Well, look what's back — it's my occasional roundup of bad cop clippings...
The police problem is that police are policed by the police. Cops are
accountable only to other cops, which is no accountability at all.
99.9999% of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct is never
investigated, never punished, never makes the news, so it’s not on this
page.
When cops are caught breaking the law, they’re investigated
by other cops. Details are kept quiet, the officers’ names are withheld
from public knowledge, and what info is eventually released is only
what police choose to release — often nothing at all.
When police
are fired — which is all too rare — they leave with ‘law enforcement
experience’ and can easily find work in another police department
nearby. It’s called “Wandering Cops.”
When police testify under
oath, they lie so frequently that cops themselves have a joking term for
it: “testilying.” Yet it’s almost unheard of for police to be punished
or prosecuted for perjury.
Cops can and do get away with lawlessness, because cops protect other cops. If they don’t, they aren’t cops for long.
The legal doctrine of “qualified immunity” renders police officers
invulnerable to lawsuits for almost anything they do. In practice,
getting past ‘qualified immunity’ is so unlikely, it makes headlines
when it happens.
All this is a path to a police state.
In a
free society, police must always be under serious and skeptical public
oversight, with non-cops and non-cronies in charge, issuing genuine
punishment when warranted.
Police who break the law must be
prosecuted like anyone else, promptly fired if guilty, and barred from
ever working in law-enforcement again.
That’s the solution.
• Florida police officer is arrested for sexually battering tourist after stopping her for jaywalking
Excerpt: … “I had to check myself before coming in here, because I’m exceptionally upset at the betrayal of trust in the level of confidence that people have in our officers,” [Police Chief Eric Gandy] said at a press conference Tuesday. “It’s exceptionally damaging to our reputation and the reputation of everyone in law enforcement.” …
Me again: But Chief Gandy isn’t “exceptionally upset” enough to say, “You’re fired,” so officer Nicolas Paloma has been suspended with pay.
• Tennessee sheriff has blistering critique of District Attorney, even after DA decides ☆not☆ to prosecute cop who killed black teenager
Excerpt: … In his press release, [Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner] added “The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is relieved that the DA followed the law and decided not to bring charges against Deputy Conder”. But, the sheriff also criticized [District Attorney Steve Mulroy]'s involvement.
“The DA has Monday-morning quarterbacked the Deputy’s actions — and ignored that once Mr. Hudspeth got back into the car, he had a gun available to him, making him a lethal threat. He also ignores that the Deputy, who had split seconds to act, could have been severely injured had he tried to escape the car as Mr. Hudspeth was stepping on the gas… We wish the DA would confine himself to his job and stop reviewing officers’ decision-making processes when he has not learned enough to be able to do so. We join others in urging him to take courses in Force Science.” …
Me again: In most of America, the District Attorney is the only office with oversight of the police. Let’s make sure the DA not only doesn’t charge cops with crimes, but doesn’t even investigate?
• Two people killed as California cops chase stolen vehicle into wreck
Is a stolen car worth two people’s lives? I don’t think a car is worth even the risk of injuring one person.
Then again, it’s a Tesla. Or was, until it was totaled. Police heroics all around.
• Georgia refuses to release evidence from police shooting of Cop City activist
If you’re tuning in late, the cops say Tortuguita shot first, but a test shows his gun hadn’t been fired, and an autopsy shows his hands were up when cops opened fire.
This man was straight-up murdered by cops, and they're covering it up.
• Indiana cop gets a year and a day for beating handcuffed man
Why the extra day?
In many jurisdictions, prisoners are only eligible for good-time credit and earlier release if their original sentence exceeds a year. Thus, adding an extra day is a kindness from the judge. It means this cop be out in a few months.
• Georgia man sues after 'mistaken identity' arrest and jailing (whoops, wrong black man)
Excerpt: … Brinson’s lawyers at Gomez Law Group allege the investigator who oversaw his case wrongfully arrested Brinson under another man’s identity.
“He crossed out the warrant,” attorney Debra Gomez said. “There was a height, a weight and a date of birth… The only thing in common is that they’re both young black men. Other than that, that’s it.” …
• In high-speed chase over alleged reckless driving, North Carolina cop crashes into uninvolved SUV, killing mother and child
When someone’s spotted driving recklessly, is it wise to chase that driver at 95 mph? Or would it be wiser to let them go, and arrest the driver tomorrow?
• London police defy ban on badges linked to far right and white supremacy
• Three black men imprisoned for murder sue, as new evidence points to two New Orleans police officers
• Oklahoma cop, working as a school teacher, is charged with assault of 13-year-old student
• Judge issues another order telling Rikers officials to obey her previous orders
• Georgia man exonerated after 16 years in prison is shot dead by cop at traffic stop
• 8 child sex crime charges filed against Michigan cop
• Two weeks after Alabama cops' killed a black man at his home, bodycam video remains hidden
• Fired Alabama cop takes plea deal for grooming kids via Snapchat
• Fired Wisconsin cop convicted of grooming, but acquitted of child rape and extortion
• Florida deputy arrested, fired for possessing child pornography
10/19/2023
Cops frighten me. All that power, no oversight. When they fuck up, well they have such a difficult job, cut em a break. It's always been this way. I think cell phones help.
ReplyDeleteCell phones and all the cameras everywhere.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I hated cell phones when they came out and still do, and hated all the surveillance cameras and still do, but they regularly provide reliable debunkey of cop lies.