Police State - Official Thread

[Skeletor]

Very good article, worth a read.

To Make Police Accountable, End Qualified Immunity

In their preference for a policy that protects police, conservatives abandon their commitment to textualism and embrace pro-government judicial activism.

If you haven’t watched the video of (former) Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killing George Floyd by jamming his knee into Floyd’s cervical spine for nearly nine minutes until he loses consciousness, you really should. And if you can’t understand why large swaths of urban America have been in flames these last few nights, do two more things: (1) instead of George Floyd, who you probably don’t know, imagine the person pinned under Chauvin’s knee—prone, handcuffed, unresisting, and begging for mercy—was someone you love; and (2) listen to conservative pundits dissecting Chauvin’s merciless assault on Floyd with all the sangfroid of a referee performing an instant replay review to see whether the runner’s knee was down when the ball came loose. No wonder it seems as though the country is coming apart at the seams.

In determining the relationship between government and governed, one of the most important decisions a society can make is how accountable those who wield official power must be to those against whom that power is wielded. Congress made a clear choice in that regard when it passed the Enforcement Act of 1871, which we now call “Section 1983” after its location in the U.S. Code. Simply put, Section 1983 creates a standard of strict liability by providing that state actors “shall be liable to the party injured” for “the deprivation of any rights.” Thus, if a police officer walks up to your house and peeks inside one of your windows without a warrant—a clear violation of your Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches—he is liable to you for the violation of that right.

But many conservatives do an odd thing: In their preference for a more forgiving policy that gives police and other government officials substantial leeway in the exercise of discretion, they abandon their stated commitment to textualism and embrace an “interpretation” of Section 1983 that is utterly divorced from its text. The vehicle for this conservative brand of what we might call “living statutory interpretivism” is the Supreme Court’s qualified immunity doctrine, which judicially amends Section 1983 to provide that the standard for liability will no longer be the deprivation of “any rights”—as Congress expressly provided—but rather the deprivation of any “clearly established” rights.

As documented in considerable detail on Cato’s Unlawful Shield website, those two words—“clearly established”—do an extraordinary amount of work in keeping meritorious cases out of court and ensuring that plaintiffs whose rights have been violated by police or other state actors will receive no recovery unless they can find a pre-existing case in the jurisdiction with nearly identical facts. But that is plainly not the statute that Congress wrote, nor is it the standard of accountability that Congress chose. Moreover, as Professor Will Baude demonstrates in his masterful article, “Is Qualified Immunity Unlawful?,” there is no credible textual or historical basis for the qualified immunity doctrine; it is a blatant act of pro-government judicial policymaking—activism, if you will—and nothing more.

So now back to the killing of George Floyd. Watching that horrific video, one cannot help but notice the look of utter complacency on the face of Derek Chauvin as he drives his knee into Floyd’s neck. There is no life-or-death struggle—indeed, no struggle at all; nor is there any evident anger or passion—there is simply the banality of a man wearing a badge, surrounded and supported by other men with badges, methodically squeezing the life out of another human being.

It is well known that prosecutors rarely bring criminal charges against police officers, and indeed it seems unlikely Chauvin would have been charged had his assault on George Floyd not been captured on a viral video. That means the only avenue of accountability for most victims of police misconduct is a civil rights lawsuit that they themselves can initiate without the largesse of some prosecutor or citizen review board. But the Supreme Court has largely gutted that remedy with a judicially confected gloss that transforms the legislatively chosen policy of strict liability into one of near-zero accountability.

Cities are burning, and many people are venting their rage—yet again—about how cavalier police have become with the use of force, including lethal force, against the very citizens they are sworn to protect. Those people are right to be angry, and they’d probably be even angrier if they understood that it was never supposed to be like this—that Congress specifically chose a system of robust government accountability that was repudiated and perverted by the Supreme Court.

This Monday we will find out whether the Court will take the unprecedented opportunity it now has to revisit qualified immunity. It will be particularly interesting to see which self-styled conservatives—on and off the Court—place their stated commitment to textualism and judicial deference above whatever personal preference they may have for continuing our half-century experiment in near-zero accountability for law enforcement.

Clark Neily
Clark Neily is vice president for criminal justice at the Cato Institute.

https://thebulwark.com/to-make-police-accountable-end-qualified-immunity/

[Skeletor]

As if the dindus, antifa and various other vandals attacking old people was not enough now you have cops attacking the elderly as well.

ABC4 News captures police officer armed in protest gear pushing down man with cane

While ABC4 News was live on air during riots in Salt Lake City Saturday night they captured a police officer armed in protective gear shoving a man with a cane down onto the street.

The incident happened while ABC4’s Nicole Neuman and photojournalist Josh Witzel were in the field reporting live on air to the commuity.

That video has now gone viral after it was posted to the station’s ABC4 YouTube channel and has been picked up by viewers around the country, many expressed anger at the officers actions.

Salt Lake City Police Department Chief Mike Brown responded to the video and said he has opened investigation though Internal Affairs and the Civilian Review Board.

https://www.abc4.com/news/top-stories/abc-4-news-captures-police-officer-armed-in-protest-gear-pushing-down-man-with-cane/

At 0:19

[Skeletor]

Cops attacking another elderly man and then try to cover it up by claiming "he tripped and fell".

Buffalo police shove elderly man to ground, injuring him; claim he tripped

Two Buffalo police officers have been suspended after shoving an elderly man to the ground, seriously injuring him, and then claiming he tripped.

Video quickly went viral Thursday night of two cops appearing to push a 75-year-old man in front of City Hall as protests began wrapping up shortly after Buffalo’s curfew began at 8 p.m. The man fell to the pavement, hitting his head; a painful crack is heard as blood started rushing from his head.

WBFO reports two medics quickly came forward to treat the unidentified man. He was taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition with a concussion and lacerations. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he is expected to recover, but no other details were released.

Buffalo Police claimed in a statement that the man fell: “A 5th person was arrested during a skirmish with other protestors and also charged with disorderly conduct. During that skirmish involving protestors, one person was injured when he tripped & fell.”

https://www.syracuse.com/state/2020/06/buffalo-police-shove-elderly-man-to-ground-injuring-him-claim-he-tripped-graphic-video.html

[Skeletor]

Cops attacking another elderly man and then try to cover it up by claiming "he tripped and fell".

Buffalo police shove elderly man to ground, injuring him; claim he tripped

Two Buffalo police officers have been suspended after shoving an elderly man to the ground, seriously injuring him, and then claiming he tripped.

Video quickly went viral Thursday night of two cops appearing to push a 75-year-old man in front of City Hall as protests began wrapping up shortly after Buffalo’s curfew began at 8 p.m. The man fell to the pavement, hitting his head; a painful crack is heard as blood started rushing from his head.

WBFO reports two medics quickly came forward to treat the unidentified man. He was taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition with a concussion and lacerations. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he is expected to recover, but no other details were released.

Buffalo Police claimed in a statement that the man fell: “A 5th person was arrested during a skirmish with other protestors and also charged with disorderly conduct. During that skirmish involving protestors, one person was injured when he tripped & fell.”

https://www.syracuse.com/state/2020/06/buffalo-police-shove-elderly-man-to-ground-injuring-him-claim-he-tripped-graphic-video.html

According to the local mob union boss, 57 members of the unit have resigned - from the unit, not their well paid job as cops of course. All this because the 2 cops involved in the attack were given unpaid vacation.

Police crowd-control unit resigns in protest

A special squad on the Buffalo Police Department — the Emergency Response Team — has resigned from their posts, according to the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association.

The announcement comes one day after two members were suspended without pay when a video surfaced, showing the officers pushing over a 75-year-old protestor, causing injury. The BPD Internal Affairs unit has opened an investigation into the incident.

“Fifty-seven resigned in disgust because of the treatment of two of their members, who were simply executing orders,” said John Evans, PBA president.

All officers who resigned from ERT will remain on the job in their regular duties, Evans said.

Their action stems from a decision by city officials Thursday to suspend two officers with pay after video showed them shoving a 75-year-old protester who struck his head on the pavement and immediately started bleeding onto the pavement. The victim is hospitalized in serious but stable condition.

https://www.investigativepost.org/2020/06/05/police-unit-resigns-in-protest/

[Soul Crusher]

Totally ridiculous.

As if the dindus, antifa and various other vandals attacking old people was not enough now you have cops attacking the elderly as well.

ABC4 News captures police officer armed in protest gear pushing down man with cane

While ABC4 News was live on air during riots in Salt Lake City Saturday night they captured a police officer armed in protective gear shoving a man with a cane down onto the street.

The incident happened while ABC4’s Nicole Neuman and photojournalist Josh Witzel were in the field reporting live on air to the commuity.

That video has now gone viral after it was posted to the station’s ABC4 YouTube channel and has been picked up by viewers around the country, many expressed anger at the officers actions.

Salt Lake City Police Department Chief Mike Brown responded to the video and said he has opened investigation though Internal Affairs and the Civilian Review Board.

https://www.abc4.com/news/top-stories/abc-4-news-captures-police-officer-armed-in-protest-gear-pushing-down-man-with-cane/

At 0:19

[Skeletor]

2 cops have been charged with 2nd degree felony assault, there should have been more cops charged.





Buffalo mayor calls elderly protester shoved by police an ‘agitator’

The elderly Buffalo protester knocked to the ground by cops in a viral video that has become an international symbol of police brutality was an “agitator” who was “trying to spark up the crowd of people,” the city’s mayor said.

Explaining why he had yet to fire the officers seen pushing Martin Gugino, 75, to the ground, where he hit his head and bled onto the pavement, Mayor Byron Brown said, “I don’t want to jump ahead of the investigation. It is very important for officers to know they are getting due process,” according to WBEN Radio.

https://nypost.com/2020/06/06/buffalo-mayor-calls-protester-shoved-by-police-an-agitator/

The mayor of Buffalo now calls the old man "a major instigator" but he's worried about the "officers" getting their "due process".

He sounds like a "white supremacist". Oh wait:



Well then surely he must be a Republican, don't these guys usually support cops? Oh dang it:

"Chair of the New York Democratic Party
May 23, 2016 – January 14, 2019

He is a close political ally of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Brown

[Skeletor]

Now how about the send the cops and the original prosecutors to death row?

Philadelphia death row inmate freed after conviction in child's murder reversed

A Philadelphia man who spent nearly 30 years in prison for the murder of a 4-year-old girl has had his conviction overturned.

Walter Ogrod, 55, convinced prosecutors his confession to the murder of Barbara Jean Horn in 1988 had been coerced by cops investigating the homicide. A judge freed him from prison Friday.

Orgrod was a neighbor of Barbara Jean’s. He spent most of his time behind bars on death row. The case was profiled on an episode of “Death Row Stories” narrated by Susan Sarandon, the station reported.

“I’m sorry it took 28 years for us to listen to what Barbara Jean was trying to tell us: that you are innocent, and that the words of your statement of confession came from Philadelphia Police detectives and not you,” prosecutor Carrie Wood told Ogrod.

Philadelphia Judge Shelley Robins-New vacated Ogrod’s conviction and death sentence Friday, based on prosecutorial misconduct and new evidence that supports his claim of innocence, The Associated Press reported.

Ogrod's lawyers said Friday they are unsure whether authorities have a different suspect.

The first trial against Ogrod ended in a mistrial when one juror announced he did not agree with a not guilty verdict as the foreman was about to read it, according to the AP. He was convicted after a second trial in 1996 of first-degree murder and attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.

Barbara Jean’s mother Sharon Fahy urged the judge to release Ogrod, NBC 10 reported.

"My daughter is never coming home, but I wanted justice for her, not simply a closed case with an innocent person in jail. Two families have already been destroyed," she said in a court filing.

Ogrod was hospitalized in March after contracting coronavirus.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/philadelphia-death-row-inmate-freed-after-conviction-in-childs-murder-reversed

[Skeletor]

Cops are always quick to expose or defame their victims but they also try to keep their own records of malfeasance, abuse and crime to be hidden.

In a Historic Victory, NY Legislature Repeals 50-A

Upon the Governor's signature, police misconduct in New York will no longer be hidden from the public.

Today, the New York State Legislature passed critical legislation that will fully repeal 50-a, which up until now has allowed law enforcement to shield police misconduct records from the public. These disciplinary records will now be publicly disclosed, increasing systemic accountability through transparency and taking New York one step forward to addressing police violence in our communities.

https://www.innocenceproject.org/in-a-historic-victory-the-new-york-legislature-repeals-50-a-requiring-full-disclosure-of-police-disciplinary-records/

[illuminati]

Cops are always quick to expose or defame their victims but they also try to keep their own records of malfeasance, abuse and crime to be hidden.

In a Historic Victory, NY Legislature Repeals 50-A

Upon the Governor's signature, police misconduct in New York will no longer be hidden from the public.

Today, the New York State Legislature passed critical legislation that will fully repeal 50-a, which up until now has allowed law enforcement to shield police misconduct records from the public. These disciplinary records will now be publicly disclosed, increasing systemic accountability through transparency and taking New York one step forward to addressing police violence in our communities.

https://www.innocenceproject.org/in-a-historic-victory-the-new-york-legislature-repeals-50-a-requiring-full-disclosure-of-police-disciplinary-records/

And that’s long overdue - If they’re calling out others records for being scumbags & rightly so
Their records best be Clean - Don’t Throw stones comes to Mind.

[illuminati]

Now how about the send the cops and the original prosecutors to death row?

Philadelphia death row inmate freed after conviction in child's murder reversed

A Philadelphia man who spent nearly 30 years in prison for the murder of a 4-year-old girl has had his conviction overturned.

Walter Ogrod, 55, convinced prosecutors his confession to the murder of Barbara Jean Horn in 1988 had been coerced by cops investigating the homicide. A judge freed him from prison Friday.

Orgrod was a neighbor of Barbara Jean’s. He spent most of his time behind bars on death row. The case was profiled on an episode of “Death Row Stories” narrated by Susan Sarandon, the station reported.

“I’m sorry it took 28 years for us to listen to what Barbara Jean was trying to tell us: that you are innocent, and that the words of your statement of confession came from Philadelphia Police detectives and not you,” prosecutor Carrie Wood told Ogrod.

Philadelphia Judge Shelley Robins-New vacated Ogrod’s conviction and death sentence Friday, based on prosecutorial misconduct and new evidence that supports his claim of innocence, The Associated Press reported.

Ogrod's lawyers said Friday they are unsure whether authorities have a different suspect.

The first trial against Ogrod ended in a mistrial when one juror announced he did not agree with a not guilty verdict as the foreman was about to read it, according to the AP. He was convicted after a second trial in 1996 of first-degree murder and attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.

Barbara Jean’s mother Sharon Fahy urged the judge to release Ogrod, NBC 10 reported.

"My daughter is never coming home, but I wanted justice for her, not simply a closed case with an innocent person in jail. Two families have already been destroyed," she said in a court filing.

Ogrod was hospitalized in March after contracting coronavirus.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/philadelphia-death-row-inmate-freed-after-conviction-in-childs-murder-reversed

In such case when witness testimony is forged or corrupted all those knowingly involved should
Get the same sentence & Time in Jail as the person they Framed.

[illuminati]

As if the dindus, antifa and various other vandals attacking old people was not enough now you have cops attacking the elderly as well.

ABC4 News captures police officer armed in protest gear pushing down man with cane

While ABC4 News was live on air during riots in Salt Lake City Saturday night they captured a police officer armed in protective gear shoving a man with a cane down onto the street.

The incident happened while ABC4’s Nicole Neuman and photojournalist Josh Witzel were in the field reporting live on air to the commuity.

That video has now gone viral after it was posted to the station’s ABC4 YouTube channel and has been picked up by viewers around the country, many expressed anger at the officers actions.

Salt Lake City Police Department Chief Mike Brown responded to the video and said he has opened investigation though Internal Affairs and the Civilian Review Board.

https://www.abc4.com/news/top-stories/abc-4-news-captures-police-officer-armed-in-protest-gear-pushing-down-man-with-cane/

At 0:19

At least one & then others went to help him up & check he okay.
Unlike many of the Vermin protestors knocking down & battering / killing people.

That’s a bit of decency from the cops they realised they made a mistake/ were heavy handed
And went some way to correct it.

[illuminati]

Cops attacking another elderly man and then try to cover it up by claiming "he tripped and fell".

Buffalo police shove elderly man to ground, injuring him; claim he tripped

Two Buffalo police officers have been suspended after shoving an elderly man to the ground, seriously injuring him, and then claiming he tripped.

Video quickly went viral Thursday night of two cops appearing to push a 75-year-old man in front of City Hall as protests began wrapping up shortly after Buffalo’s curfew began at 8 p.m. The man fell to the pavement, hitting his head; a painful crack is heard as blood started rushing from his head.

WBFO reports two medics quickly came forward to treat the unidentified man. He was taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition with a concussion and lacerations. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he is expected to recover, but no other details were released.

Buffalo Police claimed in a statement that the man fell: “A 5th person was arrested during a skirmish with other protestors and also charged with disorderly conduct. During that skirmish involving protestors, one person was injured when he tripped & fell.”

https://www.syracuse.com/state/2020/06/buffalo-police-shove-elderly-man-to-ground-injuring-him-claim-he-tripped-graphic-video.html

This one not good for cops  - older man appears to have over reacted to the shove
Only when hit the ground & banged his head with it bleeding the Cops did fuck all
To help him just left him there. Them lot are Lowlife Scumbags for sure.
They should all be fired & never allowed to be cops again.

[illuminati]

Officers slashed tires on vehicles parked amid Minneapolis protests, unrest
By Paul Walsh Star Tribune
June 8, 2020 — 6:12pm


Two law enforcement agencies acknowledged Monday that officers patrolling Minneapolis during the height of recent protests knifed the tires of numerous vehicles parked and unoccupied in at least two locations in the midst of the unrest.

Hmm a very random thing for them to go and do.
Has Any Explanation been given & are they going to be paying for all the replacement Tyres.

[Agnostic007]

Cops attacking another elderly man and then try to cover it up by claiming "he tripped and fell".

Buffalo police shove elderly man to ground, injuring him; claim he tripped

Two Buffalo police officers have been suspended after shoving an elderly man to the ground, seriously injuring him, and then claiming he tripped.

Video quickly went viral Thursday night of two cops appearing to push a 75-year-old man in front of City Hall as protests began wrapping up shortly after Buffalo’s curfew began at 8 p.m. The man fell to the pavement, hitting his head; a painful crack is heard as blood started rushing from his head.

WBFO reports two medics quickly came forward to treat the unidentified man. He was taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition with a concussion and lacerations. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he is expected to recover, but no other details were released.

Buffalo Police claimed in a statement that the man fell: “A 5th person was arrested during a skirmish with other protestors and also charged with disorderly conduct. During that skirmish involving protestors, one person was injured when he tripped & fell.”

https://www.syracuse.com/state/2020/06/buffalo-police-shove-elderly-man-to-ground-injuring-him-claim-he-tripped-graphic-video.html

Don't you hate when they try and lump this into real police abuse incidents?

[Agnostic007]

This one not good for cops  - older man appears to have over reacted to the shove
Only when hit the ground & banged his head with it bleeding the Cops did fuck all
To help him just left him there. Them lot are Lowlife Scumbags for sure.
They should all be fired & never allowed to be cops again.

Disagree. Here's why

They were advancing clearing an area. He approached them. You can see the officer pointing and likely telling him to move aside, get out of the way. He ignores him and confronts them. He's not happy with just standing in front of them, he starts to slap the other officer on the arm for what seems to be no apparent reason other than agitating him. If you can think of another reason I'm open to it. The officers push/shove was not excessive nor brutal and likely well within the policy. This guy was a known activist, he should know what to expect if he antagonizes the police. Their intent was to move him away so they could continue their mission. It's unfortunate he tripped and fell but at 75 you should factor possibilities like that when you start slapping a cop with your phone. WTF are we doing bastardizing these officers for this? Way out of line. And as far as "helping", you see the supervisor calling EMS who arrived shortly thereafter and placed a collar on his neck. Moving him prior, sitting him up, etc could likely lead to further injuries and certainly a law suit and people on this thread would be screaming "Cops are trained not to move people with head injuries!"  No, there are a lot of examples of police excessive force lately, this aint one of them.

[Skeletor]

Officers slashed tires on vehicles parked amid Minneapolis protests, unrest
By Paul Walsh Star Tribune
June 8, 2020 — 6:12pm


Two law enforcement agencies acknowledged Monday that officers patrolling Minneapolis during the height of recent protests knifed the tires of numerous vehicles parked and unoccupied in at least two locations in the midst of the unrest.

In cop speak, that is "strategically deflating tires" or "disabling illegally abandoned vehicles via tire deflation". Because when you want to deflate your car's tires you just take a knife and slash them. The (rhetorical) question is if the cops will pay -from their own pocket- to replace the tires they damaged.

Minnesota state troopers admit "strategically" deflating tires during George Floyd protests

Minnesota State Patrol troopers have admitted to "strategically" deflating tires during protests following the death of George Floyd. The state's Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed the action, CBS Minnesota reports, after social media videos emerged of officers appearing to slash tires in parking lots amid the demonstrations.

The department said troopers deflated tires to keep the vehicles from being used in attacks against law enforcement or protesters and for the vehicles to be towed if a collection of evidence was necessary. According to DPS, it was only done in certain situations.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-state-patrol-deflated-tires-protests-george-floyd-black-lives-matter/

[Soul Crusher]

In cop speak, that is "strategically deflating tires" or "disabling illegally abandoned vehicles via tire deflation". Because when you want to deflate your car's tires you just take a knife and slash them. The (rhetorical) question is if the cops will pay -from their own pocket- to replace the tires they damaged.

Minnesota state troopers admit "strategically" deflating tires during George Floyd protests

Minnesota State Patrol troopers have admitted to "strategically" deflating tires during protests following the death of George Floyd. The state's Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed the action, CBS Minnesota reports, after social media videos emerged of officers appearing to slash tires in parking lots amid the demonstrations.

The department said troopers deflated tires to keep the vehicles from being used in attacks against law enforcement or protesters and for the vehicles to be towed if a collection of evidence was necessary. According to DPS, it was only done in certain situations.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-state-patrol-deflated-tires-protests-george-floyd-black-lives-matter/

I wonder who has to pay for this damage?

[Agnostic007]

I wonder who has to pay for this damage?

Gordon said police disabled the cars and trucks to prevent vehicles from "driving dangerously and at high speeds in and around protesters and law enforcement."

"While not a typical tactic, vehicles were being used as dangerous weapons and inhibited our ability to clear areas and keep areas safe where violent protests were occurring," he said.

Gordon also said some vehicles "contained items used to cause harm during violent protests (rocks, concrete, sticks, etc.)."

My guess will be the agency that was responsible. Typically when damage is caused by police, for example pushing a vehicle out of the roadway with push bars and it damages the other vehicle, or say an officer backs over a mailbox, they would be given instructions to contact city legal and arrangements would be made to reimburse them. I would be surprised if that doesn't happen here. It absolutely should

[Skeletor]

We found 85,000 cops who’ve been investigated for misconduct. Now you can read their records.

At least 85,000 law enforcement officers across the USA have been investigated or disciplined for misconduct over the past decade, an investigation by USA TODAY Network found.

Officers have beaten members of the public, planted evidence and used their badges to harass women. They have lied, stolen, dealt drugs, driven drunk and abused their spouses.

Despite their role as public servants, the men and women who swear an oath to keep communities safe can generally avoid public scrutiny for their misdeeds.

The records of their misconduct are filed away, rarely seen by anyone outside their departments. Police unions and their political allies have worked to put special protections in place ensuring some records are shielded from public view, or even destroyed.

Reporters from USA TODAY, its affiliated newsrooms across the country and the nonprofit Invisible Institute in Chicago spent more than a year creating the biggest collection of police misconduct records.

Obtained from thousands of state agencies, prosecutors, police departments and sheriffs, the records detail at least 200,000 incidents of alleged misconduct, much of it previously unreported. The records obtained include more than 110,000 internal affairs investigations by hundreds of individual departments and more than 30,000 officers who were decertified by 44 state oversight agencies.

Among the findings:

Most misconduct involves routine infractions, but the records reveal tens of thousands of cases of serious misconduct and abuse. They include 22,924 investigations of officers using excessive force, 3,145 allegations of rape, child molestation and other sexual misconduct and 2,307 cases of domestic violence by officers.

Dishonesty is a frequent problem. The records document at least 2,227 instances of perjury, tampering with evidence or witnesses or falsifying reports. There were 418 reports of officers obstructing investigations, most often when they or someone they knew were targets.

Less than 10% of officers in most police forces get investigated for misconduct. Yet some officers are consistently under investigation. Nearly 2,500 have been investigated on 10 or more charges. Twenty faced 100 or more allegations yet kept their badge for years.

The level of oversight varies widely from state to state. Georgia and Florida decertified thousands of police officers for everything from crimes to questions about their fitness to serve; other states banned almost none.

That includes Maryland, home to the Baltimore Police Department, which regularly has been in the news for criminal behavior by police. Over nearly a decade, Maryland revoked the certifications of just four officers. In Minneapolis, where officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on the neck of George Floyd until he died, at least seven police officers have been decertified since 2009, according to state records.

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2019/04/24/usa-today-revealing-misconduct-records-police-cops/3223984002/

Search the database:

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2019/04/24/biggest-collection-police-accountability-records-ever-assembled/2299127002/

[Skeletor]

In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, the cops kill an EMT while she is sleeping in her home.

Conveniently, the killers did not wear body cameras. Of course none of them has been arrested.


Family of Louisville EMT killed during LMPD raid files wrongful death lawsuit against officers



The family of a Louisville EMT killed in what's been alleged to have been a botched Louisville Metro Police raid has filed a lawsuit against the officers involved, claiming she did "nothing to deserve to die at their hands."

Attorneys say police had the wrong home and that the suspect they were looking for was already in custody before the raid. Nothing illegal was found in Taylor's home.

The officers burst into the home without knocking and "blindly fired" into it, spraying bullets into Taylor's house and neighboring apartments "with a total disregard for the value of human life," according to the lawsuit. Taylor, 26, was shot eight times.

Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, thought they were being robbed, according to his attorney, and fired at officers when they rushed in, hitting LMPD Sgt. John Mattingly in the leg.

Breonna Taylor was shot multiple times after officers used a battering ram to get into her home on Springfield Drive in south Louisville about 1 a.m. on March 13 in order to serve a warrant.

Police say there is no body camera footage from the raid as officers in LMPD criminal interdiction division do not wear body cameras.

https://www.wdrb.com/news/family-of-louisville-emt-killed-during-lmpd-raid-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit-against-officers/article_8caf7c9c-93b7-11ea-8253-5fbf4d80f0e7.html

Executing the poor woman inside her apartment while sleeping was not enough.

Arresting her boyfriend, who tried to defend himself and his girlfriend against the intruders, for murder was not enough.

Now it appears that the cops tried to cover up even more by not listing any injuries for the poor woman - when they shot her 8 times and she died. They specifically stated there was no forced entry in the apartment when they used a battering ram.

And remember, this was a no knock warrant for someone they already had in custody.

And of course, very conveniently, there is no body camera footage from the raid as officers in LMPD criminal interdiction division do not wear body cameras.


Louisville police release the Breonna Taylor incident report. It's virtually blank

Nearly three months after Louisville Metro Police officers fatally shot Breonna Taylor in her South End apartment, the department has released the incident report from that night.

Except, it is almost entirely blank.

The four-page report lists the time, date, case number, incident location and the victim's name — Breonna Shaquelle Taylor — as well as the fact that she is a 26-year-old black female.

But it redacts Taylor's street number, apartment number and date of birth — all of which have been widely reported.

And it lists her injuries as "none," even though she was shot at least eight times and died on her hallway floor in a pool of blood, according to attorneys for her family.

It lists the charges as "death investigation — LMPD involved" but checks the "no" box under "forced entry," even though officers used a battering ram to knock in Taylor's apartment door.

It also lists under the "Offenders" portion of the report the three officers who fired in Taylor's apartment, fatally shooting her — Sgt. Jon Mattingly, 47; Myles Cosgrove, 42; and Brett Hankison, 44.

But the most important portion of the report — the "narrative" of events that spells out what happened March 13 — has only two words: "PIU investigation."

And the rest of the report has no information filled in at all.

"I read this report and have to ask the mayor, the police chief and the city's lawyers: Are you kidding? This is what you consider being transparent to taxpayers and the public?" asked Richard A. Green, editor of The Courier Journal.

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2020/06/10/breonna-taylor-shooting-louisville-police-release-incident-report/5332915002/

[Skeletor]

Texas officers accused of violence, other crimes avoid prison in deals with prosecutors

Across Texas, hundreds of law enforcement officers have permanently surrendered their peace officer license in the past four years. A KXAN investigation of 297 of those surrenders has discovered nearly all the officers were accused or charged with a crime – most often felonies. And, in almost every case the officers used their license as a bargaining tool by agreeing to surrender it as part of a deal to avoid jail or prison.

KXAN reviewed 297 permanent surrender cases in Texas from 2015 through mid-2018. In nearly every case, the peace officers were accused of or charged with a crime. At least half of the cases were felonies.

Peace officer licenses are issued and maintained by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). All law enforcement officers at the municipal, county and state level, except for state corrections officers, must be licensed.

In at least 245 instances, peace officers used their licenses to leverage a lesser sentence in a plea bargain. More than 30 officers surrendered their licenses in lieu of prosecution or to halt an investigation.

KXAN uncovered the system of deals by analyzing records obtained from more than 100 public information act requests filed at all levels of state and local governments, including TCOLE, county and district courts, as well as local, county and state law enforcement agencies.

Officers who agreed to surrender their licenses received little or no jail time for offenses including sexual assault of children and women in custody, taking bribes and dealing narcotics to prisoners, lying about the circumstances of a police shooting and destroying evidence in criminal cases.

In some instances, the accused police officers already had histories of misconduct yet were able to trade their badges in a plea bargain and walk away with deferred adjudication and probation.

KXAN found more than two dozen cases in the last four years in which police officers or jailers permanently surrendered their licenses to avoid prosecution or to end investigations into possible misconduct.

The only indication KXAN could find of possible misconduct in many of these cases was noted in a portion of the file TCOLE maintains for each delicensed officer titled “summary of the reason for permanent surrender.” It’s a sheet each officer is supposed to provide, but that does not always happen.

It is unclear what level of punishments those officers may have faced. It is also more difficult, if not impossible, to obtain records of police misconduct when charges are not filed against the officer.

In Texas, state law limits TCOLE’s authority to permanently revoke an officer’s license, unless he or she has been convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors. If district attorneys want to get a bad police officer out of law enforcement, in most cases they either have to go to trial or make a deal, said Roger Goldman, professor emeritus at Saint Louis University School of Law.

Texas’ license decertification laws are pushing district attorneys to make these plea bargains, according to Goldman.

Texas has the most licensed peace officers of any state, yet Florida and Georgia decertify far more officers per year than Texas does. Those states have broader authority to revoke the license, Goldman said.

https://www.kxan.com/bargaining-the-badge/



Just some of the cases and the punishment gift these scumbags received. Sexual assault of a child and not a single day in prison:

A City of Wharton police officer was charged with three counts of sexual assault of a child in 2016. In a negotiated deal that included the permanent surrender of his peace officer license, he pleaded guilty to one count and received 10 years’ probation. His punishment also included fines, sex offender registration and community service, according to court records.

A law enforcement officer in the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office was charged with four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, all first-degree felonies, in 2012. He pleaded guilty to one count of injury to a child and received 10 years of probation, no prison time, and was required to permanently surrender his peace officer license.

[Soul Crusher]

Ridiculous.

Texas officers accused of violence, other crimes avoid prison in deals with prosecutors

Across Texas, hundreds of law enforcement officers have permanently surrendered their peace officer license in the past four years. A KXAN investigation of 297 of those surrenders has discovered nearly all the officers were accused or charged with a crime – most often felonies. And, in almost every case the officers used their license as a bargaining tool by agreeing to surrender it as part of a deal to avoid jail or prison.

KXAN reviewed 297 permanent surrender cases in Texas from 2015 through mid-2018. In nearly every case, the peace officers were accused of or charged with a crime. At least half of the cases were felonies.

Peace officer licenses are issued and maintained by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). All law enforcement officers at the municipal, county and state level, except for state corrections officers, must be licensed.

In at least 245 instances, peace officers used their licenses to leverage a lesser sentence in a plea bargain. More than 30 officers surrendered their licenses in lieu of prosecution or to halt an investigation.

KXAN uncovered the system of deals by analyzing records obtained from more than 100 public information act requests filed at all levels of state and local governments, including TCOLE, county and district courts, as well as local, county and state law enforcement agencies.

Officers who agreed to surrender their licenses received little or no jail time for offenses including sexual assault of children and women in custody, taking bribes and dealing narcotics to prisoners, lying about the circumstances of a police shooting and destroying evidence in criminal cases.

In some instances, the accused police officers already had histories of misconduct yet were able to trade their badges in a plea bargain and walk away with deferred adjudication and probation.

KXAN found more than two dozen cases in the last four years in which police officers or jailers permanently surrendered their licenses to avoid prosecution or to end investigations into possible misconduct.

The only indication KXAN could find of possible misconduct in many of these cases was noted in a portion of the file TCOLE maintains for each delicensed officer titled “summary of the reason for permanent surrender.” It’s a sheet each officer is supposed to provide, but that does not always happen.

It is unclear what level of punishments those officers may have faced. It is also more difficult, if not impossible, to obtain records of police misconduct when charges are not filed against the officer.

In Texas, state law limits TCOLE’s authority to permanently revoke an officer’s license, unless he or she has been convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors. If district attorneys want to get a bad police officer out of law enforcement, in most cases they either have to go to trial or make a deal, said Roger Goldman, professor emeritus at Saint Louis University School of Law.

Texas’ license decertification laws are pushing district attorneys to make these plea bargains, according to Goldman.

Texas has the most licensed peace officers of any state, yet Florida and Georgia decertify far more officers per year than Texas does. Those states have broader authority to revoke the license, Goldman said.

https://www.kxan.com/bargaining-the-badge/



Just some of the cases and the punishment gift these scumbags received. Sexual assault of a child and not a single day in prison:

[Slapper]

“Fifty-seven resigned in disgust because of the treatment of two of their members, who were simply executing orders,” said John Evans, PBA president.

That's the problem right there: the police unions. This is the reason cops feel like either they can be cops and kill/harass the population or they don't want to be cops. THIS is the attitude they have. And THIS is precisely the reason they should NOT be cops.

[Soul Crusher]

https://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-surplus-handouts-stoke-militarization-us-police-014234957.html


 

[Skeletor]

This executive order is meaningless and changes little, if anything. Plus when you see cop unions praising these measures it is unlikely there will be real accountability. Banning chokeholds except for when "an officer's life is at risk" is meaningless since the cops are quick to claim they "fear for their lives" even when they are facing young kids, frail elderly people or 1oz hamsters. And of course the Democrats who suddenly "realized" the problems with police accountability are hypocrites: so many years they didn't care but now that "#blackliesmatter" is trending on social media and TV they try to appear as some sort of civil liberties champions.

Trump signs police reform executive order in Rose Garden ceremony

President Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order on law enforcement reform and said "chokeholds will be banned except if an officer’s life is at risk" as the nation reels from the death of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department and the ensuing unrest -- which has sparked calls for changes in policing nationwide as drastic as dismantling entire departments.

The president made comments in the Rose Garden in which he struck a conciliatory tone while also expressing strong support for police before officially signing the order, which he characterized as promoting "the highest professional standards." He also said, "These standards will be as high and as strong as there is on Earth."

According to the White House, Trump's order touches on use of force best practices, information sharing to track officers who have repeated complaints against them and federal incentives for police departments to deploy non-police experts on issues like mental health, homelessness and addiction.

Trump said law enforcement officers would only be allowed to use chokeholds if their lives are in danger.

"As part of this new credentialing process, chokeholds will be banned except if an officer’s life is at risk,” the president said.

"I strongly oppose the radical and dangerous efforts to defund, dismantle and dissolve our police departments. Especially now when we've achieved the lowest recorded crime rates in recent history," Trump said, while acknowledging a "tiny" number of bad police officers. "Without police there is chaos, without law there is anarchy and without safety there is a catastrophe."

The order would also help departments secure less-than-lethal weapons that can help reduce the number of fatal encounters with police, and mandate that departments share information on officers who are accused of abusing power "so that officers with credible issues do not simply move from one police department to the next."

The National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the largest law enforcement union in the U.S., praised Trump's order on Tuesday.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-rose-garden-executive-order-police