American Cops Doing What They Do Best
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Can you imagine if the drug war started targeting the drug infested party schools and towns of American universities? It would be massively fertile ground. All those middle class to wealthy white kids getting drug busts that feck up their labor records and doing hard time . . . it would actually mean an end to the drug war as we know it. It would end one time.
If there's one think cops enjoy more than shooting black people, it's shooting people's dogs.
Columbus police officer injures 4-year-old while shooting at dog
A Columbus police officer accidentally wounded a 4-year-old girl in Whitehall on Friday when he fired at a charging dog, police said.
A neighbor and the girl’s uncle identified her as Ava Ellis, who was taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where police said she was in stable condition.
The officer was at a house in the 4100 block of Chandler Drive investigating a hit-and-run case about 3:10 p.m., Columbus police spokeswoman Denise Alex-Bouzounis said.
As the officer was walking from the home to his patrol car, a woman a few houses away called out to him, saying her sister and the girl’s mother, Andrea Ellis, had cut herself.
The officer was at the doorway when a dog charged at him, Alex-Bouzounis said.
The officer fired once, missing the animal but striking the girl in the right leg. It was unclear whether the girl was hit directly or by a ricochet. The officer has not been identified.
Andrea Ellis was taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center for treatment of the cut.
Gary Parsley II said the officer was following up with him about Parsley’s being struck by a car a couple weeks ago. When the girl’s aunt called out to the officer, the officer walked over and Parsley returned to his house, when he heard a shot.
Neighbors say the officer walked back to his patrol car after the shooting.
“He seemed a little disoriented, like he was really bothered,” said Norman Jones, who called the police after hearing the shot. Columbus and Whitehall police arrived at the scene shortly afterward.
Neighbors say Ellis came out of the house saying her daughter had been shot.
The officer was not injured.
Neighbor Carrie Britton said the family has two dogs and that they were on shock collars and couldn’t get out of the house.
Two dogs were being held in the back of the house after the shooting, according to police.
Police and neighbors gave conflicting information about how many other children were in the house at the time of the shooting, but nobody beside the girl was wounded by a bullet.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/06/19/whitehall-officer-involved-shooting.html
Columbus police officer injures 4-year-old while shooting at dog
A Columbus police officer accidentally wounded a 4-year-old girl in Whitehall on Friday when he fired at a charging dog, police said.
A neighbor and the girl’s uncle identified her as Ava Ellis, who was taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where police said she was in stable condition.
The officer was at a house in the 4100 block of Chandler Drive investigating a hit-and-run case about 3:10 p.m., Columbus police spokeswoman Denise Alex-Bouzounis said.
As the officer was walking from the home to his patrol car, a woman a few houses away called out to him, saying her sister and the girl’s mother, Andrea Ellis, had cut herself.
The officer was at the doorway when a dog charged at him, Alex-Bouzounis said.
The officer fired once, missing the animal but striking the girl in the right leg. It was unclear whether the girl was hit directly or by a ricochet. The officer has not been identified.
Andrea Ellis was taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center for treatment of the cut.
Gary Parsley II said the officer was following up with him about Parsley’s being struck by a car a couple weeks ago. When the girl’s aunt called out to the officer, the officer walked over and Parsley returned to his house, when he heard a shot.
Neighbors say the officer walked back to his patrol car after the shooting.
“He seemed a little disoriented, like he was really bothered,” said Norman Jones, who called the police after hearing the shot. Columbus and Whitehall police arrived at the scene shortly afterward.
Neighbors say Ellis came out of the house saying her daughter had been shot.
The officer was not injured.
Neighbor Carrie Britton said the family has two dogs and that they were on shock collars and couldn’t get out of the house.
Two dogs were being held in the back of the house after the shooting, according to police.
Police and neighbors gave conflicting information about how many other children were in the house at the time of the shooting, but nobody beside the girl was wounded by a bullet.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/06/19/whitehall-officer-involved-shooting.html
I've seen most of these clips before, but I went through this thread last night.
Seeing the clips (and other clips) in quick succession, there's such a clear difference between how the cops respond to, and interact with, black and Hispanic people compared to white people.
Even when they use force with white people, it's like night and day.The eagerness to brutally attack non-whites as soon as possible. It's nothing new, but it's still really quite depressing.
Seeing the clips (and other clips) in quick succession, there's such a clear difference between how the cops respond to, and interact with, black and Hispanic people compared to white people.
Even when they use force with white people, it's like night and day.The eagerness to brutally attack non-whites as soon as possible. It's nothing new, but it's still really quite depressing.
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It's profiling of course and you understand why they do it, but they don't seem to understand that by doing it, they make things worse.
Looks like they jumped the gun a little on the Freddie Gray case. Marilyn will have some explaining to do when this one falls through.
Brace for the riots.
Brace for the riots.
I thought the report was in line with the charges? Didn't the driver get the most severe charge because he failed to assure Gray was secure per protocol?
Yeah but it seems like quite a bit might not fall in line with the overall stance she first went with. Could lead to either no charges, or negligence at best. The reports leave enough there to keep reasonable doubt over all the events.
The case is predicated on two things. The defendant wasn't wearing a seatbelt, and that the defendant suffered a deceleration injury. Could have been him smashing his head against the wall. Could have been when the driver hit the brakes. Plenty of reasons to hit the brakes. Hard to prove whether it was intentional or malicious. Proving anything g beyond a reasonable doubt will be tough.
Which is why they wanted to wait for all the facts to come through before pushing on with charges. She was a little overzealous here. Especially with some of the "findings" from the medical examiners autopsy report.
I actually thought the initial charges were odd, in particular the driver's. So to me, these findings just seem in line with those original charges. One other point I hadn't seen before. The extra stop. Apparently the driver got out and looked in the back? Perhaps he got the worst charge for not doing something then? I really don't see how the driver is at most fault with this case. Why on earth the guys in the back aren't at more fault I don't know.
Edit: also from the same article
what the feck, some people shouldn't be allowed to own animalsOn the Freddie Gray thing, if he's in your custody then you are responsible for anything that happens to him.
I don't think anyone is disputing that from the comments posted above?
Hopefully cops from around the US will start coming out.
Former Baltimore Police Officer Comes Clean About Corruption On Force
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/24/baltimore-officer-tweets_n_7655204.html
Former Baltimore Police Officer Comes Clean About Corruption On Force
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/24/baltimore-officer-tweets_n_7655204.html
Crikey, you can leave your hat on....
http://www.thejournal.ie/gardena-police-shooting-ricardo-diaz-zeferino-video-2218707-Jul2015/
http://www.thejournal.ie/gardena-police-shooting-ricardo-diaz-zeferino-video-2218707-Jul2015/
I recently watched a lengthy interview with an ex Baltimore cop who basically said cops are given arrest quotas and if they continuously fail to meet these quotas there will be consequences, so everyone that he knew of in his state would routinely go after black people (he literally said that) because it is easier to justify being 'suspicious' of black people.
There are two sides to every story, of course, but more often than not in these cases, cops rally around each other and protect their own regardless of what the facts are. They'll even go as far as start a smear campaign against the victim to protect one of their own.
You don't go for a job interview at a University, get the job, get arrested on your way home to celebrate the new job for a very minor traffic violation (something I'd imagine she has experienced many times before) and then suddenly decide to kill yourself. It's just too convenient for the cops.
I don't for one minute believe this lady took her own life.
What Happened to Sandra Bland, a Black Woman Who Died in Jail Monday?
http://gawker.com/what-happened-to-sandra-bland-a-black-woman-who-died-i-1718326817
There are two sides to every story, of course, but more often than not in these cases, cops rally around each other and protect their own regardless of what the facts are. They'll even go as far as start a smear campaign against the victim to protect one of their own.
You don't go for a job interview at a University, get the job, get arrested on your way home to celebrate the new job for a very minor traffic violation (something I'd imagine she has experienced many times before) and then suddenly decide to kill yourself. It's just too convenient for the cops.
I don't for one minute believe this lady took her own life.
What Happened to Sandra Bland, a Black Woman Who Died in Jail Monday?
http://gawker.com/what-happened-to-sandra-bland-a-black-woman-who-died-i-1718326817
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It's scary at this stage.
Edit: also from the same article
They're not actually delivering an electric shock. It's more like those comedy handshake buzzers, the collars use vibration on the dog's neck. The intent is to interrupt the dog's focus so they don't act inappropriately.
Fascism is most successful when implemented slowly and incrementally.
Looking at these 14 points of fascism, you would have to admit that except for maybe control of the media, that this characterises today´s American Republikan party to a tee.
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread
domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
They've left out nice uniforms and lots of marching.
You prefer your fascism quick and hot?
I've always felt that the militarism here was OTT. Every sporting event has soldiers carrying flags, they sing the national anthem at everything from high school sports events, to community meetings, to opening new buildings etc. Flags are everywhere, and everyone bangs on about how great the military is.
It's very weird.
It's very weird.
Pledging allegiance to the flag every morning in school as well. Patriotism is drummed into the Americans from a very young age.
http://www.nbcchicago.com/investiga...revious-Encounters-With-Police-316025661.html
If I didn't laugh I'd cry myself into insanity.
Considering that she had been put in the cell on Friday, and was told she would be processed out on Monday. Why would she then, having stuck it out through the weekend, accepted breakfast from the police at 7am on Monday, suddenly decide suicide was the only way out? Especially when it seemed like her life was on the up, with the new job and all. Too many holes in this story the police are feeding us.
I agree. That said, she posted a video on facebook confessing depression and PTSD. The cynic in me says this will be brushed off as a suicide in the official investigation.
Suicide is the official police stance. They are not budging. I don't trust the police in the US and I certainly wouldn't trust the results the 'police investigation' delivered.
Well I can't speak for Baltimore, but I'll tell you for a fact that I've never been told I need to meet any quota.
It's a pretty big jump from questions over policing and lethal force to claiming fascism. There are real underlying issues, but that sort of hyperbole does nothing to help.
I think there are plenty who would disagree that it is hyperbole.
Cops shoot guy for taking off his hat and lowering his hands. I know the guy should have just kept his hands up, but he looks drunk and doesn't seem to understand the severity of the situation, and when his hands are lowered they're clearly not reaching for anything, he just has them hanging in front of him. Not only do they shoot him, but they shoot about 10 times each hitting the guy standing behind him and behind that it looks like there is a restaurant with people inside. If anyone was standing in the wrong place even more people could have been shot.
If this is the story I heard about, the guy reported his bike was stolen and the police ended up pulling oiver his two buddies. He came over to say it wasn't them and then this happened. Happened in something like 2013.
The incident is 2 years old, but a judge just sanctioned the release of the footage. The guys who stood there with their hands up were the ones who called the police to report their bike stolen. The dispatcher miscommunicated that to the cops, who were told that there had been a robbery at the store where the boys had said the bike was stolen. In this incident, I get why the cops showed up on edge, as they thought they were dealing with an armed robbery, but once it got the point where the boys have their hands up, there is literally no reason to start firing like that.
The problem here is the cops don't even want to take 0,0000001% chance of getting hurt. They'll just start shooting the moment they feel a little threatened. The boy lowered his hands for a split second to remove his hat and it's thank you and goodnight. He's dead.
There's the current lawsuit going on, in which an ex motorcycle CHP officer said he was encouraged to "boost his enforcement contacts with motorists to 100 a month."
Here's where it all goes loopy and makes little to no sense.
Every area office has its own Captain, Lieutenants etc, and each office can be run completely differently to another, even if its only a few miles away. So even though it's falling under the State, there's no overriding consistency.
Some Captains are old school and want things done this way, others would prefer it done otherwise.
Long story short, I've never been told to meet a quota...with the caveat that I wouldn't be completely surprised if some offices encouraged more "interaction".
It's also different from Local PD's who may very well focus on arrests or the like.
From the officer's viewpoint, they can't clearly see his right hand. They show up on scene due to poor information about it being a robbery (possibly armed, as most robberies are). They contact the people there. Ricardo runs over towards the two other men, even though officers repeatedly tell him to stay where he is. He had alcohol and meth in his system, so probably not understanding everything going on. The officers contact him and tell him to keep his hands up. He drops them, they tell him again to keep his hands up...when he drops them a second time, they have no idea where that right hand is. Suddenly he raises it forwards away from his body.
With the information they had on hand, robbery, possible weapons, someone not following commands, dropping hands out of sight, then raising them back up quickly...you have a split second decision to make. Unfortunately in this case it was the wrong one.
Could it have been handled better? Absolutely so. Having both officers from the same view point doesn't give the best angle to see everything happening. Even though they started to triangulate on him (yeah, sounds militaristic doesn't it?) everything happened before they were able to.
The family settled out of court, the DA decided not to press charges based on the information on hand to the officers at the time of the incident, plus the interaction with Ricardo.
I'm well aware the backlash I'll get for offering a varying viewpoint to the "Officers bad. Officers shoot people" rhetoric, and while some cases here I hold my hands up (don't shoot?) and say the officers should be in jail for their actions, here it seems like an extremely unfortunate incident.
One thing I found rather strange when I traveled to New York, was the number of American flags that were everywhere. Every single block would have at least a couple of houses/buildings at least that had a flag hanging. Though saying that it was similar in Canada as well. This compared to back home where the only really time you see flags on private buildings is for Australia Day.
I think the Baltimore thing is because it's got a very high crime rate. It's kind of like the broken windows thing in NYC. You're in San Jose right? Not as bad as Baltimore or Stockton even. I know some parts are pretty bad though...I was driving through it a while back.
Yeah I wouldn't put it anywhere near the same category as Baltimore or Stockton, so they very well may have their own "suggestions" in place as to how to try and deal with crime etc.