Excessive? Seattle Police Officer

[RawdogDX]

Do we know he had a tazer?

No, i guess i was making an assumption.  His union just said that his mistake was not using enough force and he should have just taken her to the ground and it would have been over.  Poor guy was probably doning every he could not to get on national news.

I know that police brutality against minorities (including the irish and poles back in the day) has been a problem for a long time.  But the 'it still happens all the time' group has taken a hit recently.  You'd think everyone pulling out cameras, at the drop of a hat, would have produced more legit instances of it by now.  

[MUBurrow]

As a disclaimer, I am generally pretty anti-cop in most instances where excessive force, etc comes up.  But this is not one of those times.  What I hate about inflaming these cases, is that they provide a cover for the legitimate criticisms of police forces by questioning what is quite obviously an officer's legitimate resort to force.  Responding to Rawdog, its not only the Rodney Kings of the world that the 'happens all the time' group is worried about, but the institutional inequality of the way laws are enforced everyday, against people who aren't grabbing and slapping at officers.  By holding up some totally out of line woman the institutional inequality against undeserving 'suspects' is totally undercut by the sensationalist imagery. 
Just a vicious cycle.  Authority unfairly and disproportionately suspects a certain people.  Said people loses a sense of respect for the law, and feels it is no longer designed to protect them.  Said loss of respect results in actions that poorly and sometimes dangerously vent that frustration.  Said actions lead to increased encounters with law enforcement and the greater perpetuation of suspicion/lack of respect for the office.  Just an all around crappy situation.

[GoldenWarrior]

I must admit two things:

1.  After sleeping on it last night and listening to the discussion on this board, I believe that the officer acted accordingly given the circumstances that we have been provided.  When I first viewed it I thought it was excessive, but now that I think about actually putting myself in that officer's position I think he acted properly and reaonsably.
2.  I'm slightly surprised everyone is agreeing on this one... one of the first times ever?? 

[RawdogDX]

As a disclaimer, I am generally pretty anti-cop in most instances where excessive force, etc comes up.  But this is not one of those times.  What I hate about inflaming these cases, is that they provide a cover for the legitimate criticisms of police forces by questioning what is quite obviously an officer's legitimate resort to force.  Responding to Rawdog, its not only the Rodney Kings of the world that the 'happens all the time' group is worried about, but the institutional inequality of the way laws are enforced everyday, against people who aren't grabbing and slapping at officers.  By holding up some totally out of line woman the institutional inequality against undeserving 'suspects' is totally undercut by the sensationalist imagery. 
Just a vicious cycle.  Authority unfairly and disproportionately suspects a certain people.  Said people loses a sense of respect for the law, and feels it is no longer designed to protect them.  Said loss of respect results in actions that poorly and sometimes dangerously vent that frustration.  Said actions lead to increased encounters with law enforcement and the greater perpetuation of suspicion/lack of respect for the office.  Just an all around crappy situation.

I understand that.  And believe me I've been on the side of the detainee in several case which the majority of the board were not.  And as a Wire fan, sociology student (not a major), Corner & Homicide reader and inner city product I understand the idea of certain groups being persecuted, and how that has lead to a culture of resentment.  I think that has more to do with the drug war than brutality though.
But if you have a large group of people who eagerly jump to the idea that they are being persecuted for unjust reasons and then respond badly it doesn't do anything for their cause.  Who knows if they could have respectfully talked their way out of the situation but they aren't raised to try that as a first recourse.  And that is the problem.  I think the cycle you speak needs to be fixed, but I'm afraid that the cops aren't the ones that have the power to do so now (if ever).
1)  We need to adopt a no victim no crime attitude to the drug and prostitution trade and regulate the $h!t out of it.  
2)  Fix the schools.  For those of you who doubt that is possible please watch the sundance award winning documentary The Providence Effect. http://www.providenceeffect.org/
Millions of dollars aren't the answer.  My sister teaches at their new charter school located in the worst neighborhood in chicago, her kids test at the 80th percentile.

[muarmy81]

Interesting Rawdog.  Thanks for the movie suggestion.

[MUBurrow]

as is the theme, I'm in agreement all over that.

agree that the police arent in a position to fix/change the cycle, nor are they trained to do so.
agree on the schools.
agree on the criminal policies.

[Henry Sugar]

You'd think everyone pulling out cameras, at the drop of a hat, would have produced more legit instances of it by now.  

Interestingly enough, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer in three states.

http://gizmodo.com/5553765/are-cameras-the-new-guns

[GoldenWarrior]

Interestingly enough, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer in three states.

http://gizmodo.com/5553765/are-cameras-the-new-guns

That is ridiculous if you ask me.  If there in fact is an officer (mind you this is all hypothetical) out there abusing his powers as an officer of the law and is excessively beating someone for instance without reason you should be able to video tape that officer in order to prosecute him.  Just because your an officer doesn't mean you are above the law yourself.  I just don't see why this should be allowed.

[dsfire]

Interestingly enough, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer in three states.

http://gizmodo.com/5553765/are-cameras-the-new-guns

Similar article from yesterday: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/15/AR2010061505556.html

Hard to believe there's an expectation of privacy - especially for an officer - during a public arrest.

[ChicosBailBonds]

That is ridiculous if you ask me.  If there in fact is an officer (mind you this is all hypothetical) out there abusing his powers as an officer of the law and is excessively beating someone for instance without reason you should be able to video tape that officer in order to prosecute him.  Just because your an officer doesn't mean you are above the law yourself.  I just don't see why this should be allowed.

Some of us found it interesting that it was illegal to tape ACORN doing illegal things. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Rodney King.....here's an interesting trivia question for those that might remember.

Was Rodney King the only person in the car that was pulled over?


If not, what happened to the other occupant?

[tower912]

When the Rodney King thing broke, I remember chatting with some of our local police officers hanging out at the fire station.   To a man, they criticized the cops involved.     After looking at this video, the cop had options, but the fundamental thing to remember is that you don't touch a cop.   Bad things will happen to you. 

[Brewtown Andy]

Similar article from yesterday: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/15/AR2010061505556.html

Hard to believe there's an expectation of privacy - especially for an officer - during a public arrest.

It's in states where there's a two party consent requirement to make recordings of other people.  While officers may be out in a public place, they're not there by choice.

I'm not coming down on one side or another here, I'm just saying that's the legal decision that's been made in those three states. Personally, I think expanding a law that was put in regarding wiretapping to cover videos made out on the street with mobile phones is pushing the spirit of the law a bit.