I am sure some of you are aware of the beating of a teenage boy by some of the California Police Officers.
What do you think about this.
Should all of them be kicked off the force?

Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt F. Dorn told dozens of protesters who showed up Tuesday at city hall demanding a meeting that the officer should be fired.

Dorn said he had ordered the suspension of Jeremy Morse, a three-year veteran of the police force. No action has been taken against three other officers and two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies at the scene.

Here is the full story : http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/07/09/police.beating/index.html

This is very sad :(

My gut reaction is they should be kicked off without pay, severance package, whatever. You're supposed to be serving and protecting, not getting fired up and violent.

Well Milani, I have seen the video of the police officer hitting that teen and it looked unnecessary. They already had the kid in custody. That hit was just uncalled for.

Four cops on one BOY! Come on :rant: It just ticks me off to see that kind of abuse.
Cops here get off on that Power Trip!

I was listening to some other cops talk about how that teen lunged at the officer and gave the officer a cut over his ear.

But the way the officer picked that teen up and slammed him on top of the trunk of the car, that was shocking.

What's shocking is how immediately everyone jumps to the defense of the boy. Why don't we wait until the whole story is in before jumping to conclusions?

Everyone is so quick to denounce the police. I'm no friend of cops, in my younger days I was definitely not their friend either, but watching what they have to go through every day, I wait to pass judgement until I hear the truth.

No one knows yet what this innocent "boy" did. Apparently if he was being arrested he's a criminal, yet everyone jumps to his defense.

If I were a cop and he slashed me with a knife, not only would I have slammed him into the car, I would have cracked his skull open....as would any of you, whether you are brave enough to admit it or not.

Just my 2 cents.

Assuming the kid wasn't a hellian and didn't resist or cause a fight, I totally feel the cops should not only have the $hit kicked out of them, but thrown off the force and possibly have assault charges pressed against them.

But...as Pagan said.... let's hear the full story before making any decisions.

I heard something about him being mentally disabled!

Originally posted by Pagan
If I were a cop and he slashed me with a knife, not only would I have slammed him into the car, I would have cracked his skull open....as would any of you, whether you are brave enough to admit it or not.


You'd crack open his skull just for a cut? That's not necessary is it? Cops should be trained in how to deal with fights like these. Besides, it wasn't 1 cop and 1 kid. It was 4 cops and 1 kid. Instead of eating donuts, learn self-defense.

I have to agree with Pagan. The kid was obviously being arrested for a reason. Now, maybe the cops didn't need to be so rough, but we weren't there to see what happened. Also, the officers had to use their judgment of the situation at that moment. We have the luxury of hindsight.

If they took their anger too far, then by all means, they should be dismissed from the force. They should at least be suspended (all of them) while the investigation is pending.

Otherwise, I think, like Pagan, we should wait for all the details.

I just read Shei's post! Mentally disabled? That's a totally different set of principles, then. However, people with mental disabilities don't usually know their own strength, and can really hurt others. The officers, if they knew this, should have first tried to calm the boy....they may have scared him into resisting them. :(

Originally posted by sketcher


You'd crack open his skull just for a cut? That's not necessary is it? Cops should be trained in how to deal with fights like these. Besides, it wasn't 1 cop and 1 kid. It was 4 cops and 1 kid. Instead of eating donuts, learn self-defense.

Damn straight it would be necessary. Just a cut? If someone lunges at you with a knife would you say "Oh, it'll just be a cut"? It's called a gut reaction. It happens. Like Val said, we have the luxury of hindsight. They are in the thick of things that we will most likely never face in our lifetime.

The donut comment is also a tired old (no pun intended) cop-out. I'd love to see anyone on here have to deal with the crap that cops have to deal with. It's easy to judge when you haven't walked in someone's shoes. There's an old saying, those who can, do. Those who can't either teach or criticize.

Hey, I teach!

Having had run in's with the cops myself,I can say with some certainty that most(I say most not all)cops seem to let their emotions get the better of them in certain situations.Example,a friend a mine ran from the cops once(he had a small amount of pot on him,not a violent felon by far),they chased him and he eventually gave up and laid down on the ground offering no resistance(I was there,I saw everything)that didn't stop the arresting officer from kicking his face in and breaking his nose.The cop was pissed that he actually had to run after Nate.My friend ended up with a broken nose and two black eye's just because the cop couldn't control his anger.I don't know if this is the case here,but cops are just as capable of going overboard as anyone else and should be delt with just like you or me would if we got caught beating the hell out of someone.

Originally posted by jen*
Hey, I teach!

You know what I mean Jen...no offense! ;)

Culty, if it ends up being their fault, they definitely should be suspended. The point that I'm trying to make is that immediately everyone jumps on the bandwagon and defends the criminal. It's sickening.

Yes, this story was also on the news here.
As far as I have followed this incident on the news here, the boy is hearing disabled and also mentally retarded to a certain extent. The whole thing happened at a gas station where the policemen were interviewing the father of the boy because the license plates were expired, when the situation got out of control somehow. The guy who had videotaped this incident stated that he didn't filmed the part when the cops arrested the boy, only the scenes showing the cops mistreating the boy were shown.

My first though was also "wait until we get to hear the complete story", but on the other hand, my opinion is that the force used and the beatings were absolutely unneccesary. I'm sure that the emotions went high, but this is a situation every cop in the world should deal in a more senseful way.

And if you think something like "what do the Germans know about police brutality"...we just had recently two cases of police brutality in the discussion (one of the mistreated died in the arresting cell), and if you were a punk back in the 80s and had the unfortune to be picked up by the officers of a certain precinct of our hometown, you got more than just one little lick with the licorice whip.

Originally posted by Pagan
You know what I mean Jen...no offense! ;)

None taken, Pagan. I just had to give you a hard time. :*

It bugs me, too, the way every one comes to the defense of the suspect before hearing the whole story. No one knows what happened before the cameras started rolling. I've had a few run-ins with the cops myself (my dad was one for 31 years, too), and generally, if I hadn't been up to something, or with other people who were, there'd have been no reason for the cops to deal with me in the first place. And I was smart enough to know better than to mouth off or fight back when confronted with three or four men with loaded weapons and billy clubs.
Part of the problem is that kids are raised with such disrespect for authority, the police in particular. The police deal with this loathing on a daily basis, and it comes to a point where they just snap. This doesn't mean it's right to kick the shit out of somebody for no reason, and a lot, if not most, police beatings are probably unnecessary. And a lot of cops could probably do with some anger and stress management counseling to help them deal with it before they snap on someone. But it wouldn't happen if people didn't go around with the attitude that all cops are on a power trip and if you have to deal with them, it's their fault and not at least partly yours.

. teen as a developmentally disabled special education student with no arrest record who did not understand what was happening, the Los Angeles Times Reported

The boy is mentally disabled ? Well does your opinions about the situation still stand?

There were three cops involved against one boy.. stress the word BOY. How much of a threat were those well trained cops in? Come on couldn't one well trained COP deal with that boy? Then why were there 3 hitting on him?
I can see everyone's point of view though.

It might be hard to differentiate between mentally retarded and whacked on drugs or something in the heat of the moment. I don't know, I wasn't there. In some circumstances, it can take several people to restrain one person. My best friend is a ER nurse, and sometimes it takes a half dozen people to restrain someone when their adrenaline is really going . I'm not saying that this is what happened, but I am trying to see both points of view. Could be that someone was just having a bad day and took it out on someone. Or it could have been a case of act first, ask questions later. Either way, it is unfortunate. Whoever is to blame here, everyone loses. :(

Originally posted by Milani
.

The boy is mentally disabled ? Well does your opinions about the situation still stand?

There were three cops involved against one boy.. stress the word BOY. How much of a threat were those well trained cops in? Come on couldn't one well trained COP deal with that boy? Then why were there 3 hitting on him?
I can see everyone's point of view though.

Once again, if the facts come in and the police were wrong then they should be punished.

Stress the word "boy"? Here's a sobering fact for you Milani...the Melendez twins were "boys". Just because someone is a boy does not make him an innocent. It's opinions like that which cause today's youth to run wild.

You seem to have missed the point ENTIRELY. It was not a matter of who was right or wrong. It was the fact that everyone immediately sided with the criminal. How much clearer does that have to be made?

Let's find out the TRUTH first. It was the boy's LAWYER who stated that he was mentally disabled. Not a doctor, a LAWYER. Wouldn't be the first time this defense was used. But once again, right off the bat we have a knee-jerk reaction to something that is stated without reading between the lines. The media knows that people will react that way, so that's how it's being reported.

It's almost like the Abner Louima case, where EVERY time he's testified so far his story has changed, and he's even admitted to some out and out lies. However, when the story broke all people saw was the horror of it all, and immediately sided with him, causing him to become a very rich man.

Let's be realistic. The boy's father said that the boy did nothing, didn't struggle, did whatever the cop asked. Why then would the cop, especially in LA where this kind of behavior is under the microscope, react violently for no reason? Sounds pretty fishy to me. But like I said, we shall see when all the facts are in.

And of course...it's being turned into a racial issue. Sharpton will be out there in no time.

It was the fact that everyone immediately sided with the criminal

I sided with the one that was getting beat that is all.
I say boy because my son is about that age.. and to me he is a BOY :p

How much clearer does that have to be made?
I see no smiley face there Pagan.... are you getting a bit upset? :p
It is just a discussion.. there is no right or wrong answers here. Just people giving their opinions right? :p

Originally posted by Milani


I sided with the one that was getting beat that is all.
I say boy because my son is about that age.. and to me he is a BOY :p I fully knew that was the reason. I knew that by your first post. That much was obvious. ;)


I see no smiley face there Pagan.... are you getting a bit upset? :p
It is just a discussion.. there is no right or wrong answers here. Just people giving their opinions right? :p

Not upset at all Milani. My life is not that shallow. I actually find it amusing to watch the people who jump like trained poodles through the hoop the media holds up. ;)

I am not a poodle thank you very much :(
I am a bull dog :lol:

It is nice to hear everyone's opinions about such matters. But it just takes one person to get out of hand :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Milani
I am not a poodle thank you very much :(
I am a bull dog :lol:

It is nice to hear everyone's opinions about such matters. But it just takes one person to get out of hand :rolleyes:

Yes it does Milani....:rolleyes:

...and I wasn't referring to you as the poodle, but the population in general.

Hey Pagan, apparently it is not just the public who is siding with the teen. The Mayor of Inglewood, Roosevelt Dorn, had this to say in the Los Angeles Times.

"I can't think of anything this teenager could have done that would justify the conduct that I observed on the video," said Dorn, who served 18 years as a judge. "This young man's civil rights without question were violated."

Dorn said it appeared to him that, in addition to felony assault, the officer was guilty of assault with a deadly weapon, battery and child abuse. The officer, Jeremy J. Morse, was relieved of duty Monday.

and I wasn't referring to you as the poodle, but the population in general I know Pagan :p justing busting your b@lls.

I wasn't there and didn't see it (haven't even seen the video), but unless that kid is a bad ass and can take on FOUR cops, and unless he had a weapon (knife, gun, whatever), I can't see any reason why a cop would assault him WHILE handcuffed.

I don't know the whole story, but based on the limited information I have, I would have to say the termination was deserved.

I have had 2 step dads that were cops. While I know they do have a lot of criminals to put up with, way too many (at least in my state) go on a MASSIVE power trip and think they own the planet earth and can do whatever the hell they want.

Not saying that the criminal is always right, sometimes they do deserve to get nailed, but all too often I see the cop using excessive force.

I remember a several years ago, somewhere on the east coast, a black cop pulled over a black lady (so it wasn't a racial thing) for speeding. His camera was running the whole time. You could CLEARLY see him throw her door open and try to pull her out of the car. Her seatbelt was on and she kept telling him to stop so she could get her seatbelt off. She didn't resist, put up a fight, or anything. He yelled at her to get her ass out of the car, pull her out, threw her on the ground, put his knee into her back, handcuffed her, and hauled her off.

He was terminated immediately. She sued the cops for assault, but I don't know if she won. He tried to sue for something as well. I don't know what the outcome was. His termination was WELL deserved. The whole thing was clear on video and he was DEFINITELY in the wrong. Good riddance to him.

Are all cops bad? No. I don't defend them, nor will I ever. Some things are justified, some are not. But I have seen too many in my state abuse their power. To me, that should be grounds for immediate termination.

Just my thoughts.

Originally posted by Milani
I know Pagan :p justing busting your b@lls.

*checks pants* Whew....still there! :D

Rebel...I guess you miss the point also. Ever hear of a politician trying to cover his ass? Guess not.

Listen, I'm done trying to explain it. Not worth my time anymore.

Isn't this Political????

It's true he was a boy, 16 years of age, but at that age they are like adults. Anyone 14 years of age, is usually looked upon as an adult by the cops. Mentally and maturity wise yes they were still kids, but physically they are young men and young women.

I'm not sure what to make of this case. I don't think a cop should EVER beat up on someone who is already handcuffed, especially when you have 3 or 4 other cops already there to back you up.

However, if someone lunged at me the way this kid reportedly did, I'd be pretty pi$$ed myself. What I suspect happened is that this kid obviously did something bad enough to get arrested, and bad enough to provoke this guy to being so angry with him that he would do that. Let's say you were a cop and someone came after you and cut you, and then put up a fierce amount of resistance. Then you and your buddies finally handcuff him and you're still pi$$ed, but by this time the guy doesn't bother to offer anymore resistance and JUST THEN some dude starts rolling his camera and cathes you venting off steam from what happened before. I have a feeling that is what happened. Police brutality is wrong, especially on someone who is handcuffed and secure, but if what I think happened here occured.....I can understand it.

Originally posted by djdaffy1227
Isn't this Political????

I thought the same when I saw it earlier. LOL

Guys.. I'm telling you what.. If I were that boy's family, I'd be suing for every single penny that cop had... and I would get it!
It doesn't matter WHAT a "criminal" (juvenile delinquent of 16 years old) does.. there is absolutely NO reason to PUNCH the kid in the face while being handcuffed... that's a cop on a power trip...

And no.. I don't really think this topic is political...

Tinajo!!
Thank you for your input.. i was sortta scared that I broke the rule.
:p We think alike :shakey: I know frightening huh? :lol:

If a rule was broken, you can better believe I woulda squashed this immediately :hammer::lol: Just looks like a healthy adult discussion on a news story to me :)

I don't condone the violence but come on people these guys have to see alot of things that we don't want to know exists. I have a few friends that are police officers and after some of the shit they've told me it's no wonder this stuff happens. If this is the officers first offence then I say get him some counseling we could all use it once in awhile as a mental tuneup. Now if you think it was a race thing, you are wrong. One of the officers was of the same color so that point is not valid. Did any of you hear the interview with the boy and his father? Not the most intelligent or responible Father for the boy to look up too. Like I said I don't condone the violence but we put these people in harms way everyday and until I walk in their shoes or am God the Father I cannot judge.

There are three sides to each story--the story of the first party, the story of the second party and then that of the truth. There is a good chance that both sides are wrong to some degree. I agree that cops should be in controll in themselves and that their tempers should not be partners to them while they are on the job. I do have to wonder what the kid might have done to precipitate it, though.

I don't believe that excessive force is EVER warranted--EVER. There is never a good excuse for that kind of behavior. However, we aren't totally all sure that this was excessive force for this particular situtation.

I believe that the judgement of excessive force is much too subjective and that stricter guidelines are called for. I believe that all police should have to take anger management classes even if it's just preventative

However, like I have said, I am not so sure that that boy didn't have a hand in what happened.

Originally posted by Roemello
If a rule was broken, you can better believe I woulda squashed this immediately :hammer::lol:

Hey!!! Roem's on a power trip!!!! :laugh: :lol: :laugh:

My father was a policeman for 17 years in our city. One night, there was a "robbery" ....the two brothers who were robbing the place were shot and killed. Everyone put down the police right away. Things were said in front of me and my cousins(my uncle was on the force also) purposely just to try and hurt us. (My uncle shot one of the boys and he had a hard time for years...still does occasionally even though it's been over 20 years ago now.) Then the story came out:::

These boys had been bragging to friends for days about how they were going to hold up this fast food place. They knew some of the workers and they even left the door unlocked for them. Someone anon. called the police and said that something was going on at Long John Silvers. The police arrived and found a robbery in progress. They told the boys to come out, drop weapons, etc... the brothers came out aiming their guns (which turned out to be toys!) then they started to run at the police with their weapons..laughing..they were warned another time to drop the guns but they didn't .



These kids looked at those boys as heros in a sort of weird way and didn't even want to hear the real story.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not sticking up for the police in all cases. ( I have not checked out that link yet, but I will, Milani) Only wanted to give an example where peole blamed the police without knowing the story.

Pagan:
Hey!!! Roem's on a power trip!!!! :laugh::lol::laugh:


Watch it buddy! Don't make me exile you to the void...:witch2::laugh:

Admin brutality...next on Oprah...

Well, there has been an new development in this case and it involves the guy who videotaped the incident. This comes from the Yahoo News Section.

"The bystander who videotaped a violent arrest by Inglewood police but had avoided a grand jury subpoena was arrested Thursday on outstanding warrants for petty theft."


Videotaper (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&ncid=716&e=5&u=/ap/20020711/ap_on_re_us/police_video)

His lawyers were on the TODAY show and they said that they couldnt' talk to him personally but the man who videotaped the incident was in the hospital.
They showed a clip of the tape that caught the cops arresting the man and as the van was driving off you could hear him screaming for help. He was scared for his life.. well that was what he exclaimed on an interview he did for a radio show.

Hmmmm....this is starting to look like a setup......

OK, "boy" or not, the person involved ASSAULTED A POLICE OFFICER. Causing a wound that needed a reported 70 stitched to close. The "boy" is also 6 ft 2 and over 200 pounds. Hardly a "little defenseless boy" as some here have tried to make him out. Seems to me if the boys male parenting unit had smacked him around a little while he was smaller, perhaps he wouldnt think it was okay to lunge a police officer, who was only QUESTIONING his father. Oh, and being in a stolen car doesnt make them decent citizens either.

The cops didnt "beat" him. He was struck once. One punch for 70 stitches? He got off easy if you ask me!

Originally posted by Jasper
The cops didnt "beat" him. He was struck once. One punch for 70 stitches? He got off easy if you ask me!

Amen, brother Jasper.

No matter who was to blame in this incedent,one shining thing stands true.........THIS WORLD IS A FREAKIN' CESSPOOL!!!

Thank you,now back to your regularly schedualed program,already in progress!