Cop beats man at traffic stop

[GarfieldtheCat]

Just one more bad apple!

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/30/floyd-dent-police-inkster-michigan-beating

Cop pulled the man out of his car and punched him in his head 16 times. Then another cop came up and tased him three times for good measure. All for a traffic stop. What a nice cop, really a great guy.

Luckily, it was on video so the judge threw out almost all charges after seeing the video.

The kicker? The cop had a long history of police abuse.

Melendez’s record shows he has faced similar allegations before. At one point, he garnered more citizen complaints than any officer in Detroit, where he started his career in 1993 and served until his resignation in 2009. He entered Inkster’s police force a year later.

(bold mine)

In 1996, Melendez, who was known in Detroit as “RoboCop”, and his partner shot and killed Lou Adkins. While Adkins was on the ground, several witnesses said the officers shot him 11 times, according to the Detroit Free Press. The case was settled for $1.05m, court records show.

Him and his partner shot a guy on the ground 11 times. No charges filed against him. Nice.

Yup, no systemic violence and criminal activity found by this cop! Resigned without issue after too many abuse incidents, and got another job right away and could start abusing people again. So much for cops policing their own.

Once again, cops let cops get away with criminal activity, and we suffer for it. And people wonder why we can't trust any cop anymore.

Any beat this cop actually gets punished this time? or will fellow cops and DA's let him go to abuse more innocent civilians?

 

[JSt0rm]

One of the major problems is people who WANT to do violence to others gravitate to this job.

 

[touchstone]

At some point we are going to need some kind of anti-police paramilitary squad like the Khosaran group or Los Zetas/Pepes. I'd volunteer in a second

 

[Victorian Gray]

"Just follow their orders and don't be an asshole", amirite?!

 

[Kwatt]

"Just follow their orders and don't be an asshole", amirite?!

Yep! It was "to protect and serve".

New motto "comply or die"


.

 

[master_shake_]

what do we do with all these bad apples?

 

[nickqt]

Y'all realize that when you're only able to point to one or less incidents a day out of millions of police interactions per day that you're making the point that it really is "bad apples" out of thousands of orchards?

Right?

Hello?

Anyone there?

 

[umbrella39]

I've already been admonished for posting this story:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2426179

Glen feels they should all be in one tidy bad apple thread...

 

[Smoblikat]

Y'all realize that when you're only able to point to one or less incidents a day out of millions of police interactions per day that you're making the point that it really is "bad apples" out of thousands of orchards?

Right?

Hello?

Anyone there?

Im not so much concerned about isolated incidents like these, its the system that continuously allows it that poses a greater threat.

 

[Sunburn74]

If you read what is reported about this guy in other cases its absolutely shocking. Honestly the governor of the state needs to get involved here or the US DOJ. Simply unacceptable and a black mark on this country.

Im not so much concerned about isolated incidents like these, its the system that continuously allows it that poses a greater threat.

These are the ones you hear about. You don't hear about say the jailhouse beat down for looking the wrong way at an officer, the illegal head smack against the walls for not answering a question quickly enough, or the illegal placing a gun in your mouth for mouthing off.

Again, these are just the cases society is LUCKY enough to hear about. In NO for example, there currently is a review of cases of police brutality undergoing and its said that <1% of all filed cases even get investigated internally (ie a police chief or higher up looks at the complaint), let alone goes to court.

 

[Lash444]

Y'all realize that when you're only able to point to one or less incidents a day out of millions of police interactions per day that you're making the point that it really is "bad apples" out of thousands of orchards?

Right?

Hello?

Anyone there?

How often do we see videos of cops clearly violating the rules? How many times do you think cops are violating the rules, when they aren't on camera?

What are the chances you catch a mouse in your house? Not good right? What do they usually say when you find one mouse?

 

[nickqt]

Im not so much concerned about isolated incidents like these, its the system that continuously allows it that poses a greater threat.

That is true. That prosecutors and police are on the "same team" is a problem. Remove this protection so that bad cops get prosecuted, and perhaps something changes.

How often do we see videos of cops clearly violating the rules? How many times do you think cops are violating the rules, when they aren't on camera?

What are the chances you catch a mouse in your house? Not good right? What do they usually say when you find one mouse?

So, because we see very few incidents on camera, this means that there are substantially more incidents? Maybe, maybe not.

 

[Victorian Gray]

Y'all realize that when you're only able to point to one or less incidents a day out of millions of police interactions per day that you're making the point that it really is "bad apples" out of thousands of orchards?

Right?

Hello?

Anyone there?

Seattle, Albuquerque, Cleveland, New Orleans, Newark, Portland, Ferguson (just a few cities where the DOJ found a whole bunch of 'shit' just in the last couple of years):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/05/justice-department-police-review_n_6271660.html

Your law enforcement system is broken.

 

[Sunburn74]

So, because we see very few incidents on camera, this means that there are substantially more incidents? Maybe, maybe not.

Actually it does. In general, if you catch a shoplifter its not the first time he's done so but around the 50th time.

If a guy is caught beating his wife on camera, do you think its the first time?

The same for police brutality. In NO its reported to be <1% of all claims get investigated (thats just investigated meaning, a cursory review).

In new jersey its about the same
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/07/police-brutality-new-jersey-report_n_4555166.html

If anything its a rarity when it gets caught on camera.

 

[nickqt]

Actually it does. In general, if you catch a shoplifter its not the first time he's done so but around the 50th time.

If a guy is caught beating his wife on camera, do you think its the first time?

The same for police brutality. In NO its reported to be <1% of all claims get investigated (thats just investigated meaning, a cursory review).

In new jersey its about the same
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/07/police-brutality-new-jersey-report_n_4555166.html

If anything its a rarity when it gets caught on camera.

I mean, rather than using anecdotes, couldn't someone research the actual number of complaints of police brutality over year over the 50 states? You'd still need to figure out which ones are multiple complaints against 1 officer to find the # of bad cops out there, assuming every single complaint is legitimate and not made up.

That would be an excellent thread.

These one every other day threads pointing at 1 cop is anecdotal evidence and don't make much of an argument for anything.

 

[Kwatt]

Y'all realize that when you're only able to point to one or less incidents a day out of millions of police interactions per day that you're making the point that it really is "bad apples" out of thousands of orchards?

Right?

Hello?

Anyone there?

And how many others watch and do nothing and then help cover up for the "bad apple"?

.

 

[nickqt]

And how many others watch and do nothing and then help cover up for the "bad apple"?

.

It doesn't change the fact that pointing at one instance every other day without total numbers doesn't mean anything.

If someone was serious, they'd look up the total number of reported police brutality incidents, subtracting out multiple complaints about the same police officer.

The data has to be out there. Go. Find it. That would make an interesting thread.

 

[Victorian Gray]

It doesn't change the fact that pointing at one instance every other day without total numbers doesn't mean anything.

If someone was serious, they'd look up the total number of reported police brutality incidents, subtracting out multiple complaints about the same police officer.

The data has to be out there. Go. Find it. That would make an interesting thread.

Apparently you wish to ignore this earlier reply?

And I quote:

"Seattle, Albuquerque, Cleveland, New Orleans, Newark, Portland, Ferguson (just a few cities where the DOJ found a whole bunch of 'shit' just in the last couple of years):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/1...n_6271660.html

Your law enforcement system is broken."

 

[SandEagle]

careful when u get stopped. they may shoot you and claim you came at them in an aggressive manner. this story could be its own thread:
http://www.kcrg.com/subject/news/ma...edar-rapids-police-gives-his-account-20150331

 

[nickqt]

Apparently you wish to ignore this earlier reply?

And I quote:

"Seattle, Albuquerque, Cleveland, New Orleans, Newark, Portland, Ferguson (just a few cities where the DOJ found a whole bunch of 'shit' just in the last couple of years):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/1...n_6271660.html

Your law enforcement system is broken."

Nope, didn't choose to ignore it.

I never said there wasn't a problem.

Anecdote is not the plural of data.

Numbers mean something. A video every other day doesn't.

 

[Sunburn74]

I mean, rather than using anecdotes, couldn't someone research the actual number of complaints of police brutality over year over the 50 states? You'd still need to figure out which ones are multiple complaints against 1 officer to find the # of bad cops out there, assuming every single complaint is legitimate and not made up.

That would be an excellent thread.

These one every other day threads pointing at 1 cop is anecdotal evidence and don't make much of an argument for anything.

Those sort of records are done on the department level, not state level. Each individual police department is supposed to keep track of complaints. However, only <1% of cases actually get any sort of serious review (I would wager the ones that have hard evidence against the officer, rather than just word of mouth or even bruises and injuries - the officer simply has to say they were self inflicted or occurred prior to arrest or whatever). The rest are just swept away never to be seen again.

Its incredibly difficult for a police officer in this country to face an indictment. He pretty much needs to murder someone on tape AND confess to it (a murder on tape can be justified as necessary or self defense)

 

[Pipeline 1010]

These one every other day threads pointing at 1 cop is anecdotal evidence and don't make much of an argument for anything.

What we see are many individual cases in which the offender gets away with it. We see it again and again. There are far more that 1 bad cop story coming out every other day...there are literally dozens per day, and we can conclude with absolute certainty that not all bad cops get stories made about them. It takes a huge stretch of the imagination to pretend that the majority of bad things cops do (and get away with) make it to news stories or are even noticed, found out, and investigated.

When the same outcome occurs day after day no matter what the cop did, this no longer fits the definition on anecdotal. It is a pattern. The discussion here is based on how do we correct it, not on how do we sweep it under the rug. Can you start trying to be a part of the solution instead of being part of the "nothing to see here move along" crowd?

 

[Victorian Gray]

Nope, didn't choose to ignore it.

I never said there wasn't a problem.

Anecdote is not the plural of data.

Numbers mean something. A video every other day doesn't.

So DOJ investigations and reports are simply anecdotes? Did you even bother to follow the links to the actual reports?

Synopsis for the Albuquerque Police Department

"We have reasonable cause to believe that officers of the Albuquerque Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of use of excessive force, including unreasonable deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment and Section 14141 [of the U.S. Code]. A significant amount of the force we reviewed was used against persons with mental illness and in crisis. APD’s policies, training, and supervision are insufficient to ensure that officers encountering people with mental illness or in distress do so in a manner that is safe and respects their rights. The use of excessive force by APD officers is not isolated or sporadic. The pattern or practice of excessive force stems from systemic deficiencies in oversight, training, and policy. Chief among these deficiencies is the department’s failure to implement an objective and rigorous internal accountability system. Force incidents are not properly investigated, documented, or addressed with corrective measures. Other deficiencies relate to the department’s inadequate tactical deployments and incoherent implementation of community policing principles."

Synopsis for New Orleans:

"We found that the deficiencies that lead to constitutional violations span the operation of the entire Department, from how officers are recruited, trained, supervised, and held accountable, to the operation of Paid Details. In the absence of mechanisms to protect and promote civil rights, officers too frequently use excessive force and conduct illegal stops, searches and arrests with impunity. In addition, the Department’s culture tolerates and encourages under-enforcement and under-investigation of violence against women. The Department has failed to take meaningful steps to counteract and eradicate bias based on race, ethnicity, and LGBT status in its policing practices, and has failed to provide critical policing services to language minority communities."


The DOJ ain't talkin' about apples.

I will say again, the American justice system is broken in major ways at the levels of law enforcement, prosecution and the judiciary. What makes it in to the mainstream news media is the proverbial 'tip of the iceberg'.

 

[nickqt]

So DOJ investigations and reports are simply anecdotes? Did you even bother to follow the links to the actual reports?

Synopsis for the Albuquerque Police Department

"We have reasonable cause to believe that officers of the Albuquerque Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of use of excessive force, including unreasonable deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment and Section 14141 [of the U.S. Code]. A significant amount of the force we reviewed was used against persons with mental illness and in crisis. APD’s policies, training, and supervision are insufficient to ensure that officers encountering people with mental illness or in distress do so in a manner that is safe and respects their rights. The use of excessive force by APD officers is not isolated or sporadic. The pattern or practice of excessive force stems from systemic deficiencies in oversight, training, and policy. Chief among these deficiencies is the department’s failure to implement an objective and rigorous internal accountability system. Force incidents are not properly investigated, documented, or addressed with corrective measures. Other deficiencies relate to the department’s inadequate tactical deployments and incoherent implementation of community policing principles."

Synopsis for New Orleans:

"We found that the deficiencies that lead to constitutional violations span the operation of the entire Department, from how officers are recruited, trained, supervised, and held accountable, to the operation of Paid Details. In the absence of mechanisms to protect and promote civil rights, officers too frequently use excessive force and conduct illegal stops, searches and arrests with impunity. In addition, the Department’s culture tolerates and encourages under-enforcement and under-investigation of violence against women. The Department has failed to take meaningful steps to counteract and eradicate bias based on race, ethnicity, and LGBT status in its policing practices, and has failed to provide critical policing services to language minority communities."


The DOJ ain't talkin' about apples.

I will say again, the American justice system is broken in major ways at the levels of law enforcement, prosecution and the judiciary. What makes it in to the mainstream news media is the proverbial 'tip of the iceberg'.

Yeah, all of that is great.

Now, how about some actual numbers. Even if the majority of police in those specific jurisdictions were using brutal policing tactics, it doesn't then mean every cop in the US, or even most cops in the US, use brutal policing tactics.

I am not saying the policing system in the US is great, or isn't broken. What I am saying is that pointing at a specific instance every other day isn't actual data showing anything more than a few "bad apples", as seems to be the parlance of choice around here for this topic. And when you say "American justice system", that includes more than just those specific jurisdictions, no? Doesn't that include, uh, all jurisdictions?

I know you're Canadian, but rather than the usual suspects simply linking to some story or video twice a week, why not propose something that may solve the issue. Someone above said that each jurisdiction handles reports of police brutality, rather than the state or Federal government.

Perhaps the Federal gub'mint should be involved in all reports of police brutality as cases of civil rights violations? Or would that be too much big gub'mint?

 

[Victorian Gray]

Yeah, all of that is great.

Now, how about some actual numbers. Even if the majority of police in those specific jurisdictions were using brutal policing tactics, it doesn't then mean every cop in the US, or even most cops in the US, use brutal policing tactics.

I am not saying the policing system in the US is great, or isn't broken. What I am saying is that pointing at a specific instance every other day isn't actual data showing anything more than a few "bad apples", as seems to be the parlance of choice around here for this topic. And when you say "American justice system", that includes more than just those specific jurisdictions, no? Doesn't that include, uh, all jurisdictions?

I know you're Canadian, but rather than the usual suspects simply linking to some story or video twice a week, why not propose something that may solve the issue. Someone above said that each jurisdiction handles reports of police brutality, rather than the state or Federal government.

Perhaps the Federal gub'mint should be involved in all reports of police brutality as cases of civil rights violations? Or would that be too much big gub'mint?

You're just not going to bother are you? Read the fucking DOJ reports! They refer to whole police departments of major American cities. It's *not* simply the outrage du jour. The proof is already there that there are *major* issues with policing in the United States. If you can't be bothered to even acknowledge that, why are you even bothering to post in a thread like this?

One more time from the Albuquerque summary

"The use of excessive force by APD officers is not isolated or sporadic."

I repeat, NOT ISOLATED OR SPORADIC.

Major city after major city after major city after major city.

You can resume rapidly waving your hands now.

EDIT: you raised the issue of people proposing solutions (or not). Again, from the summaries

"The pattern or practice of excessive force stems from systemic deficiencies in oversight, training, and policy. Chief among these deficiencies is the department’s failure to implement an objective and rigorous internal accountability system. Force incidents are not properly investigated, documented, or addressed with corrective measures."

"We found that the deficiencies that lead to constitutional violations span the operation of the entire Department, from how officers are recruited, trained, supervised, and held accountable, to the operation of Paid Details. In the absence of mechanisms to protect and promote civil rights, officers too frequently use excessive force and conduct illegal stops, searches and arrests with impunity."

It's right there, see all the references to training and policies? Seems like a pretty damn good place to start and it's already been exposed.

and here we see references to a rather poisonous 'culture' in the Seattle department:

"the Department’s culture tolerates and encourages under-enforcement and under-investigation of violence against women. The Department has failed to take meaningful steps to counteract and eradicate bias based on race, ethnicity, and LGBT status in its policing practices, and has failed to provide critical policing services to language minority communities".

So, what do you see? A pattern of poor training, poor supervision, little accountability and a culture of racial and gender bigotry? Or is it just a few bad apples in a slightly dented justice system.

btw, don't forget the added issues of prosecutorial (not sure if that's a word and too lazy to look it up) & judicial bias in favor of this same broken policing system and it's membership.