A car was pulled over for seatbelt violation. A couple with kids were on the way to the hospital because her mother was about to pass away. Apparently, before the video started, the cops asked for ID through the window and the male passenger reached into a bag and the cops drew weapons. Then they wanted the male passenger to get out of the car. The video starts at this point, I think. The guy in the passenger seat didn’t want to get out of the car, but does not appear to be presenting any sort of threat in any way. A minute or two later, the cops smash the window (with children in the car) and tase the male passenger and drag him out and cuff him.
It really makes the cops look like bullies, trying to intimidate, and when that fails, just hurting people for no real reason. Why did they need this guy to get out of the car? Why was force warranted? Why were the children present put at risk? Why did they tase him?
They had a reason. He refused to get out of the car.
Because digging around in bags, under seats,etc makes cops nervous. That’s the usual places that bad guys keep weapons. People standing outside of a car have fewer places from which to retrieve weapons
I thought the previous guy got shot because he moved too quickly when he did what the cop asked him to. So, now we get shot if we do what they tell us to, and if we don’t.
Thats fine if the point is mainly to make a joke or point out the imperfection of the world. Or talk about a specific case.
But I am going to go out on limb and say your odds of having an unpleasant encounter with a cop are ever so slightly lower if you do what they say rather than not doing what they say.
My blood is boiling, so pitting endorsed. I would like to add that if society didn’t give the police power to pull us over for such petty reasons(seat belt violations) this event and the other mentioned shooting would not have happened.
Except when that reaction to stress includes shooting, tasering, beating and otherwise subducting those who are merely non-compliant in a pissing contest.
The thing you have to understand is that last year, 50% of all traffic stops quickly escalated into a lethal shootout. I mean, I don’t have statistics to back that up, but it might be true. Why else would so many cops be treating these kinds of routine encounters like visits to Fallujah?
And here’s another one, for the NYPD. Article and video.
Teenager was being investigated for marijuana possession. At some point, he flees, apparently. The video picks up at the end of the chase. He stops and gives up. As soon as the first cop reaches him, though he’s just standing there and offering no more resistance, he is pistol whipped. The kid staggers against the wall and puts his hand up. Another cop arrives and punches the kid. The kid is on the ground. There’s no evidence of any struggle. It looks like the cops cuff him, and then punch him one more time while he’s on the ground.
These cops are being investigated by IA and the DA. Why did they pistol whip him? Why did they punch him when his arms were in the air? Why did they punch him again when he was on the ground?
You know, the argument that “there are only a few bad cops, and they give all the rest a bad name” is getting pretty threadbare lately. More like “There are only a few good cops, and they’re not from around here.”
[QUOTE=iiandyii]
The guy in the passenger seat didn’t want to get out of the car…
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Who cares what he wanted or didn’t want to do? Get out of the fucking car.
When the police give you a legitimate order, you don’t get to say No and waste everybody’s time arguing.
[QUOTE=silenus]
You know, the argument that “there are only a few bad cops, and they give all the rest a bad name” is getting pretty threadbare lately. More like “There are only a few good cops, and they’re not from around here.”
[/QUOTE]
Absolutely - we can be quite sure than some heavily publicized anecdotes indicate that the whole group is no good (with some exceptions).