fan_from_texas;392651 wrote:... I think we're saying that the police escalation needs to be commensurate with the gravity of the offense, ....

tsst_fballfan;392700 wrote:It would seem that is what happened. The point I see is that the punch was not with regard to jaywalking, as many seem to think, but rather assault. The second girl grabbed then pushed the officer. That in about every case equals assault on an officer so justifying his escalation. IMHO.

justincredible;392706 wrote:IMO, it's the officers fault for letting it get that far. Obviously he didn't punch her for jaywalking, and I don't feel sorry for her for getting decked, I just feel that an officer should be able to detain a teenage girl a little easier than this guy did.

Fan_From_Texas wrote:That's a pretty broad generalization, don't you think? I'm
squarely in the "be wary of the police" camp, and it's not because I've ever had any run-ins with them. It's because I've seen plenty of outrageous officer conduct going through the legal clinics at my law school. I previously walked the party line and said that you should always listen to the cops, shouldn't resist, etc. But when I actually saw the sort of stuff that occurs--on a very regular basis, and often caught on tape--it blew my mind. …
Police abuse occurs constantly.

isadore;392744 wrote:You seem to have revised your opinion, from one in which police abuse was constant and you were squarely in the cop hater group seemingly without any negative personal experience with them.

fan_from_texas;392751 wrote:I didn't revise my opinion, though it's possible that you drew an incorrect inference from it earlier. Did you bother to read what I wrote previously? I've consistently maintained that (1) police abuse happens regularly, and (2) police abuse occurs in a small minority of cases. These aren't mutually exclusive. I'm not in the "cop hater group"--I'm in the "be wary of the police" group. I don't have strong feelings one way or the other about cops, on the whole. Like I've maintained throughout this thread, most are good people, though there are some bad apples. Pointing out that there are some bad apples != hating cops.

What about this do you find to be objectionable?

ccrunner609;392906 wrote:I would bet that those girls took it that far

isadore;392907 wrote:what does be wary of the police mean? be watchful around them, be suspicious of them? what?

Don't automatically assume that 100% of what someone who identifies himself/herself as a police officer says is entirely, exactly true and accurate. Though it's often easiest and best scrupulously to follow officer directives, certain orders may be disregarded if they are outside the realm of reason and appear to create risks of significant harm or the commission of morally objectionable actions. While these instances are likely few and far between, "following orders" is not a justification for abdicating personal responsibility.

Moreover, while the overwhelming majority of police officers are generally honest and reliable, particularly compared to the criminals who complain about them, they are not infallible, and disinterested 3rd parties must rigorously investigate alleged abuse. One area where a minority of officers appear to err is in escalating force in situations that may not require it. These situations necessitate additional review in confirming that the officers are acting appropriately.

justincredible;392910 wrote:They shouldn't have had the chance. It's embarrassing to watch his "attempt" to restrain them. Use a little force in the beginning and get things under control quickly.

martyirish;392730 wrote:As Chris Rock would say

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2wOxnAiIVs

isadore;393001 wrote:I just write what I believe. Two people attacked a police officer.

Some people might wonder about you who refused to condemn the murderers of American servicepeople as evil.

fan_from_texas;393008 wrote:What are you talking about?

I'm trying to figure out if you're intentionally trolling, or if you're just honestly incapable of following a train of thought.

martyirish;392730 wrote:As Chris Rock would say

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2wOxnAiIVs

ccrunner609;393062 wrote:She wasnt getting handcuffed for jaywalking.....

Mohican00;391299 wrote:So if I get a ticket for jaywalking my punishment is getting punched in the face?

Clearly this cop lost his cool and completely mishandled this. If you're going to restrain a suspect then do it, don't just uncomfortably wrestle around with him/her and cause a big scene. Take control of the situation.

Obviously the girl was at fault because she broke rule #1 in dealing with cops:

Always be calm and cool

and in addition, know your rights and don't get tricked into waiving them.