The Police Brutality Thread

[Omaha 680]

Wow, that's crazy. I admit to chuckling a little, however, at the guy screaming for fifteen minutes that he couldn't breathe. Uh....yeah he can.

The reporter seemed to believe him.

My pointing out the naivete of the reporter doesn't mean I think his treatment was appropriate in any way.

[ERCougar]

The reporter seemed to believe him.

My pointing out the naivete of the reporter doesn't mean I think his treatment was appropriate in any way.

Yeah, that's what I was laughing at (just a little--sounds like his treatment was pretty ridiculous). I think he added the fifteen minutes part for dramatic effect when all it really did was point out that he's breathing just fine.

(Pet peeve of mine--patients who tell me they're choking and can't breathe. Uh, there's a reason there is a universal choking SIGN. It probably wouldn't bug me if this didn't happen all. the. time.)

[byu71]

Confrontation of professions where they pretty much feel they are right and can justify things the normal guy wouldn't do.

If I am a policeman and believe someone is interferring with my keeping the peace, I could see myself going overboard in being nasty with someone who won't obey me. I am the law afterall and dang it my authority should be respected.

If I am the press, I am the one who makes sure the public knows the real story. Because of freedom of the press, I can go places and reveal things the normal citizen can't. I have rights and authority in other words the normal guy doesn't have and I am protecting the normal guy.

Too bad both of those groups and especially individuals have their own agenda's that can take them overboard.

[TripletDaddy]

what rights do the press have that other citizens dont have??

[smokymountainrain]

Sometimes I think this thread should be re-named the "Don't be a dipshit or the cops might hurt you thread".

[Northwestcoug]

It's been interesting to see this through the eyes of my 16 year-old daughter. She has been following the Ferguson incident, mostly through Twitter. She showed me pictures of protesters next to fully armed police, tear gas smoke, and the like. She also knows how many African Americans there are in the Ferguson police squad. In short, she knows more about the situation than me

I think she's more perceptive than what I give her credit for (I just think of the punk kid I was when I was 16). But I did take the time to offer some dissenting opinions, such as press bias and the role of the 'professional' protester. Of course she handled those opinions deftly

In the end, I think she has most of it right. The shooting was a tragedy, and the department bungled the post-shooting investigation. And the police response was out of proportion to the risk of rioting.

And there are areas in the US that seem like they haven't changed much since the 60's...

[byu71]

I also have come to the conclusion the police overreacted. The protestors to my knowledge hadn't done anything serious.

Of course if it had gotten out of hand and looting and fires and lethal confrontation occured, then I guess I would have concluded they initially underreacted.

[falafel]

Did MO secede from the Union, while I was on vacation last week?

Nothing in this article or video made me upset or even think that the Police were over-reaching. If anything, the Post reporter came off as a entitled little prick.

[byu71]

It is called freedom of the press. They are entitled. They are entitled to reveal government secrets. They are entitled to edit stories so the public will react like they want them too. They are entitled to become part of the story so they can be interviewed on national television shows.

They receive these entitlements so they can benefit the naive and quite frankly dumb public.

[Northwestcoug]

I don't follow Instapundit as much as I used to, but citizens' right to video police action was a big pet project of his. I assume he would side with the press in the Ferguson case, even if the police felt public safety was an issue when the reporters were arrested.

Here's one of his articles:
http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancis...nt?oid=2180814

[woot]

Here's the best take on the Ferguson riots that I've seen, by someone who knows a lot about the topic: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/t...d-to-protests/

TL;DR:

The police in Ferguson are almost a textbook example of how not to react to protest.

[USUC]

I know its been said already, but the militarization of police forces is distressing. Of you dress like the military, are equipped like the military, and are trained in military tactics, you are going to act like you are at war. Too bad there's that pesky constitution.

[old_gregg]

images of "protestor" activity in ferguson (from reddit). if i was law enforcement there right now, not sure i'd be out there without full riot gear and an assault rifle either.

[wuapinmon]

Sometimes I think this thread should be re-named the "Don't be a dipshit or the cops might hurt you thread".

You disappoint me.

[woot]

images of "protestor" activity in ferguson (from reddit). if i was law enforcement there right now, not sure i'd be out there without full riot gear and an assault rifle either.

At this point, I guess. The point is that being out there in full riot gear dehumanizing yourselves and giving the protestors a great excuse to riot is what started this whole thing. It doesn't matter if the rioters are "stupid". Humans are predictable robots, and it is known that putting your cops in riot gear and aggressively trying to disperse a protest is exactly how you get them to riot.