Ridiculous Police News (Specific events)

[NynJa]

Or not engage in a highspeed chase in the first place?

So just let the perp get away because "we dont want to engage in a high speed chase"? I see nothing wrong with that...

[Blubbartron]

So just let the perp get away because "we dont want to engage in a high speed chase"? I see nothing wrong with that...

There are plenty of ways to track people without being right on their ass. If you've no reason to believe the people are a danger to anyone (outside of cops), there's little reason not to pull back and wait for a more opportune moment to detain them.

Granted, these are cops that couldn't distinguish a car backfiring from a gunshot, and they've presumably had dozens of hours of marksmanship training, so my confidence in them isn't exactly high.

[Melena]

There are plenty of ways to track people without being right on their ass. If you've no reason to believe the people are a danger to anyone (outside of cops), there's little reason not to pull back and wait for a more opportune moment to detain them.

Granted, these are cops that couldn't distinguish a car backfiring from a gunshot, and they've presumably had dozens of hours of marksmanship training, so my confidence in them isn't exactly high.

Ok, it's obvious you have absolutely no clue what they sound like either. I've heard gun shots, i've heard backfire. Sitting in my apartment, knowing I live less than a mile away from a really shitty neighborhood that has gang issues and half the time I can't tell if it's backfire or gunshots.

[Tokitoki]

Ok, it's obvious you have absolutely no clue what they sound like either. I've heard gun shots, i've heard backfire. Sitting in my apartment, knowing I live less than a mile away from a really shitty neighborhood that has gang issues and half the time I can't tell if it's backfire or gunshots.

Definitely depends on the type of gun fired as well. You get a small caliber gun and it can be mistaken for several things including a car backfiring, small fireworks, etc.

[kuronosan]

I'm hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn't think backfire was gunfire.

[Melena]

I'm hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn't think backfire was gunfire.

Scroll up 3 posts. Obviously it's very easy to tell the difference and the cops were just too dumb to realize it.

[jmc]

Aren't there other tactics to apprehend or stop suspects that don't involve engaging in a high speed chase? Shouldn't they have employed other tactics to stop the chase? Or not engage in a highspeed chase in the first place?

Depends on department policy.

Here in Boston we have a no chase policy, unless they are a shooting suspect then we can chase upto a certain MPH.

However, the MA state police will chase you until the end of the world.

[zoobernut]

Depends on department policy.

Here in Boston we have a no chase policy, unless they are a shooting suspect then we can chase upto a certain MPH.

However, the MA state police will chase you until the end of the world.

Maybe I am interpreting it wrong but based on the article it seems that while they will do that they are not supposed to do that. It sounded like charges were going to be brought against the supervisors/managers (is that what they are called?) that allowed the chase to happen.

[Melena]

I believe it does vary by department to department. The sheriff's office I worked for, the Lieutenant on patrol was to be notified of any chase and it would be his call on whether or not to terminate the chase. They would typically err on the side of public safety and not engage in any high speed chase unless it was someone wanted for a violent offense such as armed robbery, murder, etc.

[Acevalefor]

A man starts a fight with another man. First man gets knocked out by a solid punch to the head by the second man who is wildly swinging trying to defend himself. First man dies minutes later while second man is on the phone with the cops. Second man is still charged with manslaughter. << Real story and my friend is facing many years in jail for defending himself.

Cops chase suspects and intentionally escalate to the point of deadly force. Officers fire indiscriminately into the car after they have it blocked in. You all know the rest about Rambo jumping on the hood of the car. No charges stick on any of the officers involved.

How can there be such a drastic difference in the application of laws? How can a man defending himself after being attacked go to jail while cops get away with a cowboy cops-and-robbers shooting of potentially innocent (remember, this is the rule of law. It is not the cops' job to be judge and executioner) people?

[Thunder]

@^

how many times did he punch the guy after he was unconscious though?

[Salodin]

The cops aren't charged with anything because the law gives them immunity in certain situations. Going into this case, they assumed the people in the car were firing rounds, so they responded appropriately. Mr. Cowboy obviously needs more training, and I'm not aware of what procedure he didn't follow, but what he did did not contribute to the suspects death in any meaningful way and therefore he isn't tried with manslaughter. If evidence proved they would have lived before the cop went Rambo, then this case might have ended differently.

In your friends case, there is something missing from your story or what he told you. If you kill a person in self defense, you aren't tried for manslaughter. At some point in the exchange your friend either went too far, or the fight didn't start the way he told you. Or maybe it did, and he will be acquitted of all charges /shrug.

[Acevalefor]

In my friend's case, the story seems to be very accurate in that all of the witness accounts from the 5 people there tell basically the same story, but the county prosecutor has a track record of charging people with crimes they did not commit and offering a plea bargain. You know, like just about every other DA in America. In this case, my friend is not taking any bargain and will go to trial. This isn't just some 'cool story bro' situation. I know almost everyone involved and have been involved in it myself since it happened. I am confident that I know how it happened. It was self defense and I hope that his court-appointed attorney is good enough to prove that with more than just witness accounts.

I know how qualified immunity works and do not believe Cowboy's actions fall under that immunity. They were wanton, brazen, and out of control, and he still gets to walk away with paid leave and some counseling. Part of that is due to the DA charging him with the wrong crime. The rest of it is because nobody can prove who actually killed the victims. Shouldn't they all be charged then since they all contributed to the deaths?

The point I am trying to make is that someone gets charged with a serious crime over a bad situation and an accidental death and it is business as usual. Lives ruined/ended and the system is working as intended. Then on the other hand, cops go WAY over the top and escalate to the point of ridiculousness, choke people to death, cause mysterious deaths in police custody, shoot a kid in a park, kill a homeless man because they are annoyed by him, and on and on, and very few of them face meaningful consequences for their actions. The application of law is inconsistent at best and the police benefit most from that inconsistency. They benefit by not facing consequences, by being encouraged to promote hostility, and by strong-arming protesters after the fact with impunity.

[Thunder]

How'd the fight go down? What's the size differential? Could have started in self defense, but if your friend was over a guy who could have been unconscious and kept on striking... then dood, he fucked up

Sucks I'm jumping in on this and haven't been involved at all since a few months ago but this story (and like many against cops) just has the telltale signs of not-enough-information. It's like the ones you hear about not being hired at a job despite being PERFECT, except for x, y, z that go unmentioned. Or the fatty who says he/she is eating next to nothing and STILL gaining weight!

Sorry if this sounds like one of those, "you're asking a rape victim what she was wearing!?" and you're offended by that. Genuinely don't wanna offend, and if you'd rather not talk about it then it's all good

[Ragnus]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...-kill-him.html


Details are fuzzy in the article, but a call was placed to a non emergency line in FL for a drunk suicidal man who had a large knife. The police showed up armed and armored with the end result of the man getting shot to death. Police claim it was a case of suicide by cop while the family doubts this is the case.

[Salodin]

Ace, the difference is they thought the suspects had a gun. Thinking that, the suspects led them on a chase for 22miles going way over the speed limit, then decided to finally stop in a school parking lot. As far as these cops knew, these guys were going to shoot up the school so they responded accordingly. Up to that point shooting them is justified legally; whether you agree with it morally is up to you and I won't go into it now. Cowboy cop actions go way beyond what's necessary, but even if he didn't shoot any bullets at all the suspects still would have die and therefore their death isn't the fault of his reckless actions. And for those reasons and what the judge says, the other cops aren't responsible for the deaths obviously.

Like I said before, the unlucky stars aligned for these people. Car backfired at wrong time, they're too high to realize a high speed chase is a stupid idea, and they finally decide to surrender...in a school parking lot. It's all a series of unfortunate events that led the police to try and stop a couple of assumed criminals from having a firefight at a school. Hindsight is 20/20, but the information they had at the time added up to dangerous criminals who are about to try and hide in a school; I don't agree with how they handled the situation, but I see why they did what they did. And more importantly, what they did is certainly not manslaughter.

[Gokku]

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3000186/original.jpg
Chicago Cops Posing With Black Suspect Like A Hunting Trophy
Both got fired one for the image the other for running a crime ring within the force.

[BaneTheBrawler]

Source?

[notorious bum]

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/phot...unting-trophy/

[Galkaeater]

http://boingboing.net/2015/05/30/pig...es-entire.html