Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2014/06/29/black-asu-cops-beaten-by-campu.html
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Is this where Lt. Pike from UC Davis ended up after being fired?
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nungesser, so what? She’s got no obligation to show ID, and “fighting back,” by definition, is something that happens only when one gets assaulted.
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My money’s on none of the cops even getting fired, much less facing charges or being convicted.
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It seems to me that you implicitly assume that a cop harassing someone for being in the road for any reason, especially when there’s an obvious reason they’re there, is something that jus normally happens and is not clearly motivated by racism (I’ve certainly walked in the road plenty of times and never been harassed for it.) You are also implicitly assuming that the cop is justified in initializing violence due to someone refusing to show ID (which is perfectly legal, you aren’t required to show ID to a cop) and not showing him the respect he felt he deserved. Any alleged kicking, etc. happened AFTER the cop decided to harass her AND to initialize violence. From my perspective, that reflexive taking of the cop’s side even after he’s created a completely unnecessary incident and been the first one to use violence shows a clear authoritarian bias, and shows that you are part of the problem. People like you are why cops have such an easy time getting away with excessive violence and abuse of authority in this country.
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If you watch the video (which is provided as a part of the article’s context as a hyperlink) you’ll notice that she fought back once she had been spun around by her arm, thrown to the ground, had the lower half of her body exposed, put into cuffs (which sounded like they put them on her pretty tight, from the sounds of her screams) and then indeed slammed onto the hood of a car. She then tried to reason with them, and they continued to deflect and condescend. There was no reason to arrest her, or even to stop her from walking across the street.
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Arizona is a stop-and-ID state. You don’t have to actually show ID unless the cop has good reason to think you’re lying, but if asked to show ID you have to give your name under Hibbel, and failing to give your name when asked for ID can be grounds for arrest (which is very weird, but that’s what SOCTUS said) .
So the cop was being a jerk and probably profiling her. That happens. But he was also within his rights to stop her and ask for ID when he saw her technically breaking the law, and in response she had to provide her name. (And to reference a different thread, the fact that whites probably don’t get stopped even though they could be is what white privilege is all about.) But she reacted very poorly, and under the circumstances I think the cop was within his rights to do everything he did. He actually showed more restraint that I expected from the headline, repeatedly telling her to put her hands behind her back and to comply. The only reason she ended up on the ground was because that’s what happened when he tried to force her hands behind her back so he could cuff her. I don’t know what she expected to happen when she was resisting arrest. And what did she expect passers by to do? Intervene and assault a cop? It’s just a series of really stupid decisions and the weird belief that you can hector your way out of a police encounter by calling a cop disrespectful.
Like they say, you can beat the rap but you can’t beat the ride. Much better to comply and then sort it out afterwards in the media or the courts.
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You are reading an amazing amount into my question. No, actually, I don’t assume or believe a single thing you just mentioned.
Let me be absolutely clear: I believe the woman’s story. I believe she was unfairly treated. I believe the cop vastly overstepped his authority.
Clearly, wondering out loud whether kicking a cop and physically assaulting him while resisting arrest is a reason for a cop to arrest you is something I should never do on BoingBoing, so I’m retracting all of my other comments. This is a toxic place to think out loud.
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Two people have the same facts, why would one rush to judgement, jump to conclusions, and choose to defend those who can defend themselves more than adequately other than bowel rocking fear of authority and a desperate wanting to be on the winning ‘team’?
Why do people not understand that a rush to judgement, and a rush to rush others to judgement, is a clear indication of their own anxieties and discomfort over the issues presented.
Victim blaming is SO FUCKING GROSS
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I don’t know, you should probably address that to someone who actually rushed to judgement. Did anyone here do so?
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Universal Citation: AZ Rev Stat § 13-2906 (1996 through 1st Reg Sess 50th Legis)
13-2906. Obstructing a highway or other public thoroughfare; classification
A. A person commits obstructing a highway or other public thoroughfare if, having no legal privilege to do so, such person, alone or with other persons, recklessly interferes with the passage of any highway or public thoroughfare by creating an unreasonable inconvenience or hazard.
B. Obstructing a highway or other public thoroughfare is a class 3 misdemeanor.
Is her jaywalking considered unreasonable could be the street in question? I really don’t know it could be that tons of people have been causing problems walking on that roadway so they decided to make an example of her.
@nungesser stop listing to these guys they are just trollies and slanderers.
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What disgust me most about this was that I have a feeling that these cops are doing everything “legal” dispute injustice.
To protect and to serve, they could have told her to try to find another route next time because it might be dangerous for the drivers and herself. They will then learned that most people do walk on the street because the construction company failed to provide alternate route for pedestrians. They should then file a report to follow up with the contractor. This could have been so civil. Instead, they used it as an opportunity to overpower a citizen.
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From watching the video etc, it looks to me like the cop is a typical campus cop: eager to find someone who’ll give him an excuse to do Violent Cop Stuff like he’s seen on TV. Most students he harasses will probably just show ID and scamper away. Someone who knows their rights and physically and verbally resists him was, like you say, someone he could make an example of… and he went way too far.
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You’ve come a long way, baby.
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She was arrested for walking while black. This cop had nothing but contempt for her and was responsible for all the violence here. All that he had to do was respectfully ask why she was crossing the street and she would have told him that she had to do it for the construction. He could have then been a helpful cop and said “okay, but be careful and I’ll check to see if the construction company can set up a temporary walkway”. If she were a white woman, I’m 100% sure that this is exactly what the cop would have done. Instead he had to power trip. A black woman had the gall to question his authority or his lack of respect. She had to be taught a lesson.
Oh, and she was also charged with damaging the police car (for being bodyslammed against it).
Screw these police and screw ASU for sticking up for them. Until ASU comes out to support her and not their racist police, I think anybody who is even considering becoming a student or working there should reconsider. ASU is responsible for this vile assault committed in its name.
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Mod note: I’ve noticed that many posts have already been edited or deleted by posters. Get on topic. Stay on topic. Stop personal attacks. And if you can’t do that, stop posting or I’ll take care of it for you.
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This is a police department out of control. In the fall semester over three weekends they arrested 1,367 people.
Obviously ASU is a huge university, but this number is ridiculous.
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Also of note is that Starbucks is using ASU Online for their employee “free tuition” agreement. We should ask Starbucks why they support a racist institution like ASU.
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yes, they… outnumbering and overpowering a single opinionated woman, made quite a statement about how they feel about themselves and their community.
I think it sucks that one individual should bear the brunt of so much professional impotence.
others feel badly for those acting out their impotence, and excuse the impropriety of the powerful, but not ever the STRONG. We all identify with whom we identify with, ya know.
The heart wants what the heart wants.
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interesting how the “news” reports it … http://www.kpho.com/story/25646084/tempe-pd-asu-prof-kicks-officer-during-arrest
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