Is this one of those thugs the Orange Ball of Failure (apologies to Billy Staples) was talking about? Gotta stop being nice to those menaces. Zap him again.
Hey, law enforcement community. If you’re feeling sad and unfairly ostracized these days maybe you should come down hard on shit like this and punish the perpetrators severely and publicly. And if it’s out of your jurisdiction speak loudly and firmly against it. Please work harder at convincing us that you’re here to help.
Not all cops have brains, just as not all politicians have morals, nor do all liberals (or conservatives) have common sense. In this case, this should qualify as aggravated assault, and the three perps should do significant prison time. It won’t happen, though. they’ll be let off with a gentle slap on the wrist.
Beyond that, this is an example of why unions in general have been losing ground in the US–they don’t enforce quality standards on their members.
I think its really time to start doxxing cops involved in things like this so the internets can extract vigilante justice. If you can’t count on rule of law to get you justice, people have to start taking it into their own hands.
atl. It’s naive to think that these guys will lost their badges for this. Ultimately what will happen is nothing. Even if they did lose their badges their well paid union lawyers will sue their way back to the streets. Police unions need to be utterly destroyed.
That is not a solution at all, just a reaction.
Yes unions, not just police unions, have acquired a lot of power and as the adage goes “power corrupts”. However unions have done a lot of good for their members and without unions workers rights would degrade to the point that unions would be necessary once more. So rather than turning the wheel once more there is a better solution.
Assuming that most police officers are good people who care about law and order and working for the public good these officers need to take control of their union and clean house, ensuring that if member is found guilty of corrupt and/or criminal actions that member loses their membership.
All it requires is for good people to do something.
Calling for a ban on unions or vigilante justice is only adding to the problem.
I read a piece a few months that asserted that (paraphrasing it) 20% of cops have strong ethical and moral standards. 20% are slime, and the rest of them just go along with whatever is the culture in their force. I’m inclined to believe it, because it resonates with my prejudices.
This is the kind of crime I was taught happened in godless evil countries. Where am I? What kind of human, especially one in authority, laughs at another human suffering helplessly? I’m sick to my stomach.
It looks like people are just walking past like it’s commonplace. I wonder what I would do if I were there…I cannot canNOT imagine not trying to intervene. But I wonder if I’d have the courage…
At what point does “cruel and unusual” become “cruel and normal?”
That makes it official, I guess. Tennessee is now The Police State.
The sheriff should also apologize for inappropriately demoting this crime to inapropriate behavior.
The dread 80/20 rule… 20% of the people cause 80% of the problems…
I see repeated so often.
These “cops” should be in jail tonight…
Alternative facts that excuse the policemen’s behavior. What other facts would they need to gather after such a revealing video? Maybe just ‘gather facts’ until public interest is dissipated. Then in a few months, you’ll hear that charges were dismissed and you’ll wonder what it was about…
This Sheriff’s Department looks like a good candidate for Justice Department oversight.
Oh, wait:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/us/politics/jeff-sessions-crime.html
My bad.
I agree with everything you say about the benefits of unions. I disagree that it is up to unions to police their membership (or un-police them in this case).
Disciplinary action and setting standards is the employer’s duty. So too is dealing with any disciplinary issue in a fair and legal way.
That can only happen if the employer either cocks up their dismissal or decides it is too expensive/embarassing to bother.
That is not the fault of the unions or lawyers. It is the employer’s fault.
Especially in a case like this. Let’s face it, if you can’t fire these guys, you’re not even trying.
I think Trump might say, “What is there to pardon?”
I noticed the other day that Trump was giving a Medal of Valor to a Vietnam War Medic. I was thinking, you wait 40-odd years for a medal, and then President fucking Trump gives it to you. Talk about insult to injury.
They don’t. The money either comes out of the department’s/county’s liability insurance, or it comes more directly out of taxpayer pockets. Other things can’t be done or maintained because of criminals hiding behind badges. If the cops in your town are keeping your town from affording nice things, start putting pressure on your town’s upper management. Skip the police chief, s/he’ll only cover for the officers, go to the top administrator (hint: this is generally not the mayor) and the financial comptroller.
And yet, even here, in safer-than-average Ann Arbor, all officers are required to carry sidearms on duty. Period. Including community liaison officers and event coordination officers.
@Trent_Baker & @anon43623700: Unions are not the problem, the Collective Bargaining Agreements they’ve managed to negotiate and Qualified Immunity are the heart of the problem. It takes two parties to enter a CBA, the unions have done an overly great job with their negotiations, municipal bodies have done a terribly shitty job in theirs. It’ll take state legislatures to revoke, or at least reform Qualified Immunity.
If they can’t be fired for torturing, they should be fired for being so fucking stupid as to do it on camera. That’s weapons grade stupid.
Parking enforcement officers too? Is the desk officer armed while taking photos? How about the one shuttling the patrol cars back and forth from the garage?
They cant all be armed?!!?
