Police Gone Wild

[corax]

no flashing tata's here, and I'm not sure it 100% fits this forum, but close enough I guess. Just wanted to start a thread with rediculous acts of law enforcement by the bad examples . . . don't get me wrong, I have a general respect for most law enforcement and realize it's a tough job, but some cops really do go too far. I'll start:

video shows officer shove, then taser 72-year-old great grandmother
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/06/09/new-video-shows-officer-shove-then-taser-72-year-old-grandmother/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15YExclX4Gc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvBYoSst9rQ

[CJM]

As a general rule I live by: Most cops arent your friends..they would rather arrest you than help you.

[oly884]

Power corrupts, however a person with good morals, and decency will use the law accordingly. Police do not have an easy job, it is the loudest and stupidest that give them a bad name. That being said, I respect police, but also respect my rights given to me in the constitution.

[mastacox]

While it seems like the officer may have overreacted, that lady wouldn't have had any problems if whe just signed the ticket and drove away.

Instead she argued and squared off with him, big mistake. If a shaved-head gangbanger did the exact same thing no one would bat an eye at a tazer being used, so why is it ok for a crotchety old lady to be abusive?

[corax]

Power corrupts, however a person with good morals, and decency will use the law accordingly. Police do not have an easy job, it is the loudest and stupidest that give them a bad name. That being said, I respect police, but also respect my rights given to me in the constitution.


well stated . . . . . you have heard about Phoenix Joint Terrorism Task Force and their view of your constitutional rights though, right?
http://seclists.org/politech/2001/Nov/0080.html
http://www.infowars.com/constitutional_terrorists.htm
http://www.keepandbeararms.com/images/FBI-MCSOTerroristFlyer-Front.jpg
http://www.keepandbeararms.com/images/FBI-MCSOTerroristFlyer-Back.jpg

seems very McCarthy-ist to me . . .

[04 Rocko Taco]

Agreed Keith....

and sadly, or proudly, depending on how you look at it, I can pick out more than one of those terms which I would say my neighbors could drop on me. :) 'Course they all feel the same way I do. :)

[fustercluck]

A word to the wise: Guys, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. I understand we need to monitor the various govt. forces which have authority to take freedom and lives, but threads like this can get nutz.

Out of respect for those who've participated before and anticipating tempered discussion, I'll allow it to continue. But at the first sign that the discussion has curdled into flagrant and wonton cop bashing, this thread will vanish.

[arjan]

An old saying in Holland, if you're not got for anythings else, you can always join the police.

I comes to mind quite often when I see traffic enforcement around here.

I get especially funny if they get interviewed on TV when there was a car accident or something:
Standard comment: "speed was a factor in this accident"

Sure sunshine, if there is no speed, then things don't move, if they don't move they are unlikely to collide.

I think part of the problem here in Canada, is that criminals are out on the street in no time, which makes it frustrating for police to do their work.

That sort of situations also prevent 'good' people from joining the police. It has to be an attractive job, especially for smart people which are very employable elsewhere.
There are a lot of good cops out there, but I've run into grumpy unreasonable a-holes also. Just like anybody else, you'll need to get to know the person before you can judge them.

[CJM]

Is it bad that overall on the road no one ever pulls my company vans over? Really, I seriously get sick and tired of stop and go and usually will go thru a yellow light. No cops bother us. Maybe its the lightbar, maybe its the emergency logos?

[neliconcept]

one model i shot from an agency is a cop, very sweet and kind, but she has told me their are more jerks then good guys in her division, i probably shouldnt be saying this.

i havent dealt with an ahole really though

[mastacox]

Cops have tough, thankless jobs and are constantly under the microscope which can be very stressful. In addition traffic stops are one of the most dangerous things they do on a regular basis, there's no way to know what will happen when they walk up to the window.

I'm not necessarily excusing the officer from his actions, or saying that there aren't "dick" cops out there; but I do think too many people assume a significant portion of policemen are egomaniacal power hungry a-holes. I don't envy a police officer's job, they are expected to be as sweet as an angel and as tough as a soldier and deal with a-holes all day.

Even cranky grandmothers need a good tazing sometimes to set things straight :asshat: