STOP DROP BEAT BY A COP
In the news
today were two stories about police beating a perpetrator after a car
chase. Both incidents were captured on
tape ala Rodney King. The first one I
saw was in New Hampshire. The beatee
exited his truck on hands and knees and the beators apparently wanted him
completely prone. They did not instruct
him in a polite manner though truthfully it looks like they did pull their
punches a bit. Most police seem to know
how to hurt without leaving permanent damage.
The second
incident took place in San Francisco. A
car thief took off on foot and when he was apprehended he was administered some
instant discipline. He seemed to be
trying to submit after he was apprehended and the beating was a bit extreme.
I don’t
think these cases will make the news for long, both perps were white. It’s nice to see that the police can be equal
opportunity beaters.
What stood
out to me, as brutal as these arrests seemed, is the videos are taken a little
out of context. All you see is the
arrest and the overzealous capture.
In the first
case, you do not see the 100 mph chase through populated streets and the small
collisions that occurred during the chase.
Granted the police need to exhibit a little more discretion in their
arrests, but damn…when someone puts your life and the life of others at risk
just to avoid a traffic ticket it is bound to get the adrenalin pumping. Surging adrenalin, blue testosterone, and an
asshole who does not know how to be arrested produce predictable results.
In the
second case, a car thief was stopped and blocked from escaping in a parking lot. You do not see that instead of accepting his
capture, he hit the gas, rammed through a police car, glancing off an officer
and led the police on another 100 mph chase before leaving his car and beating
feet.
At least
these two cases show that police react to behavior not just race. OK, I do know that there are cases of unfair
profiling that result in bad arrest behavior, but in general, running and resisting
is probably going to be subject to an unpleasant experience regardless of race, creed or religion.
The police
should show more restraint in these situations. That is easy for me to say as
it is not my life that was just put at risk, but the police need to show more
restraint. Still we have come a long way
from the days of “Stop or I’ll shoot,” arrests (and yes, if you did not stop
they would shoot) and rubber hose confessions.
I suspect
that in the above cases the officers will be disciplined and may lose their job
or go to jail. The perpetrators may end
up with a large cash settlement. I hope
they have to spend a long time in jail before they can spend any of it.
Regardless
of the circumstances, police should not mistreat suspected criminals once they
give up and submit, but I have to confess, in viewing these videos, given the
events leading up to the stop, I was silently cheering for the officers.
So the score is cops 2, bad guys 0--let's hope they don't flip that around!!
ReplyDeleteWhenever I've seen such reports on television I think the police are a over-the-top extreme, but having worked with police I know there's more to it than meets the eye. Reporting of such incidents should be more carefully monitored.
ReplyDeletePolice need much more training in nonviolent intervention in any kind of crisis. It's a different world now where just about everything is recorded somehow and somewhere. One might hope that fact alone would put everyone on alert and encourage better behavior all around but. sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case. I can't condone police violence but I feel sorry for the alleged bad guys who are so deluded/stupid they go on believing they are actually going to get away with something.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I do not think these incidents are ameliorative to Black Lives Matter issues because in both cases I can easily imagine that had the victims been Black, they would now be dead.
I would imagine every arrest job has different circumstances and one size never fits all. I agree that when a criminal surrenders, the cuffs go on and no more violence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Valerie. We never see the entire picture, but these take-downs do look a bit extreme.
ReplyDeleteOnce someone is on the ground, it should be enough. Then again, i've never been in that situation.
ReplyDeleteOur city has had its share of police problems. I've always wondered what kind of person decides they want that job anyway?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think I'd be pretty pumped up after a high speed chase, too. Maybe they need to teach the officers breathing techniques or something.
ReplyDeleteI've felt this adrenaline rush. You're pumped up and then some. I've not seen either video, but being white it won't get the press.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I'm out of law enforcement. It's a very dangerous profession.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
There's got to be a lot of adrenaline going through both the suspects and the police during these times. It always amazes me how suspects think they will get away and take off running. The odds are not usually in their favor.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like there was extra force that didn't need to be carried out in both of these instances; but it would be nice if the suspects who might think they are victims down the road wouldn't have the opportunity to sue; after all they were doing something illegal that caused them to be in that situation in the first place.
betty
I'm quite pro-law enforcement, but I think those officer's defense will be a tough one. It appeared to me by the time the whupping' commenced the perps were offering no resistance and could have simply been handcuffed. But of course there is always due process, so we'll just have to see what if any mitigating circumstances there were. I don't buy the part about the officers being overcome by raging adrenaline, though. If they chase down a cop killer, for example, that doesn't give them the right to kill the bad guy in revenge. They MUST keep their emotions in check, and they can with good training.
ReplyDeleteDon't cops know that EVERYTHING they do is being captured on video by someone, somewhere? If not by a bystander, then by CCTV across the street. Cameras are everywhere!
You make a good point about the chase almost always originating with a cop answering a call...the bad guys were doing something they shouldn't have been doing in the first place. Have you seen the video of the outraged mother who said "I can't even let my child out to go rob a store without worrying about him getting killed by the cops." O...M...G! IMO they should get damages for their beating, but if they were committing a crime when they were apprehended, they should NOT get any "punitive damages"....none of those mega-million dollar settlements.
You would think the police would be a bit leery about pounding a guy who is all ready on the ground especially since just about everyone these days has video capabilities. Also kind of sad we will never see a video of a non-violent arrest. I still believe there are way more good cops than bad.
ReplyDeleteIf the bad guys wanted to avoid being taken down by a police officer, they shouldn't have broken the law in the first place. Still, the police need to show some restraint. Once a perp in on the ground in a submissive stance, there shouldn't be any ass-kicking involved.
ReplyDeleteThe apprehension of perpetrators is an inexact science.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is, I'm glad I'm not a bad guy. And I'm glad I'm not a cop. Difficult job, either one.
ReplyDelete