of the municipal administration.