# 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:** 532
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10622 "2017-06-07T22:29:51Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > What we need to do is prevent people who act as racists or assholes from remaining cops. Or find a way to give the partners of asshole cops the ability to stand up to them. From the story above, it seems that the arresting officer’s partner was not fully behind his actions and yet did not feel empowered, for whatever reason, to stop him. mc ---
**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:** [June 8, 2017, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10623 "2017-06-08T11:56:37Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > Or find a way to give the partners of asshole cops the ability to stand up to them. From the story above, it seems that the arresting officer’s partner was not fully behind his actions and yet did not feel empowered, f **or whatever reason** , to stop him. > > mc Well, he was black, for one. Same for the officer in disbelief who was taking her prints. Even the officer’s superior, appears to have been frustrated at the officer’s actions, but NOTHING was done. This is a SYSTEMIC problem, I don’t know how many times this has shown to be the case in this thread alone. The problem is not a few racist, incompetent, or thuggish cops, it’s a system that enables them. And unless we do something about THAT nothing will ever change. ---
**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:** [June 8, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10624 "2017-06-08T19:20:34Z")
Today we can focus on [an event in Jersey City, New Jersey (Video embedded on page; does not auto-play): > [@](#): > > A miles-long police pursuit in Jersey City, New Jersey, screeched to a halt Sunday when the fleeing driver plowed into another car and slammed into a telephone pole, sending both vehicles up in flames. As the innocent victim climbed out of his car, engulfed in flames, police approached him with guns drawn and kicked him repeatedly, before dragging him from the scene on the concrete, new video footage shows. ]([https://thinkprogress.org/what-7-states-discovered-after-spending-more-than-1-million-drug-testing-welfare-recipients-c346e0b4305d](https://thinkprogress.org/what-7-states-discovered-after-spending-more-than-1-million-drug-testing-welfare-recipients-c346e0b4305d)) ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10625 "2017-06-08T19:32:08Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Today we can focus on [an event in Jersey City, New Jersey (Video embedded on page; does not auto-play):](https://thinkprogress.org/what-7-states-discovered-after-spending-more-than-1-million-drug-testing-welfare-recipients-c346e0b4305d) [Did you mean this?](https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/video-shows-cops-kicking-crash-victim-who-was-just-on-fire) But, in any case, what did you expect? With him flailing around on fire like that, it certainly seemed like a good candidate for resisting arrest. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10626 "2017-06-08T19:32:43Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Well, he was black, for one. Same for the officer in disbelief who was taking her prints. > > Even the officer’s superior, appears to have been frustrated at the officer’s actions, but NOTHING was done. > > This is a SYSTEMIC problem, I don’t know how many times this has shown to be the case in this thread alone. The problem is not a few racist, incompetent, or thuggish cops, it’s a system that enables them. And unless we do something about THAT nothing will ever change. That’s my point. mc ---
**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:** [June 8, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10627 "2017-06-08T19:44:06Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > [Did you mean this?](https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/video-shows-cops-kicking-crash-victim-who-was-just-on-fire) > > But, in any case, what did you expect? With him flailing around on fire like that, it certainly seemed like a good candidate for resisting arrest. Beat first, ask questions later. ---
**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:** [June 8, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10628 "2017-06-08T19:55:17Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > [Did you mean this?](https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/video-shows-cops-kicking-crash-victim-who-was-just-on-fire) > > But, in any case, what did you expect? With him flailing around on fire like that, it certainly seemed like a good candidate for resisting arrest. :smack: Yes. Thank you. Sorry about that link, folks. ---
**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:** [June 8, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10629 "2017-06-08T21:09:01Z")
This happened right on a street I usually take home from work. Apparently they broke all sorts of rules of conduct, you know, aside form kicking at an innocent man engulfed in flames. They are only allowed to pursue in specific cases (usually violent suspects of a serious crime) and this appears to not have been the case. Officers are supposed to assess risk and the ability of apprehending at a later point in time. Police are NOT ALLOWED to fire their weapons at fleeing/moving vehicles for motherfucking obvious reasons, fucking shit heads could have killed someone, what if there had been a child in the car? Fucking asshats. These cops fired multiple times at the suspect’s vehicle as they were chasing it. Road blocks are prohibited except where in otherwise lethal force would be justified. Yet police here did exactly this. It seems like our Mayor is doing the right thing, coming out and saying these guys will be fired and there is a possibility for criminal charges. I sure as hell hope so. This seems like poor training overall though. I hope they retrain officers. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10630 "2017-06-09T01:39:38Z")
In Missouri, two members of the Board of Probation and Parole literally played games during parole hearings. > [@](#): > > The Missouri Board of Probation and Parole allegedly toyed with prisoners during hearings by trying to get them to say a chosen word or song title of the day, such as “platypus” and “Hound Dog.” > > Don Ruzicka, a member of the seven-member board, along with an unnamed government employee were accused of keeping score during the hearings, according to a Department of Corrections Inspector General report completed on Nov. 1, 2016. > > Each time one of them used a predetermined key word while interviewing an offender they earned a point. Two points were granted if the offender repeated the word. Occasionally, the duo spiced the game up by wearing matching clothing, like the time they dressed in black shirts, ties, pants and shoes. Ruzicka is a former state representative. He is a member of the Green Party. Ha! Just foolin’! He’s a Republican. Didn’t see that coming, did you? I guess this could go in the SRIOTD too. Anyway I suppose it could have been worse. They could have shot at the prisoners’ feet and me them dance for their release. > **[Missouri parole board played word games during hearings with inmates](https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-courts/missouri-parole-board-played-word-games-during-hearings-with-inmates/article_ce6cba9b-5932-52a4-899a-f7644ec4d7d8.html)** > > From platypus to armadillo to hootenanny, parole board member and state employee would try to work words into parole hearings. ---
**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:** [June 9, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10631 "2017-06-09T01:45:42Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > In Missouri, two members of the Board of Probation and Parole literally played games during parole hearings. > > Ruzicka is a former state representative. He is a member of the Green Party. Ha! Just foolin’! He’s a Republican. Didn’t see that coming, did you? I guess this could go in the SRIOTD too. Anyway I suppose it could have been worse. They could have shot at the prisoners’ feet and me them dance for their release. > > [Missouri parole board played word games during hearings with inmates](http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/missouri-parole-board-played-word-games-during-hearings-with-inmates/article_ce6cba9b-5932-52a4-899a-f7644ec4d7d8.html?utm_content=buffer98f13&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=LEEDCC) That’s extremely fukt up. ---
**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:** [June 9, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10632 "2017-06-09T05:54:27Z")
[Houston, Texas: a sheriff’s deputy and her husband have been indicted for murder. > [@](#): > > A Texas sheriff’s deputy and her husband were indicted Thursday on murder charges in the death of a man they restrained during a late night confrontation outside of a restaurant while she was off duty. > > A Harris County grand jury in Houston returned the indictment against Chauna and Terry Thompson for the fatal altercation with 24-year-old John Hernandez. > [@](#): > > Investigators said Terry Thompson saw an intoxicated Hernandez urinating outside the restaurant and that he restrained Hernandez while his wife helped. A medical examiner ruled that Hernandez died of lack of oxygen to the brain caused by strangulation and chest compression. > > Cellphone video recorded by an unidentified bystander has been released by the bystander’s attorney and posted on local media websites. The footage shows a man lying on top of Hernandez. Jack Carroll, the attorney for the person who recorded the video, has said the man restraining Hernandez used an illegal chokehold. ]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_DEADLY\_FIGHT\_TEXAS\_TXOL-?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-08-23-37-18](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEADLY_FIGHT_TEXAS_TXOL-?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-08-23-37-18)) The Houston Press and a couple other local media outlets have [stories that include the video footage](http://www.houstonpress.com/news/video-shows-fight-that-killed-john-hernandez-9499358); it’s fairly upsetting, IMO. I’m curious why the several people who tried to stop the video recording haven’t been charged, but I suppose it might be hard to prove culpability in court. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10633 "2017-06-09T14:54:51Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Houston, Texas: a sheriff’s deputy and her husband have been indicted for murder.](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEADLY_FIGHT_TEXAS_TXOL-?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-08-23-37-18) > The Houston Press and a couple other local media outlets have [stories that include the video footage](http://www.houstonpress.com/news/video-shows-fight-that-killed-john-hernandez-9499358); it’s fairly upsetting, IMO. I’m curious why the several people who tried to stop the video recording haven’t been charged, but I suppose it might be hard to prove culpability in court. It wasn’t a chokehold, it was a transportation assistance maneuver. See, their plan was to get the guy urinating in public to put out the guy on fire. Best of intentions and all that… ETA: Those assholes that were standing in front of the camera, blocking it, should be charged with accessory and conspiracy to commit murder. they were more concerned about evidence being created than a man being killed. ---
**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:** [June 9, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10634 "2017-06-09T20:36:56Z")
[Meanwhile, police officers tuck a drunk Tasmanian man into bed then take a selfie with him.](http://au.pressfrom.com/news/australia/-23450-police-officers-tuck-drunk-tasmanian-man-into-bed-then-take-a-selfie-with-him/) ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10635 "2017-06-09T22:11:35Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > [Meanwhile, police officers tuck a drunk Tasmanian man into bed then take a selfie with him.](http://au.pressfrom.com/news/australia/-23450-police-officers-tuck-drunk-tasmanian-man-into-bed-then-take-a-selfie-with-him/) Very nice on their part. I love the official reasoning for the selfie, too: > [@Senior Sergeant Craig Fox](#): > > Because he was a bit worse for wear, our officers took the opportunity to record the moment with a selfie in the likely event he could not remember how he got home. I guess good cops don’t mind civilians having records of their actions. ---
**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:** [June 9, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10636 "2017-06-09T23:25:30Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > [Meanwhile, police officers tuck a drunk Tasmanian man into bed then take a selfie with him.](http://au.pressfrom.com/news/australia/-23450-police-officers-tuck-drunk-tasmanian-man-into-bed-then-take-a-selfie-with-him/) That totally fucking rocks! I wanna buy those 2 cops a beer! ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10637 "2017-06-10T14:45:57Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > That totally fucking rocks! > > I wanna buy those 2 cops a beer! I want to give them a job training US cops. (Not that they would take it.) ---
**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:** [June 14, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10638 "2017-06-14T01:45:46Z")
[The jury in the Philip Castile shooting case asked to see two videos again while in deliberations today. They are scheduled to resume deliberations tomorrow. > [@](#): > > The jury also requested transcripts of squad car audio and of Yanez’s statement to state investigators the day after the shooting, but the judge denied the request because defense attorneys did not agree. ]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_CASTILE\_SHOOTING\_OFFICER\_TRIAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-13-20-14-18](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CASTILE_SHOOTING_OFFICER_TRIAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-13-20-14-18))I don’t understand how or why the judge denied the request; weren’t these brought up as evidence during the trial? Why would defense attorneys a) deny the request and b) have the ability to deny the request? ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10639 "2017-06-14T04:37:59Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Why would defense attorneys a) deny the request and b) have the ability to deny the request? At a guess, because the defence can’t provide the context for those transcripts which could cast doubt on guilt. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10640 "2017-06-14T13:13:14Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > At a guess, because the defence can’t provide the context for those transcripts which could cast doubt on guilt. You are saying that the defense would deny this request, because they may cast doubt on guilt? Isn’t that what the defense is supposed to do? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/10641 "2017-06-14T13:59:47Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > You are saying that the defense would deny this request, because they may cast doubt on guilt? Isn’t that what the defense is supposed to do? I don’t think you understood what **Steophan** said. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=531) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=533)