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.

[eno_]

I doan be thu idjut. I be thinkin: why the San Fran cops be less kurrupt than Williw Brown? I doan see no reason. What you got for a reason?

[Graybeard58]

"I doan be thu idjut. I be thinkin: why the San Fran cops be less kurrupt than Williw Brown? I doan see no reason. What you got for a reason"?

I won't attempt to prove a negative (That most cops are NOT corrupt) and for you to throw out assertations that because of SOME corruption that neccessarily it follows that MOST are corrupt, is just as the other poster stated - moronic.

[Graybeard58]

OK, here's your proof, following your reasoning, All the cops I saw on 9/11 in NYC were heroic, it follows (by your logic) That ALL cops are heroic.

[eno_]

There was lots of evidence of looting at the World Trade Center. Including stacks of clothing in a fire truck.

Of course, that could all be a misunderstanding: "Fire officials have theorized the merchandize was blown into the truck by the force of the towers' collapse." (And how about that M16 that miraculously jumped out of a police car's trunk today? Do you believe the official story on that, too?)

Uh huh.

Evidence of corruption is everywhere, including in the implausible statement by "fire officials," and it showed up even at an event that was also full of heroism.

How bad does corruption have to be for looting to happen while the towers came down and the looters colleagues were dying? How bad does corruption have to be that the first impulse is always to deny and cover up?

[Graybeard58]

No...following his logic, MOST cops would be heroic.


Hey! He started making nonsensical leaps first. I'm simply playing the game by his rules. If he can leap from SOME to MOST, why can't I leap from MOST to ALL?

[Graybeard58]

I'm out of this discussion because I am finding it harder and harder to be dispassionate.
My son is a policeman and an army reservist, his reserve unit was just activated and he is going to Ft. Lewis, Washington on 18 Aug. he will be there for three weeks and from there will go to Iraq for a year or more.
I know I am not being objective but he is the most honest kid (28 years old) I have ever met. He doesn't have a corrupt bone in his body. He is my hero and I am supremely proud of him.
Those among you who are believers in prayer, please remember my son Steve and pray for his safe return.

[eno_]

As another poster pointed out, most big city governments are shot through with corruption, in the schools, in the parks department, in the rubbish collection, in tax assesment, in liquor and vending licensing, etc. Objectively, you would have to be very optimistic to think police escape corruption in that environment, and there are many reasons to think police would have to be more corrupted in order to enable the rest of municipal government corruption in big cities.

Small towns are another matter. I live in a very quiet small town. The most exciting thing in the police blotter is often a mailbox vandalism. Sometimes there is nothing but "police were called to assist in an arrest in a neighboring town." Small town cops can, and often do, complete exemplary careers.

[eno_]

The only place I've felt police brutality is on my wallet.

We probably spend about $40B on police (not counting federal LEOs) each year.

If most of that spending is in big cities, and most of it is going to corrupt cops, it is one of the largest areas of public spending that could be reformed.

Want to cut your property tax bill in half? Support home schooling and police reform. Everything else in municipal budgets is, in relative terms, small potatoes.

Effective, non-corrupt PDs would also yield huge benefits in making cities liveable, especially for the poor.

[Arpege92]

LOL....yea right!

[Arpege92]

Ah, I see....all cops are guilty criminals before they could even get a trial in your eyes! You sir, remind me of Castro!

[Arpege92]

I will say prayers for your son Steve! I am happy to report that like you, I am also proud of the policeman in my life. We've been married twelve years now and there isn't a corrupt bone in his body!

BTW....I have found that people who hate and condemn cops, only do this because they were turned down when applying to become a cop. Not all cop haters mind you, but some! :-}

[Ensonicus]

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

They catch more than half.

[babygene]

"Ah, I see....all cops are guilty criminals before they could even get a trial in your eyes! You sir, remind me of Castro!"

Don't take it so personal... And what does CASTRO have to do with it?

The opinion I stated was that the law inforcment profession, was the most corupt of all professions... Perhaps what I followed with, that all cops were crooked was a bit of a generalization, after all my brother-in=-law carries a badge, and I dont think he's crooked.

[Ensonicus]

Unfortunately that's what happens at FR these days, any time something comes up about a cop allegedly doing something wrong the cophating whackos come out.

It's perfectly reasonable to hold a bad cop accountable on an individual basis. But the endictment of the entire profession is just ugly baseless slander, and reflects far more on those who make the comments than those at whom they are directed.

In fact if experience is a reasonable basis as these whackos claim. It is MY experience that most who hate cops are criminals and n'ere do wells. Its not surprising that evil hates good, and masquarades as a victim, sometimes even here.

Your son sounds like the kind of person who makes this country a better place. You should be proud and pay no heed to the agenda-filled foaming malcontents and mini-Sharptons here that have never done anything worthwhile and are a waste of the air they breathe.

[Ensonicus]

The opinion I stated was that the law inforcment profession, was the most corupt of all professions...

Might we inquire into your profession? Drugdealer? Ganbanger? Burglar?

[Cubs Fan]

We probably spend about $40B on police (not counting federal LEOs) each year.

I consider that money well spent. Escpecially in contrast the money I pay for your mother's foodtsamps so she can sell them to buy crack.