# Losing my respect for the police (lame semi-rant) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 19, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923 "2009-05-19T02:05:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/21 "2009-05-19T05:05:28Z")
[The cop was completely justified in delivering a “distraction blow”.](http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-kick16-2009may16,0,7668707.story) > [@](#): > > …Dieter Dammier, attorney for the El Monte Police Officers Assn., said the officer acted within his training and department policy when he delivered the kick. … > > …“The individual officer saw some movement. He feared the parolee might have a weapon or be about to get up. So the officer did what is known as a distraction blow. It wasn’t designed to hurt the man, just distract him.” > > El Monte officers, he said, “are trained to deliver a distraction blow to stop a [suspect] doing what they are planning on doing.” Having watched he video again, I can say with some certainty that this is complete and utter bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/22 "2009-05-19T05:16:02Z")
This is something else I hate when a police officer does something wrong. Other officers covering up. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/23 "2009-05-19T05:17:16Z")
[Here’s another bizarre story](http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_12397729). Apparently this cop sells gang clothing. > [@](#): > > …The officer who delivered the kick, identified as George Fierro, returned to work the next day. Fierro, come to find out, owns a clothing company that caters to gang members and glorifies the Mexican Mafia. > > His “brand” so sickens good cops that at least one tried to warn California gang investigators about a potential rogue in their midst. > > “Has anyone seen or know about this gang clothing that a police officer is selling to gangsters,” LAPD Detective David Espinoza wrote. “I understand the gangs really love this cop. I understand the clothing has hiding places for contraband, guns and dope. Things that can hurt our real cops on the street.” Go figure. No idea if the stories are related. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/24 "2009-05-19T06:56:23Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > [Here’s another bizarre story](http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_12397729). Apparently this cop sells gang clothing. > > Go figure. No idea if the stories are related. Truly bizarre and disturbing. To the OP - I think it’s probably worse than we know - for every one incident that is recorded and reported, there are probably 100, or even 1,000, that never come to light. Would anyone believe or care if a gangbanger said a police officer kicked in him the head, if it wasn’t being broadcasted on live TV? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/25 "2009-05-19T07:19:15Z")
> [@nyctea scandiaca](#): > > Truly bizarre and disturbing. > > To the OP - I think it’s probably worse than we know - for every one incident that is recorded and reported, there are probably 100, or even 1,000, that never come to light. Would anyone believe or care if a gangbanger said a police officer kicked in him the head, if it wasn’t being broadcasted on live TV? Without video footage, at the very least the gangbanger’s story would be in doubt. There’s a story I heard a few month ago, but for the life of me I can’t Google it, where dashboard cameras caught some police officers in some southern state (I forget which) making racist comments. As for non-recorded incidents, I saw [this](http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/05/texas.police.seizures/) story a few days ago. ---
**Author:** ![NoJustice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@NoJustice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoJustice)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/26 "2009-05-19T08:39:45Z")
Not only _CAN_ the police get their way… according to many on this very board, they _have to_. Apparently the concept of a police force only works if it breaks the will of the people so that everyone is afraid of running afoul of the most inconsequential bylaw. Then, with everyone living the law instead of their lives… we’ll all have peace and happiness under the boot of our glorious protectors. As for UK style surveillance over the public… I seriously doubt the footage from such cameras would ever be made public if it showed something which the powers that be found inconvenient. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/27 "2009-05-19T08:52:34Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > [Here’s another bizarre story](http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_12397729). Apparently this cop sells gang clothing. > > … > > Go figure. No idea if the stories are related. I think I’ll wait for the \*Law & Order \*episode. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/28 "2009-05-19T10:30:54Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Ok. How sweet of you. And so very consistent with ‘normal’ mod actions. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/29 "2009-05-19T10:57:29Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Without video footage, at the very least the gangbanger’s story would be in doubt… Even _with_ the video, the story is in doubt, which is even scarier. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/30 "2009-05-19T11:30:21Z")
Police officers in many locations have been seduced into accepting the idea that they are part of some “war” on crime or drugs or bad stuff, which makes them warriors, dehumanizes the “enemy” (read the public that is committing suspected crimes), and justifies the means used, regardless. And I have to love that the “distraction blow” had to be the tip of the shoe to the face. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/31 "2009-05-19T12:26:11Z")
I’m curious – have any of you ever heard of this “distraction blow” concept before, related to police training? I have not, which is somewhat surprising (if it exists) given the number of cops who’ve been caught sucker-punching helpless suspects. You’d think cops would be screaming that justification from the rooftops every time. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/32 "2009-05-19T13:16:49Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I’m curious – have any of you ever heard of this “distraction blow” concept before, related to police training? > > I have not, which is somewhat surprising (if it exists) given the number of cops who’ve been caught sucker-punching helpless suspects. You’d think cops would be screaming that justification from the rooftops every time. I’ve heard of it. I call it the “Gary Coleman” defense. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/33 "2009-05-19T15:10:29Z")
Funny, all the hits from a search for the term bring up this incident. No more general use of the phrase in the first 5 pages I retrieved… ---
**Author:** ![Tehanu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee7513/32.png) [@Tehanu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tehanu)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/34 "2009-05-19T15:27:10Z")
I took some online criminal justice courses with a number of police officers. What struck me most was their fixed belief that once someone had committed a crime, such people were criminals with no hope of change. “All people who committed any sort of crime at any point ever must be removed from society permanently” is how many of them thought. The police officers in my class were incapable of entertaining arguments that disputed this notion. If that’s how you view the people you are interfacing with, such as in the examples cited above, you can see how the idea of treating them with respect (or at least not treating them with disrespect and contempt) does not readily enter the picture. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/35 "2009-05-19T15:41:45Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I’m curious – have any of you ever heard of this “distraction blow” concept before, related to police training? No, and I used to defend law enforcement personnel for a living and thus have a pretty good grasp of a broad range of law enforcement training. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/36 "2009-05-19T15:43:39Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Funny, all the hits from a search for the term bring up this incident. No more general use of the phrase in the first 5 pages I retrieved… Yeah, I did the same even before I posted the question. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/37 "2009-05-19T16:45:08Z")
For what ever it’s worth, police in this country are an armed para-military force. They are expected to be professionals and to observe professional standards. Just as in the case of soldiers, Marines, sailors and aircrews the people in charge are engaged in a constant struggle to hold their people to those standards. With the best of leaders and the pest of intentions it doesn’t always work. Ever leader fears the moment that his group of professionals slips over the line and becomes an armed rabble or worse a collection of individual vigilantes. The transformation can happen in a moment. It is called a break down in discipline. The real trouble arises when the leaders encourage or accept a lack of discipline and professionalism. When that happens there is nothing for it but to start taking names and kicking butt – if the people in charge have the political will to do it. This talk is applicable to a lot more things in life than police officers. ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/38 "2009-05-19T16:46:23Z")
> [@Jodi](#): > > No, and I used to defend law enforcement personnel for a living and thus have a pretty good grasp of a broad range of law enforcement training. Righto. That’s a large steaming pile of male bovine excrement that distraction blow nonsense. You wouldn’t necessarily think so, but sometimes you DO need to punch or kick a person. The time to deliver those punches and kicks is NOT while the suspect is spread eagle on the ground however. Even if there is some furtive movement toward what could possibly be a weapon, if the cop is standing and the suspect is on the ground you can still use your feet to step on the offending limb, applying appropriate pressure to cause the movement to cease. If the other arm starts moving, drop down and kneel on the back/neck and apply pressure there. The suspect WILL cease all motion, unless he’s drunk or high, in which case, taser. This cop, from the outside, seems like a thug with a badge. We’ll see where it goes, but I’m hoping he’s bounced. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Joe_Meager)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/39 "2009-05-19T17:34:27Z")
“Distraction blow” sounds like a fantastic idea! I’m going to start using it. ---
**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:** [May 19, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923/40 "2009-05-19T17:35:48Z")
I got kicked in the face once. It was pretty distracting, all right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-my-respect-for-the-police-lame-semi-rant/496923.md?page=3)