The Shooting Gallery: Police Violence MEGATHREAD

[The Brain]

That's a bit humiliating for a citizen of a free country, though, isn't it?

I don't see how any of the things Raz mentioned are humiliating.

[garbon]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/01/oklahoma-police-pepper-spray-woman-84

Oklahoma police pepper-spray 84-year-old woman after kicking open her door

Police kicked open an 84-year-old Oklahoma woman's front door and pepper-sprayed her during a search for her son, who was being chased after allegedly failing to stop at a stop sign.

Police in the city of Muskogee, near Tulsa, released body camera footage of the incident that took place at about 2.30am on 7 August.

The video shows an officer kicking the front door open, shouting commands and tasering Arthur Blackmon, who appears to be standing still with his hands up, holding a mobile phone. About 30 seconds after Blackmon is tased, officer Michelle Casady is heard telling Geneva Smith, who is backing away: "Turn around, face that way now, or I'll spray you." She directs a brief burst of spray at the elderly woman's head, causing her to reel.

"Hey! My mother is 84 years old, motherfucker!" Blackmon yells, as she falls to the ground and cries, "Help me, Jesus". A few seconds earlier, Smith had refused to get on the floor and told officers, "I ain't turning round for shit."

Officers were chasing the 56-year-old after he ran a stop sign, drove to his mother's house and failed to obey instructions to stay in his truck, then dashed into the home and refused to come out, according to police footage.

The Muskogee Phoenix said that Smith, who is black, was initially cited for resisting an officer, but the citation was dropped, while Blackmon was charged with drunk-driving, obstructing an officer, driving with a suspended license and illegally carrying a weapon.

"I just came out and asked them what was going on and they just pepper-sprayed me," Smith told Fox 23 local news, adding that she was taken to jail, then hospital after falling ill, and still felt pain in her eye more than a week later.

Rex Eskridge, the chief of police, told the station that the department released the footage to be transparent. "Videos can't give you the full sense of what happened but at the same time they do either validate or expose any warts that you might have," he said.

The department has launched an internal investigation to determine whether officers complied with policy. Police said in a statement that they used "non-lethal force" because the mother and her son repeatedly failed "to comply with lawful commands".

A spokesman said that police entered the house only after repeatedly attempting to make contact, then hearing yelling and a cry of "call 911!" from inside, prompting concern for the residents' safety, especially given that the truck they had chased was not registered at that address.

"We can't ignore the fact that there was wrong on both sides," said Derrick Reed, a former local NAACP president and current city councilman for the ward where the incident took place. He praised the police for releasing the footage and being responsive to the concerns of community leaders, who are now waiting for the results of the investigation.

Muskogee police made news locally last year when they pepper-sprayed an African American mentally disabled man during a search for a missing person at a home in the city, and nationally when an officer fatally shot a black man who was fleeing then stopped to bend over and pick up what appeared to be a gun in the road.

"We have worked in Muskogee to build relationships with our police department and so I can't say that all the force is bad but that night was a horrible night," Reed said.

"Looking at the video, anyone would think there could have been other avenues that the Muskogee police department could have taken that night so the outcome wouldn't be so horrific. Anyone seeing the video has to put in their mind that whether she was black or white she was somebody's grandmother, 84 years old, and there were seven police officers in the room ... the image that'll never escape my mind is there was an 84-year-old woman, pepper-sprayed, and could we have done something differently?"

[derspiess]

Wonder if Arthur feels guilty for bringing all that on his mom.

[CountDeMoney]

as she falls to the ground and cries, "Help me, Jesus".

Lulz
goes straight to Jesus' voicemail
erases it and calls back later asking what she wantes

[Valmy]

It is amazing that local trouble in Oklahoma is now being reported in England. I wonder if this is like the video of Alabama cops beating down peaceful civil rights protesters in the impact it might have in the long term. The light of scrutiny is what usually finally moves institutions.

[Razgovory]

Jesus Christ.  They brought in four other cops and kicked in a door over a traffic violation.  What, did they think the this was some violent cell of the Black Panthers?

[Valmy]

Jesus Christ.  They brought in four other cops and kicked in a door over a traffic violation.  What, did they think the this was some violent cell of the Black Panthers?

Never run from the cops. They will lose their damn minds.

[garbon]

Jesus Christ.  They brought in four other cops and kicked in a door over a traffic violation.  What, did they think the this was some violent cell of the Black Panthers?

Never run from the cops. They will lose their damn minds.

Well in general they seem to lose their minds if you don't do exactly as told.

[CountDeMoney]

Yes, they have issues about that.

[Valmy]

Well in general they seem to lose their minds if you don't do exactly as told.

Sadly yes.

[CountDeMoney]

I was flipping channels over the weekend, and tripped over an old episode of Cops, judging by the car models and the haircuts, had to be the late 1980's;  Atlanta PD guy gets a call for a "black male with an open container", and eventually, on a side access road--no residences, just heavy industrial stuff--we find our subject, walking on the side of te road carrying a bottle in a paper bag.  Pulls up, wants to talk to him, and bang! We're off!
Cop catches up to him, other units get involved, cop gets all fucked up in the gravel and dirt of the road, needs help to walk to the ambulance, and all for what: to fuck with a negro for the sake of fucking with a negro.  Guy didn't even have a warrant.  Because Atlanta PD didn't gave enough to do that evening but their favorite pasttime. Shit never changes. 

[derspiess]

It is amazing that local trouble in Oklahoma is now being reported in England.

It helps feed a narrative.

[garbon]

It is amazing that local trouble in Oklahoma is now being reported in England.

It helps feed a narrative.

Well the article does point out 3 lovely instances in that one town.

Besides, the narrative is an appropriate one so...

[Martinus]

Appropriate for what? Telling people that if you run from the cops and you use your family as human shields, they may get hurt?

[Valmy]

Appropriate for what? Telling people that if you run from the cops and you use your family as human shields, they may get hurt?

People in England need to be told this by using examples from Oklahoma?