No Indictment for New York Police

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

First, I'm still looking for the video. I find lots of news reports about the video, but they start right at the "exciting" part. I'd like to see everything leading up to it.

As I've been doing my searching, I noticed something rather quickly. In your list of facts, you conveniently left out the fact that he was telling the officers to leave him alone and he refused to be handcuffed. Apparently, it's after that when everything happened. Again, I don't know the whole story, but it is interesting that you leave those facts out when you explained it to me. smh

Because he wasn't under arrest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ka4oKu1jo

[decocker 7,198]

Despite your assertions, I am not a huge fan of the changes in our police forces during the past several years. I've had more than one serious encounter with the police where it was obvious they would not tolerate anything less than complete submission whether or not one deemed they were being reasonable. For this reason I think it would be a very positive change to require every law enforcement officer to carry a body camera when the are on duty. No exceptions.

As for Eric Holder and Obama, they have both injected race as being the fundamental factor for inappropriate police conduct. There is ample evidence that bad police conduct happens, but the overwhelming majority of events are routine and reasonable.

awesome we both survived our runins with cops. i don't know about you but there were a couple times where i was clearly the thug and the cop would have apprently been justified in emptying my brains on the pavement. at the time, md20/20 was more important to me than my life. wonder why i got off so easy? i've never been arrested. maybe it was because i was young? dunno.

i agree on the body cameras.

i don't think holder or obama have injected race into anything. you're on your own there.

[B_J 2,752]

Because he wasn't under arrest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ka4oKu1jo

Ha! Posted just before you.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Finally found a longer video.

That is one big guy and he wasn't cooperative. It's believable that the cop got him in the choke hold initially just because of the sheer size of the guy. But, he just kept it there, even after the guy was down and under control. Looking at it, I'd have to say that the cop killed that guy. It's tough to see how the grand jury came to this decision.

Not really. I knew the cop wasn't going to be indicted. The guy had a record. Folks tend to dehumanize people like this, even though it's clear as day they choked him to death.

Ha! Posted just before you.

I'll fight you.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

This is somehow unbelievable and not surprising at the same time. Disgusting.

[B_J 2,752]

Not really. I knew the cop wasn't going to be indicted. The guy had a record. Folks tend to dehumanize people like this, even though it's clear as day they choked him to death.

I'll fight you.

That is one big dude; if the cop had got him in the choke hold accidentally; I could have believed him. But, if it was an accident, he should have let up when the guy was down and all the other cops had him under control. But he just kept choking him. The other cops just did their job; but that one should definitely be on trial for something - murder, manslaughter, something. He just killed that guy.

If people had chosen to protest, not riot, over this one, they would get support. The Brown case was not a good rallying point; but this one is. But, sadly, after the Ferguson protest fiasco, I'm not sure the general public is in the mood to listen to anything.

[decocker 7,198]

The Fix

With Eric Garner, Obama’s body camera argument just took a big hit

By Nia-Malika Henderson December 3 at 3:46 PM

President Obama announced this week that, in response to Ferguson and other cases of cops killing unarmed black men, the White House would call for $75 million to make 50,000 body cameras available to police departments across the country.

But on Wednesday, a grand jury declined to indict New York police officers in the choking death of Eric Garner -- a case in which there was footage. And the timing couldn't really be worse for the White House.

One activist who attended a White House meeting with Obama on Monday and talked with NBC News suggested that cameras weren't exactly a cure-all:

Antoine White, a hip-hop artist from St. Louis who is known as T-Dubb-O, said of body cameras during an interview, "I still consider it a Band-Aid" on a much larger problem. "Giving a policeman a camera does not prevent him from shooting me in the head," he said, noting officers at times don't turn on the cameras.

Proponents of expanding the use of body cameras point to Rialto, Calif., where complaints against police officers fell by 88 percent a year after they were put into use in 2012. And more than anything, the use of technology to prevent more Fergusons has been something plenty of people with very different views of what happened could agree upon.

And it's really only a matter of time. Jim Buerrmann, president of the Police Foundation in Washington, told the Post that, "Within the next five years or so, body-worn cameras will be as ubiquitous in the world of policing as handcuffs, the police radio, the gun."

The use of body cameras by police officers could certainly make them police themselves more and have the same effect on people they interact with. But they don't seem to have increased the chances of discipline when it comes to Garner, whose death was ruled a homicide.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/12/03/obamas-body-camera-argument-just-took-a-big-hit/

[LibCampFireClub 635]

That is one big dude; if the cop had got him in the choke hold accidentally; I could have believed him. But, if it was an accident, he should have let up when the guy was down and all the other cops had him under control. But he just kept choking him. The other cops just did their job; but that one should definitely be on trial for something - murder, manslaughter, something. He just killed that guy.

If people had chosen to protest, not riot, over this one, they would get support. The Brown case was not a good rallying point; but this one is. But, sadly, after the Ferguson protest fiasco, I'm not sure the general public is in the mood to listen to anything.

New York regulations forbid police from using choke holds. However, it appears this is a loosey goosey regulation and not a law where if the officer uses one that they will receive only a reprimand. We've all seen the intense take-downs that police use these days where you see compliant people wrestled to the ground and handcuffed. This guy did resist arrest and they were tolerant for quite sometime. The choke hold however was not necessary.

Again, though, none of us know the evidence provided in the grand jury. But, from this video, I think the officer should have been indicted and am surprised he was not. I hesitate to say that however, because I see a public that intends to tie both Ferguson and New York events as if they are one in the same.

Edited December 3, 2014 by ExExpat

[decocker 7,198]

I hesitate to say that however, because I see a public that intends to tie both Ferguson and New York events as if they are one in the same.

you've said that twice now. no one has done that in this thread. not that i've seen. well bj did a little. are you the all seeing eye?

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

That is one big dude; if the cop had got him in the choke hold accidentally; I could have believed him. But, if it was an accident, he should have let up when the guy was down and all the other cops had him under control. But he just kept choking him. The other cops just did their job; but that one should definitely be on trial for something - murder, manslaughter, something. He just killed that guy.

If people had chosen to protest, not riot, over this one, they would get support. The Brown case was not a good rallying point; but this one is. But, sadly, after the Ferguson protest fiasco, I'm not sure the general public is in the mood to listen to anything.

There are tons of black men killed by police in mysterious circumstances. Now that we have cameras it's more out there, but just like in this case, it doesn't matter.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

Regarding choke hold use in New York:

Mayor de Blasio pushes back against upcoming Council bid to criminalize NYPD use of choke hold

With City Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Queens) set to introduce a bill on Thursday, de Blasio said the current NYPD-wide ban on choke hold use is the proper way to address the situation. He said that sometimes a cop may need to use such a move if faced with a life-or-death struggle.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/de-blasio-opposes-anti-choke-hold-law-article-1.2009254

[LibCampFireClub 635]

you've said that twice now. no one has done that in this thread. not that i've seen. well bj did a little. are you the all seeing eye?

I was not implying that about what's posted here on VJ. People already take what's posted here way too seriously. What I was attempting to infer was an American public that is already weary of Ferguson, with some violent elements who will seek retribution upon other human beings.

Edited December 3, 2014 by ExExpat

[decocker 7,198]

I was not implying that about what's posted here on VJ. People already take what's posted here way too seriously. What I was attempting to infer was an American public that is already weary of Ferguson, with some violent elements who will seek retribution upon other human beings.

errr. thanks for clearing that up. i mean that makes no sense.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

errr. thanks for clearing that up. i mean that makes no sense.

Thanks. I am fully on the flop of your flip side and recognize your uncanny ability to hijack a word or phrase and turn it into your own personal deluded circus. I mean that in a nice way.

[decocker 7,198]

Thanks. I am fully on the flop of your flip side and recognize your uncanny ability to hijack a word or phrase and turn it into your own personal deluded circus. I mean that in a nice way.

i'm offended by your use of the word "circus". i hate the circus.