Police Brutality? You Decide...

So often, some news story comes out about a police officer abusing his/her power in order to enforce what they believe to be the appropriate justice for the crime committed. Sometimes, it's someone going a little too far in apprehending the law-breaker. Other times, they go way too far. In some instances, the officer is surprisingly not out of line, even though it may seem that way to the untrained eye. As I've mentioned before in previous posts, I come from a family that is loaded with law enforcement. Does this make my opinion on this matter biased? I'd like to believe it doesn't, but rather opens my mind to either perspective. I try to use logic and rationality in these instances, and base my opinion off of the facts given. I am going to present a few examples of these, and am hoping for some feedback on what you may think.

The first is of a Baltimore cop that attempted to break up a group of kids skateboarding in an area that didn't allow skateboarders.

There is no doubt in my mind that Officer Rivieri just didn't know where to draw the line. He had every opportunity to ease up on the aggression and peacefully get the kids to vacate the area, but instead he did this. Sure, kids can be arrogant little bastards sometimes, and they need to be put in their place, but this is the furthest thing from handling it appropriately. As soon as he placed his hands on the skateboard, I thought, "Oooh, he shouldn't have done that," and then he wrestled the kid down and later shoved him back down to the ground. All respect for this man was gone at that point. There is no reason to assault a kid unless 'provoked', and I hardly consider this kid's actions remotely near provoking. Officer Rivieri was fired shortly thereafter by the Baltimore Police Department, which is no surprise. Clearly, they also believed he was out of line. I believe that pudgy putz should have been brought up on charges as well, but perhaps losing his job is punishment enough.

The next one is of a cop in St. Paul that is being recorded as he makes an arrest of a relatively cooperative man already on the ground as ordered.

It was unclear by the video alone what the man was even being arrested for, but after some research, it turns out that he was being accused of making threats toward an ex, obstruction and property damage. Several accounts of the incident claim that he was not made aware of why he was being arrested. Before it was recorded, witnesses say he was maced before the eventual kick to the throat, only to be followed by more mace and the ensuing rough treatment. I'd say the only fault this man had was his angry struggling while being accosted. Understandably, police can see that as an attempt to break free, but I'd be pretty bitter if I was kicked in the throat, maced, slammed on the hood of a car and having my hair pulled too. Once again, I see police brutality here. Maybe the man was guilty of the charges against him, but Officer Zilge is certainly guilty of being an asshole.

The next is of what should have been a routine traffic stop of a 77-year old woman who was pulled over for speeding in Keene, Texas.

I wonder how many times officers hear excuses from people much like the one she gave him. Needing to go to the bathroom is a relatively minor concern when you're about to be ticketed for speeding. She knew she was wrong for speeding, and she figured Sgt. Geheb would sympathize with her need to urinate, but she didn't know she was wrong once again. Unfortunately for her, I am siding with the police on this one. Honestly, if she even had to piss in the first place, it would be a whole lot quicker and easier to just give him her license, registration and proof of insurance so they could both be on their way sooner. He presented her with his name and asked for the necessary identification. She refused, and after he said he would take her to jail, she said, "Well, go ahead."That sounds like permission to me. If the officer could have done anything differently, he could have made another attempt or two to verbally persuade her to exit her vehicle. Otherwise, the video makes it look worse than it is when he physically pulls her out, simply because she's in her 70s. The police department is standing behind his decisions and actions, as they should be. I look at it this way: lady...in order to be a 'sweet old lady' and possibly get out of a ticket, first you need to be sweet. First mistake, you old hag.

I'm sure there are more videos to sort through on this issue, and the ones shown are in order from oldest to most recent. The last two are not even a month ago, and both caught my attention almost immediately. Once again, I'm open to someone else's point of view on these, but I think my opinions are made rather clear. I'll be honest though...I'll be complying with any and every officer no matter what. I don't think being beaten or maced is fun. Why risk either?

D.