# 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:** 775
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15483 "2019-10-19T17:04:49Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Balls…looks like TX has a cap on punitive damages vs. government of $250k. I’m not sure if that stacks on normal personal injury general damages or not. So that number might not have gotten any better. Still, it’s not really about the money. Sexual assault charges in Texas carry 2-20 years. I wonder how tough the sentence was against the cop doing the molesting. > > Disregard the constabulary. That makes me wonder if $205,000 is a typo, and it really was $250,000. $205K is a weird number to arrive at. ---
**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:** [October 19, 2019, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15484 "2019-10-19T18:03:36Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > That makes me wonder if $205,000 is a typo, and it really was $250,000. $205K is a weird number to arrive at. Possibly. > [@](#): > > CIVIL PRACTICE AND REMEDIES CODE > TITLE 5. GOVERNMENTAL LIABILITY > CHAPTER 101. TORT CLAIMS > . . . . > > [Sec. 101.023. LIMITATION ON AMOUNT OF LIABILITY. (a) Liability of the state government under this chapter is limited to money damages in a maximum amount of $250,000 for each person and $500,000 for each single occurrence for bodily injury or death and $100,000 for each single occurrence for injury to or destruction of property.](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.101.htm) > > (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), liability of a unit of local government under this chapter is limited to money damages in a maximum amount of $100,000 for each person and $300,000 for each single occurrence for bodily injury or death and $100,000 for each single occurrence for injury to or destruction of property. > > (c) Liability of a municipality under this chapter is limited to money damages in a maximum amount of $250,000 for each person and $500,000 for each single occurrence for bodily injury or death and $100,000 for each single occurrence for injury to or destruction of property. > > (d) Except as provided by Section 78.001, liability of an emergency service organization under this chapter is limited to money damages in a maximum amount of $100,000 for each person and $300,000 for each single occurrence for bodily injury or death and $100,000 for each single occurrence for injury to or destruction of property. > > . . . . ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15485 "2019-10-21T14:54:36Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > That makes me wonder if $205,000 is a typo, and it really was $250,000. $205K is a weird number to arrive at. It’s possible, but $250k is the worst result the city could get by fighting. It would make economic sense that if they thought they’d have to pay $250k in a settlement, they’d rather take it to court where they would have to pay lawyers, but there’s a chance they would end up paying nothing or a lesser amount and no chance they’d pay more than the settlement amount. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15486 "2019-10-21T17:39:06Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Lots and lots of those around. He’s not much of an anomaly. It sure looks like there are far too many of them, too. And “the system” gives them cover. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2019, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15487 "2019-10-21T19:01:44Z")
[Murder trial for Oklahoma City police officer set to begin Monday](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/murder-trial-for-oklahoma-city-police-officer-set-to-begin-monday/ar-AAJ7eLB) > [@](#): > > Sergeant Keith Sweeney was charged with second-degree murder in Dec. 2017 for the fatal shooting of an unarmed suicidal man identified as Dustin Pigeon. Sweeney and two other officers responded to Pigeon’s house at 1416 SW 20th Street on Nov. 15, 2017, after Pigeon called 911 saying he was going to kill himself. 2 of the officers do not even draw their pistols. One of these officers has a bean-bag shotgun. One has stated that neither of these officers felt threatened. A third officer approaches the suicidal man with weapon drawn, shouting “Drop it!” and later shouting “I will f-ing shoot you! Get on the ground!”. He then fires 5 times, killing the man. > [@](#): > > Sweeney shot Pigeon five times with his weapon and said he thought Pigeon was holding a knife. So…at least one of these officers is either completely mistaken about why he was there and what he saw, or is lying his ass off. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2019, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15488 "2019-10-22T01:27:24Z")
Yeah, it is often the last guy on the scene who doesn’t know what is going on who escalates the situation to deadly force. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15489 "2019-10-22T01:50:02Z")
Jeez, the cops just can’t win with you guys, can they ? The guy calls the police to say he’s going to kill himself, the police make time in their busy schedule to come and helpfully save him the trouble, and they’re STILL the bad guys ? Smh ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15490 "2019-10-22T14:32:59Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > If only cops had guns, what situations do you think would be different in America? Nobody now can use a gun to defend themselves against a cop, so what difference does having a gun make when it comes to the police? No difference at all, except under “no witnesses” conditions. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15491 "2019-10-22T14:34:03Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > [Murder trial for Oklahoma City police officer set to begin Monday](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/murder-trial-for-oklahoma-city-police-officer-set-to-begin-monday/ar-AAJ7eLB) > 2 of the officers do not even draw their pistols. One of these officers has a bean-bag shotgun. One has stated that neither of these officers felt threatened. > > A third officer approaches the suicidal man with weapon drawn, shouting “Drop it!” and later shouting “I will f-ing shoot you! Get on the ground!”. He then fires 5 times, killing the man. > > So…at least one of these officers is either completely mistaken about why he was there and what he saw, or is lying his ass off. I’ll take “lying his ass off” for a thousand, Alex. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15492 "2019-10-22T14:46:33Z")
I don’t think he’s lying about anything. He made a very poor choice with a very dangerous weapon and deserves to be very severely punished for it. If he’s lying, then when he was caught on the body cam yelling “drop it” we’re saying in that moment he knew it wasn’t a knife or any other sort of weapon, but was giving himself some sort of false cover for killing the guy. I don’t think that’s the case, but even if he thought it was a knife, that’s not justification to kill someone. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15493 "2019-10-22T17:18:40Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > So…at least one of these officers is either completely mistaken about why he was there and what he saw, or is lying his ass off. The video is quite clear; this isn’t some grainy thing. There is absolutely no reason the man needed to be shot. ---
**Author:** ![UCBearcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/77aa72/32.png) [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15494 "2019-10-22T23:48:02Z")
Officer Resigns After Throwing Girl To The Ground For Taking Too Much Milk > **[Officer Resigns After Throwing Girl To The Ground For Taking Too Much Milk |...](https://700wlw.iheart.com/content/2019-10-22-officer-resigns-after-throwing-girl-to-the-ground-for-taking-too-much-milk/#.Xa-UeycZ9wg.mailto)** > > The 11-year-old girl suffered a concussion and has arm and shoulder pain due to the incident. | iHeart ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15495 "2019-10-23T10:52:37Z")
Heh. He used “stop resisting” on an 11 year old girl. ---
**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:** [October 23, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15496 "2019-10-23T15:00:03Z")
From the Washington Post article on the story: > [@](#): > > Raeford Davis, a former North Charleston officer turned policing reform advocate, said Christensen’s actions were representative of a systemic problem. > > “This is not one bad officer,” Davis wrote on Twitter. “This is American policing #JustComply mindset taken to its logically absurd conclusion.” Maybe so but we have seen lots of cases where complying still got a person shot. ---
**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:** [October 23, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15497 "2019-10-23T15:28:41Z")
[Officer in viral-video shoplifting incident to be fired: Police chief](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/officer-in-viral-video-shoplifting-incident-to-be-fired-police-chief/ar-AAJczat?li=BBnb7Kz#image=AAJczat_1%7C1) Jesus, by the way these cops acted, you’d think they were taking down the North Hollywood Bank Shootout suspects. > [@](#): > > The officer, identified as Meyer, is then heard yelling at Ames, “I’m gonna put a f------- cap in your f------- head.” > [@](#): > > “When I tell you to do something, you f------ do it!” Meyer is heard in the video yelling at Ames. > [@](#): > > When the officers yelled at Harper to get out of the car, she told them, “I have two kids.” One officer responds, “I don’t give a s—, put your hands up.” The crime? > [@](#): > > Harper’s 4-year-old daughter had allegedly taken a doll from the store. A 4 year old had taken a doll. For this, 2 adults were threatened, humiliated and handcuffed. This had nothing to do with Law Enforcement. It had everything to do with _ **‘respect my authoritah!!!’** _ So…the officer will be fired. I’m sure he will hired by another police department in a nearby town. Hell, this is Arizona. Maybe he can use the video to kick off his campaign to be Sheriff. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15498 "2019-10-23T17:07:50Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Heh. He used “stop resisting” on an 11 year old girl. What a fucking hero. Someone should kick the fuck out of him. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15499 "2019-10-23T17:09:01Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > From the Washington Post article on the story: > > Maybe so but we have seen lots of cases where complying still got a person shot. It doesn’t seem to matter anymore, if you comply OR NOT. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15500 "2019-10-23T19:54:32Z")
> [@UCBearcats](#): > > Officer Resigns After Throwing Girl To The Ground For Taking Too Much Milk I wonder if the girl is black? ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15501 "2019-10-23T21:14:32Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > [Officer in viral-video shoplifting incident to be fired: Police chief](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/officer-in-viral-video-shoplifting-incident-to-be-fired-police-chief/ar-AAJczat?li=BBnb7Kz#image=AAJczat_1%7C1) > > Jesus, by the way these cops acted, you’d think they were taking down the North Hollywood Bank Shootout suspects. The key part is that the decision to fire was the chief’s. The board, apparently, saw no problem with this lunatic staying a police officer, recommending a 6 week suspension. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/15502 "2019-10-24T11:41:44Z")
[US citizen enters into the bizarre, Kafkaesque world of no rights at the US border because he was trying to pay a customs fee](https://theintercept.com/2019/10/23/customs-border-searches-civil-liberties/). An American citizen receives a package from abroad and US customs tells him he needs to pay a customs fee but for some reason, he needs to do it at the Peace Bridge on the US-Canada border. After arriving _with no intention of crossing the border_ and realizing he forgot his wallet at home, he is involuntarily detained, has his car and phone searched without his permission and the other people in the car with him were similarly detained for over an hour. The man is currently suing the CBP so we’ll see if their interpretation ends up standing up in court. According to the CBP, this was all perfectly legal because the normal due process rights afforded to all Americans are suspended at the border, regardless of whether there was an intention to cross. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=774) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=776)