# 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:** 41
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/801 "2015-02-25T17:13:14Z")
You hitting the sauce a little early today? ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/802 "2015-02-25T17:21:56Z")
[http://www.wsvn.com/story/28181189/fort-lauderdale-police-officer-caught-on-camera-slapping-homeless-man](http://www.wsvn.com/story/28181189/fort-lauderdale-police-officer-caught-on-camera-slapping-homeless-man) Things are changing for the better. In the past I have witnessed that sort of “police encounter” where it was a fist, and then a boot. It used to be a regular event for the homeless and the down and out, who would rarely report it, they actually expect it. A beating from the cops often was used instead of an arrest to convince somebody to stay off a property. And yeah, in Florida. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/803 "2015-02-25T22:30:24Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Yeah, shit like this is annoying as fuck and retards like you are why I quite facey-space a couple of years ago. My life has never been better now that I don’t have to see the droolings of idiotic morans like you anymore. LOL Good stuff Drunky. However, I can’t figure out which definition of “moran” you were going for, there, Drunky. Could that be because I’m such a dommy? Idiat? Duifus? Fartnokker? Keep them coming. I don’t know if you’re for real, or just discrediting the conservative side, but I loooove your stuff. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/804 "2015-02-27T00:09:01Z")
Drunkyyyyy…come baasaaack…we’ve got alcohol… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/805 "2015-03-02T07:29:28Z")
[ > [@](#): > > Los Angeles police say three officers fired on and killed a man on the city’s Skid Row because of a struggle over one of the officers’ guns. > > Police say graphic video of the incident that was shot by a bystander and widely circulated on social media a few hours after the incident Sunday will be used in their investigation. > > Police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said the three police officers including a sergeant shot the man as they struggled on the ground for control of one of the police officer’s weapons, after a stun gun proved ineffective. They were answering a report of a robbery. > > The video shows four officers struggling with the man amid the tents and cardboard of the Skid Row sidewalk. > > At one point the word “gun” can be heard, followed by the sound of about five gunshots. ]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_SKID\_ROW\_POLICE\_SHOOTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-03-02-01-50-05](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SKID_ROW_POLICE_SHOOTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-03-02-01-50-05)) [Video here](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/01/lapd-fatally-shoots-homel_n_6780810.html) (NSFW). ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/806 "2015-03-02T09:47:32Z")
Police officers lied and [arrested a man on fabricated charges](http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/02/27/but-for-the-video/) that could have sent him to prison for decades. 7 witnesses lied, including police and two prosecutors. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/807 "2015-03-02T14:36:30Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > Police officers lied and [arrested a man on fabricated charges](http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/02/27/but-for-the-video/) that could have sent him to prison for decades. 7 witnesses lied, including police and two prosecutors. Classy, classy behavior. I think I really would rather call a crackhead than a cop. ---
**Author:** ![Monocracy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monocracy/32/4493_2.png) [@Monocracy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monocracy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/808 "2015-03-02T14:41:52Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [ > > [url=[LAPD Caught On Video Shooting Homeless Man To Death | HuffPost Latest News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/01/lapd-fatally-shoots-homel_n_6780810.html)]Video here]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_SKID\_ROW\_POLICE\_SHOOTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-03-02-01-50-05](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SKID_ROW_POLICE_SHOOTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-03-02-01-50-05)) (NSFW). I didn’t see the vid on that page. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DyFhYmoQHg) is a you-tube link. That’s pretty fucking crazy. When the officers are yelling “Gun! Gun! He’s going for the gun!”, all I can think of is the South Park hunters: "[“It’s headed right for us!”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt6kKhlX8vU&feature=player_detailpage#t=9) On most of these controversial shootings, I’ve been more on the cops side, but this one looks pretty bad. I wonder how _a certain SDMB poster_ is going to spin this one? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/809 "2015-03-02T17:25:02Z")
> [@Monocracy](#): > > I didn’t see the vid on that page. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DyFhYmoQHg) is a you-tube link. > > That’s pretty fucking crazy. When the officers are yelling “Gun! Gun! He’s going for the gun!”, all I can think of is the South Park hunters: "[“It’s headed right for us!”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt6kKhlX8vU&feature=player_detailpage#t=9) > > On most of these controversial shootings, I’ve been more on the cops side, but this one looks pretty bad. I wonder how _a certain SDMB poster_ is going to spin this one? There’s at least one other video in this thread of a cop on top of a guy screaming “he’s going for my gun” or “he’s got my gun”; watching the video showed that he never had his hand near the cop’s gun. IMO cops are trained to shout that so they have an excuse for their actions, just like they are trained to yell “stop resisting” while they beat people, regardless of what their victim is actually doing. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/810 "2015-03-02T17:46:40Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > Police officers lied and [arrested a man on fabricated charges](http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/02/27/but-for-the-video/) that could have sent him to prison for decades. 7 witnesses lied, including police and two prosecutors. Christ, that makes me sick. > [@](#): > > But here’s my question: Why aren’t the seven witnesses to Dendinger’s nonexistent assault on Cassard already facing felony charges? Why are all but one of the cops who filed false reports still wearing badges and collecting paychecks? Why aren’t the attorneys who filed false reports facing disbarment? Dendinger’s prosecutors both filed false reports, then prosecuted Dendinger based on the reports they knew were false. They should be looking for new careers — after they get out of jail. That’s my question also. Incontrovertible evidence shows that they lied. That they care nothing about justice or honesty or depriving someone of their God given rights, that they are horrible people, _worse than probably anyone they have ever arrested or prosecuted_. They should all go to prison. At the very, _very_ least, they should all have been fired for cause. > [@](#): > > WWL-TV reached out to the defendants for comment, but only Sheriff Seal responded with a statement. He said, “We are confident that all claims against all WPSO deputies will be rejected and dismissed by the court.” Sadly, he’s probably right. Christ, because he served a cop with papers??? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/811 "2015-03-02T18:29:47Z")
Sheriff Seal might as well have stood up there and said, “We are confident that, despite all evidence to the contrary, we are going to get away with this.” ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/812 "2015-03-02T19:02:27Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Sheriff Seal might as well have stood up there and said, “We are confident that, despite all evidence to the contrary, we are going to get away with this.” That is exactly how things used to be, and still are when there is no video. The most important part of the article linked to - > [@](#): > > “He’d still be in a world of trouble if he didn’t have that film,” When corruption and criminals are rampant, cameras are about the only chance anyone has for a chance at justice. It’s exactly why Russian drivers have cameras in their cars. With out evidence, a video of what happened, liars and thieves and idiots can railroad you into prison, or worse. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/813 "2015-03-02T20:00:07Z")
> [@Monocracy](#): > > I didn’t see the vid on that page. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DyFhYmoQHg) is a you-tube link. > > That’s pretty fucking crazy. When the officers are yelling “Gun! Gun! He’s going for the gun!”, all I can think of is the South Park hunters: "[“It’s headed right for us!”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt6kKhlX8vU&feature=player_detailpage#t=9) > > On most of these controversial shootings, I’ve been more on the cops side, but this one looks pretty bad. I wonder how _a certain SDMB poster_ is going to spin this one? I am fairly clearly am hearing “drop the gun!” 2-3 times. If this is what I think it is, he did not just grab for it, but managed to strip away one of the officers guns. If thats the case, not a pretty situation, but a legal use of lethal force by the officer. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/814 "2015-03-02T20:56:37Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > I am fairly clearly am hearing “drop the gun!” 2-3 times. If this is what I think it is, he did not just grab for it, but managed to strip away one of the officers guns. If thats the case, not a pretty situation, but a legal use of lethal force by the officer. And that’s what the police are claiming. It’s often the case, as with Michael Brown or Eric Garner, that _at the exact moment the force was used_, it was legally justifiable (or at least unable to be proven otherwise). The larger issue that police should be focusing on is how they manage turn peaceful situations with unarmed civilians into life-or-death situations in a matter of minutes. The recent two-part _This American Life_ episode on race and policing spent a fair amount of time talking about de-escalation. They played a recording of some realistic training scenarios that the Las Vegas PD had set up in the last few years, and an officer can be heard repeatedly shouting “I’m not going to shoot you! I’m not going to shoot you!” It instantly reminded me of a video posted a few pages back where two black men are pulled over and a gun is found in the glove box. One of the cops repeatedly shouts, angrily, “I will shoot you!” The difference couldn’t be more clear. He ended up shooting the unarmed passenger when he got out of the car with his hands up. Makes you wonder what the point of being so menacing is, since it never seems to result in any additional compliance. All it does is escalate non-violent situations into violent ones. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/815 "2015-03-02T21:06:07Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > And that’s what the police are claiming. It’s often the case, as with Michael Brown or Eric Garner, that _at the exact moment the force was used_, it was legally justifiable (or at least unable to be proven otherwise). The larger issue that police should be focusing on is how they manage turn peaceful situations with unarmed civilians into life-or-death situations in a matter of minutes. > > The recent two-part _This American Life_ episode on race and policing spent a fair amount of time talking about de-escalation. They played a recording of some realistic training scenarios that the Las Vegas PD had set up in the last few years, and an officer can be heard repeatedly shouting “I’m not going to shoot you! I’m not going to shoot you!” It instantly reminded me of a video posted a few pages back where two black men are pulled over and a gun is found in the glove box. One of the cops repeatedly shouts, angrily, “I will shoot you!” The difference couldn’t be more clear. He ended up shooting the unarmed passenger when he got out of the car with his hands up. Makes you wonder what the point of being so menacing is, since it never seems to result in any addition al compliance. All it does is escalate non-violent situations into violent ones. A lot of them simply don’t have anywhere NEAR the emotional stability or maturity to handle the job. Timothy Loehmann, who shot Tamir Rice (the 12-year-old with the Airsoft toy gun in Cleveland) is a PERFECT example. A few others are psychopathic excitement-junkies who WANT an excuse to kill. Plenty are conscious racists, and probably even more are unconsciously racist, and either hate/fear black people, or overestimate the dangers of black people, or both. Yes, racists, I have a link for this, shut up please. Police academy training is extremely frightening these days, with videos like the one where Andrew Brannan, a mentally ill veteran, brutally, coldly murders a Georgia state trooper on camera. They scare these poor recruits half to death. All of these play in to some degree in most shootings. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/816 "2015-03-02T21:10:43Z")
> [@Monocracy](#): > > On most of these controversial shootings, I’ve been more on the cops side, but this one looks pretty bad. I wonder how _a certain SDMB poster_ is going to spin this one? He grabbed for the cop’s gun. What’s there to spin? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/817 "2015-03-02T21:15:24Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > He grabbed for the cop’s gun. What’s there to spin? I don’t see that in the video. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/818 "2015-03-02T21:22:54Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I don’t see that in the video. You can’t see _anything_ in that video; it’s shot from a distance, there are people in the way, and the picture quality is not good. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/819 "2015-03-02T21:31:49Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You can’t see _anything_ in that video; it’s shot from a distance, there are people in the way, and the picture quality is not good. We will know shortly. At the police news conference, the information officer said two cops were wearing body cams. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/820 "2015-03-02T22:04:15Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You can’t see _anything_ in that video; it’s shot from a distance, there are people in the way, and the picture quality is not good. Why do you default to believing a cop? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=40) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=42)