According the news last night, the victim was hanging out playing video games at a friend's apartment. The police came to question (not arrest, question) the friend about a fight he had been involved in earlier in the day (in which the victim was not involved or even present). According to the eyewitness reports, the kid didn't run away, and was resisting being handcuffed because he hadn't done anything wrong. Again, according to the eyewitnesses on the news, he was face down on the sidewalk when he was shot in the head. Obviously none of us were there, but the facts in this case seem to be pretty damning...
herein lies my problem WHY ARE YOU HANDCUFFING THIS KID???? HE WAS NOT INVOLVED??? Also . . .I feel bad when a grown ass man cannot detain a 14 yr without shooting him ONE MORE THING The hispanic issue thing. . .well These type of ACCIDENTS just don't seem to happen in River Oaks Katy or other similar neighborhoods. and 99 times out of 100 when they do happen it is a minority When was they last time a white teen was the victim in this type of situation . . . . closest they came was the d*mn K-Mart thing Rocket River
If you took this little piece of 'analysis' and reversed the colors, it would be considered the most racist 'analysis' ever. But because of our collective racial guilt, we'll let this slide without ridicule. Yawn... I love it how the very people who whine the loudest while complaining about the police are the same people that need them the most in their neighborhoods. The same people who jump to ridiculous conclusions before the facts are even presented and before a court trial takes place, are the same people begging for people to not rush to judgment on Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: HYPOCRISY at its finest!
This is the problem I have. you know, its that whole double standard thing, at least you can use the N word though.
You weren't there. You don't know what happened. These things should be reviewed on a case by cases basis. There are plenty of 14 year old kids who shoot, rob, steal, etc... If you have a weapon, age is not an issue. In this case, no fire arm was present but he did struggle with an oficer. The issue is whether the officer had a reasonable belief he was in imminent danger. The facts will help determine this. And this shouldnt be a racial issue. There are plenty of minority officers who put themselves in danger everyday and the same standards should apply to them. If he used unreasonable force, he should be punished. However, we shouldnt judge his actions without all the evidence.
Sometimes people are handcuffed without being arrested in order for the police to control the scene, for the officer's safety and potentially for the safety of the person being handcuffed. And then the resistance becomes resisting arrest even if there was no arrest being undertaken. And this shouldnt be a racial issue. There are plenty of minority officers who put themselves in danger everyday and the same standards should apply to them. There have been instances when minority officers were actually worse offenders in violating the civil rights of those they are supposed to protect. I don't believe it's a racial issue, as I think officers, by and large, think of themselves as "blue" first and foremost. If he used unreasonable force, he should be punished. However, we shouldnt judge his actions without all the evidence. All the LULAC folks are asking for is an investigation. They simply want the investigation to be independent since, even as the D.A. admits, it's hard to prosecute cops when they do something wrong (ask Donato Garcia. None of the Dallas police who beat and illegally arrested him have faced any discipline). An independent investigation can be better for the police, too, since it can eliminate the perception that the police or the D.A.'s office are covering up for their own.
Kobe - He said She said bs MJ - He said he said This case. . A KID IS DEAD and a COP DID IT as for the benefit of the doubt. . . . how much did this kid get? IF you reversed my argument . .with the colors reverse quite simply IT WOULD BE A D*MN LIE Rocket River
Here is a crazy idea: If a bunch of cops are trying to put handcuffs on you, and you haven't done anything wrong, let them. You will have your day in court and might even be able to sue for wrongful arrest. It is a lot better than getting your head blown off.
The story on the Chron site made it sound different, though the bit about the going to the apartment and asking the kids outside was the same. The process seems weird to me as I've not known of a situation where people in a household other than whatever suspect they're looking for have been asked outside and handcuffed for whatever reason. I don't understand why the police even asked the kid out of the apartment, if that is what happened. Oh well, perhaps we'll get more of the story once the investigation is completed. I don't think, though, that asking for an independent prosecutor is out of the question.
Something we don't consider is that a lot of cops can't fight. A lot of guys will pull out a gun just because they are afraid to get their asses whipped, situations escalate, next thing you know some kid is dead.
I don't understand why it is never an option for the police to let the someone go, leave, then come back with more help. To me it seems like some situations should just be dropped untill they can be better handled. (like car chases where innocent people get hurt).
You will likely lose your suit, though, unless you're lucky enough to have someone videotape the arrest)and even then, if it's just wrongful arrest, the videotape isn't likely to make a difference). And if they really want to arrest you, they'll make something up on the way to the stationhouse. And usually, a jury will take the word of a police officer over that of the person arrested. Plus, you never know which cop is the one that's going to plant the pool chalk on you and arrest you for drug trafficking. To me, it makes sense to just comply with the police, but I've also very rarely been hassled by the police for no reason. I've never been arrested for asserting my civil rights (and convicted to boot) like minorities in Dallas are. That's not to say that it's right to fight the police. I'm just saying that my personal experience with the police as a white guy from the suburbs is likely to be different than a poorer Hispanic kid from a minority neighborhood. And those experiences can color the view one has of the police. Plus, I do think kids (teenagers, especially) are more likely to defy authority in general, especially when they do believe they haven't done anything wrong. I disagreed with the assumption that a 14 year old isn't dangerous. Certainly a 14 year-old can be dangerous. So I agree with your disagreement. Of course, I think it's more dangerous to engage in a wrestling match with one's weapon drawn. It will be an interesting investigation. I am interested to hear all the stories and points of view because the story as we know it does raise a lot of questions.
Unless it's against police policy, how do you know this doesn't happen. Just because it's not publicized doesn't mean it doesn't happen. If it's an official policy issue then it begs the question, why do they not leave and come back? The suspect may flee. Then people ask why the police left an area where a suspected criminal was believed to be. People love to judge these things ex post facto. This is not a sporting event. Playing armchair QB means nothing. Oftentimes these officers have to make a quick decision. Sometimes it's reasonable and sometimes it's not. We shouldnt assume one way or another.
What do our non-outraged posters want to happen? Should this not be investigated? I mean, 2 similar cases so close to eachother has to raise at least an eybrow. If anything, it seems some of these cops could use a brush up on their tactics.
