I'd like to kick this cop in the face!

What was that car the guy hit? Looks like it might have been an LS? :eek:
 
From the L.A. Times:


Experts say El Monte police officer's kick was unjustified
12:38 PM | May 14, 2009

Elmontebeating The decision by an El Monte police officer to kick a suspect in the face following a 40-minute pursuit was roundly criticized by policing experts today as inexcusable and unnecessary.

Video shot by at least two local television news stations shows the unidentified El Monte officer kicking 23-year-old Richard Rodriguez in the face after Rodriguez had put his hands up and fell to the ground in a prone position with his arms above his head.

Samuel Walker, a criminology professor at the University of Nebraska and an expert in police oversight and force, said the officer's kick to the head was “unprovoked and unnecessary," calling the actions "one of the worst incidents of this kind that I've seen."

“The person on the ground was surrendering. There was no threat [seen] in this video,” said Walker.

Geoffrey P. Alpert, professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina, said that, while video may miss some things, it appears to show “that the officer lost control.”

“It appears that the suspect was motionless, under control and nonthreatening,” Alpert said. “If that’s the case, what the officer did was totally outrageous. From what we see, he overreacted.”

El Monte police say Rodriguez is an El Monte Flores gang member who has been in and out of prison for violence- and narcotics-related crimes since 2006.

Rodriguez, who uses the street names “Richie Boy” and “Turtle,” was convicted in March 2006 of misdemeanor possession of a switchblade and sentenced to 20 days in jail and three years' probation, say police and prosecutors.

A month later, in April 2006, he was convicted of felony eluding and fleeing from police officers and stealing a car and was sentenced to 16 months in state prison. Records show he again was convicted, in May 2007, of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine — and sentenced to 16 months in state prison.

El Monte police have called a 3 p.m. news conference to further explain the incident. [Updated at 2 p.m.: The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has taken over the investigation of the incident.]

El Monte Councilwoman Patricia Wallach, who has been a critic of the police department in the past, said she is hoping for "some kind of explanation for the officer’s action.”

“We are waiting for reports before we make specific comments on what occurred,” said Wallach.

The ACLU of Southern California, however, has called for the immediate suspension of the officer and has urged the Los Angeles County district attorney's office to conduct a swift criminal investigation into the officer's actions.

"This video is truly chilling in the clarity with which it captures an egregious example of police abuse. It is perfectly clear that the suspect was prone on a grassy lawn, limbs extended, and lying still," said a statement issued by Ramona Ripston, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California. "The officer had a gun drawn and kicked him extremely hard in the head. That kick served no law enforcement purpose. It was unlawful punishment, apparently for leading the police on a pursuit."

David A. Klinger, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri and a former Los Angeles Police Department officer, said the nature of video, as a “two-dimensional representation,” leaves out a lot of context that could explain the officer's decision-making.

Still, the officer’s tactical approach also raised questions in the incident, he said.

“You have an individual who is compliant,” Klinger said. “I don’t understand why an officer would want to get so close to a suspect. There’s no need [in that situation].”

Alpert noted that pursuits evolve quickly in adrenaline-pumping situations, like a chase of a parolee, and on-the-ground context is important from what the officer hears on the radio about the call, the suspect’s background, whether the suspects are armed and if the officer sees or hears “something that we don’t see.”

Walker said that while some may be inclined to excuse the conduct in light of the suspect's criminal history, "it is no excuse,” because the suspect was not a threat.

The chase and its aftermath were a classic case of “adrenaline policing,” Walker said. He said that advanced police departments with modern training techniques take this into account by training their officers to avoid allowing adrenaline to overcome tactics.

--Andrew Blankstein and Richard Winton
 
I say give the cop a medal!!!!!! oooh the pooor gang banger scumbag meth dealing junkie car thief got whats coming to him,through the little prick in jail and keep him there for life or put him in an electric chair.Horse thiefs where hanged so should car thiefs.
 
Let the record show that today, May 15th 2009, I 100% agree with something that Bryan has said.

That cop was pissed because the suspect led him on a chase and took out his frustration on the suspect. I'm sorry, but if the cop feels that actually chasing after criminals is beneath him, then - news flash - maybe he should have considered another career. Chasing uncooperative suspects is part of the job. I'm just impressed to see cops chasing actual criminals instead of robbing motorists - I'm sorry, making "traffic safety" stops....

I'm actually not sure that a decent lawyer will be able to get that guy off, assuming he was properly Mirandized and treated with due process. However, in civil court, the right lawyer could absolutely demolish that officer's career - and rightfully so, as that is a startling lack of judgement & self control.
 
luxuryrules said:
Let the record show that today, May 15th 2009, I 100% agree with something that Bryan has said.

That cop was pissed because the suspect led him on a chase and took out his frustration on the suspect. I'm sorry, but if the cop feels that actually chasing after criminals is beneath him, then - news flash - maybe he should have considered another career. Chasing uncooperative suspects is part of the job. I'm just impressed to see cops chasing actual criminals instead of robbing motorists - I'm sorry, making "traffic safety" stops....
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By chasing you mean 40 minute high speed pursuits of violent, drug dealing gang members that put countless innocent people throughout the community at risk of death.

Now I'll recognize that it was unnecessary for the officer to kick the scum bag once he had appeared to have given up. But it's completely reasonable to understand or identify why he might have done that.

There are people in the population who have this ridiculous, misguided, contempt for civilian law enforcement that ventures into the realm of idiotic. "Chasing suspects is part of the job." What else is part of the job? Get hit? Spit on? Having your car rammed? Getting shot at?

Had that guy not corned himself, do you really think he would have been reluctant to car jack you in your driveway to escape?

Police need to show restraint, but let's remember that they are humans as well, in life or death situations.

I'm actually not sure that a decent lawyer will be able to get that guy off, assuming he was properly Mirandized and treated with due process. However, in civil court, the right lawyer could absolutely demolish that officer's career - and rightfully so, as that is a startling lack of judgement & self control.
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The guy's career shouldn't be destroyed for that.
A suspension, written up, but unless he has a pattern of bad judgment and abuse, it shouldn't cost his career... at least not based on what I saw on the video.

What if you family had been in that LS that he crashed into.
What if children were on the sidewalk where he went out of control.

Frankly, after chasing a guy like that, we should all privately be cheering for a little rough justice.
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the news story should read. GANGLAND TERRORIST neutralized by a brave lone soldier armed only with mace, baton,and a 9mm
 
I'm surprised he only kicked him once.

I wonder how many times this same cop has had to deal with the low life.
In the video he seems to be an older guy.
Not a rookie.

I think the older the cop, the more chance of him letting a boot fly.
The job takes its toll.
I don't agree with what he did be if this punk smashed my car, or car jacked me.
I would tell the cop to kick him again.
 
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Calabrio said:
There are people in the population who have this ridiculous, misguided, contempt for civilian law enforcement that ventures into the realm of idiotic. "Chasing suspects is part of the job." What else is part of the job? Get hit? Spit on? Having your car rammed? Getting shot at?

Had that guy not corned himself, do you really think he would have been reluctant to car jack you in your driveway to escape?

Police need to show restraint, but let's remember that they are humans as well, in life or death situations.
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll bite. As I am going to refrain from insulting you, I would kindly request you do the same of me. Fair? Just because we disagree is no reason for you to call me an idiot.

Yes, chasing criminals is part of their job. Getting hit, spit on, rammed, and shot at, are all risks of the job. If I choose to become a police officer, it would be naive of me not to expect that kind of thing. Same for that officer - he should not expect to be a police officer without getting put into that kind of situation every once in a while and, while I agree it is a wholly unpleasant situation, his reaction was entirely unwarranted and unprofessional. The officer (and all LEOs) should be prepared to handle lengthy chases with some degree of professionalism, because unfortunately those situations will arise. The risk of creating such situations can and should be mitigated, and the police are very good at doing so, but it is impossible to completely avoid getting put into lengthy chases.

Calabrio said:
The guy's career shouldn't be destroyed for that.
A suspension, written up, but unless he has a pattern of bad judgment and abuse, it shouldn't cost his career... at least not based on what I saw on the video.

What if you family had been in that LS that he crashed into.
What if children were on the sidewalk where he went out of control.

Frankly, after chasing a guy like that, we should all privately be cheering for a little rough justice.
Click to expand...

Well, my initial reaction was a little harsh, and a pattern notwithstanding some standard disciplinary action is more appropriate. I'd be interested in finding out more of the background on the officer's behavior, but I bet you and I are of similar mind on this.

But I wouldn't really cheer for rough justice like this. As far as I'm concerned, the officer stooped to the level of the criminal. Now, seeing as how the length and inherent danger of the chase involved is of importance to you, I recognize a kick to the face might be warranted if it brought an early end to the chase, but in this case the chase was already concluded.
 
Me thinks the cop is either ex SF or has buddies in SF. Kicking a person like that disorients the person, making takedown easier if the bad guy is holding a weapon under himself and if he needs to be brought back alive.

I don't particularly agree with this technique being used in civilian life, especially Law Enforcement. But sometimes, you just gotta kick some heads...

~shrug~
 
Dear Mister Thug.

dont run from the cops unless you can take a boot to the head once in awhile.

also, when they know you by name.. and you still break the law in their territory..EXPECT a boot to the head once in a while.

the "old cop" was probably yelling at him
I've known you since you were in diapers "boot to the head"
WTF is the matter with you? "boot to the head"
 
^Agreed

Like what was stated before, kicking the guy wasn’t the smartest decision that the officer could have made, but if I were in his shoes I would have at least had the same thought of doing so.

I'm on the cop's side, Yhea they pull me over for stupid shlt but that's my fault and there doing there job. Even though some people think there just out there to bully people around a lot of them are great cops.

That officer will work again he will just get a suspension, this is the same argument as the Rodney King crap 18 years ago. In both cases they probably got what they deserved.

Some people need to get beat.
 
Come on.

Let's use some common sense here. We can save a whole crap load of taxpayer money.

Who needs jails and judges and courts and juries.

Let's make each cop an official Judge, Jurist and Executioner.

Follow along.

Let's say you are a middle aged white woman. You forgot to wear your seat belt and your car sends a signal to the nearest police officer. The officer traces your car using the built in tracking device that also controls your speed and cuts the throttle if you go 1 mile over the posted speed limit.

The cop pulls the woman over and yanks her out of the car. After all, she is wasting his time by making him pull her over so of course he is pissed and the adrenalin is flowing.

Now he pulls out his neat and tidy chart that indicates what punishment fits the crime based on demographics. In this case, the white, middle-aged woman, based on the chart, should get pistol-whipped twice(adrenalin suppression act) and two slugs (one in each arm) are convenient placed into her body (jurisprudence upheld) to teach her a lesson.

I'm sure she'll never forget to put the belt on if she ever gets use of her arms again.

But look at the end result.
No ticket.
No court date.
No lawyer to plead her case.
No judge.
And you don't have to take a day off work to hear her case.
And no need for 3 squares a day and fresh sheets.

And best of all, the cop gets to vent his adrenalin in a safe, controlled manner.

I know cops. I go out drinking with them. They LIVE for the adrenalin rush. That's why they are cops. And they sometimes do bad under the protection of the badge.

Get real. Quit supporting bad cops.

Vote in judges that won't just slap the bad guys hands over and over.

And change the laws to deal with criminal behavior so there in an actual disincentive to commit the crime in the first place.
 
come on MM...

I dont need a judge nor jury to tell me that the crackhead on the corner is selling crack.
nor will it hurt my feelings when said crack head gets a boot to the head.

I dont know what gated community you live in, where there are obviously "no criminal element" for you to deal with..

you should come take a drive thru some of the neighborhoods around here.

AND..the logic you provide here is exactly WHY the crackheads the stole my car were "only detained" and we not charged with any crime.

I dont support "bad cops"... hell I usually dont support ANY police action whatsoever.

BUT I DAMNED SURE aint gonna get my panties in a wad when I see a COP kick a GANG member, or someone fresh out of a high speed pursit in the head.
 
luxuryrules said:
Ok, I'll bite. As I am going to refrain from insulting you, I would kindly request you do the same of me. Fair? Just because we disagree is no reason for you to call me an idiot.
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Wash the sand out..... I didn't call you an idiot. I said that some people have opinions that venture into the realm of the idiotic.

Yes, chasing criminals is part of their job. Getting hit, spit on, rammed, and shot at, are all risks of the job.
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You say that in a casual way, like "getting wet is part of the job when you work at a car wash." It's not the same. Realizing those things could and will happen is not the same thing as tolerating them and being numb to responding to it. This is LIFE AND DEATH.

his reaction was entirely unwarranted and unprofessional. The officer (and all LEOs) should be prepared to handle lengthy chases with some degree of professionalism, because unfortunately those situations will arise.
Click to expand...
What was unprofessional about it.
What if the guy had been lying down on top of a weapon and planning to ambush the officer? Why do YOU presume the chase and danger was over because a VIOLENT DRUG DEALING GANG MEMBER who had just spent nearly the last hour jeopardizing the lives of nearly everyone in that community had suddenly gotten on the ground?

Do you think the gang member "plays fair."

It's not like the officer beat the hell out of the guy, he gave him a swift little shot, and then proceeded to arrest him. The more I watch the video, the more I support the officer. That WAS restraint. He was quickly getting the situation under control so that no other innocent people and officers would be put at risk.

Well, my initial reaction was a little harsh, and a pattern notwithstanding some standard disciplinary action is more appropriate. I'd be interested in finding out more of the background on the officer's behavior, but I bet you and I are of similar mind on this.
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I don't know where the "hate crime" part of this story is going, but especially after reading Frogman's take on it, I'm increasingly convinced that the guy is completely vindicated. That the kick wasn't just frustration or anger, but a responsible action.

But I wouldn't really cheer for rough justice like this. As far as I'm concerned, the officer stooped to the level of the criminal. Now, seeing as how the length and inherent danger of the chase involved is of importance to you, I recognize a kick to the face might be warranted if it brought an early end to the chase, but in this case the chase was already concluded.
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I don't think THIS was rough justice. Had the chase gone on another minute, they would have let the dog go after him and that would have been much more traumatic then a quick disorienting shot to the head.

However, I wouldn't shed a tear if a few of those guys had beat the tar out of him after concluding that chase.

And it's interesting, you say the chase was concluded.. based on what?
The fact that a bad guy who was corned dropped to the ground? On the word of a gang member?

The officer can anticipate having to chase suspects and be put in life or death situations, but at no time is he expected to put YOUR (collective you- you specifically - I realize how sensitive to that you are) conscience and lofty social conscience before his ability to make it home to his family. Those aren't sacrificial lambs in uniform.
 
MM.. ever BEEN to El Monte california?
Home of Essilinger Engineering?.. I have.

Take your mom, sister or daughter over and drop them off in El Monte then get back to me with the details of your opinion of El Monte...(lol)
 
MonsterMark said:
Let's say you are a middle aged white woman. You forgot to wear your seat belt and your car sends a signal to the nearest police officer. The officer traces your car using the built in tracking device that also controls your speed and cuts the throttle if you go 1 mile over the posted speed limit.

The cop pulls the woman over and yanks her out of the car. After all, she is wasting his time by making him pull her over so of course he is pissed and the adrenalin is flowing.

Now he pulls out his neat and tidy chart that indicates what punishment fits the crime based on demographics. In this case, the white, middle-aged woman, based on the chart, should get pistol-whipped twice(adrenalin suppression act) and two slugs (one in each arm) are convenient placed into her body (jurisprudence upheld) to teach her a lesson.

I'm sure she'll never forget to put the belt on if she ever gets use of her arms again.

But look at the end result.
No ticket.
No court date.
No lawyer to plead her case.
No judge.
And you don't have to take a day off work to hear her case.
And no need for 3 squares a day and fresh sheets.

And best of all, the cop gets to vent his adrenalin in a safe, controlled manner.

I know cops. I go out drinking with them. They LIVE for the adrenalin rush. That's why they are cops. And they sometimes do bad under the protection of the badge.

Get real. Quit supporting bad cops.

Vote in judges that won't just slap the bad guys hands over and over.

And change the laws to deal with criminal behavior so there in an actual disincentive to commit the crime in the first place.
Click to expand...

WAY too much control at the hands of the police in your post... If a cop's sole reason for being a cop is for the adrenaline rush, he/she SHOULD NOT be a cop. Maybe I'm not understanding where you stand on this...
 
MM
Dig me up a video of a cop turning the overheads on and the person promptly pulls over, then if the cop drags em out and kicks them in the head THEN you have a "BAD COP".

I'd like to buy that cop a donut!
 
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