This does not appear to be an appropriate use of police authority.
{snip}
Would you really? Really? Risking permanent brain damage, paralysis, or death? I sure wouldn’t, not for any sum of money.
Of course, most such victims don’t have a choice in the matter.
As for the guy filing the charges not being disciplined -
I recall an incident with a former VP; he was in Colorado at a ski resort when a constituent confronted him about faulty intelligence, torture, and pretexts for war. The guy was quite vocal and there’s some suggestion he poked a finger at or tapped him on the shoulder lightly. As he walked away, the two SS who had done nothing summoned a third Secret Service fellow, described the guy, and said the man had assaulted the VP. This fellow went in the direction, found the man by description, and arrested and charged him.
In the ensuing lawsuits it seems the first two SS guys disliked the third and helped him majorly screw up; they deliberately misinformed him so he asserted that an assault had happened when it didn’t.
Same with the PD in this case - don’t underestimate the possibility of some officers’ willingness to screw over fellow officers too.
I am mystified by this comment. No cops tried to screw other cops. To the contrary, numbers of them tried to cover up the incident.
The incident was videotaped. The cops charged the victim who was walking on the street, and beat him down with clubs. If his lawyers hadn’t found the videotape, the victim would have faced charges, as the cops had filed reports saying he assaulted them.
As someone sitting in a UM library right now, I can safely say that the UM and PG cops don’t exactly have the best reputation, although PG is one of the “crimier” parts of Maryland.
I’m mystified how someone could formally lay charges that turned out to be totally bogus and not be disciplined for it while others were. The only thing I can think of is that he did not actually witness the events, but was duped or bullied into signing the charges by the thugs who lied to him too. I would think generally the courts dislike being told stuff that is not true in formal documents.
Well, the police did not just file false charges, but beat the shit out of a kid just walking down the street. Granted this was after the Duke win and UM students have been known to riot, but the student doesn’t do anything. The charges were filed to cover their ass. And, if the cell phone video didn’t come out, the student probably would have been convicted or at least gotten a PBJ (and possibly expelled from school).