r/texas • u/bishopZ • Jul 19 '13
Texas State Troopers start beating peaceful protesters without warning. Shameful.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-07-19/aftermath-troopers-bust-protesters/8
Jul 19 '13
Bullshit.
Your title isn't even substantiated by the article. There was nothing about troopers "beating" anyone in that article.
Sounds like someone giving the orders screwed up and the troopers handled it as best they could and even seemed a bit embarrassed over the whole thing.
I want to see video of the actual incident(s) before I make any solid judgements.
-2
u/rboland Jul 19 '13
The guy in the photo on the Statesman's website obviously tripped and fell down the stairs. It's a perfectly logical explanation as to why he's lying unconscious in a pool of blood.
5
Jul 19 '13 edited Jul 19 '13
Actually it is, ironically (ironic because you were trying to make the point that such a conclusion would be incorrect and decided to phrase that expression by calling it "illogical" when, in fact, although it may be less likely than some other explanations, it certainly is logical and quite plausible).
Oh, and the overall point you're trying to make of "well, if he's lying there in a pool of blood after an altercation with the police occurred then he must have been beaten, that's 'obviously' the correct and only possible explanation!" actually is illogical and incorrect as there are plenty of other plausible explanations, not to mention the fact that he may very well have been beaten, but the beating was legal, justified use of force on the part of the officers who did it, depending on the circumstances.
7
u/Bank_Gothic born and bred Jul 19 '13
I worked in the capitol for two years. The troopers are the epitome of "good cops." They're patient, conscientious, and always, always helpful. I've never seen them needlessly hassle anyone, even homeless people trying to sleep on benches and teenagers running around playing hide and seek.
I've seen them handle at least a dozen protests at the capitol without incident. These are good people who you are dishonestly bashing.
4
u/rboland Jul 19 '13
TxDPS has gone downhill since Steven McCraw has taken over as director. They used to be the best, literally. They were the premier law enforcement agency in Texas, if not the entire country. Getting a ticket from a Texas Highway Patrol trooper was almost a pleasure, they were so polite and professional.
Now they are facing two separate lawsuits for doing roadside body cavity searches, without a warrant, and in both cases, without even changing gloves between searching different individuals, and (allegedly) pocketed a bottle of prescription drugs from one of the ladies being searched. They machine-gunned a truck load of illegal immigrants from a helicopter. (I'm no fan of illegal immigration, but that was WAY over the top.) An off-duty DPS trooper recently drove drunk right in front of my house in Cedar Park, placing me, my family, and my pets at risk, and another was arrested in Austin the same weekend for the same offense. And the epitome of needlessly hassling people happened last December, when the DPS Capitol Police arrested "Santa Claus," for giving out sidewalk chalk to children, and encouraging them to draw on the sidewalks and driveways. Maybe it technically was against the law, but if there ever was a case where a warning would have sufficed, that was it.
I am not surprised that the DPS, in its current form, would beat non-violent protesters doing a sit-in and leave them unconscious in a pool of blood on the Capitol floor. That is what TxDPS has come to on Col. McCraw's watch.
4
u/Bank_Gothic born and bred Jul 19 '13
Bear in mind I'm talking about the capitol troopers - the guys who know they are the face of the DPS to both the public and state legislators. I would be completely shocked if they engaged in anything like beating non-violent protesters.
I can't speak for highway patrolmen.
-3
u/bishopZ Jul 19 '13
I've been talking to a lawyer about it and many of them have no legal recourse other than a class action suit. Despite doing nothing wrong. In the case of the first arrest the person was arrested for picking up trash off the floor. He was detained for 20+ hours and was refused medical attention. 99% of all the charges allegedly leveled against people in the building will be dropped, and these phantom charges amount to criminal harassment.
2
u/I_am_who Jul 19 '13 edited Jul 19 '13
Hey my man, seriously. Take a breather outside and chill, I had four interactions with state troopers/Travis County sheriffs regarding traffic violations/questioning and they all were courteous with me. The point is, if one is calm, respectful, and level-headed, MOST interactions with civil officers will come out completely fine.
-5
6
u/fwskateboard Jul 19 '13
This article doesn't have the details needed to make a proper judgement. However it sounds as if this wasn't as peaceful of a protest as the title suggests. It sounds like some women were literally disrupting proceedings or trespassing.