[News] The USA Police State will never satisfy its lust for beating, gassing, and imprisoning minorities

[Hailey Knight]

Woman caught shoplifting eggs; instead of arresting her, officer buys eggs for her

Hey, look--a police officer goes against protocol to show compassion for someone else. And he's white and she's black, so it's on-topic. He could've arrested her in front of her kids, got another mark on his quota, been on his way, but he didn't. He helped someone.

Now, can someone explain to me how this fits into steinman's explanation of how the police are supposed to operate, that they're supposed to enforce? I mean, according to that, he was supposed to just arrest her. She broke the law, she shoplifted. How come he was able to do this? He was caught on video, too, failing to enforce the law. I'm having a hard time reconciling this into the judgment-free enforcement scenario; it just doesn't make any sense unless steinman's wrong. Hmm.

 

[blotsfan]

A grand jury will probably indict him.

 

[Jay]

Crazy things happen when you don't assault or charge police officers

 

[Krisken]

Woman caught shoplifting eggs; instead of arresting her, officer buys eggs for her

Hey, look--a police officer goes against protocol to show compassion for someone else. And he's white and she's black, so it's on-topic. He could've arrested her in front of her kids, got another mark on his quota, been on his way, but he didn't. He helped someone.

Now, can someone explain to me how this fits into steinman's explanation of how the police are supposed to operate, that they're supposed to enforce? I mean, according to that, he was supposed to just arrest her. She broke the law, she shoplifted. How come he was able to do this? He was caught on video, too, failing to enforce the law. I'm having a hard time reconciling this into the judgment-free enforcement scenario; it just doesn't make any sense unless steinman's wrong. Hmm.

 

[Gruebeard]

Crazy things happen when you don't . . . charge police officers

If I had the skill, I'd photoshop a low battery indicator onto a cop's badge. Just to see if it'd drive gasbandit to crazy things.

 

[DarkAudit]

If I had the skill, I'd photoshop a low battery indicator onto a cop's badge. Just to see if it'd drive gasbandit to crazy things.

 

[GasBandit]

If I had the skill, I'd photoshop a low battery indicator onto a cop's badge. Just to see if it'd drive gasbandit to crazy things.

You monster.

 

[PatrThom]

You monster.

That actually started me thinking about an image that would drive as many forumites as possible off the deep end.

--Patrick

 

[blotsfan]

Scott Kurtz eating a well done steak?

 

[Hailey Knight]

If I had the skill, I'd photoshop a low battery indicator onto a cop's badge. Just to see if it'd drive gasbandit to crazy things.

Can someone explain the joke?

 

[Sparhawk]

Gas has issues with phones getting down in charge levels. Really drives him nuts to see phone battery indicators in single digits.

 

[GasBandit]

IRRESPONSIBLE

 

[Emrys]

Someone show this man a battery indicator charged to 100% so he doesn't start foaming at the mouth.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Damn, he would hate to see my phone some nights of the week.

 

[Gruebeard]

Gas has issues with phones getting down in charge levels. Really drives him nuts to see phone battery indicators in single digits.

He doesn't even like it dropping to double digits.

 

[figmentPez]

A federal judge granted an injunction to limit the use of tear gas by police in St. Louis/Ferguson. The judge said "it’s clear to me for some reason the police are treating this group, around this movement, differently than they treat other large crowds," this judge also found substantial evidence that police had violated the first amendment rights of protestors.

 

[tegid]

This is on topic because the phone may or may not have its batteries in the single digits. Also the words 'police state' are involved. So super on topic!


Opinions?

 

[grub]

I am so glad I don't live in the states. The attitude towards gun use is ridiculous.

 

[GasBandit]

I am so glad I don't live in the states. The attitude towards gun use is ridiculous.

A lot of us in the states are glad not to live outside of them for similar reasons.

 

[grub]

A lot of us in the states are glad not to live outside of them for similar reasons.

I don't think that guns should be vilified, but they should not be something you need to always have on you either. They are not a tool, their only use is to kill things. If you have a gun pointed at somebody you have escalated the encounter to a level that is generally unnecessary. I don't believe a gun should be needed at a traffic stop. If a police officer needs one because the other guy might have one, then it is too easy to get a handgun.

 

[GasBandit]

I don't think that guns should be vilified, but they should not be something you need to always have on you either. They are not a tool, their only use is to kill things. If you have a gun pointed at somebody you have escalated the encounter to a level that is generally unnecessary. I don't believe a gun should be needed at a traffic stop. If a police officer needs one because the other guy might have one, then it is too easy to get a handgun.

The entire point of the second amendment to the US Constitution is it's supposed to be effortless to obtain a gun that, when used by many people in concert, could stand a credible threat to a standing regular army.

 

[sixpackshaker]

I don't think that guns should be vilified, but they should not be something you need to always have on you either. They are not a tool, their only use is to kill things. If you have a gun pointed at somebody you have escalated the encounter to a level that is generally unnecessary. I don't believe a gun should be needed at a traffic stop. If a police officer needs one because the other guy might have one, then it is too easy to get a handgun.

Traffic stops are the most dangerous job duties performed in this country.

 

[Charlie Don't Surf]

The entire point of the second amendment to the US Constitution is it's supposed to be effortless to obtain a gun that, when used by many people in concert, could stand a credible threat to a standing regular army.

reminder that was written by dead rich guys that owned other human beings and thought that was tight. whose kids' kids' kids' kids have been dead for a long while, also when the gun was the most powerful weapon on earth.

 

[grub]

But is that what most people have them for? Probably not. The second amendment is from a far different time than now.

 

[GasBandit]

reminder that was written by dead rich guys that owned other human beings and thought that was tight. whose kids' kids' kids' kids have been dead for a long while, also when the gun was the most powerful weapon on earth.

So the first amendment should only apply to things created on a movable type manual printing press?

 

[Covar]

But is that what most people have them for? Probably not. The second amendment is from a far different time than now.

Just like that pesky fourth one.

 

[grub]

That is a tenuous argument At best.

 

[GasBandit]

But is that what most people have them for? Probably not. The second amendment is from a far different time than now.

It's just as important now as it is then. It's much more difficult to oppress an armed populace than an unarmed one. If you think, like Charlie does, that isn't true, you need only look at Iraq and Afghanistan. They weren't using nukes and tanks against us, and they've been a huge, expensive headache. Much moreso than they would have been if they were disarmed.[DOUBLEPOST=1418413011,1418412998][/DOUBLEPOST]

Just like that pesky fourth one.

Or first one. Or any of them.

 

[figmentPez]

Opinions?

I'd love to hear coverage of this incident from other viewpoints. The video links to this article, which I find to be poorly written and far from a complete account of what happened. The best I can figure is that, Alejandro Natividad, the man taking the video, was riding in a car with his friend. That friend was under the influence of marijuana, and started driving erratically. They were pulled over by the police officer, and at least one of them got out of the car without being asked to, which led the officer to draw his gun, and order them to the ground. Eventually the driver was arrested for DUI, and released the next day. Mr. Natividad was detained but released at the scene.

Found a CBS article, which includes quotes from the police. Law enforcement says this could have all been avoided if they'd just stayed in the car. “We encourage the community to remain inside the vehicle and not to exit the vehicle unless they’re directed to do so by a police officer,” Capt. Andrew Shouse said.

Still, pulling a gun on unarmed people seems like an overreaction. That looks like a pretty decent area of town, and comments on the CBS article suggest that it's a fairly conservative area of the state, it seems to me that a medical emergency or otherwise non-threatening cause is more likely than a violent confrontation.[DOUBLEPOST=1418413354,1418413226][/DOUBLEPOST]

Traffic stops are the most dangerous job duties performed in this country.

Arguably, being so quick to draw a gun makes the situation more dangerous, not less.

 

[grub]

I see it more like the Cold War, each side is trying to protect itself with force. I don't think the whole situation is as simple as CDS does, but I'm not sure that many police officers need to approach things so heavy handed either. There should be more training on dealing with situations without resorting to "my gun is bigger".

 

[Covar]

I was told by my brother-in-law (cop) and confirmed by a DUI lawyer I played hockey with that the only two things a citizen in NC is required to conform with at a traffic stop, is providing license and registration, and exit and enter the vehicle when told to.

So if any of y'all are ever down this way there you go.

 

[sixpackshaker]

Arguably, being so quick to draw a gun makes the situation more dangerous, not less.

Yes, when the suspect being pulled over for not wearing a seat belt gets out of a car blasting, it makes it more dangerous.

 

[figmentPez]

Yes, when the suspect being pulled over for not wearing a seat belt gets out of a car blasting, it makes it more dangerous.

You do realize that we're talking about the video tegid posted, right? The one with two unarmed suspects, where the officer refused to put away his gun even after the suspects had demonstrated themselves to be unarmed and terrified?

 

[grub]

It was up to the officer to de-escalate the situation, unfortunately he took the other option and called backup.

 

[sixpackshaker]

You do realize that we're talking about the video tegid posted, right? The one with two unarmed suspects, where the officer refused to put away his gun even after the suspects had demonstrated themselves to be unarmed and terrified?

You realized you quoted me making a general statement that traffics stops are the most dangerous things you can do for a living. Even if the suspects appear to be unarmed, they could have something concealed or gang up on the officer and take his gun.