Officer smashes young man’s head with baton for cheating subway fare

[ellenrr]

shocking video shows an NYPD officer beating a young man over the head with his baton at a Brooklyn subway station.

The man, 20-year-old Donovan Lawson, had “doubled up” with his friend; he went through a turnstile in the same swipe at the friend. Lawson sat down on a nearby bench, and that’s when, according to witness Marielle Anas, the officer started throwing punches.

http://thegrio.com/2014/11/22/nypd-officer-beat-head-baton-subway/

[Vinca]

1. And the cops wonder why people are upset with them.

[ellenrr]

2. just another day in the life of a cop... nt

[marym625]

3. a little pissed this morning?

I don't blame you. I have been so sick about the shit going down and the crap about blaming protesters that this is the first day I can even type about it. Just so horrendous I can't even wrap my head around it.

I have seen this before. It seems to be the norm anymore. These cops are either nuts or on something. No one is naturally that aggressive over so little

[NaturalHigh]

4. Really down on the police this morning, aren't you?

I wonder how many cops saved somebody's life or protected someone from getting hurt yesterday. We wouldn't know, of course, because that's rarely in the news.

[ellenrr]

5. wrong. It is ALWAYS in the news when cop's save a life

thing is, it doesn't happen very often.
Why don't you post the most recent time.

[NaturalHigh]

7. Always in the news? LOL...

That doesn't make attention-getting headlines because it's expected of them and happens all the time.

As you are one of the "there are no good cops" crowd, I'm finished with this.

[ellenrr]

8. of course you're finished with this! Bec you were asked for some evidence. LOL

[NaturalHigh]

10. Here:

Body Cam Video: Police Rescue Woman From Burning Newark Home

http://kron4.com/2014/12/19/body-cam-video-police-rescue-woman-from-burning-newark-home/

[ellenrr]

11. hey! Congratulations! :)

[KamaAina]

28. Well, somebody has to

now that Cory Booker's in Washington.

[elias49]

6. And you're ok with the police here?

Wow. What? $.50 fare? About the cost of a loose cigarette.

[NaturalHigh]

14. Nope - not at all.

[Demit]

9. I've seen a lot of videos with cops doing something good.

That doesn't negate when the cops beat someone excessively like this. Shame on you.

[NaturalHigh]

15. Shame on me?

LOL - well alrighty then. I'll just have to try to live with myself.

[Logical]

12. I hear that stupid argument all the time here.....

It fucking should not be in the news because it is their fucking job!

Get it yet?

You hear bad medical doctor stories but that that mean we should list every good one?

Jesus, get a clue.

[NaturalHigh]

13. Nothing like saying something nice about police officers...

to get people in a tizzy on a Monday morning.

[Logical]

23. Stupid argument IMO! nt

[gollygee]

16. Does this mean you don't see this as news-worthy?

we aren't the police PR here, and if good press doesn't take away from what they did.

[NaturalHigh]

17. No, just making a comment about the OP...

who has started a few threads this morning and commented in others about police. She also made the comment that "there are no good police officers" just after commenting about the two officers who were killed this weekend.

[951-Riverside]

19. I guarantee these are Police Union members

They are out in full force on DU with their idioms and one liners like:

"Officers put their lives on the line"
"Don't call 911 the next time you need help!"
"Way to paint an entire profession with a broad brush!"
"You never hear when Officers do XYZ in the media do ya?"
"Way to rush to judgement before all the facts are known!"

Another thing they'll do is post photos of an officer posing with a dog, or a cop giving some homeless guy boots.

For some reason these people take any criticism of the actions of bad cops as an attack on all of them and in essence defend the bad cops.

What a bunch of mindless morons. They behave like a cult not a union.

They fail to understand that when society speaks out against an individual murdering, raping or brutally assaulting someone it is not an attack on the profession, they also fail to understand that by taking this all inclusive approach, they themselves are now willing participants and supporters of that individual's actions.

[NaturalHigh]

20. Re: Your last paragraph

When we have comments like "there are no good cops," it's pretty easy to see that as an attack on all police officers.

As for your initial accusation, no I'm not a cop.

[99Forever]

21. When cops stop mindlessly defending the worst brutes and murdering scum...

.... and arresting, pushing for prosecution and REAL punishment of tem, perhaps you'll hear less of We the People saying there are no good cops. That's on them to do.

Don't like it? Oh well.

[951-Riverside]

22. Re: "no I'm not a cop"

I never said you were although its quite interesting that we have members of various unions like the UAW, SEIU, Teamsters, etc openly and proudly posting here but for some reason Police Union members prefer to operate in the shadows and aren't proud to openly announce their affiliation.

I also find it interesting that these Police Union members like to derail any threads that point out the bad actions of an individual cop by using those mindless idioms and one liners I just pointed out.

We cannot continue down this path.

[frylock]

25. so let's give this guy a pass because somewhere, some cop did his fucking job

[rock]

27. Zero is a good guess

Not 100% accurate of curse but astoundingly accurate nevertheless!

[Iggo]

32. It's rarely in the news because they're SUPPOSED to do the right thing.

[Malraiders]

18. Hitting a person on the head with a police baton (sounds cute, eh) was

supposedly outlawed in the 1980's by most police departments because of inflicting permanent injury and even death.

That cop should be fired.

[Mariana]

30. That cop should be prosecuted. nt.

[Trillo]

24. What a role model.

I wonder how many people read a cop story like this and think that's an appropriate punishment? Perhaps a parent? Perhaps an educator? Perhaps a boss?

Hey, if the guy didn't pay, he deserved to be bashed on the head? At least the cop didn't just shoot him. Perhaps the cop should get a reward for not pulling out his gun and killing him?

One day this theif might be a parent and do the same thing to his kid, but not being a cop, he might just get thrown in jail by social services. But he will have learned his lesson from this cop, that physical violence is the answer to all that ails.

[CincyDem]

29. Why would other officers prevent witnesses from learning the offices badge number?

I'm asking because I think someone who is doing their job and serving the public would want that public to know who was providing that service. If I'm proud of the job I'm doing, I want everyone to know it.

I'm not sure this is true but one of the things I often hear in the reporting of criminal cases is that the defendant displayed a "guilty conscience"...taking some actions to cover up or elude police or destroy evidence.

Seems like hiding one's badge number falls into that category and both this cop and his buddies knew there was reason to keep his identity hidden.

Shame on them.

[arthritisR_US]

31. Cogent points!