Continuation The behaviour of US police officers - part 2

[pgwenthold]

Originally Posted by jimbob

As I said elsewhere - it looks as though Chief Wiggum or even Boss Hawg might be affectionate idealised versions of smalltown cops rather than harsh stereotypes.

And Cartman's version was pretty much spot on for all of them.

[SuburbanTurkey]

Quote:

A Jefferson Parish sheriff’s deputy has resigned while awaiting discipline over allegations that he tried to force a pregnant tenant from a Kenner apartment amid a federal freeze on evictions, while allegedly tapping a sheriff’s office computer to dig up attachments on her.

Cop resigns after caught trying to illegally evict a woman. Cutting through the Gordian knot of "whos a bigger scumbag, a cop or a landlord" by simply being both at once.

Quote:

It's the second time McClendon has resigned from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. He worked there as a process server for First Parish Court in Metairie but left in 2009 after being booked with skimming nearly $10,000 from the parish schools system, where'd he also worked.

https://www.nola.com/news/article_9f...ba6133811.html

[Belz...]

Originally Posted by Babbylonian

I don't. I think police culture is a separate, broken place where people go in decent and end up monsters.

Yeah but given how they avoid hiring people who are too smart, and the kind of person who might want to become an officer, and the behaviour we observe, I'd think there's more than a few of those in there... plus the bad-appling of the good ones has to come from somewhere, originally.

[SuburbanTurkey]

Cop convicted of murder for April 2018 killing of suicidal man.

While two other officers were on the scene trying to talk down the suicidal man holding a gun to his own head, Officer William Darby arrived and almost immediately shot the man with a shotgun, killing him.

Quote:

Darby shot Parker, who was white, while responding to a call after the man phoned 911 saying he was armed and planned to kill himself. A one-time colleague, Genisha Pegues, testified that while Parker was upset, he was talking to her and posed no immediate threat despite a gun held to his head.

Even after being convicted of murder, local police maintain that Darby followed policy.

Quote:

A city police review cleared Darby of wrongdoing and officials allowed him to remain an officer, with Huntsville taxpayers helping fund his defense against charges brought by a Madison County grand jury.

The guilty verdict left police “in the first stages of shock,” Chief Mark McMurray said in a statement.

Pigs endorse literal murder.

https://apnews.com/article/al-state-...171e3446c1e844

[SuburbanTurkey]

Quote:

Last year, a Forest Grove, Oregon, police officer was charged with second-degree criminal mischief and second-degree disorderly conduct after he allegedly vandalized a home that displayed a Black Lives Matter flag on Oct. 31. On Thursday, a second police officer was indicted because he allegedly failed to arrest the first officer and instead drove him home. Perhaps the second cop figured the first cop wasn’t actually a criminal but was dressing as one for Halloween, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say police officers are just less likely to be dedicated to doing their jobs when the job requires them to arrest other cops.

The Associated Press reports that Officer Bradley Schuetz was indicted by a grand jury on one count of first-degree official misconduct for declining to arrest Officer Steven Teets.

Cop charged for failing to arrest off-duty cop that was engaged in criminal activity, instead assisting him to flee the scene.

https://www.theroot.com/2-oregon-pol...ontent=theroot

[Belz...]

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

Even after being convicted of murder, local police maintain that Darby followed policy.

It's policy to shoot suicidal people?

Well it sure cuts to the chase.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Belz...

It's policy to shoot suicidal people?

Well it sure cuts to the chase.

Well the victim was a threat to someone…

[gnome]

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

Cop charged for failing to arrest off-duty cop that was engaged in criminal activity, instead assisting him to flee the scene.

https://www.theroot.com/2-oregon-pol...ontent=theroot

If they were not a police officer I think they would have been charged as an accessory, instead of "misconduct".

Arguably, crimes by police officers should have a greater consequence, not lesser.

[SuburbanTurkey]

Originally Posted by gnome

If they were not a police officer I think they would have been charged as an accessory, instead of "misconduct".

Arguably, crimes by police officers should have a greater consequence, not lesser.

Sounds like the original cop is getting some pretty favorable treatment too. Reporting on the incident makes it sound a lot like the belligerent cop was trying to force entry and attack the resident, well beyond just vandalism and disorderly conduct that he was ultimately charged with.

[Craig4]

Originally Posted by Belz...

It's policy to shoot suicidal people?

Well it sure cuts to the chase.

Well, I've seen video a police sniper shooting the gun out of the hand of a suicidal person. Since this moron used a shotgun, I'm guessing that's not what he had in mind.

[Belz...]

Originally Posted by Darat

Well the victim was a threat to someone…

Exactly. Can't have that happen.

[Belz...]

Originally Posted by Craig4

Well, I've seen video a police sniper shooting the gun out of the hand of a suicidal person. Since this moron used a shotgun, I'm guessing that's not what he had in mind.

Hey, works in video games.

[SuburbanTurkey]

Originally Posted by Craig4

Well, I've seen video a police sniper shooting the gun out of the hand of a suicidal person. Since this moron used a shotgun, I'm guessing that's not what he had in mind.

The victim was shot in the face with a shotgun at close range. Deliberate murder.

[Belz...]

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

The victim was shot in the face with a shotgun at close range. Deliberate murder.

Well, how else would you disarm someone pointing the gun at their head?

Pew pew!

[Craig4]

Originally Posted by Belz...

Well, how else would you disarm someone pointing the gun at their head?

Pew pew!

How detached from both the public and reality does this department have to be to be surprised that the guy got found guilty? You really have to live in your own little world to think shooting someone in the face who is suicidal (and not threatening anyone else) isn't murder.

[Belz...]

Originally Posted by Craig4

How detached from both the public and reality does this department have to be to be surprised that the guy got found guilty? You really have to live in your own little world to think shooting someone in the face who is suicidal (and not threatening anyone else) isn't murder.

It's the "this is within our guidelines" part I find worrysome.

[SuburbanTurkey]

Originally Posted by Craig4

How detached from both the public and reality does this department have to be to be surprised that the guy got found guilty? You really have to live in your own little world to think shooting someone in the face who is suicidal (and not threatening anyone else) isn't murder.

I have nothing more than a hunch, but I think there is a bit of a cultural shift on how the public views the police, and that is finally starting to have some impact in the court systems.

I doubt whether or not this verdict would have happened 10 years ago. The jury watched a bodycam, something that would not have existed in the recent past, that shows our cop friend entering the situation and killing the victim within the span of 11 seconds. All told our murderer spent less than a minute on the scene before using lethal force.

Quote:

Body camera video showed Darby grab a shotgun from his patrol car and sprint to the house. Less than a minute later, he shot Parker in the face. Darby testified that he had to take over the situation from Pegues, a senior officer, because he believed she was putting herself in danger by talking to Parker.

Darby walked up to the house and shouted for Pegues to “point your fu**ing gun at him,” bodycam video showed. Darby repeatedly shouted for Parker to drop his gun. Darby fired the fatal shot 11 seconds after entering the house, according to the video.

Sprinted into the house, chastised his fellow cop that was actually trying to de-escalate a tense situation, and shot a suicidal man in the face all within 11 seconds. Pure Cop Brain at work.

People are seeing these bodycam and cellphone videos of cops being wildly aggressive, escalation happy freaks, and it's corroding the foundation of impunity that police have relied on for so many years. You love to see it.

https://www.al.com/news/2021/05/hunt...ey-parker.html

In a way, I understand the surprise being expressed by the police here. The rules are changing.

ETA: This murderer is currently free on bond pending sentencing.

[Belz...]

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

ETA: This murderer is currently free on bond pending sentencing.

They let people out on bond AFTER the verdict? What kind of madness is this?

And what kind of sentence is he looking at? I mean, not if he were a regular person of course.

[SuburbanTurkey]

Originally Posted by Belz...

They let people out on bond AFTER the verdict? What kind of madness is this?

And what kind of sentence is he looking at? I mean, not if he were a regular person of course.

I'm not familiar enough with Alabama to know whether or not it is common for convicted murderers to be free on bond. It also strikes me as unusual.

Reporting claims he faces a 20 year minimum sentence. Not seeing much wiggle room there for preferential treatment. Dude is totally screwed unless he can win an appeal, which seems very unlikely given how rarely post-conviction appeals are successful.

ETA: There's a delicious irony to "tough on crime" laws making it difficult for a convicted pig to worm his way out of a stiff sentence for an on-duty murder. Powerful "leopards eating faces party" energy for a cop getting absolutely destroyed by our extremely punitive justice system.

[Craig4]

Originally Posted by Belz...

They let people out on bond AFTER the verdict? What kind of madness is this?

And what kind of sentence is he looking at? I mean, not if he were a regular person of course.

It's not uncommon. For non-violent crimes, you get told where to report to serve your sentence and show up. It's pretty rare for a murder conviction though.

[JoeMorgue]

Originally Posted by Belz...

They let people out on bond AFTER the verdict? What kind of madness is this?

And what kind of sentence is he looking at? I mean, not if he were a regular person of course.

Oh come on cut us some slack. We have so many people in prison we have a waiting to get into prison.

I'll google the details when I have more time but if I recall correctly a significant portion of people sentenced to prison wind up never actually going to prison because the prisons are full of black people who smoked the wrong plant or women who accepted money for sex instead of dinner, so they wind up serving their time in local jails, many of which aren't set up for long term stays.

[gnome]

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

I have nothing more than a hunch, but I think there is a bit of a cultural shift on how the public views the police, and that is finally starting to have some impact in the court systems.

A turning point for me was a TV show I saw, probably the 80s or early 90s, where a forced entry was shown. The police hollered an identification, something like "Police! Search warrant!" and then bashed in the door, rushed in and tore the place apart in front of what looked like a shell-shocked family, before realizing they had the wrong place, or there was nothing there, I forget which. But it shocked the hell out of me, especially finding out they didn't owe the homeowners anything for their error, that the family would bear the expense. The worst part about it was that the officers' body language was as with a well-practiced routine. They'd done this many times before.

[Bob001]

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue

Oh come on cut us some slack. We have so many people in prison we have a waiting to get into prison.

I'll google the details when I have more time but if I recall correctly a significant portion of people sentenced to prison wind up never actually going to prison because the prisons are full of black people who smoked the wrong plant or women who accepted money for sex instead of dinner, so they wind up serving their time in local jails, many of which aren't set up for long term stays.

Sentenced to prison? Or sentenced to incarceration? As I understand it, it's typical for sentences of less than a year to be served in local jails, whatever the crime. I don't think authorities have ever hesitated to pack more inmates into overcrowded prisons when necessary.

[bonzombiekitty]

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

I'm not familiar enough with Alabama to know whether or not it is common for convicted murderers to be free on bond. It also strikes me as unusual.

I believe it's not entirely uncommon for people to be out on bond, even after conviction, until they are actually sentenced. Not that it happens often for violent offenses, but it happens.

[SuburbanTurkey]

Originally Posted by bonzombiekitty

I believe it's not entirely uncommon for people to be out on bond, even after conviction, until they are actually sentenced. Not that it happens often for violent offenses, but it happens.

Strikes me as a bit foolish. Our murderer friend is looking at minimum 20 years and a very, very slim chance of winning his freedom by appeal.

Seems like the poster child for a flight risk that should not be allowed their freedom. Who cares about money when you're talking about the guarantee of a multi-decade prison stint?

[SuburbanTurkey]

Quote:

More than 700 criminal cases have been thrown out and local prosecutors say hundreds more may be tainted after corruption was recently exposed in the Baton Rouge Police Department Narcotics Division.

An officer at the center of the scandal has been arrested twice, four high-ranking narcotics officers have been reassigned to different divisions, and the department is leading a criminal investigation into the drug unit’s possible wrongdoing.

According to WBRZ, the Baton Rouge TV station that broke news of the brewing scandal, narcotics officers planted drugs, made stops without probable cause, and targeted random Black and brown people for trumped-up charges as part of an arrest quota mandated by the division’s supervisors.

More cops planting drugs on people to make false arrests.

https://atlantablackstar.com/2021/05...-his-own-unit/

[deadrose]

Corruption in Louisiana? Say it ain't so!

[Aridas]

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

More cops planting drugs on people to make false arrests.

https://atlantablackstar.com/2021/05...-his-own-unit/

Quite frankly, "arrest quota" is a fundamentally and deeply problematic practice, in and of itself.

[SuburbanTurkey]

Quote:

Three NYPD Officers, Including "Unabashedly Racist" Cop, Arrested In Bribery Scheme: Feds

https://gothamist.com/news/three-nyp...ry-scheme-feds

Cops gonna cop.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

https://gothamist.com/news/three-nyp...ry-scheme-feds

Cops gonna cop.

Sheesh - you’d not have any police officer afford that holiday home on the beach in Malibu!

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Aridas

Quite frankly, "arrest quota" is a fundamentally and deeply problematic practice, in and of itself.

It is.

Don’t know if it has happened in the USA but we had “clear up rates” targets that caused totally foreseeable consequences such as crimes not being reported, people being forced to admit to dozens of crimes and so on.

[JoeMorgue]

It became inevitable when police forces starting becoming the only income provider for small rural towns.

There are towns that are, pretty much literally, completely funded via traffic stops on a mile long stretch of highway.

[newyorkguy]

A close friend of mine spent his career as a uniformed patrol officer with NYPD. (He still says roughly half the officers he worked with never should have been appointed.) He told me a story about working in a precinct in a suburban-like area in eastern Queens. Their patrol commander, a lieutenant, had a quota for moving violation summons. It was a way to measure productivity, so many per month. At roll-calls he often berated officers who were not meeting the target. My buddy said a lot of the officers resented this and one of the guys asked:

"Lieutenant, what if we don't see violations, what are we supposed to do? Just pull people over at random and write them up?" He said the lieutenant eyed them for a minute and then said, "Yeah. If that's what you have to do, yes."

[JoeMorgue]

The whole "Find some work to do" mentality from bosses/management is toxic as hell when you're just talking about mopping the floors. You try to apply it to policing and it become downright predatory.

[gnome]

Originally Posted by newyorkguy

A close friend of mine spent his career as a uniformed patrol officer with NYPD. (He still says roughly half the officers he worked with never should have been appointed.) He told me a story about working in a precinct in a suburban-like area in eastern Queens. Their patrol commander, a lieutenant, had a quota for moving violation summons. It was a way to measure productivity, so many per month. At roll-calls he often berated officers who were not meeting the target. My buddy said a lot of the officers resented this and one of the guys asked:

"Lieutenant, what if we don't see violations, what are we supposed to do? Just pull people over at random and write them up?" He said the lieutenant eyed them for a minute and then said, "Yeah. If that's what you have to do, yes."

In a functional system, the officer would be able to speak to HR and their union rep and say they were being demanded to expose themselves to administrative discipline and civil liability in order to issue invalid citations.

Of course, I imagine SO many people with law enforcement, HR, and union experience laughing their asses off right now.

[SuburbanTurkey]

Originally Posted by gnome

In a functional system, the officer would be able to speak to HR and their union rep and say they were being demanded to expose themselves to administrative discipline and civil liability in order to issue invalid citations.

Of course, I imagine SO many people with law enforcement, HR, and union experience laughing their asses off right now.

In reality, snitching on the NYPD is an express ticket to targeted harrasment by the pigs. Officer Adrian Schoolcraft was illegally and involuntarily committed to a psych ward during a raid of his home when the NYPD found out he was a whistleblower about arrest quotas. He's lucky he wasn't murdered.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian...ary_commitment

[Belz...]

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

He's lucky he wasn't murdered.

I think the correct term is "Serpicoed".

[newyorkguy]

My buddy said if an officer complained to Internal Affairs about a commander suggesting the officer issue false moving violation summons, it wouldn't go anywhere but the lieutenant would be informed of the accusation. The retaliation would come in things like assignments or time off requests. One issue he mentioned was an officer wanting to switch shifts with another officer. Or ask for emergency leave for a family emergency. Say the officer's father, who is retired and living in Arizona, has a heart attack. Not expected to make it.

Those requests have to be approved by the unit commander, in this case the patrol lieutenant. The lieutenant wouldn't turn them down but -- in typical organizational fashion -- he just wouldn't respond. Claim, "I never got it."

[JoeMorgue]

[Belz...]

Well, I'm glad I live in Canada.