I don’t understand how back up would have helped. If she’s going to resist arrest, she’ll resist whether there are 1, 10, or 100 cops on the scene. They would still have had to use pepper spray or something to subdue her.
I’m not sure what she was thinking when she bit him. “Well, I was going to arrest you, but since you bit me I’m all turned around on the issue.”
[QUOTE=Larry Borgia]
I’m not sure what she was thinking when she bit him. “Well, I was going to arrest you, but since you bit me I’m all turned around on the issue.”
[/QUOTE]
I don’t think she was thinking anything other than MOMMYMOMMYMOMMYMOMMYMOMMYMOMMYMOMMYMOMMY!!! Which is sad, and sucks for her, and she is, in this situation, just a kid. That’s why I’m not (like some of the comments on the linked reports) snickering and calling for billy clubs or saying I’d shoot her. She was a scared, out of control kid who needed to be brought under control for her own safety. Anyone else here have a toddler who flipped out on you at the store and started screaming? You know that shit looks even worse to passerby than it really is. Now imagine that the toddler is 100 pounds and over 5 feet tall. The kid can now hurt you and herself.
[QUOTE=RickJay]
He initiated the use of violence, clearly tried to hurt her several times, and continued using violence after she had stopped resisting.
[/QUOTE]
Where in the video does she stop resisting arrest?
[QUOTE=ShibbOleth]
Here’s a link to the video and full story in the Treasure Coast Palm, a local paper. According to the paper the arrest happened at 1:20 am. If I were an attorney I’d use the police video as evidence that the arrest happened prior to curfew. The Fort Pierce police department needs to figure out how to set their clocks.
[/QUOTE]
This storysays the curfew is from midnight to 6 am.
Also:
[QUOTE=RickJay]
When the bite allegedly occurs (and you can’t actually see it happen)
[/QUOTE]
Actually, you can clearly see her bite him. She opens her mouth and lunges for his forearm.
I wonder if Black children are afraid of White policemen.
Are young people usually arrested for violating curfew, or does the officer call their parents to come get them?
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant]
I wonder if Black children are afraid of White policemen.
Are young people usually arrested for violating curfew, or does the officer call their parents to come get them?
[/QUOTE]
I think all 15 year olds out after curfew are afraid of police in general, regardless of race, color or gender. I don’t see how making this a color/race issue is helping the discussion at all.
I think the cop could have done a better job. He was understandably weary and impatient with this girl’s drama from the moment he started the camera. He could have explained to the child that he was required to cuff her before taking her to the station. He could also have calmly explained that he turned on the camera to capture this moment, recording that his actions were within regulations and she would really look silly resisting arrest and bawling like a baby. Most teenagers are more terrified of looking stupid than anything else.
I didn’t hear him say “pepper spray”, although I have heard the police on COPS warn suspects about the spray before they use it.
I don’t think it was very professional for him to shove her head onto the car hood, and he’s not well trained at submission holds if he has to do that with a hundred pound girl. Notice this happens at 7:21:56, before the bite.
Of course, the people who deserve the most responsibility for this are probably the girl’s parents for not teaching her that resisting arrest will result in more problems than simple curfew violation.
[QUOTE=BMax]
I think all 15 year olds out after curfew are afraid of police in general, regardless of race, color or gender. I don’t see how making this a color/race issue is helping the discussion at all.
[/QUOTE]
If she were afraid of him, it would explain her resistance. Of course her parents should have taught her to cooperate with the police, like Amadou Diallo.
Shibb after re-reading your post I see that I have misconstrued your meaning. Please excuse me. 
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant]
If she were afraid of him, it would explain her resistance. Of course her parents should have taught her to cooperate with the police, like Amadou Diallo.
[/QUOTE]
But he wasn’t cooperating, but running away and moved his hand quickly into his jacket.
[QUOTE=levdrakon]
What would backup do? What would a female cop do? Mace her first thing? “Sorry honey, we ain’t playing the crying game.” PSHHHHHHHHHH!" Gonna quiet down now? Wanna keep crying and resisting? Wanna bite me again? “PSHHHHHHH!” “There. Wanna go again?”
[/QUOTE]
I think a female cop would have been able to talk to her and calm her down before arresting her. Hell, a competent male cop should have been able to do the same. It’s so easy to blame kids.
[QUOTE=Hamlet]
Jesus, just what the thread needs, an jolt of the race card. Congrats plant.
[/QUOTE]
Why don’t look at the comments left in the OP’s video link. Most of them are using derogatory racial remarks and calling for her to be tied to a noose. The “race card” doesn’t need to be played, it’s already in play - evidenced by all of the hate-filled messages in the OP’s video link.
[QUOTE=RandMcnally]
But he wasn’t cooperating, but running away and moved his hand quickly into his jacket.
[/QUOTE]
Perhaps if he’d kept running, and not tried to get his ID out of his wallet, he would still be alive. I doubt, it though.
But I digress
[QUOTE=Honesty]
I think a female cop would have been able to talk to her and calm her down before arresting her. Hell, a competent male cop should have been able to do the same. It’s so easy to blame kids.
[/quote]
Maybe they should have called in a hostage negotiation team.
:rolleyes:
[QUOTE=Honesty]
I think a female cop would have been able to talk to her and calm her down before arresting her. Hell, a competent male cop should have been able to do the same. It’s so easy to blame kids.
You have GOT to be kidding me. This isn’t even close to a case of excessive force. He ordered her oh what? 15+ times to just comply and put her hands behind her back. She insisted on struggling, and most of the arm twisting was an attempt to get her to chill out Then she flips out and bites him. I’d punch the little snot too. He did exactly what he should have.
[QUOTE=Zabali_Clawbane]
The cop punched her in the face right after she bit his hand. THEN he maced her. Watch the video again. He also was suplexing her arm. She resisted, but he was using more force than he should have, he should have called for backup.
[/QUOTE]
No. He gave her every opportunity to stop resisting. He told her point blank that she was going to get hurt if she didn’t stop escalating the situation. Then he did a simple compliance control maneuver (what you call “suplexing”). Compliance controls are supposed to hurt, that is how compliance is achieved.
He didn’t use much force at all. With the exception of the pepper spray, she did most of the work hurting herself. All he really did was place her arm in a compromised position and let her squirm herself into progressively more painful positions.
And to think that all she had to do was stop squirming. The easy thing is generally the smart thing. The hard way is almost never a good choice. She chose it and (potentially) learned a hard life lesson.
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF]
And to think that all she had to do was stop squirming. The easy thing is generally the smart thing. The hard way is almost never a good choice. She chose it and (potentially) learned a hard life lesson.
[/QUOTE]
Would you consider the possibility that she was too frightened to make a choice?
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant]
Would you consider the possibility that she was too frightened to make a choice?
[/QUOTE]
No. I don’t consider endless “what if?” rationalizations to be germane to the discussion. There are a million ways to attempt to rationalize why she should have been treated with kid gloves. Since you seem to want to do that, have at it. I’m not getting involved in that game.
[QUOTE=Honesty]
The “race card” doesn’t need to be played, it’s already in play - evidenced by all of the hate-filled messages in the OP’s video link.
[/QUOTE]
Which has exactly jack shit to do with this thread. Just because a bunch of idiots are showing their ass on some random website doesn’t mean one has to do it here, too.