Can we clarify some facts/details here?
the headline says “teen” and write up says 19, but the article and reports say the assaulted person is 20. He is a legal adult, not a teen in either case. And yes it matters.
The write up says he is an cop who was off duty working as a security guard. The article says the incident happened at a high school football game at Heinz Field…further details are it was actually outside of the game, he was trying to get in. Who was the man doing security for? The stadium? The School? If it was security on behest of the school, then he should in fact NOT be off duty, he would definitely have been in uniform on a publicly sanctioned assignment. If he was being employed by the stadium, why?! Doesn’t the stadium and Steelers organization have their own dedicated security for non NFL events? Why would they need an off duty cop there?
Another point made is that the officer/security guard’s defense for his actions were that the man “kept his hands in his pockets after being ordered to remove them and was therefore a threat.” Now, a cop in a confrontational situation has every right to ask you to remove your hands from your pockets or from under cover and to keep them in a non threatening position where they can see them. HOWEVER…does a part time event security officer person have same said right?
Can a mall security person order you to take your hands out of your pockets and if you do not comply jump you and beat the crap out of you to subdue you?
I think we would all say no.
Also…by my count on the full video there are SEVEN security personnel standing off against our young Mr. Despres. Let us for the sake of argument take the report as truth that he was drinking heavily. Given the size of this “kid” and the idea he is a bit tipsy…would you need SEVEN officers to subdue him?
Last thing…It looks an awful lot like the police officer is wearing he police issued jacket with his Sgt stripes on the side of it. Is he in full uniform? If so that is NOT an off duty cop…it’s a cop. ON DUTY.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, farts like a duck, Guess what…its the same jackwagon cop we find too often now a days
