US Police state

[RavenBish]

RavenBish you are the single biggest hypocrite on this board.

Explain.

 

[SaddlerJonny]

The police have been appalling in Baltimore for a long, long time and that needs to change. Truly poor policing. However the reaction is unbelievable, very familiar to the London riots.

Those people are not protesters, not a chance. However most would say that these rioters have always been brought up with violence thanks to Balimtore's poor treatment/help available for these people who are mostly young and have had a poor relationship with the Baltimore Police as well as the facilities available in Baltimore itself to steer them away into a different kind of up bringing also not being there.

It's a really sorry situation, no real good guys but no true bad guys either.

 

[Womble98]

 

[smat]

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...sts-prisoner-police-van-donta-allen-baltimore

On Thursday, a leaked police document, reported by the Washington Post, stated that the second prisoner believed Gray “was intentionally trying to injure himself” by “banging against the walls”. But Allen, interviewed by CBS Baltimore, denied saying this.

“And they’re trying to make it seem like I told them that, I made it like Freddie Gray did that to himself,” Allen said. “Why the fuck would he do that to himself ?”

WOW.

 

[Womble98]

Been ruled a homicide. Officers charged with varying things, abuse of power, manslaughter etc.

 

[RavenBish]

Shock. I'm sure it was all warranted though, they probably felt threatened that he was going to break the cuffs and murder all 6 of them.

 

[Womble98]

Shock. I'm sure it was all warranted though, they probably felt threatened that he was going to break the cuffs and murder all 6 of them.

I think we can both agree though that this is a good thing. Harsh sentences will be coming their way. If there is anything perceived as light or soft punishment the riots will flare up again.

 

[smat]

wonder if it would've happened without the riots

 

[RavenBish]

Exactly. Part of you hopes they'll get that stupid police occupation off the streets now and let the trials take their course - unfortunately you'll probably get other cities already requesting more money and more militarisation for their police in order to 'be prepared' which then just leads to more riots etc... etc...

They turned Baltimore into a police state when all they had to do is hold people accountable. All they needed to arrest those police straight away was probable cause which they had because a dude had been arrested for possessing a switch blade (which isn't a crime) and received severe injuries in custody...even if you clear them or whatever, the idea that there's no immediate shitstorm is typical of the bad PR and cover-up culture. Would they have arrested them anyway, possibly but it's hard not to look at this and see that the demonstrations/riots/protests played some part and now they've got some aggressive prosecutor on the case instead of some embarrassing melt like they did in Ferguson.

America is so fucked up.

 

[Womble98]

Why was he arrested then?

 

[Womble98]

Exactly. Part of you hopes they'll get that stupid police occupation off the streets now and let the trials take their course - unfortunately you'll probably get other cities already requesting more money and more militarisation for their police in order to 'be prepared' which then just leads to more riots etc... etc...

They turned Baltimore into a police state when all they had to do is hold people accountable. All they needed to arrest those police straight away was probable cause which they had because a dude had been arrested for possessing a switch blade (which isn't a crime) and received severe injuries in custody...even if you clear them or whatever, the idea that there's no immediate shitstorm is typical of the bad PR and cover-up culture. Would they have arrested them anyway, possibly but it's hard not to look at this and see that the demonstrations/riots/protests played some part and now they've got some aggressive prosecutor on the case instead of some embarrassing melt like they did in Ferguson.

America is so fucked up.

This video is interesting. From the guy who filmed the arrest originally. He basically says it isn't a race thing, it is a social class thing. I was reading something by the creator of the Wire, and he said a similar thing.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

He got arrested with stupid bail money set apparently.

 

[Womble98]

He got arrested with stupid bail money set apparently.

I read it was for an illegal u-turn and he refused to stop.

One of the rioters who turned himself in was given a bail of something crazy, I think it was $5 million dollars. Such a stupid thing to do, now no one else is going to think of telling their kid to go and hand them self over.

 

[RavenBish]

Part of the prosecution's argument is that the arrest was illegal.

The social class thing is correct but there's quite a clear link between social class and race in a lot of major cities, especially somewhere like Baltimore.

 

[Red]

Part of the prosecution's argument is that the arrest was illegal.

The social class thing is correct but there's quite a clear link between social class and race in a lot of major cities, especially somewhere like Baltimore.

There always has been.

 

[silkyman]

http://www.cracked.com/article_21880_6-reasons-beyond-racism-why-cops-keep-killing-people.html

 

[SALTIRE]

Fox News censoring the breasts on Picasso's painting that was sold the other day - they are getting worse...

 

[Roly]

Whatever they say in training, there's a disconnect between that and the reality. There were 333 deaths in police custody between 1998 and 2010. The last time an officer was convicted for a death in custody was in 1969 (the two officers responsible for killing David Oluwale were sentenced to a few months in prison, each for assault).

What I'm trying to say is that institutional protection of the police is the same here as in the US. The number of deaths may be different, but the problem is identical and likely manifests itself in less destructive ways. An example of that is this guy who, despite not being under any threat, kicked a distressed mother in the head repeatedly, after which she needed plastic surgery. He wasn't convicted despite two cops testifying against him.

IDK, maybe it is worse in the US. It certainly seems pretty bad here though.

333 people over 12 years. No convictions. Is that possibly because they haven't don't anything wrong?

333 over 12 years, that works out at about 27 a year. A quick Google shows that in 11/12 1.2 million people were arrested in the UK.

There are over 40 police forces in the UK, so on average less than one person dies in custody in a force area a year.

I would hazard a guess that the overwhelming majority of deaths in custody relate to the poor health of the detainee, or self harming. In the modern age of fewer but larger and better managed custody suites, completely microphoned and CCTV'ed up I find it hard to believe police in the UK are routinely filling in detainees.

That said, deaths in custody for any reason should be thoroughly investigated, and family's do deserve some peace of mind in a reason. Be it a failing in procedure and process, the fault of an individual, or even just the fact that it was unavoidable.

 

[silkyman]

http://boingboing.net/2015/06/07/out-of-control-texas-cop-pulls.html

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

that roll

 

[Red]

that roll

You can even hear somebody muttering something when he does it. Something like 'wtf?'. Was the roll even necessary?

On a serious note that pig isn't fit for purpose, get rid of it.

 

[Jockney]

333 people over 12 years. No convictions. Is that possibly because they haven't don't anything wrong?

333 over 12 years, that works out at about 27 a year. A quick Google shows that in 11/12 1.2 million people were arrested in the UK.

There are over 40 police forces in the UK, so on average less than one person dies in custody in a force area a year.

I would hazard a guess that the overwhelming majority of deaths in custody relate to the poor health of the detainee, or self harming. In the modern age of fewer but larger and better managed custody suites, completely microphoned and CCTV'ed up I find it hard to believe police in the UK are routinely filling in detainees.

That said, deaths in custody for any reason should be thoroughly investigated, and family's do deserve some peace of mind in a reason. Be it a failing in procedure and process, the fault of an individual, or even just the fact that it was unavoidable.

Because of course it's a complete mathematical fluke and not because the IPCC have proved to be at best incompetent and at worst corrupt and complicit, as they were with Sean Rigg and Christopher Alder -- just two examples that spring to mind.

Scum speaking up for fellow scum, again.

 

[Jockney]

The police have been appalling in Baltimore for a long, long time and that needs to change. Truly poor policing. However the reaction is unbelievable, very familiar to the London riots.

Those people are not protesters, not a chance. However most would say that these rioters have always been brought up with violence thanks to Balimtore's poor treatment/help available for these people who are mostly young and have had a poor relationship with the Baltimore Police as well as the facilities available in Baltimore itself to steer them away into a different kind of up bringing also not being there.

It's a really sorry situation, no real good guys but no true bad guys either.

Some very clear bad guys. Every state or federal politician, official or civil servant complicit in creating, enacting and enforcing legislation that prevents black working class and other lower class people finding quality, affordable housing; employment and education opportunities; health insurance and access to welfare or low interest rate loans. The gentrification of Charles Village, Remington, Federal Hill and much of Downtown Baltimore. Private enterprise for contributing to that malaise, though their sins are too extensive and well-documented to be afforded much space in a single post. All law enforcement, with no exceptions.

There's a good start, anyway.

 

[Roly]

Because of course it's a complete mathematical fluke and not because the IPCC have proved to be at best incompetent and at worst corrupt and complicit, as they were with Sean Rigg and Christopher Alder -- just two examples that spring to mind.

Scum speaking up for fellow scum, again.

Please see the last paragraph of my post. I'm all up for hounding out the inept and the corrupt.

Both horrible and tragic cases you mention there. Alder was failed by police, paramedics and A&E.

The Sean Rigg case I believe is still being investigated, 7 years later. That's not right.

I do believe the IPCC are unit for purpose, but do not believe they are 'in bed' with the police.

Anyway, my point being you can't compare US policing to that of the UK. And come of Jockney, scum, really? I'm not that bad.

 

[Stevencc]

http://boingboing.net/2015/06/07/out-of-control-texas-cop-pulls.html

I thought that was a parody at first, when I saw the roll. I'm still a bit confused as to why he did it because there's no tactical advantage whatsoever to rolling over like that at that point, if anything it's a hindrance/waste of energy. He's probably just watched too many actions films. Either that or he just tripped over and tried to style it out into a roll.

Anyway, the roll isn't the main issue here

What a c***. That is probably the most bizarre abuse of authority that I've ever seen.

 

[pontoonlew]

That video was absolutely bizarre, that fucking roll

 

[silkyman]

https://twitter.com/madwho12/status/609600209954324480

I think they might have some justification for drawing their guns in this one...

 

[Womble98]

https://twitter.com/madwho12/status/609600209954324480

I think they might have some justification for drawing their guns in this one...

Definitely, the guy was attacking them with a van. I was surprised they didn't fire sooner.

 

[pontoonlew]

They only fired because the van was black.

 

[silkyman]

So, a white guy has killed nine black people in South Carolina.

Police are trying to find him, presumably to offer him a job..