The latest video of California deputies beating a suspect shows that police brutality is common across the country.
Video shows California deputies beating suspect after he flees on horseback | US news | The Guardian
I think that the use of video is now starting to show what has been going on for a century. When police have an opportunity, they will take revenge upon suspects. By "police" we also include FBI, DEA, Border Patrol, Military Police, and all state and local forces. When convenient video first became available, police would try to stop observing citizens from taking video, confiscate their cameras or intimidate them into giving up their media. Why did they do this? Of course, to hide what they were doing! Now that everyone has a video camera on their phone, it is much more difficult to stop from happening. Now we are hearing (and seeing) a lot more about this going on.
I think it is absolutely absurd that the Rodney King police got off scott free for the beating they engaged in. That set a precedent that made them think they could get away with anything. The lack of an indictment in the Ferguson case gave the police the impression they could even get away with murder if they could somehow claim they "feared for their life"...
I can sympathize with police -- it is a dangerous job! When a suspect is carrying a gun and might point it at them, they do need to defend themselves! I can also understand that after a long difficult chase, as this one was, they might be very angry, exhausted, and have a lot of adrenalin flowing in their bodies. They just might want to "take it out" on the suspect. That is certainly a difficult thing to stop! However I think our US system of Justice requires restraint and discipline on the part of our officers. Officers who participate or who observe and don't try to prevent a beating should be disciplined in some way. The public should be aware the the discipline occurred to help maintain confidence on our police system. I wonder if what we all see in movies and TV (for example "Dirty Harry") helps set the public image for how police should act? Do our police believe that it is OK to beat up suspects because they've seen it happen so much on TV and in movies?
Video shows California deputies beating suspect after he flees on horseback | US news | The Guardian
I think that the use of video is now starting to show what has been going on for a century. When police have an opportunity, they will take revenge upon suspects. By "police" we also include FBI, DEA, Border Patrol, Military Police, and all state and local forces. When convenient video first became available, police would try to stop observing citizens from taking video, confiscate their cameras or intimidate them into giving up their media. Why did they do this? Of course, to hide what they were doing! Now that everyone has a video camera on their phone, it is much more difficult to stop from happening. Now we are hearing (and seeing) a lot more about this going on.
I think it is absolutely absurd that the Rodney King police got off scott free for the beating they engaged in. That set a precedent that made them think they could get away with anything. The lack of an indictment in the Ferguson case gave the police the impression they could even get away with murder if they could somehow claim they "feared for their life"...
I can sympathize with police -- it is a dangerous job! When a suspect is carrying a gun and might point it at them, they do need to defend themselves! I can also understand that after a long difficult chase, as this one was, they might be very angry, exhausted, and have a lot of adrenalin flowing in their bodies. They just might want to "take it out" on the suspect. That is certainly a difficult thing to stop! However I think our US system of Justice requires restraint and discipline on the part of our officers. Officers who participate or who observe and don't try to prevent a beating should be disciplined in some way. The public should be aware the the discipline occurred to help maintain confidence on our police system. I wonder if what we all see in movies and TV (for example "Dirty Harry") helps set the public image for how police should act? Do our police believe that it is OK to beat up suspects because they've seen it happen so much on TV and in movies?
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