Excessive force by police in Coors Field - you decide

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
11
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY0_ysHCr5I

Here's what supposedly happened.

http://deadspin.com/thats-because-those-videos-dont-get-put-on-the-internet-1610540087

The video was uploaded on Wednesday by Patrick Benson, co-worker of the bro, whose name is Alex. Benson's [sic]-filled summary on Facebook says that the officer came over to check for underage drinking:

ok so the staff assume some of us were drinkin underage ( we had a group of 10) but all of us are at least 21 the dumb lady was holding my ID along with my friend alex aka the one in the video. they would not give them back after they checkd and so alex requested to speak to a officer and i started recording right as they started the conversation. alex was just trying to answer the officers question with more tha na yes or no anwser... I just found out there was one person I guess that got caugh being underage but I have no clue who he is

Watch the video, but if you don't want to use four minutes, here's what happens. The video starts in the middle of Alex's conversation with a cop. The cop asks, "Is that good with you?" in a normal voice. (We're not sure what he'd said before.) Alex takes this opportunity to "voice [his] opinion" because he has "more than a 'yes' or 'no' answer." The cop says fine, but tells him to sit down. Alex does not sit down; the cop shoves him. At this point, Alex's level of outrage goes from "incoherent pique" to "operatic turbo indignance."

"Abuse me again! As a citizen of the United States of America, abuse me again!"

Alex is shoved and placed in cuffs. Alex is now yelling.

"This is an illegal recremendation [reprimandation? recommendation?? reckaimininldjsation???] of an American citizen," Alex cries. "Thank you!"

More Alex, as the officers try to make him sit down: "I have the right as an American to stand on my own two feet." Somehow, no one has started humming "Battle Hymn of the Republic" yet.

The cops eventually make Alex sit on the ground. The pushy cop asks how much Alex has had to drink tonight.

"I have had three beers at Coors Field in Colorado of the United States of America," Alex says.

Pushy cop asks for his age. Alex says he is 22, and—as if fueled by his own realization that he is not underage drinking—rises to a new level of proud remonstrance. "My birthday is February 15th, 1992," he says. "That places me at 22 years old in the United States of America." Damn right it does.

Alex's friends tell him to shut up, and they're eventually pushed away from the incident. On Facebook, Benson says that Alex was escorted out of Coors Field, but he thinks that no charges were actually filed against Alex.

I don't get how a police officer can just start a fight with someone who wasn't doing anything wrong and was trying to explain his side of the story.
 

realibrad

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
12,337
898
126
I don't get how a police officer can just start a fight with someone who wasn't doing anything wrong and was trying to explain his side of the story.

The cop here felt like he had the power to tell someone what to do, because he was a cop. Often, people in a position of power feel they have the right to order people around. I will assume that the cops will file charges, and then settle by dropping them.
 

brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
30,189
31,187
136
Come on its the Rockies....Both parties were already on edge having to watch such a crappy team. ;) For everyone's safety they should just cancel the rest of their season.
 

Jay5

Senior member
Jan 28, 2013
225
0
0
I don't get how a police officer can just start a fight with someone who wasn't doing anything wrong and was trying to explain his side of the story.

welcome to the reality of a big goverment.still like your hope and change now?
 

Jay5

Senior member
Jan 28, 2013
225
0
0
but seriously though,drunk idiots and police never seem to end well
 

SandEagle

Lifer
Aug 4, 2007
16,809
13
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there have been dozens of cop threads and no one gets dumped on like i did when i called out the bad cops. what gives?
 

RandomWords

Senior member
Jun 11, 2014
633
5
81
but seriously though,drunk idiots and police never seem to end well
+1
Especially if that cop has had a hell of a night before hand, is on his 12th hour (not saying that is the case here, but they are common) and now has to deal with a drunken idiot that might fall and bash his head open or fall into traffic if he doesn't sit down and the idiot keeps standing back up. (also not saying that is the case, it obviously isn't in this case with the shoving instead of applying pressure to the shoulders)

I wouldn't go as far as to say it is "excessive force" - wrongful arrest - or maybe abuse of authoritative power - or maybe just force - when I think of excessive force I think of bloody faces and broken teeth... I think the use of the word "excessive" should mean excessive - but maybe that's just me...
 
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MongGrel

Lifer
Dec 3, 2013
38,466
3,067
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The cop here felt like he had the power to tell someone what to do, because he was a cop.

Hadn't really watched it, but yeah because that's what they do.

It's their job, uphold law, preserve the peace, etc.

If he was pushing the cop I's say he's just a young drunken idiot.
 

Oldgamer

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2013
3,280
1
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Hadn't really watched it, but yeah because that's what they do.

It's their job, uphold law, preserve the peace, etc.

If he was pushing the cop I's say he's just a young drunken idiot.

Why on earth do you bother posting an opinion if you haven't watched the video?? LOL
 

RandomWords

Senior member
Jun 11, 2014
633
5
81
The cop here felt like he had the power to tell someone what to do, because he was a cop.

I don't know if it was because he was a cop or because he is just a jackass - he probably would have been that way normally - perhaps he is pretending to be a cop... ;)