POLICE BRUTALITY CASES: WALTER SCOTT MURDER & MORE

[Duchess]

Yes, that's the case!

[Jimbone]

Yeah, sorry... I thread derailed as well posting the horse chase beatdown.

[HairOfTheDog]

There was no derailment.

All of the cases being discussed here involve alleged or confirmed police brutality.

I only changed the thread title to better reflect the natural expansion of the thread's content and for ease of future reference.

[HairOfTheDog]

THE KILLING OF ERNEST SATTERWHITE, SOUTH CAROLINA



The same day that South Carolina police officer Slager was arrested for the murder of unarmed Walter Scott, South Carolina police officer Justin Craven (pictured, left) was arrested 150 miles away on a felony weapons charge relating to his fatal shooting of unarmed 68-year-old Ernest Satterwhite (pictured, right) in February 2014.

The cases share several characteristics: They both started as a traffic stop, they were both caught on camera, and both responding officers alleged in followup reports that the victims grabbed for the officer's weapon.

The North Augusta public safety officer is accused of shooting and killing Satterwhite in his driveway during a pursuit and traffic stop. Craven fired repeatedly through the driver-side door of Satterwhite's car after the victim had fully stopped in his driveway.

In Satterwhite's case, Craven said the unarmed victim "grabbed my gun" before he opened fire. A lawsuit filed by Satterwhite's family -- which recently ended in a $1 million settlement -- denied that there was ever a struggle over the gun. Satterwhite had been pulled over multiple times for traffic violations with no record of struggles or violence.

Edgefield County deputies who joined in the chase reported that Craven ran up to Satterwhite's parked car and fired several shots into the driver's side door, telling the other officers that Satterwhite tried to grab his gun. The other officers couldn't get Satterwhite's door open, so they broke the passenger side window, unlocked that door and dragged him out.

Charges were filed after the incident and Craven was initially indicted by a grand jury for a charge of "misconduct in office," a misdemeanor, instead of a manslaughter charge sought by prosecutors.

If convicted on the new felony charge, Craven faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $1,000. His attorney told the press that he plans to plead not guilty.

Ref: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morni...-driveway/

[HairOfTheDog]

We interrupt this thread to bring you a man being beaten by police following a horse chase.

It's being reported that 10 deputies have been put on leave due to the video of them beating a suspect.

The beating victim, Francis Pusok, seems like a real asshole. He has an arrest for a violent crime and reportedly shot a dog in front of family members once. SBPD wants to make sure we're aware of those things. But, as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter if Pusok is a real asshole.


^ Pusok and his girlfriend of 13 years; she claims that she and Pusok's mother were not allowed to see him after the beating.

If Pusok is a real asshole, he's a real asshole with real big balls. He led a growing convoy of police cruisers on a high-speed chase for 3 hours to avoid a warrant being served, then dumped the car, stole a horse and rode off into the desert to elude arrest, and then... it stops being amusing in any way.

I'm sure the cops' adrenaline was soaring after that long pursuit and there was nothing funny about it to them. And, I'm not suggesting that Pusok should have been handled with kid gloves. But, once the apprehending officers had tased the asshole and he was fully compliant, that should have been the end of it. Two solid minutes of several deputies taking turns kicking and punching the non-resistant suspect is a criminal act, IMO. Will they be charged and convicted? I have my doubts, but maybe the increase in public awareness will help ensure the cops are held accountable for their actions this time, unlike in Kelly Thomas' and Eric Garner's cases.

The thuggish cops who mercilessly beat a crying and compliant Kelly Thomas were acquitted of his murder, despite the damning video evidence and eye witnesses.
Kelly Thomas' thread: http://mockforums.net/showthread.php?tid...lly+thomas

The cop who put compliant Eric Garner in a banned choke hold and ignored his pleas to stop wasn't indicted for his murder or anything else, despite the damning video evidence and eye witnesses.
Eric Garner's thread: http://mockforums.net/showthread.php?tid...ric+garner

The fact that, yet again in the Pusok case, multiple cops participated in the excessive use of force indicates to me that this type of unwarranted brutality is systematically enabled or overlooked.

I bet the cops in Pusok's case figured that the helicopter overhead during the beating was SBPD, rather than the local news chopper. Had that been the case, the police narrative as to what went down when Pusok was finally caught would likely have been self-serving and partly fictional IMO.

Anyway, the FBI has announced its involvement in the Pusok beating case in San Bernadino, CA. They're investigating whether Pusok's civil rights were violated, like the DOJ is doing in Walter Scott's case. Ref: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me...story.html

[Duchess]

Those cops exhibited no more self control than a two year old. That's not okay to me. I don't give a fuck who they are dealing with, they are the police and should be held to a higher standard. If they aren't capable of acting like an adult then they have no business wearing a badge and carrying a gun. They need to be off the streets.

[username]

Just watched the horse chase video for the first time. Good horse!! If only he were Mister Ed. I imagine he'd have a lot to say about the incident.

[Midwest Spy]

I'm in the minority, I know, but I have a hard time feeling sorry for criminals.

While I think that a lot of cops have a feeling of superiority and that they're above the law, I appreciate the fact that they're that way most of the time.

I know I personally, as a law abiding citizen, have nothing to worry about. My encounters with cops at the occasional traffic stop have been cordial and professional.

The Eric Garner case and the recent shooting in South Carolina are instances in which I hope a cop serves a long, long prison term.

[HairOfTheDog]

Your position seems pretty much in line with the majority of those expressed MS; I don't think it's a "minority" viewpoint here at all.

-I don't have a problem with cocky but effective cops either.
-I'm not harassed by cops either.
-I don't have a lot of sympathy for criminals either. BUT, that includes the criminals hiding behind badges, and that's the only difference in our perspectives.

Cops don't have the duty or the right to assault and kill people (with or without criminal records) when those people aren't posing a threat to the cop's safety or anybody elses. The badge does not give police officers a free pass to engage in criminal activity or to play judge and jury.

The only difference between your "minority" position and my position is that I have a major problem with cops thinking and acting as if they're above the law. I'm not a big fan of criminalized policing, militarized police, or (sometimes fatal) abuse of authority.

[Midwest Spy]

Don't get me wrong, the cop in South Carolina should be convicted of murder. He should serve 20-25 years before he's eligible for parole, IMO.

He definitely should pay for his actions. Same with the cop in the Eric Garner case.

[HairOfTheDog]

^ So, when do you support cops acting above the laws they've sworn to uphold and when don't you, MS?

Where do you personally draw the line, and why do you even have a separate illegal line drawn for cops?

I'd be curious to read the list of specific laws that you appreciate seeing cops break.

[Midwest Spy]

It doesn't bother me a lot that the guy on the horse got his ass kicked.

[HairOfTheDog]

So, you appreciate it when cops engage in gang activity and commit first degree felony assault against non-resistant citizens (so long as those citizens have a criminal record and survive the assault).

Fair enough.

It doesn't really surprise me that you feel that way, actually.

[Midwest Spy]

I said it doesn't bother me not that I 'appreciate' it.

You twisting words again.

Not surprising.

[HairOfTheDog]

I said it doesn't bother me not that I 'appreciate' it.

You twisting words again.

Not surprising.

Please read your own words below.

While I think that a lot of cops have a feeling of superiority and that they're above the law, I appreciate the fact that they're that way most of the time.

I don't twist words, you just apparently don't remember what you originally posted and what I asked about.

If you're changing your position and your own words now, just say so. The word-twist accusation is pitiful.

Sounds like you've switched to "tolerating" police officers breaking the law, as opposed to "appreciating" them doing so. There's a big difference, MS, and I don't read minds.

[Duchess]

It doesn't bother me a lot that the guy on the horse got his ass kicked.

Wow. You should be very bothered by law enforcement officers who think they are above the law and can do any damn thing they please. You should be outraged that this happens in America.

[Midwest Spy]

It doesn't bother me a lot that the guy on the horse got his ass kicked.

Wow. You should be very bothered by law enforcement officers who think they are above the law and can do any damn thing they please. You should be outraged that this happens in America.

I will be outraged when someone is abused by a police officer that didn't 'have it coming' for lack of a better term.

This guy on the horse, by all accounts, is a piece of trash. Who knows how many innocent lives he put in danger on his 3 hour race to get away from the cops?

I'm tired of bleeding hearts feeling sorry that thugs might take some punches while they're being taken into custody.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't believe that anyone who's contained and not posing a threat to anyone else has a gang-style beating or murder by cops "coming to them", MS.

That's the belief of people with superiority complexes; people who conduct themselves as if they have the right or power to decide other people's worthiness. That's the belief of people who consider themselves above it all and have no regard for equal rights and no regard for the concept of the law applying equally to ALL (including public servants). That's why it doesn't surprise me that you feel the way you do about this topic MS.

I'll never share your views, but I understand where you're coming from. I doubt people who are sometimes tolerant or appreciative of unwarranted police brutality, like you, will ever share my views on this topic either. Different perspectives; not a problem.

One thing I've learned from experience though -- it's unsuspecting apathetic people like you who cry foul the hardest and loudest when they or someone they love ends up being harassed or brutalized by cops or anyone else. Even though you're an arrogant bastard and even if I didn't like you, I'd still condemn unwarranted violence against you and wouldn't believe that your sorry ass had gotten what it had coming.

It's not a matter of feeling sorry for criminals or having a bleeding heart. It's an understanding that laws exist for a reason in a civilized society and nobody should be able to break those laws and systematically assault and kill people with impunity.

[sally]

[username]

It doesn't bother me a lot that the guy on the horse got his ass kicked.

Which is why you (hopefully) would never pass any tests if you wanted to be on the police force. You clearly have no self control/wouldn't be fit for duty.