I just saw the video. It looked like the guy had stopped running, turned to the officer and lifted his hands. The cop came forward and tackled the guy, then three more cops showed up and one started beating the guy nonstop! It sure did look unnecessary. Video shows police clubbing suspect LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A police officer who helped arrest a man suspected of driving a stolen car was captured on video repeatedly clubbing him with a flashlight after it appeared he had surrendered. The incident, which is under investigation by the Police Department, began when officers began chasing a suspected stolen car, said spokeswoman Sandra Escalante. TV news footage shot from a helicopter showed the chase end on a Compton street and the suspect run away. After a short pursuit, the man appeared to surrender to an officer. After several other officers arrived, the man was forced to the ground, where the videotape shows an officer striking him at least 10 times with a flashlight. http://www.cnn.com//2004/US/West/06/23/police.beating.ap/index.html
Here's an idea: Don't run from the police. Don't commit crimes. Don't put yourself in that situation. None of us know the entire context of this situation, much like no one knew the context of the Rodney King situation (drugged out felon running from the police and resisting arrest). They just see a movie clip and jump to conclusions.
Here's an idea: Don't comment on it unless you have lived in Los Angeles. I did for nearly 13 years. Believe me, in Los Angeles you don't necessarily have to run from the police or commit a crime to find yourself in "that situation". That's what happens when you have a police force with a street gang mentality. And it is not necessarily their fault, either. The LAPD deals with gang-related crime on a jacked-up level that no other police department in the world has to deal with, and it's understandable that this would have an affect on the way LAPD does it's business.
Jorge I actually agree with you here. But he had given up. There was no need to beat the **** out of the guy.
"Actually, I'm not sure that's even illegal anymore. There's been a lot of changes in the law." -- Fletch
Good one. If I was there I would have thrown a rock through the cop car's window and gotten away with it.
He will probably just end up getting a desk job. And be suspended with pay. I have never been beat with a flash light but I was struck in the face by a police officers walkie talkie. But I did put myself in that situation. Even though I was only seventeen and had been handcuffed already.
That's the way I feel ... I have ZERO sympathy for the guy that got beat down, but the cops should probably be fired as well. I just put myself in the shoes of the police officers and if I am chasing some guy thats been running away from me and putting everyone elses life in jeopardy by driving crazy on the road, I don't know that adrenaline wouldn't keep me from beating him down after I caught him as well ... But that's why I am not a cop I guess. Those cops don't have the mindset to be a good police officer so it's probably best they are fired, but I hope that the criminal charges are minimal.
The cops are wrong here. They are there do to a JOB they are getting paid to do their JOB and thier JOB says when someone surrenders take them in and do not beat the crap out of them. that simple
Exactly. Trader, there were four cops in the Rodney King incident and what they did was very unnecessary. 2 cops to hold his upper body, 1 cop to hold his legs, 1 to handuff it's that simple but instead they chose to play homerun derby all over the guy's body. Haven't seen the new tape so I won't comment just yet...
If you're a cop, sure. Though I've found it's better to plant fake drugs on the person. That way, they'll do some serious time before anyone even finds out the "drugs" were pool chalk. And even if the fake drugs thing falls apart, you won't get in any trouble. They'll find a low-level scapegoat and even he will be found not guilty by a jury.
Well, in Ken Lay's case, apparently not. He is more protected by the feds than Cheney's secret clubhouse. Assclown.
Well, judging by the fact that the DA isn't bringing charges against the guy, it sure looks like it was, at the very least, a bad idea for the police to use force which could potentially be seen as excessive. Instead of getting an alleged car thief off the streets, their actions have pretty well guaranteed that the guy won't even face charges for whatever crime he might have committed.
