# How to stop someone from jaywalking: punch them in the face. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 17, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557 "2010-06-17T15:33:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/1 "2010-06-17T15:33:46Z")
My friend posted [this link](http://www.katu.com/news/local/96353934.html) to Facebook this morning. Watch the video embedded in the story, the face punching comes in pretty early. From the article: > [@](#): > > According to Seattle police, the incident began when an officer spotted a man jaywalking in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way S. at approximately 3:10 p.m. The man was some 15 feet away from a pedestrian overpass, police said. > > The officer was talking to the man when he saw four young women jaywalk across the same street at the same spot. The officer asked the women to step over to his patrol car, but the women were being “verbally antagonistic toward the officer,” according to officials… > > When the officer tried to handcuff the girl, another girl, this one 17 years old, intervened and placed her hands on the officer’s arm, “causing the officer to believe she was attempting to physically affect the first subject’s escape,” police said. > > The officer pushed back the second girl, but the girl came back at him. The officer then punched her, police said. What? WHAT? This is over _jaywalking_? Now, I’m not advocating being “verbally antagonistic” toward police officers, but imho just the fact that this guy wanted to cite these girls for jaywalking in the first place is a bullshit power trip, and I’m not surprised that they seemed to think so, too. His reaction, which is captured on the video is so incredibly over-the-top, I hope this guy not only loses his job, but gets charged with assault. Punching _a teenage girl in the face_ over _jaywalking_? What the fucking fuck is wrong with you, dude? ---
**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:** [June 17, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/2 "2010-06-17T15:39:16Z")
He did not punch the girl who was jaywalking. He punched the girl who physically interfered as he was arresting the girl who was jaywalking. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/3 "2010-06-17T15:40:16Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > He did not punch the girl who was jaywalking. He punched the girl who physically interfered as he was arresting the girl who was jaywalking. Oh, I misread it. You’re right. That makes it okay then. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/4 "2010-06-17T15:43:17Z")
Not defending his punching but who the hell starts a physical confrontation with a cop? The cop doesn’t deserve to punch you but you probably deserve to get punched for being stupid. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/5 "2010-06-17T15:54:43Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Oh, I misread it. You’re right. That makes it okay then. Why shouldn’t it? Cop attempts to arrest person A for crime X. Person A resists. Person B pushes/grabs/assaults the cop while arrest is taking place. Cop punches B. Now while I agree that the cop’s behavior should be closely looked at, I do not believe that the crime X should be a factor at all in the process. If your friend is getting arrested, shut up and stay out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/6 "2010-06-17T15:58:17Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Oh, I misread it. You’re right. That makes it okay then. Glad you’ve come around to reason. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/7 "2010-06-17T16:06:23Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Now while I agree that the cop’s behavior should be closely looked at, I do not believe that the crime X should be a factor at all in the process. If your friend is getting arrested, shut up and stay out of it. While I pretty much agree with this, after the friend does become involved, it’s indicated by the brass’ comments in [articles](http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/06/16/police.jaywalker/index.html?hpt=Sbin) I’ve read that, instead of the cop participating in a potential brawl, he should have used police-approved procedures to take her down to the ground (a leg sweep). Not only didn’t he do that but, since it appears he was losing control of the situation in general, he should have withdrawn and called for backup. > [@](#): > > “My critique is that he could have used more force and taken the girl to the ground,” O’Neill said. “He could have grabbed her, it’s called a leg sweep, handcuffed her and **it would have been over a lot faster** , but when you take someone to the ground you risk more injury.” (emphasis mine) ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/8 "2010-06-17T16:08:53Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > The cop doesn’t deserve to punch you but you probably deserve to get punched for being stupid. No kidding. I’ve never witnessed a friend getting arrested, but I can’t imagine thinking trying to stop the arrest by getting physical with the police officer is a good idea. Obviously there’s only a snipit of video showing the punch but I’m having trouble feeling outrage on behalf of Numbnuts McGee that got in the cop’s face. ---
**Author:** ![3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/47e85d/32.png) [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_20_59_or_bust)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/9 "2010-06-17T16:12:46Z")
Yeah, the video of this makes it a little more clear than the story does. To me, it looks like the cop is trying to deal with multiple people and the girl comes up and starts pushing him. The problem he’s dealing with isn’t jaywalking anymore, it’s assault. The cop is in a tough situation there - I could see how he would think “if one person starts coming at him, it could get ugly quickly with the crowd of people that was around.” Now, in retrospect, she’s underage, female…the punch is going to get a lot of play in the media, but just imagine if those were two dumbass males 20-year olds. Would anyone have a problem with a punch then? I don’t think so. Push a cop, get punched. I’m ok with that. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/10 "2010-06-17T16:13:07Z")
Dumb-ass girl gets free lesson in how not to behave with police. Film at 11. What a stupid bitch. Good for the cop. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/11 "2010-06-17T16:15:42Z")
> [@descamisado](#): > > While I pretty much agree with this, after the friend does become involved, it’s indicated by the brass’ comments in [articles](http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/06/16/police.jaywalker/index.html?hpt=Sbin) I’ve read that, instead of the cop participating in a potential brawl, he should have used police-approved procedures to take her down to the ground (a leg sweep). Not only didn’t he do that but, since it appears he was losing control of the situation in general, he should have withdrawn and called for backup. Absolutely. I’m not saying the punch was a good idea - I’m arguing against the notion that because the original crime was jaywalking, and not serial murder, that somehow that means the cop shouldn’t be allowed to use force _at all_ after someone resists arrest. Like somehow once the first person started resisting, the cop should have let her go or something. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/12 "2010-06-17T16:18:06Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Not defending his punching but who the hell starts a physical confrontation with a cop? The cop doesn’t deserve to punch you but you probably deserve to get punched for being stupid. Know what else is stupid? If you’re a white cop and you’ve got a whole bunch of people watching you, you decide to punch a black girl in the face. Doesn’t matter if she “deserved” it at all, because you know many observers aren’t going to see it that way. Dammit, did police learn nothing at all from Rodney King? You’re going to have to assume somebody has a camera if you’re in a public place, especially now that almost every cellphone out there has one. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/13 "2010-06-17T16:18:39Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Oh, I misread it. You’re right. That makes it okay then. Ha ha! Seriously, y’all don’t think it’s a bit overkill to _punch the girl in the face_? Was this girl 300 lbs and carrying a knife, so that was the only way to subdue her? Looking at the video, that does not appear to be the case. Although \*\*Hampshire \*\*may be onto something, and she should have been punched for being incredibly stupid. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/14 "2010-06-17T16:30:07Z")
Stupid is as stupid does. I hope some was yelling “call the amber lamps” ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/15 "2010-06-17T16:31:09Z")
The cop should have Tazered her. That would have satisfied everybody. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/16 "2010-06-17T16:39:00Z")
It’s weird, but in Seattle jaywalking is a Big F-ing Deal. I’ve seen little old ladies crossing the street trying to catch their buses get ticketed. You’ll get a ticket for crossing against a red light when there’s no traffic. Drivers also get a ticket for not stopping for pedestrians at any intersection, whether or not there are stop signs or lights. Every intersection of two streets, every block, is considered a legal crosswalk. The street they were crossing was a very busy arterial in an area know for terrible drivers with a pedestrian overpass a few yards away. The police dept. is now sending the cop to a class to teach him how to handle future situations without causing them to escalate the way this one did. Other groups are pushing to change the way they handle jaywalkers and why they waste their time on it. The scary thing about this situation was how easily it could have turned uglier real fast. That cop seemed pretty clueless. Maybe it was because of being recorded, or just being in the middle of a crowd (in one of the worst areas of the city), but he was completely unable to handcuff the first woman even by the end of the video. He seemed powerless at that point. Maybe he was trying to scale back on the physicality of the encounter, but he really got himself into a bad situation fast. Did he have other options than punching her in the face? (I mean that seriously.) ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/17 "2010-06-17T16:40:35Z")
I have issues with police arresting people for jaywalking. Hell even if the officer told her not to and she did anyway I hardly think any of that was necessary. So officer took stupid action to set all this off. That said I’m completely on the side of the cop when it comes to the punch. He was making a legal arrest and the girl tried to interfere by assaulting him. Dumb girl gets punched. I think compared to many other news stories the cop showed a lot of restraint. He was outnumbered with a crowd of people cheering the girls on. The girls were fighting him. He could have been justified in beating them down with a billy club or tasing the both of them. ---
**Author:** ![Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby_Emma_Sasha)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/18 "2010-06-17T16:46:55Z")
I am no fan of the popos(?) but I have to question the sanity of the perps in question here. You don’t attack a porcine unit unless you want to die. What the fuck were these women thinking? Shit, I might have reacted in the same way if If I thought I was in danger. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/19 "2010-06-17T16:52:46Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > I have issues with police arresting people for jaywalking. Hell even if the officer told her not to and she did anyway I hardly think any of that was necessary. I’d love to live somewhere where the police take jaywalking seriously. Here in DC, they ignore it. As a result, lots of people jaywalk even though the blocks are pretty short. Every day, I see some future Darwin Award winner, walk in front of oncoming traffic or try to scoot across in the middle of the road when he wouldn’t have a signal. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557/20 "2010-06-17T16:54:34Z")
Here’s what I’m seriously disturbed by: > [@](#): > > causing the officer to believe she was attempting to physically affect the first subject’s escape Affect? \*\*AFFECT?! \*\*I’m just not sure if it’s worse if the error was made by the police representative making the statement or the journalist writing it down. (And either way, it made it past the “editor” of this article.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-someone-from-jaywalking-punch-them-in-the-face/543557.md?page=2)