Can of ass whipping
This video has been big news lately. I watched it and cringed a little bit. I can understand how emotions run high after a chase and that it is very hard to de-escalate once things are done. There is an old school theory that if you fight a cop or run from a cop, you should have to take a trip to the hospital before you make it too jail.
While this appeals to me on one level, officers have got to understand that society doesn't accept this type of behavior anymore. A lot of things can be justified in arresting a resisting suspect but I see no way to explain dropping a baton strike on the head of an unconscious bad guy no matter how satisfying it may feel.
Cameras are everywhere folks and people are going to see what we do. I remember getting involved in a violent arrest on a busy street one night. This guy and I fought up and down the sidewalk before I was finally able to get him pinned. As I put a couple of elbows to his face, he started yelling that he gave up and put his arms behind his back. My adrenaline was still pumping and I wasn't ready to stop the fight but it was a good thing I did stop. I glanced up looking for back-up when I saw a sea of camera phones being held up in the record position. I just know I would have ended up on Youtube if I had lost it on this guy.
Of course all these sidewalk journalist never bothered to come over and help me arrest the guy.
26 bits of radio chatter:
As a police wife all i have to say is if you run from the police and risk the life of others in your path this is what can happen. I would rather have an unemployed husband than one killed in the line of duty.
Flipping to the other side, as a responsible parent if the offender was my son, the first question out of my mouth would be to him-"Why did you run?" Society does not want to take responsibility for what they have created.
Yes Old School Policing is no more and cameras are everywhere. You made a point on here without realizing it. People do not step up and assist a cop any more. I have fought with more then one suspect and each time the citizens had just watched and yes, recorded. A little help from them like the old days would have helped......
"Of course all these sidewalk journalist never bothered to come over and help me arrest the guy."
Do you normally want/expect help?
Sure looked like he was trying to kill the cop laying out the spike strip. I'm not sure but it looked like he clipped the cop's lower leg. Can't imagine why his fellow officers made sure the suspect was unable to commit more mayhem.
It seems many people believe that y'all should be able to switch the adrenaline on or off at will.
I'm pretty sure I couldn't do that.
Oddly enough, it doesn't surprise me that a guy who tries to smoke a P.O with his car takes a licking.
Looked like good police work to me.
Yikes. I'm all for engaging an actively resisting/fighting subject, but that guy was lifeless. Adrenaline or not, there's still a right and wrong.
"Of course all these sidewalk journalist never bothered to come over and help me arrest the guy."
Do you normally want/expect help?
11:17 AM
If it looks like we need help at least ask.
Adrenaline or not, there's still a right and wrong.
7:55 PM
Yes,and the officers were right in doing the peasant dance on this thug.
While I agree with JL in principle, after seeing the whole video, that guy deserved every lick he got after trying to run-over that officer.
Eff him.
My initial reaction to the termination of the pursuit was, "They're administering street justice to a dead man."
If the brass had any brass,they would have lost the tape,and wrote up the injuries due to the subject being ejected from the vehicle.
"If the brass had any brass,they would have lost the tape,and wrote up the injuries due to the subject being ejected from the vehicle."
So two wrongs make a right huh? There's something that sets us apart from the criminals and sets this country above the others. What you propose cheapens or outright sacrifices our rights, our laws and the good, proper work done by thousands of law enforcement lawyers. Your idea is terrible, childish, short-sighted, to say nothing of disrespectful of the Constitution, laws and sacrifices of those who play it straight and with honor.
Society today doesn't realize the LEVEL of violence on the streets...simple as that.
We always HAD violence, but the magnitude and commonality of the degree is damn near overwhelming.
It's a FAR CRY from the (as The bronze said it) OLD SCHOOL POLICING days.
Used to be you yelled HALT...and 9 times outta 10 the perp FROZE!
Now, tasers, batons, OC spray..still won't get these jerks to comply.
So you take it up another "notch".
And if you do ANYTHING life-threatening to ANY officer, expect a "tune up"...that's SOP (or should be).
Good post and comments!
Stay safe out there, people.
Sorry...I MEANT to say I agreed with TX Ghostrider...but the Bronze is spot on also in his assessment.
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I can't believe some of you idiots are actually responsible for enforcing the law, much less cognizant of the fact you advocate criminal behavior.
You're not hearing Johnny when he says the public is increasingly aware and disapproving of the actions seen in the video.
Go to most any message board with an off topic or political board. You'll find this video and resulting discussion. By far and away, there's a majority that say eff the criminal AND the cops giving the tune up.
We are a society of laws, those responsible for enforcing them don't get to nor should ever be responsible for enforcing justice, much less punishment. It's that simple. If you don't think so, you need to get your weak ass out of that job and into something else.
One final note I forgot that must be said:
I thank each and every leo out there that puts up with the shit that criminals like this gives them and returns only professional and honorable service. It's a sucky job at times and it takes a fucking man to do it right. Those are the guys with balls, the ones that do it right.
So two wrongs make a right huh?
2:06 AM
Two wrongs??I only so one,that was the idiot fleeing from the officers.Your soft.
"Cameras are everywhere folks and people are going to see what we do."
A few years back there was an incident where some high school journalism student caught some Army recruiters on tape doing all sorts of stupid stuff. This led to an outbreak of other Woodward and Berstein wanna-bes and local news i-Teams sending in hidden cameras into recruiting stations. In very short order recruiters learned to stop saying the stuff that was outright wrong, and even the stuff that was right, but would sound bad out-of-context, was reduced.
"Of course all these sidewalk journalist never bothered to come over and help me arrest the guy."
Quite honestly, I'd be seriously worried about my attempts to assist the officer being mistaken as an attempt to assist the bad guy. And while the officer-on-the-scene might know that I'm a good guy, the officers showing up as back-up might not know it.
Also, if a police officer is struggling with someone, and I intervene, and I am injured, who is going to foot the bill for the treatment or hospital stay? Does the city or county have a fund set-up to cover the cost of treatment for citizens getting involved in police actions?
There's also the chance that some litigation-minded criminal might decide to come after me, Mr. Good Samaritan Passer-by, for any injuries suffered. I doubt that the local PD is going to be thrilled to help foot the bill for my defense.
Given the chance of being accidentally Tasered, pepper-sprayed, shot, injured, or facing a civil suit, the benefits of being a Good Samaritan seem to be kind of limited.
I'd still intervene if help is asked for, or if the officer is clearly in a world of hurt, but choosing not to do so is a perfectly rational choice for anyone.
Texas Ghostrider: People do not step up and assist a cop any more.Not to put too fine a point on it, but the hell they don't. When a lone cop in Wisconsin confronted a violent troublemaker in an upscale restaurant, the criminal started a fight. The cop was smaller than the criminal, and the criminal was wired up on something. That cop was getting his a** beat, and four middle aged patrons from the restaurant jumped into the fight. It took all five men to wrestle this criminal to the floor and get the cuffs on him, and then he continued to kick and scream.
Eventually back up arrived. The criminal was stuffed into the patrol car and the excitement ended.
My point? These men who assisted were not young and in great shape. All carried a few extra pounds. None of them spend a lot of time brawling, and all of them are keenly aware that if they get busted up it will take time to heal and their health insurance is not going to like the claim. Their employer isn't going to like the sick time, either. They jumped in anyway.
Maybe you and the other cops here don't get all the help you'd like or all the thanks you richly deserve, but that does not mean that no one step up any more.
And, by the way, I do not agree that beating an incapacitated prisoner or criminal is somehow justifiable. It isn't. Administering a beating like this one makes criminals out of law officers.
My initial comment to my mother upon hearing about this was "You get these guys high on adrenaline and then expect them to stop and take the guy's vital signs before making sure he's not going to continue the fight?"
Seeing the video, it looks obvious that he was out of it--but all the same, I know he was unconscious, so that knowledge played into it I'm sure. I'm not certain it can be expected that you'll see that clearly when you're actually IN the situation.
Bottom line, it reminds me of the old saying "Don't let your mouth write checks your ass can't catch." Or, to put it another way, "the asshole deserved it" really should be a valid defense under certain circumstances.
I see nothing wrong with the officers actions in this case.
Aww...c'mon SFC B! You gotta ride that Taser at least once. :)
And, by the way, I do not agree that beating an incapacitated prisoner or criminal is somehow justifiable. It isn't. Administering a beating like this one makes criminals out of law officers.
7:16 PM
Justifiable:YES
Criminals:NO
Good solid police work:YES
"You gotta ride that Taser at least once."
I've been Tasered and pepper sprayed. I'll take the Taser every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Doesn't mean I want to take a ride as punishment for my good deed.
Not one of those assholes with a camera phone bothered to help you.
We are in a fucked up society.
I saw the criminal running away after climbing out of a moving vehicle. The LEO made a great tackle and brought the bad guy down.
GOOD JOB.
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