# Controversial encounters between law-enforcement and civilians - the omnibus thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2014, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942 "2014-10-10T07:35:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 363
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7241 "2015-11-28T21:56:16Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > This isn’t about me believing police can and should do whatever they want. Thank you for finally admitting that you believe police can and should do whatever they want. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7242 "2015-11-28T22:01:17Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Thank you for finally admitting that you believe police can and should do whatever they want. I do not believe police can and should do whatever they want. I believe the police can and should be allowed to use the appropriate means to carry out the duty the law and the people have placed upon them without being subjected to constant scrutiny and criticism by the mob on the basis that the act of them doing their job is distasteful to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7243 "2015-11-28T22:26:34Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I do not believe police can and should do whatever they want. Do you believe the police should _not_ be allowed to do whatever they want? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7244 "2015-11-28T22:44:56Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Do you believe the police should _not_ be allowed to do whatever they want? I believe the police are subject to the same rule of law as the rest of society, as qualified by the fact that the state has invested them with the right to use physical and/or lethal force for the purpose of carrying out their duties. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7245 "2015-11-28T23:18:02Z")
I’ll take that as a “yes”. It may prove useful. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7246 "2015-11-28T23:26:47Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I do not believe police can and should do whatever they want. Glad to hear that you have changed your mind and want to join the human race. Of course given your dozens of posts to the contrary, I don’t believe you have truly changed your colours. Time will tell. How much time? Until the next obvious murder that you deny. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7247 "2015-11-28T23:36:14Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > How much time? Until the next obvious murder that you deny. When one of these “obvious murderers” gets convicted of murder, we’ll talk. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7248 "2015-12-01T23:31:31Z")
Smapti what do you say now that surveillance of the cops in the nearby Burger King combing through footage has surfaced? Still convinced this was impossible and the manager was lying? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7249 "2015-12-02T00:50:10Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > the video wasn’t deleted - the video never _existed in the first place_ How about this video? [Screencaps show Chicago PD tampering with Burger King video of Laquan McDonald murder](http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/12/1/1455876/-Screencaps-show-Chicago-PD-tampering-with-Burger-King-video-of-Laquan-McDonald-murder) ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7250 "2015-12-02T01:23:46Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > How about this video? > > [Screencaps show Chicago PD tampering with Burger King video of Laquan McDonald murder](http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/12/1/1455876/-Screencaps-show-Chicago-PD-tampering-with-Burger-King-video-of-Laquan-McDonald-murder) Well, there’s deletion of two videos in question here that **Smapti** claims didn’t happen (because cops would never do this): The University of Maryland student, and The Chicago Burger King video Because it’s not possible on a local level (or something) that files could be deleted. Maybe the Burger King cops were worried about their spouses finding out they violated their diet–burn that footage of ordering a Double Whopper Meal–nothing to do with anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7251 "2015-12-02T02:31:11Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Well, there’s deletion of two videos in question here that **Smapti** claims didn’t happen (because cops would never do this)… Shouldn’t a **Smapti** be arguing that deleting the videos was absolutely right and proper, because the cops did it? ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7252 "2015-12-02T02:52:36Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Shouldn’t a **Smapti** be arguing that deleting the videos was absolutely right and proper, because the cops did it? Well, forget it Jake, that’s a given in\*\* Smaptitown\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7253 "2015-12-02T03:36:20Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It’s not your fault, but you probably should consider that this might be possible, and stop trusting that your instincts on such subjects are anything but the crazy absurd rantings of someone severely (and probably permanently) traumatically damaged. I’m very sympathetic to this point, but it is also important to keep in mind that other people go through traumas as bad or worse and are not rendered inhuman as a result. Although I have sympathy for people’s suffering, I believe we still nevertheless bear responsibility for how we respond. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7254 "2015-12-02T03:41:16Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > How about this video? > > [Screencaps show Chicago PD tampering with Burger King video of Laquan McDonald murder](http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/12/1/1455876/-Screencaps-show-Chicago-PD-tampering-with-Burger-King-video-of-Laquan-McDonald-murder) At that link I just see a blurry still photo, and a video newsreport that speaks of the blurry still. Where is the evidence of tampering? A this point I’m happy to give the Burger King manager far more credence than the police, and I suppose there _is_ clear evidence of the tampering. But I don’t see it here. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7255 "2015-12-02T06:15:54Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > At that link I just see a blurry still photo, and a video newsreport that speaks of the blurry still. Where is the evidence of tampering? > > A this point I’m happy to give the Burger King manager far more credence than the police, and I suppose there _is_ clear evidence of the tampering. But I don’t see it here. Again: Well, forget it Jake, that’s a given in\*\* Smaptitown\*\*. Police are impeachable in their testimony–any difference is pro-criminal liberalism! ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7256 "2015-12-02T11:39:19Z")
[Leaked Documents Reveal Dothan Police Department Planted Drugs on Young Black Men For Years](http://henrycountyreport.com/blog/2015/12/01/leaked-documents-reveal-dothan-police-department-planted-drugs-on-young-black-men-for-years-district-attorney-doug-valeska-complicit/) > [@](#): > > A group of up to a dozen police officers on a specialized narcotics team were found to have planted drugs and weapons on young black men for years. They were supervised at the time by Lt. Steve Parrish, current Dothan Police Chief, and Sgt. Andy Hughes, current Director of Homeland Security for the State of Alabama. All of the officers reportedly were members of a Neoconfederate organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center labels “racial extremists.” The group has advocated for blacks to return to Africa, published that the civil rights movement is really a Jewish conspiracy, and that blacks have lower IQ’s . ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7257 "2015-12-02T13:48:43Z")
**Smapti** can watch a crystal clear video of cops beat the shit out of a kid lying on the ground and not attacking them and conclude that the kid was injured by a horse and that he probably deserved it anyway. There is nothing that will convince him. The only good thing is that he’s too broken of a person to ever get into a position of power himself. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7258 "2015-12-02T14:13:44Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > **Smapti** can watch a crystal clear video of cops beat the shit out of a kid lying on the ground and not attacking them and conclude that the kid was injured by a horse and that he probably deserved it anyway. There is nothing that will convince him. > > The only good thing is that he’s too broken of a person to ever get into a position of power himself. Even worse– **Smapti** concludes that the kid probably _attacked_ the horse-mounted officer. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7259 "2015-12-02T15:45:50Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > [Leaked Documents Reveal Dothan Police Department Planted Drugs on Young Black Men For Years](http://henrycountyreport.com/blog/2015/12/01/leaked-documents-reveal-dothan-police-department-planted-drugs-on-young-black-men-for-years-district-attorney-doug-valeska-complicit/) This is probably not terribly surprising, but I wonder how widespread this is. Hopefully the Justice Department is looking into it. Imagine how it would feel to go to prison based on evidence planted by racist cops – once they get out, how could they respond in any other way than believing, with good cause, that the police are their enemy, and teaching their children that the police are their enemy? Fuckers like this have harmed America enormously, and more than just the individuals affected. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7260 "2015-12-02T17:42:05Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > How about this video? > > [Screencaps show Chicago PD tampering with Burger King video of Laquan McDonald murder](http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/12/1/1455876/-Screencaps-show-Chicago-PD-tampering-with-Burger-King-video-of-Laquan-McDonald-murder) No, those screencaps show the Chicago PD _looking_ at a video which didn’t show the shooting. The state attorney says there’s no evidence the police tampered with the files. Moreover, we already know what the video would have shown, thanks to Van Dyke’s dashboard cam - the suspect running away along the sidewalk in front of the BK and the officer briefly driving over the curb to pursue him. To insist that the department hacked a major corporation and tampered with evidence in order to conceal evidence of _a moving violation_, which wasn’t illegal under the circumstances anyway, and which there was also still existing video of from another source, is nothing more than a conspiracy theory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=362) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=364)