Officer Filmed Violently Blind-Siding Woman During Arizona Riot

[Oldgamer]

News article with video footage Here

"We've been training for this event for several months now," Tucson police Sgt. Pete Dugan said Sunday in praise of his department's handling of the large, unruly crowd that gathered downtown the previous night following the University of Arizona men's basketball team's overtime loss in the NCAA tournament. "It got a little rowdy and it got a little violent, but no businesses suffered any damage."

It's unclear which category—"rowdy or violent"—Dugan would label this blind-side body check leveled upon an unsuspecting woman by one of his department's riot gear-clad police officers (right around the 21-second mark)video.

Tuscon police say the video, which was published by the Arizona Daily Star over the weekend, is currently being reviewed by the department's internal affairs division. To be fair, it's a relatively short clip without a whole lot of context. Regardless, it's mighty difficult to construct a narrative that required the police officer to respond with that degree of force. Here's how Phoebe Landolt, the person who shot the video, summed things up in an interview with the local paper: "These girls had been trying to get to their car. The girl is on her phone not paying attention and this cop came out of nowhere and just leveled her," Landolt said. "After that everyone just started yelling and she started crying."

Police arrested a total of 15 people—9 of which were students—during the night, which saw fans reportedly hurl beer bottles and firecrackers at officers. Officers responded with pepper spray and pepper balls—more than a few of which hit this guy, Alexander Davidson, who was among those taken into custody: video

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The blonde gal who consoles the girl said if you listen closely that they were trying to find a way to their cars. This girl wasn't a part of the mob ahead. But for what ever reason this cop decides to just pummel this girl.

 

[Sunburn74]

Probably gonna be a lawsuit. I would ask for millions for emotional distress and as punitive damages.

 

[Lithium381]

Keep paying your taxes, guys. I don't understand, if everyone would just obey and comply none of this would happen. . . :rollseyes;

 

[Lithium381]

Probably gonna be a lawsuit. I would ask for millions for emotional distress and as punitive damages.

if someone did that to me, i'd likely be crippled for life. . . i've already got spine problems and a check to the neck like that. . . game over for me

 

[Fenixgoon]

i hope they get a healthy settlement out of that.

and that the cop gets fired </wishful thinking>

 

[Kadarin]

"The officer was following proper established procedure" is what the internal investigation will find.

 

[tweaker2]

Obviously just a nudge from the officer that got dramatically overplayed by the "victim" like a basketball player attempting to draw a foul. /sarcasm

To give the officer the tiniest bit of an excuse, I'll bet that he was pretty surprised to see that person go flying away from him the way she did after the hit, not to mention him realizing after the fact what a perilous spot he shoved her into. She could have suffered some grievous injuries being hit that hard and landing where she did.

If that was my daughter I'd be down at City Hall looking for some justice every day all day until things get made right to my satisfaction.

 

[Knowing]

i hope they get a healthy settlement out of that.

and that the cop gets fired </wishful thinking>

Which will be paid by the taxpayers (ie, the people receiving the settlement). The cop probably won't get fired as historically they've gotten away with far worse.

I want an explanation for why riot cops arrived preemptively in the first place, and from what mystical source the rioters produced smoke bombs.

 

[rpsgc]

<rant>
Nothing quite says "I'm a retarded moron" than holding your cellphone vertically to film something.
</rant>


On-topic:

But... but.. it was her fault! She clearly got in the way of the cop when he was just peacefully training his moves!

As if we need further proof that most cops are scumbags... If there was any justice in this world, that fucking pig would be thrown in jail to be acquainted with Bubba.

 

[HomerJS]

Funny the demographic of this crowd in surveys say police brutality is virtually non-existent.

 

[IronWing]

As seems pretty normal for "riots" these days there was no violence until the police showed up, swinging. Maybe if we stopped funding police riot toys we would have fewer "riots".

 

[Brovane]

"The officer was following proper established procedure" is what the internal investigation will find.

+1

 

[Newell Steamer]

Oh man, these guys are out of control!!

No way in hell would anyone else on that police force do anything remotely good to justify their existence!!

Why keep ANY of them around?!

Sheeple,.. that's why.

 

[Pulsar]

As seems pretty normal for "riots" these days there was no violence until the police showed up, swinging. Maybe if we stopped funding police riot toys we would have fewer "riots".

If you want to badmouth what the cop did, fine. It certainly does seem out of line.

But don't go full retard and assume to know how to handle riots. IF the police were to not show up until after the rioting started, they'd have zero chance of doing anything at all. The whole point is that when a large group of police show up people generally stay better behaved. The police don't just pull these choices out of their ass like you seem to be doing - they have playbooks based on psychology and scientific study to back up how to react to crowds and violence that have proven to usually have the best outcome.

That said, I suspect someone is going to get a nice payout over that body slam.

 

[fleshconsumed]

What the hell? She got pushed at the metal bench, she could have ended with a broken back or flipped over the bench on her head and break her neck. That was painful to watch knowing how badly it could have ended. It's hard to tell because of stupid vertical angle, but I don't see anything that justified such response, looks like she was just walking down the street. Sad thing is nothing will happen to the cops and if there is any kind of fine or settlement, it will be paid by taxpayers anyway.... Sigh...

 

[IronWing]

If you want to badmouth what the cop did, fine. It certainly does seem out of line.

But don't go full retard and assume to know how to handle riots. IF the police were to not show up until after the rioting started, they'd have zero chance of doing anything at all. The whole point is that when a large group of police show up people generally stay better behaved. The police don't just pull these choices out of their ass like you seem to be doing - they have playbooks based on psychology and scientific study to back up how to react to crowds and violence that have proven to usually have the best outcome.

That said, I suspect someone is going to get a nice payout over that body slam.

Read your Constitution. People have a right to lawfully assemble. The cops showed up, formed up, and attacked people who were just hanging out. One group of officers drove into the middle of a crowd and then called in "We're surrounded!" No shit they were surrounded; that''s what happens when one moves into a crowd. There was no riot until the police started it, period. This was a clear cut case of police initiating violence against peaceful citizens. The Tucson police have a history of this bullshit.

 

[Oldgamer]

Apparently they said they can't find the girl, I imagine she is too scared to come forward and or file a lawsuit.

 

[Pulsar]

Read your Constitution. People have a right to lawfully assemble. The cops showed up, formed up, and attacked people who were just hanging out. One group of officers drove into the middle of a crowd and then called in "We're surrounded!" No shit they were surrounded; that''s what happens when one moves into a crowd. There was no riot until the police started it, period. This was a clear cut case of police initiating violence against peaceful citizens. The Tucson police have a history of this bullshit.

Sounds like you have some inside knowledge or were there. Were you?

People present say that the cops were in place before hand. They gave dispersal orders and were ignored. If you want to claim freedom to assemble, show me the permit the group pulled to do so.

You're just making things up now.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Funny the demographic of this crowd in surveys say police brutality is virtually non-existent.

And what demographic is that? Getting hard for you to hide that bigotry nowadays.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

"The officer was following proper established procedure" is what the internal investigation will find.

Yup.

Officer suspended for 6 months WITH pay.

Judged by fellow officers, who will claim the video is out of context and in response to some previous event.


At VERY worst, officer fired - but there are no records tying his name to the event, so he can go handle 'situations' at your local sports games with no repercussions. Other departments will only be told his employment dates.


I swear, LE is the best gang to join in this entire country.

 

[smackababy]

So, damning evidence number 1 is the horrendous use of vertical video... Turn your damn phone sideways you twat! And, then we get a small clip of what actually happened DURING A RIOT.

This just reminds me of those entitled pieces of garbage that surrounded and threatened police before being pepper sprayed at UC-Davis. Of course, we only saw the part where police pepper sprayed them, not the 20 minutes before where a mob surrounded and threatened police and were repeated asked to clear the path for the cop car OR be pepper sprayed.

Was this cop over zealous on putting the smackdown on some "rioter", sure, and he should be punished. Am I going to condemn all police for being in place to protect businesses and property from a bunch of stupid people rioting? Definitely not.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

So, damning evidence number 1 is the horrendous use of vertical video... Turn your damn phone sideways you twat! And, then we get a small clip of what actually happened DURING A RIOT.

This just reminds me of those entitled pieces of garbage that surrounded and threatened police before being pepper sprayed at UC-Davis. Of course, we only saw the part where police pepper sprayed them, not the 20 minutes before where a mob surrounded and threatened police and were repeated asked to clear the path for the cop car OR be pepper sprayed.

Was this cop over zealous on putting the smackdown on some "rioter", sure, and he should be punished. Am I going to condemn all police for being in place to protect businesses and property from a bunch of stupid people rioting? Definitely not.

No excuse for that piece of garbage tackling that poor girl.

Arrest her, sure, but there is NO need for that level of physical force against an unarmed small woman. Over zealous is a tremendous understatement.

Clearly he was taking out years of beatings in his past on our innocent populace.


Regarding the vertical video... Yeah, no way should you make it blatantly obvious you're filming. Shit even holding the phone vertical, I'm surprised they weren't rounded up and destroyed as has historically been the case in these situations.

 

[Oldgamer]

So, damning evidence number 1 is the horrendous use of vertical video... Turn your damn phone sideways you twat! And, then we get a small clip of what actually happened DURING A RIOT.

This just reminds me of those entitled pieces of garbage that surrounded and threatened police before being pepper sprayed at UC-Davis. Of course, we only saw the part where police pepper sprayed them, not the 20 minutes before where a mob surrounded and threatened police and were repeated asked to clear the path for the cop car OR be pepper sprayed.

Was this cop over zealous on putting the smackdown on some "rioter", sure, and he should be punished. Am I going to condemn all police for being in place to protect businesses and property from a bunch of stupid people rioting? Definitely not.

She wasn't a rioter, there were a number of people who couldn't get to their cars and were not apart of the group of rioters. This girl was on her cell phone not paying attention walking and trying to figure out how to get to her car. There were many witnesses who were not part of the rioting crowd who said she did nothing wrong and this guy just came out of the blue and tackled her.

 

[Knowing]

People present say that the cops were in place before hand. They gave dispersal orders and were ignored. If you want to claim freedom to assemble, show me the permit the group pulled to do so.

There is no freedom of assembly if you have to have permission to freely assemble. Further, if you cannot leave a building where you have collected to watch a sporting event because you would then be in an illegal assembly then how are we going to achieve egress from sporting venues?

 

[Pulsar]

There is no freedom of assembly if you have to have permission to freely assemble. Further, if you cannot leave a building where you have collected to watch a sporting event because you would then be in an illegal assembly then how are we going to achieve egress from sporting venues?

Gotcha. So there's no freedom of speech, because it's limited in some ways too (slander, libel, et al).

Go away ya nutter.