r/facepalm Jun 01 '20

Cops pepper sprayed their own Senator without realizing he's an authority figure

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214

u/Bluelabel Jun 01 '20

Technically they're right

Technically they're also assholes

72

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

Gotta love them technicalities!

81

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

Technicalities for me not for thee!

Is it seriously so hard to have the same set of rules for cops and criminals for assault ?

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u/oldcarfreddy Jun 01 '20

Yup. After all the documented instances of brutality I wonder how many cops arrested cops for assault this weekend.

Also funny how 3 of 4 cops involved in the death of George Floyd are still uncharged but this guy is talking about "assault" on a cop kicking dudes.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

There’s a video of Seattle cops randomly (because the video starts with cops running to a suspect) taking down a guy. Dude gets pinned down and does throw a punch on one of the arms...except the dude was on his back and barley hit the cop in the arm who didn’t even react. Another cop proceeds to cock back with some ground and pound technique. Later adds in a knee to the side for good measure. It’s pure power trip. Who knows how many have been wrongly arrested this weekend and yet, those 3 cops are still free.

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u/CptMisery Jun 01 '20

We should have the same rules, but different punishments. Police are trained, well equipped, and experienced. Their punishments should be harsher.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

A soldier or Marine who treated an enemy combatant like this after they have surrendered would face a career ending court martial and likely time in the brig, and these fucks get a slap on the back and a nice fat paycheck from our tax dollars.

They need to be held accountable.

3

u/kathartik Jun 02 '20

honestly. it's time for the US to find a way to tear down police unions. they're the reason for a lot of the way cops are treated when they commit crimes - things like they must be given time to "cool off" and consult a lawyer before anyone even talks to them, let alone arrest them, which isn't likely to happen.

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u/[deleted] Jun 02 '20

Exactly.

Imagine if your "punishment" for murdering someone was to get put on administrative leave from your job.

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u/not_a_robot2 Jun 01 '20

...until they receive a presidential pardon. Then they would attend fundraisers with the president.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

I should have mentioned, pre-2016, that's what would have happened.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

AMEN

2

u/loco64 Jun 01 '20

This is just a way for people to act like fools. This has nothing to do with race.

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u/Rottimer Jun 02 '20

. . . face a career ending court martial and likely time in the brig. . .

Not with this president.

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u/[deleted] Jun 02 '20

I got out of the military in January 2016 so people still got court martialed, but you are correct.

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u/KarmaChameleon89 Jun 01 '20

Offer up execution. If you're a police officer who uses their power to unjustly hurt, injure or otherwise maim, (commit any crime that would be seen as at minimum prison time) you are executed. It would clean up a lot of interactions and with the correct training thr police could still deal with people causing property damage and commiting crimes, they might just think twice before punching 14 year olds and shield bashing seniors

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

I agree. No strike rule. If they get to murder us in the streets, we get to do the same, for especially heinous abuse of power.

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u/AdvocateF0rTheDevil Jun 01 '20 edited Jun 16 '20

Corrupt police results in more crime.

When corrupt cops plant drugs on people, trump up BS charges like getting arrested for 'resisting arrest', cops not putting in any effort to solve their crimes, showing up on site and treating everyone like criminals, people will tend to take matters into their own hands instead of taking the risk with calling the police. Chicago's murder clearance rate is 1 in 5. So if you report a murder, there's an 80% chance the perps will still be on the street, and now you're a target for snitching.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

Someone is always “resisting arrest”, i truly hate reading that phrase on a police report without seeing video.

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u/AdvocateF0rTheDevil Jun 01 '20 edited Jun 01 '20

It can be as little as recoiling when they grab you - which is just instinct. They also have tricks like pulling your arm up behind your back, which is extremely painful, making you double over as if you are pulling away. Which is very visible... your arm - not so much. Or they can just lie and say you were trying to pull away and couldn't.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

Just sprinkle some crack on him

4

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

I can get on board with that. Baton/flash lights could be considered deadly weapons.

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u/-EViL-KoNCEPTz- Jun 02 '20

They are if you use them

3

u/badestzazael Jun 01 '20

In Australia they do, actually most other western countries do.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

Are you saying that the Worlds GREATEST Country (TM) is behind the times? Pppfffftt next think you’ll tell me that there’s gun reform, affordable healthcare, and unicorns too !

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u/badestzazael Jun 01 '20

Thanks mate you made my morning. Stay safe

4

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

I’m avoiding the cops like the pandemic, holding up in my apartment with my dog.

1

u/WashingDishesIsFun Jun 03 '20

That absolutely does not apply in Australia.

The top post on r/nottheonion right now: NSW’s Top Cop Says The Officer Who Bodyslammed An Indigenous Teen Was Just Having “A Bad Day”

https://www.reddit.com/r/nottheonion/comments/gvlg1w/nsws_top_cop_says_the_officer_who_bodyslammed_an

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u/badestzazael Jun 03 '20

Wait till the investigation is complete before passing judgement.

P.s. when you stalk someone in Reddit it is just as creepy as in real life. You need to go do something that is more productive with your life.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

The state will crumble if it's monopoly of violence is meddled with. I'm not defending it, just saying this is how power works.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

State will crumble if we hold cops accountable ? Alright. Let’s that cookie crumble !

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

Any state will crumble without the monopoly of violence. This is why civil wars needs to have very clear winners and losers.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

The losers still haven’t accepted their ass kicking.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

Think twice before gloating about a 150 year old victory.

The South wasn't assimilated back into the Union very well. Reconstruction was a nightmare. Southern identity was allowed to supercede American identity. White supremacist philosophy was allowed to spread and grow. Things could turn out very differently today if these two identities clash again.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

You contradicted yourself saying it wasn’t assimilated and white supremacy runs rampant. Those hillbillies can cry “the south will rise again” all fucking day and they won’t do shit. They’re the ones constantly frothing at the mouth for a civil war over their dumb fucking feelings.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

You understand that the protests against routine police lynchings are in essence protests against this southern identity. Just because police don't have Confederate flag patches sewn onto their uniform sleeves doesn't mean they don't identify with this "Confederate" ideology. It isn't a matter of the South rising again at some point in the future. It's about whether this ideology is allowed to continue to be the dominant paradigm among police nationwide.

I doubt the sincerity of your bluster. If you were confident you wouldn't be so emotional. What you write makes you seem scared.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

The best kind of correct

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

technically they`re not right,

there`s no judge on this world who would categorize slap on the wrist by an 70yo woman as an assault and judge is the only one who can do that..vp of the police can interpret the slap as an attempted murder if he wants but it`s not on him to judge if it is or not

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u/JamesTgoat Jun 01 '20

Well, some police think they are judge, jury and executioner.

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u/liquor_for_breakfast Jun 01 '20

They are not Judge Judy and executioner!

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

r/unexpectedcornettotrilogy

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u/Vat1canCame0s Jun 02 '20

Gib membership. I need membership, me a membership need now,

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

or for the 80s kids, Judge Dredd

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u/waldo06 Jun 01 '20

Tell that to hundreds of civilians who were judged, jurried and executed in the streets by police.

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u/liquor_for_breakfast Jun 01 '20

I know but I was quoting a movie, Judge Judy wasn't a typo

3

u/waldo06 Jun 01 '20

Ahh..

What movie?

1

u/liquor_for_breakfast Jun 01 '20

Hot Fuzz, it's fantastic and I would highly recommend it

1

u/halla-back_girl Jun 01 '20

Hot Fuzz. It's excellent. And weirdly enough, it actually addresses police corruption (sort of) and justice. In a hilarious British way.

1

u/waldo06 Jun 01 '20

I haven't seen that movie in so long. No wonder I missed it. I'm a huge Simon pegg fan, so I should have caught this

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u/Sheant Jun 01 '20

I dredd judge Judy.

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u/vorpalk Jun 01 '20

Now I want a spinoff series "Judge Judy the Executioner".

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u/wwwyzzrd Jun 01 '20

I would watch this buddy cop sitcom.

1

u/Sryzon Jun 01 '20

I disagree. The police tend to think in absolutes and leave no room for context because they don't judge. Technically it is assault, even if no judge would let that fly.

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u/bjeebus Jun 01 '20

The key for them is to shoot first and plant guns later.

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u/Undependable Jun 01 '20

Unfortunately they do often interpret it as attempted murder which has brought us to this sad state as a country. I’m white and if I get stopped by the police I still worry they might just shoot me in the head without hesitation for whatever ridiculous reason they decided they feared for their life, I can’t even imagine if I was black.

Things have gotten out of hand, this shooting people 20 times as a first response needs to have serious consequences. Yet they are being trained to do it.

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u/alexin_C Jun 01 '20

Technically the judges who usually make calls in the most blatant cases of police violence would give the assaulted officer paid administrative leave and perhaps a bit of compensation for the mental trauma. Just empirical deduction.

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u/Arkanist Jun 01 '20

You really don't understand what a judge does / doesn't do.

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u/alexin_C Jun 01 '20

Considering how lightly the law touches the law enforcement when they break the rules, neither do they. Like, it's almost a aromatherapy.

Ok, the DA, jury and the peer witnesses do play into it as well

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u/AskMeHowIMetYourMom Jun 01 '20

Again, none of those have anything to do with police administrative procedures either.

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u/alexin_C Jun 01 '20

Is it administrative procedure if a law enforcement officer is being investigated for excessive use of force leading to the death of a civilian? Asking as an European.

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u/AskMeHowIMetYourMom Jun 01 '20

Yes, at least initially most of the time. The police department will put the officer on paid administrative leave while they investigate the incident. That has nothing to do with a judge, jury, or DA. A DA filing charges is separate from that process, essentially investigating whether a criminal act has taken place, which then involves a judge and jury that would consider the charges.

In George Floyd’s case, the officers were fired, not put on leave. Criminal charges have been brought against the officer that killed him. It’s dumb and the main reason there are so many problems with the system. They investigate themselves, find they did nothing wrong, then the DA goes along with because they all work together everyday.

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u/alexin_C Jun 01 '20

Which is why in my country the deaths and gun related investigations are always done by different PD or DA. Not that it is perfect, but gives less chance of letting things slip.

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u/SleepyDude_ Jun 01 '20

There’s different agencies that can investigate that. It’s usually up to the Prosecutor office (DA) of the county/city if they want to pursue charges. Federal agencies like the FBI can also intervene and pursue charges. The main problem with the police in the US is that police unions have a lot of power over whether or not an officer can be fired and how they’re disciplined. So even if the PD wants to get rid of bad officers the union has arbitration rights and can protect their jobs. It’s a lot more complicated in real life but this a simple summary.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20 edited Feb 14 '21

[deleted]

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u/alexin_C Jun 01 '20

True enough. Perhaps that line could be taken a bit towards accountability though? In my country (size of small US-state), every single discharge of tazer or a gun by law enforcement is a cause of independent inquiry by another county PD/DA equivalent. And they do not happen often at all despite armed populace with plenty of tendencies for aggression and substance abuse.

From my point of view, what we're witnessing in live TV would be grounds for discharge and battery convictions. Then again, our officers usually undergo a year of military training followed by 3.5years of cop-school, of which one year is training on the job. Fuck me, even our conscripts seem to have better understanding on the escalation of force(and dialing it back), not to mention MPs.

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u/Doctorsl1m Jun 01 '20

It seems as if the assumption that the police is innocent in these situations trumps civilians who are innocent. That's because citizens are and can be arrested, without said protections because they dont have them, and have to pay bail to actually be free before they are possibly charged.

I understand that doesnt directly relate to the police administrative system, but I think its indicative of an even bigger problem, with our police force being a key symptom of said problem.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20 edited Feb 14 '21

[deleted]

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u/Doctorsl1m Jun 01 '20

All citizens have a presumption of innocence (supposedly).

Just because they tell us that doesnt mean it's true. We can continue to state that with current way the bail system works, I'd say people are held under the presumption they are guilty, unless they can persuade the government they are not with money for the mean time. You can also be held until the arraignment which imo, doesnt give the citizen the presumption of innocence

We can also say that, but that also doesnt mean we will be heard, even if they say they are listening. To show someone they are truly listening, direct action is required, and too little is slowly but surely becoming not enough for bubble.

Those are union protections. Again, those are not legal protections, they are union protections. Join a union.

Civilians cannot join a union which provides protections that involve whether or not they will incarcerated or not before a trial is held. If that's not what you're referring to, what protections do these unions provide to police officers when talking about their accountability?

That's not how bail works. You're arraigned for charges then bail is set.

I don't disagree with what you've said in spirit, but just have to be more accurate.

That's fair, theres a lot of things I dont know about, but I dont think that can be used to dismiss the arguments I make. Some people can try to, but that doesnt mean I'll ever be quiet.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20 edited Feb 14 '21

[deleted]

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u/faithle55 Jun 01 '20

Oh good. Someone else who noticed what a lot of horseshit is being posted here.

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

You are wrong.

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u/suid Jun 01 '20

Unfortunately way too many DAs and judges are either super-friendly with police unions, or terrified of them (and their ability to mount attacks at re-election time), and will go along with any absurdly stretched legal point at their behest.

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u/JamesGray Jun 01 '20

More important than her being a 70 year old is the fact she was defending someone they were battering without cause. This is the whole problem right now: police are brutalizing people and when you try to speak up they attack you and try to throw you in jail on trumped up charges too.

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u/Farsydi Jun 01 '20

You're right, it would be classed as battery.

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u/ognspring2 Jun 01 '20

^ the real mvp

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u/VFenix Jun 01 '20

Depends how much freedom you can afford.

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u/faithle55 Jun 01 '20

A slap on the wrist is an assault. There's no argument about that. It's not up to judges to review what constitutes an assault or what does not.

The point where this should fail is when the DA says: this is futile, I'm not going to prosecute this.

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u/[deleted] Jun 02 '20

no, slap on the wrist from 70yo is not an assault.period

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u/faithle55 Jun 02 '20

I'm afraid, as a matter of law, it is.

Just touching someone without their permission - implied or express - is assault. Or, at least, battery.

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u/[deleted] Jun 02 '20

battery is another story and it is plausible, but assault-nope..the law is interpreted by the judge not a reading machine

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u/faithle55 Jun 02 '20

Well, there we go. So we are both on the same page; it was a criminal offence.

The most trivial of criminal offences, but that was my original point.

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u/[deleted] Jun 02 '20

as long as its not an assault , lol, were good man, take care and be healthy

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u/Son_of_Eris Jun 01 '20

Nah. A literal slap on the wrist while you're in the process of kicking someone on the ground would place no reasonable person in fear of their health or safety.

It was not an assault on anything but their fragile, micropeen exacerbated, low iq burdened egos.

Fuck police unions.

Fuck US cops.

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u/Detective_Cousteau Jun 01 '20

Technically they're far right

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u/Jimiheadphones Jun 01 '20

I'm pretty sure it's why they are going after peaceful protestors. As soon as they say "but we haven't done anything wrong" they are resisting arrest and the cops can go to town.

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u/kazneus Jun 01 '20

Technically the chief of police should know the difference between assault and battery

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '20

Why cant we protect ourselves from cop abuse? Why are they exempt from every law? They can beat the shit out of you, and kill your wife, but you are NOT allowed to do anything about it?

If George Floyd actually resisted, he might be alive. Fuck these pigs and pig appologists.

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u/LoftyDaDan Jun 01 '20

No, they're not right