Police State - Official Thread

[240 is Back]

what has your comment got to do with the article?

people deny systemic problems, or excuse it.   Or they immediately attack the victim of police brutality.  I wonder if theyd do the same to a rape victim.  I guess that would depend of if the rapist was a cop or not...

[Agnostic007]

people deny systemic problems, or excuse it.   Or they immediately attack the victim of police brutality.  I wonder if theyd do the same to a rape victim.  I guess that would depend of if the rapist was a cop or not...

Let me grab my golf cart, you're so far out in left field I'm gonna need a ride..

[Skip8282]

Oh my god..you caught us..... damn you....  

The officer mentioned in the article was prior to the Chiefs policy I mentioned and the main reason the policy was implemented. The arbitrator would have likely ruled that since historically APD has allowed officers to seek help to deal with the issue in lieu of termination, it would be unfair to start with this officer without prior notification of policy change. So the Chief came out with a policy change, made a video that all were required to view and sign off on.. This will be the first case since the policy revision. It will be interesting to see if it holds up under arbitration.    

Catch you?  I'm not a cop fool.  Don't give a fuck about 'catching' you.  

The point is there's a long, long, long way to go before this cops job is over.
The point is the systemic issues facing holding cops accountable (which, of course, you're total denial about, lol).

The point, as usual, has gone over your head.  And, that's just sad.

[Skip8282]

people deny systemic problems, or excuse it.   Or they immediately attack the victim of police brutality.  I wonder if theyd do the same to a rape victim.  I guess that would depend of if the rapist was a cop or not...

Lot's of truth there.

[Agnostic007]

Catch you?  I'm not a cop fool.  Don't give a fuck about 'catching' you.  

The point is there's a long, long, long way to go before this cops job is over.
The point is the systemic issues facing holding cops accountable (which, of course, you're total denial about, lol).

The point, as usual, has gone over your head.  And, that's just sad.

what's sad, is discussing an issue about police with you.. total waste of time

[blacken700]

what's sad, is discussing an issue about police with you.. total waste of time

now that's a fact

[Skeletor]

Elderly Georgetown man files federal lawsuit accusing SWAT officers of using excessive force

An elderly Georgetown man says SWAT officers took him to the ground and broke his hip.

His attorney has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the city and county.

The 82-year-old man lives about five blocks away from the sheriff's office in downtown Georgetown.

He says sheriff's deputies and Georgetown police came to his home in full swat gear in late September to serve a search warrant regarding his nephew who had been staying with him.

Video shot by someone driving by that day shows Herman Crisp sitting in a chair on his lawn with a friend. He says when the officers arrived; they threw a flash-bang device at his home, knocking him out of his chair.

He says officers slammed him to the ground and handcuffed him. He says the force broke his hip. He says officers searched his home and before they left, helped him back inside, but didn't call paramedics. His family members say they found him the next day on the floor in his own feces.

“After they left I tried to get up then because I had to go to the bathroom and I couldn't go so I just crawled over here and laid on the floor right down there and my sister came and called the paramedics and they came in here," Crisp explained.

"The thing that concerns me about this is it looks to me like a conspiracy of silence. Things like this don't happen in a vacuum. There's nothing that we've been able to get that identifies the officers, that identifies the action that occurred. We have our client's information but I had to hire a private investigator just to get enough faxed to determine whether I should file a lawsuit or not. And I'm convinced that the facts are adequate to file this lawsuit and we'll find out now that we have some way to get accurate information," said Crisp's attorney, Boadus Spivey.

Although the injury is concerning, Crisps's attorney says his goal right now is to find out why this happened and who is at fault here.

Crisp has undergone two surgeries, physical therapy and uses a cane to walk.

We reached out to both the city and county but neither had heard of the lawsuit perhaps because it was filed today so neither could comment.

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/29130347/elderly-georgetown-man-files-federal-lawsuit-accusing-swat-officers-of-using-excessive-force

[avxo]

Elderly Georgetown man files federal lawsuit accusing SWAT officers of using excessive force

An elderly Georgetown man says SWAT officers took him to the ground and broke his hip.

His attorney has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the city and county.

The 82-year-old man lives about five blocks away from the sheriff's office in downtown Georgetown.

He says sheriff's deputies and Georgetown police came to his home in full swat gear in late September to serve a search warrant regarding his nephew who had been staying with him.

Video shot by someone driving by that day shows Herman Crisp sitting in a chair on his lawn with a friend. He says when the officers arrived; they threw a flash-bang device at his home, knocking him out of his chair.

He says officers slammed him to the ground and handcuffed him. He says the force broke his hip. He says officers searched his home and before they left, helped him back inside, but didn't call paramedics. His family members say they found him the next day on the floor in his own feces.

“After they left I tried to get up then because I had to go to the bathroom and I couldn't go so I just crawled over here and laid on the floor right down there and my sister came and called the paramedics and they came in here," Crisp explained.

"The thing that concerns me about this is it looks to me like a conspiracy of silence. Things like this don't happen in a vacuum. There's nothing that we've been able to get that identifies the officers, that identifies the action that occurred. We have our client's information but I had to hire a private investigator just to get enough faxed to determine whether I should file a lawsuit or not. And I'm convinced that the facts are adequate to file this lawsuit and we'll find out now that we have some way to get accurate information," said Crisp's attorney, Boadus Spivey.

Although the injury is concerning, Crisps's attorney says his goal right now is to find out why this happened and who is at fault here.

Crisp has undergone two surgeries, physical therapy and uses a cane to walk.

We reached out to both the city and county but neither had heard of the lawsuit perhaps because it was filed today so neither could comment.

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/29130347/elderly-georgetown-man-files-federal-lawsuit-accusing-swat-officers-of-using-excessive-force

Holy fucking shit... if what he alleges is true, this is bordering on the insane. The members of that raid - every last one of them - should be fired and should be prosecuted for - at minimum - abuse under the color of authority and face serious jail time, and the city should cover every last cent of this gentleman's medical bills and provide him with enough money to live the rest of his life without a care in the world.

[240 is Back]

Cleveland Police agree to federal oversight.

Sean Hannity hates this, he went on about it today on his radio show.


The settlement comes just days after a white police officer in the department, Michael Brelo, was found not guilty of manslaughter related to a 2012 shooting of two unarmed black civilians, who had fled police after their car backfired in front of a police station. Mistaking the noise for a gunshot, 62 police cruisers pursued the vehicle. Thirteen different police officers ultimately fired 137 shots at the car, killing the two people inside – Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2015/0526/Cleveland-agrees-to-federal-police-reforms-How-often-does-DOJ-intervene-video

[Skeletor]

Judge grants order against sheriff
May. 23, 2015 @ 05:02 AM

Zach Potter
SANFORD —

A federal court judge approved a temporary restraining order this week against members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in connection with a 2009 lawsuit, which alleges excessive force by multiple deputies.

Lee County resident Steven Wayne Thomas sued the sheriff’s office for $5 million in 2009 after an incident in which he alleged deputies used excessive force by punching him and repeatedly shocking him with a stun gun after he was handcuffed on the ground. That case is set to go to trial June 2.

Clayton resident Robert Terry Wade III, 71, stated in an affidavit that he was trying to serve subpoenas to appear at the upcoming trial to Lee County Sheriff Tracy Carter and a number of deputies about two weeks ago. It was unclear from the affidavit whether the incident occurred May 12 or May 13.

Wade said he attempted to serve Carter at Carter’s residence, and that Carter yelled at him, prevented him from leaving and called deputies to arrest him.

“I tried to leave,” Wade said in his affidavit, “but Sheriff Carter came and positioned himself behind my truck and blocked me in so that it was impossible for me to leave without coming into contact with him.”

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office charged Wade with trespassing and carrying a concealed weapon on May 12. According to Wade, he notified deputies of a Smith & Wesson handgun in the door of his truck.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle, who is presiding over the case, issued a temporary restraining order that stated, “Sheriff Tracy Carter and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office are restrained and enjoined from interfering in any way with [Thomas’s] efforts to serve subpoenas to any witnesses in the upcoming trial.”

Carter and many of the deputies originally named in the lawsuit were dropped as defendants in 2013, but Thomas’s attorney, Kieran J. Shanahan, argued that if subpoenas were not served, there was no way “to ensure the appearance of several key eyewitnesses at trial.”

Lee County Attorney Kerry Schmid and Brad Wood, who is representing the sheriff’s office, declined to comment on the order or any other matters related to the upcoming trial.

Carter also declined to comment, as did Macks Pickett Investigative Services Inc., the company that contracted Wade to deliver the subpoenas.

The original lawsuit stemmed from an incident on April 27, 2009, in which deputies responded to call regarding property damage at the intersection of St. Andrews Church and Meadowview roads.

Deputies reported that Thomas was at the scene and acting erratically, and failed to comply with orders from deputies. According to court documents, it later was discovered that Thomas had been exposed to herbicides and insecticides that he had been using to spray tobacco plants at his nearby farm.

Thomas alleged that deputies subdued him and then continued to shock him with a stun gun and punch him while he was on the ground. He also alleged that he suffered a fractured jaw and significant damage to the root of a tooth as a result of the incident.

The June 2 trial is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. at the U.S. District Courthouse in Elizabeth City.

http://www.sanfordherald.com/news/x219730114/Judge-grants-order-against-sheriff

[Skip8282]

Cop's 'Friendly' Sentence Sums Up The Police Abuse Epidemic

Published on May 29, 2015


"“Can you tell me why I’m being arrested?” Hamza Jeylani asks an officer in a video captured on his cell phone.

“Because I feel like arresting you,” the officer, who the American Civil Liberties Union identifies as Officer Rod Webber, replies in the short video.

This exchange happens after Webber calmly threatens Jeylani, who does not appear to be offering any resistance whatsoever. “Plain and simple,” Webber tells Jeylani, “if you fuck with me I’m going to break your legs before you even get a chance to run.”

According to the ACLU, Jeylani and four of his friends — all of whom are black teenagers — were pulled over after making a U-turn in a parking lot in South Minneapolis. The four young men had been playing basketball at a YMCA. Despite Officer Webber’s statement that Jeylani was arrested because the cop felt like arresting him, the police claim that they suspected the four youth of stealing the car they were driving."

Read more here:
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015...

Cenk Uygur (http://www.twitter.com/cenkuygur), John Iadarola (Think Tank; http://www.twitter.com/jiadarola), Ben Mankiewicz (What The Flick?! http://www.twitter.com/BenMank77) & Jimmy Dore (The Jimmy Dore Show; http://www.twitter.com/jimmy_dore) of The Young Turks break it down.

Go to https://www.naturebox.com/tyt for a free trial and help us out while snacking out!

[Skip8282]

Who Police Shot In May

Depending on the database you’re looking at, police have killed between 385 and 464 people in 2015. According to Killed By Police, a comprehensive list of the names, ages, gender, and race of people killed by law enforcement, officers took the lives of 73 people in May alone.

Although the number is the lowest monthly figure this year (see tallies from February, March, and April), police violence still took center stage. The non-guilty verdict of Officer Michael Brelo reignited national outrage over the lack of police accountability, as none of the 13 officers who shot 137 times at two unarmed black people received criminal charges. Moreover, the biker shootout in Waco, Texas highlighted the discrepancies in police force used against black people and their non-black counterparts — and how lawmakers talk about race and gun violence.
 
Black women were also put in the spotlight in May. That police are 21 more times likely to kill young black men than young white men is an oft-cited statistic, but cisgender and transgender women killed by police are often overlooked, forgotten, and erased from #BlackLivesMatter conversations. To change the narrative, a coalition of grassroots activist groups, including the Black Youth Project 100 and African American Policy Forum, organized the #SayHerName campaign. On May 21, hundreds took to the streets — and social media — to highlight black women who died at the hands of law enforcement officers.

 



Looking beyond the verdict and campaign, here are two high-profile police shootings that occurred last month:

Brendon Glenn: Venice, CA: Cops were called to investigate a homeless man who was “harassing customers” outside of an establishment, one Tuesday night. When they arrived at the scene, two officers talked to Glenn, a 29-year-old black man, who was allowed to walk away, unscathed. However, the two officers noticed him physically confronting another person soon after their talk, and attempted to detain him. A physical skirmish ensued, before one of the officers deployed his weapon. Glenn, who was unarmed, died at a local hospital. After the incident, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck viewed footage from a nearby security camera and admitted that the circumstances did not justify deadly force. Both officers have been removed from the field.

Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin; Olympia, WA: Police were sent to investigate a robbery attempt, after two men tried to steal beer and threw bottles at store employees who confronted them. Officer Ryan Donald says he approached two skateboarders, Thompson and Chaplin, on the street, because they fit the description of the burglary suspects. Donald claims that when he got out of his vehicle, one of the men attacked him with a skateboard, which is when he first fired his gun. Thompson and Chaplin allegedly ran into a wooded area, before returning to confront the officer. Next, Donald radioed in for backup, saying he had the two at gunpoint, before reporting that both had been shot in the torso. Thompson and Chaplin, who were both unarmed, survived serious injuries. Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts later said officers have “the right to defend” themselves.


http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/06/01/3664557/police-shot-may/

[illuminati]

Who Police Shot In May

Depending on the database you’re looking at, police have killed between 385 and 464 people in 2015. According to Killed By Police, a comprehensive list of the names, ages, gender, and race of people killed by law enforcement, officers took the lives of 73 people in May alone.

Although the number is the lowest monthly figure this year (see tallies from February, March, and April), police violence still took center stage. The non-guilty verdict of Officer Michael Brelo reignited national outrage over the lack of police accountability, as none of the 13 officers who shot 137 times at two unarmed black people received criminal charges. Moreover, the biker shootout in Waco, Texas highlighted the discrepancies in police force used against black people and their non-black counterparts — and how lawmakers talk about race and gun violence.
 
Black women were also put in the spotlight in May. That police are 21 more times likely to kill young black men than young white men is an oft-cited statistic, but cisgender and transgender women killed by police are often overlooked, forgotten, and erased from #BlackLivesMatter conversations. To change the narrative, a coalition of grassroots activist groups, including the Black Youth Project 100 and African American Policy Forum, organized the #SayHerName campaign. On May 21, hundreds took to the streets  — and social media — to highlight black women who died at the hands of law enforcement officers.

 



Looking beyond the verdict and campaign, here are two high-profile police shootings that occurred last month:

Brendon Glenn: Venice, CA: Cops were called to investigate a homeless man who was “harassing customers” outside of an establishment, one Tuesday night. When they arrived at the scene, two officers talked to Glenn, a 29-year-old black man, who was allowed to walk away, unscathed. However, the two officers noticed him physically confronting another person soon after their talk, and attempted to detain him. A physical skirmish ensued, before one of the officers deployed his weapon. Glenn, who was unarmed, died at a local hospital. After the incident, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck viewed footage from a nearby security camera and admitted that the circumstances did not justify deadly force. Both officers have been removed from the field.

Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin; Olympia, WA: Police were sent to investigate a robbery attempt, after two men tried to steal beer and threw bottles at store employees who confronted them. Officer Ryan Donald says he approached two skateboarders, Thompson and Chaplin, on the street, because they fit the description of the burglary suspects. Donald claims that when he got out of his vehicle, one of the men attacked him with a skateboard, which is when he first fired his gun. Thompson and Chaplin allegedly ran into a wooded area, before returning to confront the officer. Next, Donald radioed in for backup, saying he had the two at gunpoint, before reporting that both had been shot in the torso. Thompson and Chaplin, who were both unarmed, survived serious injuries. Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts later said officers have “the right to defend” themselves.


http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/06/01/3664557/police-shot-may/

None of it makes for Good reading.
Certainly appears to be Big Problem.


Though out of 300+million people & thousands of
Police / public interactions everyday it makes for a
Tiny percentage.
Considering guns, emotion, people involved.

It still needs tackling, & Highlighting.
As one Murder / Death by unwarranted / heavy handed
Policing needs addressing & Dealing with.
The same as any other Murder.

[Agnostic007]

None of it makes for Good reading.
Certainly appears to be Big Problem.


Though out of 300+million people & thousands of
Police / public interactions everyday it makes for a
Tiny percentage.
Considering guns, emotion, people involved.

It still needs tackling, & Highlighting.
As one Murder / Death by unwarranted / heavy handed
Policing needs addressing & Dealing with.
The same as any other Murder.

Every police involved shooting needs to be examined to insure it was warranted. No argument there. Whether it is 1 or 3,000, if it was a good shooting or a bad shooting is all that should matter. How many is irrelevant and often times not an officers choice

[illuminati]

Every police involved shooting needs to be examined to insure it was warranted. No argument there. Whether it is 1 or 3,000, if it was a good shooting or a bad shooting is all that should matter. How many is irrelevant and often times not an officers choice

Why are you so politically correct.
A Good Shooting..   Or A Bad Shooting...
How the hell do you Get a Bad Shooting.
If Someone is Shot & Killed For No Justifiable Reason
It Is Murder.
Wether It Be Cop or Not Doing The Shooting.

This inability to Speak Clearly & Picking Politically
Correct Phrases Is Part of The Problem With The Police
& Public lack of Trust & Respect.

Quick to label some one Scumbag / terrorist / Murderer Etc.
But Will Not use the same Kind of Terminology to Describe
Rogue & Awful Cops.

I believed to some extent you were one of the decent cops.
Your continued covering, excuses & Politically Correct Speak
To do With Police Is Making Me Think Otherwise.

[avxo]

Every police involved shooting needs to be examined to insure it was warranted. No argument there. Whether it is 1 or 3,000, if it was a good shooting or a bad shooting is all that should matter. How many is irrelevant and often times not an officers choice

Agreed - every shooting needs to be investigated carefully and thoroughly. Which brings us to the case of Jermaine McBean...

This guy is walking down the street with an airsoft rifle that he just bought from a pawn-shop on his way home. By all accounts, he isn't brandishing the weapon or threatening anyone with it. He has it perched on his shoulders and behind his neck. And the police arrive and in short order, McBean ends up dead.

The officer who shot and killed him says that he repeatedly ordered him to drop the rifle but the suspect refused, and instead turned and threatened him and his partner. Per policy, the shooting is investigated, but before the investigation is complete, the Sheriff issues a commendation for bravery to the officer who shot and killed McBean. And we're supposed to believe that the investigation is impartial?

In the aftermath, the family of the victim complain that he had his headphones on, and at no point did the officer command him to drop the gun. The police refute this accusation, offering as proof a police report that very explicitly pointed out that the victim's headphones were found neatly tucked in his pocket after the shooting...

Now, almost two years after the fact, a photograph taken in the immediate aftermath of the shooting surfaces and guess where the headphones are? Hint: not in the victim's pocket.

The Sheriff's reaction this time? It's all McBean's fault! Any level of force and any reaction by his officers was not only justified but necessary.

For every honest, thorough investigation of a shooting, there's ten investigations like this. Investigations where the truth is fudged to keep things on the right side of the thin blue line. Investigations when cops get the benefit of their doubt and citizens get buried.

Police have squandered the trust the public has shown them by repeatedly violating that trust, by adopting an "us-vs-them" mentality and by seeing the public they're supposed to serve and protect as the people they're to direct and abuse.

If the public is now turning against them, cops have nobody to blame but themselves.

[illuminati]

Agreed - every shooting needs to be investigated carefully and thoroughly. Which brings us to the case of Jermaine McBean...

This guy is walking down the street with an airsoft rifle that he just bought from a pawn-shop on his way home. By all accounts, he isn't brandishing the weapon or threatening anyone with it. He has it perched on his shoulders and behind his neck. And the police arrive and in short order, McBean ends up dead.

The officer who shot and killed him says that he repeatedly ordered him to drop the rifle but the suspect refused, and instead turned and threatened him and his partner. Per policy, the shooting is investigated, but before the investigation is complete, the Sheriff issues a commendation for bravery to the officer who shot and killed McBean. And we're supposed to believe that the investigation is impartial?

In the aftermath, the family of the victim complain that he had his headphones on, and at no point did the officer command him to drop the gun. The police refute this accusation, offering as proof a police report that very explicitly pointed out that the victim's headphones were found neatly tucked in his pocket after the shooting...

Now, almost two years after the fact, a photograph taken in the immediate aftermath of the shooting surfaces and guess where the headphones are? Hint: not in the victim's pocket.

The Sheriff's reaction this time? It's all McBean's fault! Any level of force and any reaction by his officers was not only justified but necessary.

For every honest, thorough investigation of a shooting, there's ten investigations like this. Investigations where the truth is fudged to keep things on the right side of the thin blue line. Investigations when cops get the benefit of their doubt and citizens get buried.

Police have squandered the trust the public has shown them by repeatedly violating that trust, by adopting an "us-vs-them" mentality and by seeing the public they're supposed to serve and protect as the people they're to direct and abuse.

If the public is now turning against them, cops have nobody to blame but themselves.

Well said.
Yet another very good example of The Institutionalised Corruption in Policing.
When it Comes To Police & Policing Themselves....
See No Evil
Hear No Evil
Speak No Evil

Yet we are at fault for not trusting them & Daring to Question Them..

[240 is Back]

Odd that they always test the blood of the dead person for alcohol and drugs, but never the blood of the shooter.  Bad guy smoked pot a month ago, and suddenly we paint him violent animal.  Shooter with a documented history of alcohol abuse and treatment never tested for anything.   Fccked up.  

[Skeletor]

Odd that they always test the blood of the dead person for alcohol and drugs, but never the blood of the shooter.  Bad guy smoked pot a month ago, and suddenly we paint him violent animal.  Shooter with a documented history of alcohol abuse and treatment never tested for anything.   Fccked up.  

Similarly a citizen's record or anything that can portray him/her in a negative light ("he was arrested as a minor for underage drinking", "she was arrested for illegally selling lemonade without a license when she was 7 ears old", "was accused of domestic battery") is mentioned but you don't see the same standard for cops (if they had any complaints for abuse, how many people they have shot/killed or if they've been disciplined). At that point usually the police will all of a sudden be very tight lipped claiming "it is an ongoing investigation and they can't comment".

[whork]

Similarly a citizen's record or anything that can portray him/her in a negative light ("he was arrested as a minor for underage drinking", "she was arrested for illegally selling lemonade without a license when she was 7 ears old", "was accused of domestic battery") is mentioned but you don't see the same standard for cops (if they had any complaints for abuse, how many people they have shot/killed or if they've been disciplined). At that point usually the police will all of a sudden be very tight lipped claiming "it is an ongoing investigation and they can't comment".

If anything cops should be held to a HIGHER standard than regular Citizens.

With power comes responbility.

For cops apparently its the other way around.

And with all the training they have, being afraid should not be valid reason for shooting somebody.

If you frighten that easily you should never carry a gun or a badge.

[illuminati]

240, skeletor & whork You all made extremely
Rational & good comments where is our resident
Police man to Shoot down what you say & Explain
To us Lesser Mortals Why Similar or Better still
Higher Standards do not Apply to cops.



See no evil.
Hear no evil.
Speak no evil.
Especially when concerning cops
& their Behaviour.

[240 is Back]

oh and the leaks - the selective leaks of both truths and untruths.

Remember the police source that kept leaking to FOX news about the fractured orbital bone on officer WIlson?  NEVER HAPPENED>  But FOX kept on reporting it.

The police can leak all sorts of stuff that paints them ina  good light to taint the jury pool.  People should go to JAIL when they have a sworn duty to keep these facts close.  The people can't see it, the victims's family can't see it... but the police can leak it, and leak lies too, without accountability.

Fractured orbital, officer wilson.  Google it.  Never happened, no matter how many police sources kept repeating it. 

[Skeletor]

Underage Girl Brushes Off Cop’s Flirting Attempt, So She’s Swarmed by Cops, Groped and Arrested

New York City, NY — A teenager from the Bronx was recently paid $45,000 after she was wrongfully arrested and sexually harassed by a police officer. The officer was also assisted by a number of other NYPD cops who helped him take her into custody.

The incident occurred on November 4th of 2013 when a young girl named Natalie Erlich, who was 17-years-old at the time, was walking home from school. During her walk, she was approached by Officer José Peinan and another cop who were not in uniform and did not identify themselves as police officers.

According to court documents, Peinan made several attempts to flirt with the girl but was immediately brushed off, much to his disappointment. After the rejection, Peinan became aggressive with the girl and arrested her on bogus charges. The officer claimed that since the girl asked if he was a police officer, that she had “blown his cover.”

“I had on a camouflage hat and [Peinan] had on camouflage pants. He said, ‘We match.’ I brushed him off and I laughed,” Erlich told The New York Post. After that, she said that she attempted to walk away and avoid him, and that is when he became more aggressive.

“He said something slick like, ‘Where are you going?’” she said, adding that she told Peinan that she was going home and asked if he was a cop.

When the officer replied by saying “maybe,” she then told him that was “a cop answer,” and at that moment a swarm of officers descended upon the girl, and Peinan told them to handcuff her and take her into custody.

When asked why she was being arrested, Peinan told her that “You know why, you’re being a smartass.”

Erlich and one of her friends were then taken to jail and not released until 11 a.m the following day.

When she was finally released, Erlich decided to file a lawsuit against the officers and the police department for wrongful arrest and sexual harassment. According to the lawsuit, the girls were arrested because the officer was “angered at having his advances rebuffed.”

The lawsuit also states that the Erlich was groped by police while they were arresting her.

To avoid more details coming out in court, the city agreed to settle the case with a $45,000 hush payment.

Officer Peinan is currently the target of 3 other lawsuits and has reportedly not received any disciplinary action.

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/cop-arrests-underage-girl-rejecting-gropes-arrest/

[Skeletor]

Graphic Body Cam Footage Shows Killer Cop as He Murders an Innocent Unarmed Man

Salt Lake City, UT — On August 11, 2014 Dillon Taylor was gunned down in broad daylight by Officer Bron Cruz.

The confrontation happened because Cruz confused Taylor with a possible criminal in the area.

Taylor, his brother, and his cousin were exiting a 7-Eleven in an area where police were searching for a suspect who had allegedly been waving a gun around.  These uninvolved young men allegedly matched the description.

When the three men exited the convenience store they were surrounded by officers and ordered to show their hands.  Two of the men stopped and complied, Dillon Taylor, listening to music, kept walking.

Barely 40 seconds go by from the time Dillon is approached until he is shot by Cruz.

The body cam footage was released in September of last year, however, it stopped just after the shots were fired. Apparently the department did not want you to see what happened after as the full video was not released until this week. It shows the disturbing moments before and after this innocent man was gunned down by police.

“He couldn’t hear them, so he just kept walking. Then … they had guns pointed at his face. That’s when he turned off the music,” Taylor’s brother Jerrail Taylor told the SLC Tribune. “I saw them point guns at my brother’s face, and I knew what was going to happen.”

One officer told Taylor to get on the ground, while another told him to put his hands on his head.

“He got confused, he went to pull up his pants to get on the ground, and they shot him,” Jerrail Taylor said.

A report by the Daily Kos provides a detailed breakdown of the 7-minute video:

    Now that the full video has been released, it’s disturbingly clear that nothing about this police shooting was justified. Nothing at all.

    At 0:17, Officer Bron Cruz gets out of his vehicle. You will notice people confused by his presence.

    At 0:22, Officer Cruz walks past two men who were friends with Dillon Taylor.

    At 0:24, Officer Cruz walks behind Taylor, who has on a white T-shirt and is listening to music.

    At 0:33, we see the officer has his gun drawn and is yelling at Taylor, who’s holding his sagging pants up and does not appear to hear Cruz.

    At 0:36, the officer shoots Taylor. It would be fatal.

    Starting at 0:41, you will notice the headphone cord coming out of Taylor’s pocket.

    At 0:48, you will see that the headphones were clearly going up to Taylor’s ears.

    At 0:52, the officer asks Dillon to “give me your hands,” but Taylor is already near death. His friends begin screaming and crying in the background.

    At 1:03, the officer handcuffs Taylor.

    At 1:48, the officer turns Taylor over, the headphones are visible, and the officer states “it’s clear”—meaning that Taylor was actually unarmed.

    At 2:54, the officer turns Taylor completely over, keeping him handcuffed, and begins talking to him and trying to get him to talk. Taylor appears nearly dead and is completely covered in blood.

    At 4:56, the officer is rummaging through Taylor’s pockets instead of providing any first aid.

It seems that after the officer discovered Taylor was unarmed, he pretended to care and provided a nice show for his body cam. However, he never once attempted to simply apply pressure to the gaping hole in Taylor’s chest.

WARNING: The video below is graphic and disturbing.

In October, the DA ruled this murder “justified.”

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/graphic-body-cam-footage-shows-killer-cop-murders-innocent-unarmed-man/

[Agnostic007]

I watched the video without reading the comments to get a unbiased look at it.

After watching the video I concur with the ruling.

The police were responding to a call where a subject was waving a gun around. As the officer pulled up on the 3, all 3 appeared to have been positioned where they saw the officer. 2 stayed, the one walked away from the officer. This is not normal. You would expect all 3 friends to remain together. Anxiety goes up

Officer calls after the guy to stop. He continues to walk. Another notch of anxiety.

The guy then reaches under his shirt in front while continuing to walk. Looks very much like a person could be accessing a weapon.

When the guy turns around and sees the officer pointing the gun at him he does not remove his hands, he leaves them under his shirt at his waiste and continues to walk backwards not appearing to obey the officers commands.

Action beats reaction every time so when the guy starts moving his hands around his waistband, not following instructions, the officer shot. I would have shot, you would have shot. This wasn't even a close one to call.

Unfortunate, but not murder.