Got a gang? Do what you want.

The BBQ Pit
1

From Cliven Bundy to these bikers, the thing in America today seems to be that if you have more than 9 people with you, you stand a good chance at getting away with doing whatever you want.

Remember the bikers that chased that NYC family and assaulted the father last year? A few of them were charged in the assault, but AFAIK no one has ever been charged with a vehicular crime. And none of the bikers in this video were charged with any vehicular or traffic crimes.

How can that be? Do they not have pictures of the motorcycle’s license plates? FFS, we know that many if not most (if not all) police departments use scanners and computers to do license plate checks; surely there is a log of such checks tat could be used to identify thee people and charge them (or issue tickets, etc.; whatever is appropriate).

The message that a lot of this seems to be sending is that if you have enough people, and especially if you have enough armed people, you can do whatever the hell you want, including telling government and law enforcement officials to fuck right off.

Is that how we want our government to function? Is that how we want police departments choosing to enforce the law?

I pit the bikers for endangering themselves and others and I pit the police for failing to act. After some of the recent displays of police equipment and manpower, I have a hard time believing that 50 joyriding bikers could out-gun and/or out-run the CHP.

What the fuck?

Why not tase one of them? Lay down some spike strips? Get a helicopter and 100 cops and block the road? Do something? Anything? I mean, do more than just waving at them and saying hello. Cops tase people for all kinds of trivial reasons like not sitting down or not standing up. Tasers are a well-accepted (legally, anyway) means of compliance. Why didn’t the officer force compliance here?

The disparity that seems to be evident in how police interpret situations and threats and how they react to them is kind of pissing me off. A gang of thugs, taking over public roadways? Aw, let 'em go. A guy who won’t get out of a parked car? Tase him and take him down. A bunch of guys with guns acting as support for a thief telling law enforcement to go away? Okay, never mind. A guy who is accused of selling single cigarettes and who won’t cooperate? Take him down by any means necessary, even if it hurts or kills him.

:mad:

Hey cops: a lot of you aren’t doing the job right. And even more of you aren’t calling them out for it. A good cop’s silence doesn’t do the community any good.

2

This… might not be the way things would function in the best of all possible worlds, but I’ve gotta say that that strikes me as the way things function in this world.

3

In the case of the bikers, as long as they got the assault perpetrators, they felt justice had been served. I’m sure they didn’t want to provoke a massive confrontation about what amount to traffic violations that would have been hard to pin on any one person in the group.

That’s not to say that I wouldn’t have liked seeing the CHP block the road and then go in old-school with batons, but what purpose would that have served? To give some bikers a bunch of $50 tickets for speeding or not signaling?

I’m not aware of cops (at least around here), not responding vigorously and promptly to armed challenges of any size though. Maybe the first cop on the scene didn’t mix it up, but the follow-on backup always does. That’s the kind of thing that gets the SWAT team called on you.

4

Silent enim leges inter arma.

(look it up yerselves, ye buncha ignants ! :p)

5

Looked to me like the cop was happily giving them an official escort leaving plenty of room for them to do their stunts. What a cool guy.

6

If I recall correctly, at least one of those bikers was an off-duty cop. (not involved with the beating, but involved in the chase)

7

Are you seriously suggesting that a cop on a motorcycle TASE someone riding another motorcycle?

No way in hell the officer could hit him, for starters, and you’re pretty much advocating execution without trial for traffic offenses.

8

The cops should take plate numbers, let them go home, then fine them so much that it makes them cry like little girls.

9

ABC reported at the time that “among the bikers on the Henry Hudson last weekend, were five off-duty NYPD officers,” of which two witnessed the attack “and did not directly intervene.”

10

Aye, the cops were no help there. It was some random guy who was horrified at the prospect of this man being beaten to death who stopped it.

11

Not only that: One of the cops was up pounding on the windows of the SUV, only to slink away when the beating began in earnest.

12

I’ve not seen police officers evince much empathy or concern for the well-being of anyone they tase. Their only concern seems to be compliance with their orders. If that guy didn’t want to get tased, he should have pulled over; why would you balk at allowing a police officer to enforce compliance with his demands?

[Turns aside to break the 4th wall]

Look, I really don’t want anyone to get hurt. I’ve written extensively on the SDMB about my distaste for tasers. I’m trying to make a point here about police and their willingness to confront people and inflict pain, injury and/or death in order to gain compliance. I find it confusing and compelling to note that police officers seem VERY likely to escalate a situation as long as they perceive that they have more “power” than the citizen they are confronting, but are wiling to let truly dangerous people go about their business if the dangerous people are a big enough group or well armed. IMO the guy selling loosies is less of a public safety and order threat than the 50 bikers monopolizing the public roadways in order to do stunts, and I’d prefer it if cops got their shit straight about this kind of thing.

Okay?

[/aside]

13

For the second time in this thread, I’d like to observe that that is maybe not the loftiest, noblest sort of behavior, but it is very human.

14

Are you really unclear as to why police would avoid engaging in situations where they do not have the upper hand? That seems rather obvious. We learned this as kids - don’t pick fights you can’t win. What would be the point of that?

As to using a taser while riding a motorcycle to hit another moving target - that seems far fetched.

I’m vaguely remembering that you can’t issue traffic citations after the fact - that is if the person did not receive the ticket it would not be enforceable so it’s not like you can take their plates then mail them a ticket for speeding. I don’t know how that works with red light cameras.

15

**Got a gang? Do what you want. **

Always been that way, always will be.

16

Can’t tell if I’m being whooshed or not. That is exactly how it works with Red Light cameras. (I have received 2)

17

The thing is, the cops aren’t alone: they are their own gang. And they’re a gang that is specifically formed and empowered to stop people from just doing whatever they want if it conflicts with public safety, etc.

For something like this, the cops shouldn’t “pick” the fight, they should rise to the challenge: get more cops. Get helicopters. Record plate numbers and track people down. Put down spike strips.

Are you seriously endorsing the idea that we just let people get away with crimes?

18

OK summary execution for bikers, this is what you are potentially advocating by laying spikes or using a tazer. Jeez they were only popping wheelies.

19

Reading comprehension is not your thing, I see. All laws do not get enforced with the same level of enthusiasm. I’m sure you are aware of this.
*as an aside - these idiots on the roads are fucking idiots.

20

Clearly your ability to accurately convey your thoughts in writing is lacking, IMO.

Well, at least we agree on that point. Would you also agree that they were reckless and/or dangerous?