Female Rodney King. No.
This one is a close call on the cops
being blameless contributing to this situation escalating the way it did. Note I say blameless, the intoxicated women is obviously contributing. It does not take much force to give someone a black eye and a busted nose (that is not to minimize it, it hurts when you get it). But the problem is the one older cop not de-escalating things when she is asking about her kids (that exchange starts at 7:50 minutes). Things quickly spin out of control from there.
Update: Cody wants me to post her post arrest picture.
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| Injuries consistent with being slammed down and hitting the side of her face on the pavement. |
If she is grabbing the cops groin (and remember his weapon is on his belt too), it is not surprising he would slam her down with force. I cannot tell from the video whether he was intending to bash her face into the pavement or not, but it obviously happened. Unfortunately things like that happen in fights all the time and they happen quickly.
I looked at it several more times and Cody has a good point. Blameless was a poor choice of words. The issue here is did the police contribute to this situation
being worse than it should have been. I think they did. That does not make it police brutality.
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Why not post the picture of what she looked like after.
ReplyDeleteHer cheekbone was broken in two places.
My nose has been broken...well I'm well into double digits now. I've never had a cheekbone broken. It takes force to break a cheekbone.
Cops being blameless? What the fuck Evi?
http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/state/christina-west-arrest-two-tallahassee-police-officers-suspended-over-violent-arrest-of-dui-suspect
I said the cop was not blameless. If she slips out of the cuffs and grabs his crotch, I can see him slamming her down (shit happens in a situation like that). But he failed to properly restrain her and he also failed to deescalate the situation in the first place. But I will post the picture of her.
DeleteI do not see a case for police brutality. It is a close call on how the cops handled the situation from a person peacfully in custody to it escalating like that.
DeleteI don't even know what brutality is anymore. I will say that there didn't seem to be any reason to slam her head on the car and on the ground. There didn't seem to be any reason to hold her arm in the torqued position while she's screaming in pain and begging them to stop (and, btw, lying still). There didn't seem to be any reason for the to kneel for an extended period with the knee in the neck. There didn't seem to be any reason for them to mock her as she's telling them she's hurt--and they say "no, you're not hurt".
DeleteIf that was you or a family member or friend, how would you feel watching the video?
Also, someone thinks there's a problem with it. Two officers have been suspended and the district attorney says it's one of the worst things he's ever seen.
But I don't know anymore. I agree with Pogo--I fear the cops more than anyone else. I know, one way or the other I can hold my own with just about any adversary or group of adversaries. I also know I wouldn't stand a chance with a bunch of power mad cops.
And yes--I've had cops put their hands on me before. Only the prompt arrival of the sergeant on duty prevented it from escalating badly. The cop was wrong. He was reamed out on the spot. But my trust in cops has never recovered.
Thanks for posting the picture and clarifying your post. I appreciate it.
I dunno. Cops these days go directly to the maximum force possible when US subjects (no longer citizens) do not comply immediately and fully with any and all demands. I have begun to fear them as much as the vibrant youths
ReplyDeleteI am one to call the cops on police brutality when I see it. But at the same time I recognize cops have to deal with disorderly and dangerous people all the time, and drunk and intoxicated woman can be potentially dangerous. It is very easy to get hurt in a fight.
DeleteI agree police departments need to focus on techniques to de-escalate situations like this. Think Andy Griffin, not Barney Fife.
...as much as the vibrant youths committing crimes. Well, not really, but there are many videos like this that make you ask WTF? They are not gods, but are acting like they have no one to answer to.
ReplyDeleteThat is why I fully support videotaping police and having them answer for cases. They are not above the law.
DeleteFWIW, a lot of cops would rather take on a biker gang on speed than one mean broad with a snootful.
ReplyDeleteExcept she was clearly not mean--unless drunkenly trying to talk to the cops about who's transporting her kids is the new definition of mean. Or maybe she meanly screamed in pain when the bones in her cheek shattered, what do I know anymore.
DeleteShe was drunk and panicked. If she grabbed for the officer's crotch, she was going down (that is a given). Assuming she really did that and he did not just slam her down for no reason. The big issue is how it escalated.
DeleteCody, I think you make good points. It did not seem to me the cops were initially mean either, things just escalated very quickly.
DeleteThis is from the NY Daily News article:
ReplyDeleteTallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox warned colleagues the city could face a “substantial” lawsuit after reviewing the video.
“The video was taken from the police car and shows the road side sobriety test as well as the arrest of the subject,” Maddox wrote to city officials in an e-mail obtained by the Democrat. “It also shows DISTURBING use of force against a completely non aggressive arrestee. It is my belief that the city of Tallahassee will soon face a liability lawsuit based on the content of the video.”