Usa Thread

[Bangkoktraveler]

<< When Herisse's car later came to a stop, officers surrounded the vehicle and unloaded more than [color:red]100 rounds[/color] at the car, effectively murdering Herisse and injuring four innocent bystanders. >>

 

That will teach him not to do whatever he did again.

 

Something just told me that he was black.

 

 

 

Link

 

 

 

what did he do wrong?

 

Forget to pay his parking ticket?

[Flashermac]

 

Who knows? DWB maybe.

 

 

[Steve]

First, I think the police have one of if not the hardest job. I wouldn't want to do it. I also think the police force should be the very last department to face cuts. No matter what your issue is: education, environment, etc. none of it is possible without law and order.

 

I have had my run ins with cops. I've posted about. I've never lost respect for the job though.

 

Any time a cop fires his gun he must file a report. So, this incident would have been investigated. I won't say the cops are wrong until we hear the whole story. Oftentimes we are quick to blame them without hearing all the facts. I'll give these cops the same respect.

 

Not gonna play the race card as well. We don't know why. The sad fact is a lot of suspects are black and if the alleged crime was a violent one and I was a cop, I'm going in cautious and gun unholstered. The car windows looked tinted so who knows if the commands were not adhered to and the guy did some sort of action that precipitated it. Anything could have happened.

 

What I will judge is the reaction to the video taping. Its not illegal to video tape the incident as far as I know. If they were helping a cat out of the tree, those cops wouldn't have minded having that taped. Someone who feels they may be guilty of something would do that type of thing.

 

 

[Coss]

Not specifically commenting on your post Steve, three things here in NZ are pertinent.

 

My mate whose SAS, ADS and police background impresses me, told me three things about NZ, in regard to the 100 shots into the car as related above.

 

1. if all the officers fire and several bullets could be the "one" that killed the suspect, then no "one" officer will wind up in court and have his career ruined.

 

2. a lot of the time, here in NZ, a very small country, the cops invariably know the suspect is very likely who they've been looking for, so much so that, police chases are routinely abandoned, they just pick the guy up the next day or week or month.

 

3. and I agree with you about race, the sad thing is that a disproportionate number of Maori are law breakers, that's why pro rata, more are arrested.

 

BTW (for the avoidance of doubt) my mate is Maori.

 

An interesting side note: If one considers the argument that a certain minority is discriminated against because their prison population is higher - pro rata, then why doesn't that argument work for women? If they are 50% of the population, why are they not 50 % of the prison population? (tongue in cheek).

[Flashermac]

I'd say the police have been wary of being taped ever since Rodney King. >p

 

Rodney King deserved to get thumped after the chase he'd led the police on, but not to the extent that he was. There was an incident in Huntsville, AL a few years after King in which a TV cameraman filmed a policeman decking an convict standing with his hands in the air. The perp was wanted for serious crimes, but did happen to be black; he had also led the police on a chase on foot. Stations all across the US purchased the film and showed it, calling it another King incident (which it wasn't - just a frustrated cop lashing out with one punch). I knew the cameraman's family, and they told me he'd had threats made on his life because of the filming. The sheriff's dept and the city police are at odds, and the sheriff's deputies called the camerman to say they were providing protection for him. An investigation board found the policeman innocent of wrong doing, and that was the end of it. But the cameraman moved to another state just to make sure.

 

Strange things go on in law enforcement. I can tell of another Huntsville incident where a friend's policeman nephew had been jumped and was being severely beaten by a escaped criminal twice times his size and weight. He was pinned to the ground and in desperation had drawn his pistol and fired. White cop, black perp ... and some lawyers tried to sue the policeman who'd clearly fired in self defence. They lost, but they'd tried it on.

 

A policeman is one of the last jobs I'd want to have. It is thankless, dangerous and the hours suck.

 

 

[Steve]

If something that is being taped looked incriminating against the cops or the perp, an investigation should reveal the whole truth. Witnesses, facts, evidence should tell what happened from the onset. The Rodney King tape was first seen looked one way but the whole tape revealed Rodney King's actions prior. Not saying the cops were right but it shed some light. I didn't think he had to be beatenn to the extent he had.

 

Interesting thing about race and crime in America is that a study was done by a professor at Stanford. Blacks have committed a large disproportion of crime compared to the overall population in America but if you factored out all black crime, America would still lead the industrialized world in crime rate...by a significant portion. It appears that for what ever reason culturally, Americans of all hues, committ more crime than its industrialized counterpart.

 

Another interesting thing is the group on the lowest socio-economic scale in American history often

From about 1840 - 1880, Irish Americans committed 70% of the crime in NYC. They were no where near the pluarity in numbers. In fact so many were being arrested the police wagons were caled 'Paddy wagons' and that term has stuck in American language lexicon. The Irish were the last hired and first fired in those days. They were bottom of the social heirarchy. I've read simiar criminal accounts about Liverpool, England decades ago as well.

 

The black crime rate skyrocketed post civil rights and sociologists are not sure why. However, its interesting to note that ince the 1980s as a race, more blacks have moved into the middle and upper classes as a percentage than any other racial or ethnic groups. Strange stat. Blacks have committed more crime and more progression. Strange.

[Coss]

" America would still lead the industrialized world in crime rate...by a significant portion."

 

Also leads the world in Personal Freedom.

 

 

 

[Hugh_Hoy]

And also, most of the criminals still cling to their 3rd world "values" and cultural norms. Libral/progressive attitudes are also to blame.

 

HH

[Steve]

" America would still lead the industrialized world in crime rate...by a significant portion."

 

Also leads the world in Personal Freedom.

 

 

 

That distinction (freedom) is being slowly (and lately not so slow) being eroded. We may end up less free and more violent.

 

So, would we say a higher crime rate is the price of freedom?

 

 

 

 

[Steve]

And also, most of the criminals still cling to their 3rd world "values" and cultural norms. Libral/progressive attitudes are also to blame.

 

HH

 

Howdy HH. Really, you think there may be an ideological aspect to it all?

 

Frankly, I don't know. Its a head scratcher for a lot of social scientists.