# 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:** 663
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13242 "2018-04-20T15:50:59Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > When you are a cop, and you abuse your position, or if you kill someone who was presenting no actual threat to you or the public, you are the one who is “demonizing” the police. If you are a cop, and you have gotten away with abusive behavior, or if you have assisted in cover abusive behavior on the part of others, then you are the one who is increasing the danger for your fellow officers. Yeah, but if it wasn’t for the pesky media blasting your misdeeds all over the country, nobody would know about it and therefore, cops wouldn’t be demonized. The damn media! ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13243 "2018-04-20T19:35:12Z")
“I want to get her out of this truck, and let’s search the truck,” Officer Robin Ducote’s body camera recorded her saying. Another officer asked her, “Do you have p-c?” “Yeah, they are both f\*\*\*\*\*\* passed out,” Ducote responds. “So, if we find something, we say it’s in plain view. Who gives a s\*\*\*, we’re writing this report.” I never understood this type of behavior. Is your pension and freedom really worth it? If they suspects walk because you can’t arrest them, who cares? Remember - you don’t make the laws, just enforce them. Including the ones pertaining to your actions. I hope she was at least fired if not prosecuted. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13244 "2018-04-20T19:44:36Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > I never understood this type of behavior. Is your pension and freedom really worth it? If they suspects walk because you can’t arrest them, who cares? Remember - you don’t make the laws, just enforce them. Including the ones pertaining to your actions. I hope she was at least fired if not prosecuted. I know, right? It’s almost as if they know with 99% probability that they can do whatever they want and not get into trouble. Or only some shitty administrative leave or some crap. I wonder why they think that? ---
**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:** [April 20, 2018, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13245 "2018-04-20T20:15:47Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > “I want to get her out of this truck, and let’s search the truck,” Officer Robin Ducote’s body camera recorded her saying. > > Another officer asked her, “Do you have p-c?” > > “Yeah, they are both f\*\*\*\*\*\* passed out,” Ducote responds. “So, if we find something, we say it’s in plain view. Who gives a s\*\*\*, we’re writing this report.” > I never understood this type of behavior. Is your pension and freedom really worth it? If they suspects walk because you can’t arrest them, who cares? Remember - you don’t make the laws, just enforce them. Including the ones pertaining to your actions. I hope she was at least fired if not prosecuted. It is the type of behavior you engage in when you know that you will face no consequences for it. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13246 "2018-04-20T20:44:14Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > I never understood this type of behavior. Is your pension and freedom really worth it? You know what would be even better? If the first thought was “Should I really be violating this person’s constitutional rights?” rather than “Will this unethical behavior come back to bite me on the ass?” ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13247 "2018-04-20T20:55:01Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > You know what would be even better? > > If the first thought was “Should I really be violating this person’s constitutional rights?” rather than “Will this unethical behavior come back to bite me on the ass?” Have you meant many humans? My company has a strict (and fairly well enforced) code of conduct, but my first thought when contemplating an action that may cross a line there isn’t “what does the Code of Conduct say?” but more “Will I get at yelled at and possibly fired if I do this?” ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13248 "2018-04-20T21:01:14Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > “I want to get her out of this truck, and let’s search the truck,” Officer Robin Ducote’s body camera recorded her saying. > > Another officer asked her, “Do you have p-c?” > > “Yeah, they are both f\*\*\*\*\*\* passed out,” Ducote responds. “So, if we find something, we say it’s in plain view. Who gives a s\*\*\*, we’re writing this report.” > I never understood this type of behavior. Is your pension and freedom really worth it? If they suspects walk because you can’t arrest them, who cares? Remember - you don’t make the laws, just enforce them. Including the ones pertaining to your actions. I hope she was at least fired if not prosecuted. Don’t hold your breath. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13249 "2018-04-20T21:06:58Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Have you meant many humans? My company has a strict (and fairly well enforced) code of conduct, but my first thought when contemplating an action that may cross a line there isn’t “what does the Code of Conduct say?” but more “Will I get at yelled at and possibly fired if I do this?” So, if you think you can get away with something against the code of conduct, as long as you don’t get caught and yelled at, anything is fair game? I hear there is a police force that is hiring. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13250 "2018-04-20T21:14:18Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > So, if you think you can get away with something against the code of conduct, as long as you don’t get caught and yelled at, anything is fair game? > > I hear there is a police force that is hiring. No, I break the code as often as I break the law (ignoring speeding). I’m saying that my first thought when faced with the rare morally dubious choice is of the direct consequences to myself, and I think is likely true of most people. I could be wrong - I’m certain there are people with more highly evolved moral standards than myself. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13251 "2018-04-20T21:44:46Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > No, I break the code as often as I break the law (ignoring speeding). I’m saying that my first thought when faced with the rare morally dubious choice is of the direct consequences to myself, and I think is likely true of most people. > > I could be wrong - I’m certain there are people with more highly evolved moral standards than myself. The problem here is that these officers know that there is a very small chance that they will have any consequences for themselves when they break laws or codes of conduct. I understand when you find yourself in a morally ambiguous place, you do what is best for you. But when you are the aggressor on morals, when you are the one who is framing someone, that’s not just thinking about your own consequences, there is nothing ambiguous about that, you know that you are doing wrong and harming someone else. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13252 "2018-04-21T00:42:56Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > You know what would be even better? > > If the first thought was “Should I really be violating this person’s constitutional rights?” rather than “Will this unethical behavior come back to bite me on the ass?” That is not my quote. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13253 "2018-04-21T06:14:10Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > That is not my quote. But that’s the idea at the heart of your post: the notion that the main consideration in violating someone’s rights is whether you’ll get caught, not whether it’s an immoral thing to do, or whether it violates the very principles that an officer of the law is supposed to be upholding. ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13254 "2018-04-21T15:34:08Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > But that’s the idea at the heart of your post: the notion that the main consideration in violating someone’s rights is whether you’ll get caught, not whether it’s an immoral thing to do, or whether it violates the very principles that an officer of the law is supposed to be upholding. The quote is from \*\*MikeF’\*\*s post, not **Ike Witt** ’s. The link goes to a completely different post. How did you manage that? Did you start out to multiquote, and then you deleted too much? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13255 "2018-04-21T16:05:08Z")
> [@eulalia](#): > > The quote is from \*\*MikeF’\*\*s post, not **Ike Witt** ’s. The link goes to a completely different post. How did you manage that? Did you start out to multiquote, and then you deleted too much? Ah, I see. Sorry **Ike Witt**. I don’t know how that happened. I think it might be a multi-quote problem, as suggested by **eulalia**. My apologies. I’m usually pretty careful with using the quote feature. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13256 "2018-04-21T20:56:22Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Ah, I see. > > Sorry **Ike Witt**. I don’t know how that happened. I think it might be a multi-quote problem, as suggested by **eulalia**. My apologies. I’m usually pretty careful with using the quote feature. No problem. Thank you for clearing it up. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13257 "2018-04-22T02:48:06Z")
[Moderating] I’ve fixed the mis-attributed quote tag. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13258 "2018-04-22T05:24:26Z")
Thanks **Miller**. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaptics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Sinaptics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaptics)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13259 "2018-04-23T22:02:20Z")
Haven’t seen this one posted yet: [Black woman gets thrown to floor at Saraland Waffle House](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saraland-waffle-house-arrest-video-alabama-police-chikesia-clemons/) Disclaimer: We only have the woman’s side of the story. Waffle house nor police have made any comment as far as I can tell. Story: Woman gets charged $.50 for plastic utensils. Complains that she hasn’t been charged previously and asks for manager contact info. While employees are (presumably) getting contact info, police come in, wrestle her to the floor, and arrest her for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13260 "2018-04-25T15:50:25Z")
[Black guy shot in the back running away.](https://www.theroot.com/video-va-cop-shot-black-teenager-in-the-back-as-teen-1825510114) Apparently, as long as you yell “He’s got a gun,” that’s a license to do pretty much whatever you want. Edit: They did find a gun on the guy, but it was in his pants, and I see no evidence of it in the video as he’s running away. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2018, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/13261 "2018-04-25T17:33:50Z")
> [@Sinaptics](#): > > Haven’t seen this one posted yet: [Black woman gets thrown to floor at Saraland Waffle House](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saraland-waffle-house-arrest-video-alabama-police-chikesia-clemons/) > > Disclaimer: We only have the woman’s side of the story. Waffle house nor police have made any comment as far as I can tell. > > Story: Woman gets charged $.50 for plastic utensils. Complains that she hasn’t been charged previously and asks for manager contact info. While employees are (presumably) getting contact info, police come in, wrestle her to the floor, and arrest her for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The police have made a comment. Things may not be as first “reported”. What a surprise. > **[Saraland Police Stand By Controversial Arrest Of Woman At Waffle House](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/saraland-waffle-house-arrest_n_5ade5146e4b0b2e811327ae3)** > > The incident ended with 25-year-old Chikesia Clemons handcuffed and topless on the restaurant floor. Just a typical drunk asshole. Race and gender have nothing to do with it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=662) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=664)