# Lawyers: Is this assault? If so, aren't the cops obligated to arrest the perpetrators? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2017, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-is-this-assault-if-so-arent-the-cops-obligated-to-arrest-the-perpetrators/779223 "2017-02-07T13:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 1
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-is-this-assault-if-so-arent-the-cops-obligated-to-arrest-the-perpetrators/779223/1 "2017-02-07T13:12:30Z")
I came across [this video.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuWoQfZgW7M) In it a lone protestor of some stripe seems to be on the UC Berkeley Campus. He is alone, standing right in front of a bunch of cops. A woman, who happens to be an activist and a professor at the school, wants the person to leave. She starts pushing him, then actually punching hi, At about this time, some of her fellow activists tackle the guy and punch and kick him when he’s on the ground. The cops finally come in and rescue the guy, and then just make him leave. Okay, my questions are: 1. Are cops allowed to stand by and simply watch one person being assaulted? 2. When witnessing the assault in action, are they obligated in any way to arrest the assailants? 3. What is your take on the the behavior of the cops here? 4. Could the guy who got attacked sue the police based on this video? 5. Could this victim, again based on this video, insist that the assailants be arrested and prosecuted. I’m looking for straight legal answers here. Not interested in the righteousness of stupidity of either side’s beliefs. Thanks. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-is-this-assault-if-so-arent-the-cops-obligated-to-arrest-the-perpetrators/779223)._