Las Vegas police unhappy with arrest video

[Bluebear]

Disappointed. Frustrated. Angry.

When a video surfaced last week showing a Las Vegas police officer roughing up a man with a camera, many cops in the department were as de­moralized by the incident as the public was incensed.

"The majority of us think (officer Derek) Colling made a mistake," said one patrol officer with less than five years on the force. "All the officers I talked to understand that citizens will see this video, and yeah, we know it looks bad."

In interviews with several frontline officers, police expressed frustration over the video, which went viral on the Internet and spread like wildfire through the department...

The first officer, "Officer A," said the video was shown to officers in his squad and his supervisor told them to remember their police academy training. The officer said they were trained that Las Vegas is one of the most surveilled cities in the world, and officers should act as if they were always on camera. "We know the public can video us whenever they want, and it's their right to do so. It should never be a problem."

http://www.lvrj.com/news/las-vegas-police-unhappy-with-arrest-video-121043844.html

[seabeyond]

1. THIS... i can respect. THIS is what i want to see from police. i dont expect perfection

not gonna get perfection. but when mistakes, errors, wrongs are made THIS is what i need to see and hear. then i can respect as a whole

[Bluebear]

3. Absolutely.

Hopefully something good will come out of this incident.

[DeSwiss]

2. "....and it's their right to do so."

- K&R

[Ex Lurker]

4. "Officer A" has been on the force less than five years

not enough time to become part of the blue wall of silence. In five more years he'll either get with the program or become disillusioned and find another career.

[Angry Dragon]

5. +1000

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. more upset with the existence of the video than the actions of the cop.

Their attitude is messed up.

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. Officer A agreed, noting that Crooks had a few bumps and bruises, but no proof of extensive injuries

the camera guy shouldn't have the bumps and bruises. If I gave someone 'bumps and bruises' I'd be in jail.

[Bonobo]

8. I like the insulting use of the word "dude".

Reminds me of someone I know well from these parts!

[rasputin1952]

9. There is going to be a really big settlement out of this...

the only thing the cop did correctly was ask, "do you live here?"

Everything after that question is bad news...the answer is irrelevant, what the cop should have done is ask the guy to produce ID regardless of his personal feelings about the situation, that way he would have had not only an address, but an identity as well. This cop really blew it on several levels.

[tblue37]

10. I notice that it has become standard procedure for cops to

loudly and repeatedly command, “Stop resisting arrest!” while beating an unresisting civilian. Obviously the purpose is to claim afterward that the person was doing something to justify the beating.

Also, after beating him up, the cop mocked his labored breathing and taunted him, saying he ended up in a “world of hurt” for not doing what the cop said to do (i.e., turn off the camera). (If you didn't watch to the end of the video, you should. The cop is really mocking the guy's pain after the beating!)

Then the cop arrested him for “battery on an officer” (because his body and face got in the way of the cop’s fists and boots, apparently!) and “obstructing an officer.”

Notice this from a supervisor on the force:

The first officer, "Officer A," said the video was shown to officers in his squad and his supervisor told them to remember their police academy training. The officer said they were trained that Las Vegas is one of the most surveilled cities in the world, and officers should act as if they were always on camera. "We know the public can video us whenever they want, and it's their right to do so. It should never be a problem <emphasis added>."

The only reason the cop attacked the man was that the man was videotaping him. The man kept reminding the officer that he had a legal right to tape the event, and this cop supervisor says the same thing, but the cop told the guy to stop taping, and then beat the crap out of him when he continued to tape him, even though he clearly was not doing anything illegal or anything that he didn't have a right to do!

[bobbolink]

11. "it looks bad"

That is all that matters... image.

To hell with the damage they are doing to HUMAN BEINGS.

It is all about THEM.

[jp11]

12. I'd add that even if you were on someone else's property it doesn't mean you are

trespassing you could be a guest, contractor, etc. Any sane officer could easily tell you why they are arresting you, but when I've seen police video maybe half the time they just jump on the person first after maybe telling them to get on the ground and only tell them what they are under arrest for after they 'think it up'.

[Name removed]

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