No Excuse. None
The still image that everyone must see.
And the video that goes with it.
And the video that goes with it.
Simple Justice
A New York Criminal Defense Blog
That's right. We bad. Kinda.
J. Greenfield, Designer (c) 2008
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Simple Justice: No Excuse. None
"The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions."
Sir Robert Peel
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This video is not shocking.
This type of "Police" Treatment is most common behind "closed doors"; especially in our own JAIL SYSTEM at ALL County Areas. (Where no photo's are allowed).
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Every once in a while, some well-intended person makes a comment that's so mind-numbingly stupid that I post it rather than toss it. Yours is such a comment.
Of course there are worse things that happen, you flaming idiot. But this time there's a picture. That's what makes this important. This image can have the impact that a comment like yours never will. Now go back to picking your nose.
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Protecting and serving the shit out of you.
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I am guessing this will be a watershed moment for the OWS protesters. I have had my frustrations with some of their goofiness, lack of coherence, and overly well-developed sense of entitlement, but THIS makes my blood boil. I am guessing that will be a common reaction as this goes viral.
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I think you're right, but I hope it will have a broader impact, one that finally bursts the bubble that the police can do no wrong.
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I still can't get the image of that officer stepping over the protesters then hoisting his pepperspray cannister high above his head in order to show it off to the crowd before he slowly sprayed the seated protesters.
It was almost as if he were a child spoiled for attention showing his parents the naughty thing he was about to do... brazenly taunting them as if to dare them to stop him.
That act, in itself, appeared to completely contradict the police department's explanation that they did this because they were afraid of the protesters.
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Radley Balko used the word "nonchalant" to describe it. It's perfect. Pike is so utterly nonchalant.
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GTMO.
Extra-judicial killing with drones.
Chemical weapons against peaceful protestors.
It wasn't a such a wild leap for those on the outside looking in.
Yours
@CrimeCounsel
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If they were blocking the walkway, then they are no longer peaceably assembled.
The spray might be over-the-top but I cannot think of a more effective, less invasive way to get them to move. 40 years ago they would have been met with night sticks.
I'm guessing they didn't move when asked nicely to do so but the video didn't show that.
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Absolutely, they must have done something to deserve it or wouldn't have happened. And besides, it's not like anybody would take a picture and put it on the internet so everyone could see.
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In the video I saw, it showed them blocking a sidewalk but I'm sure they were probably thinking Pike's dog was ugly, too.
The cops wanted to pepper spray someone and the protestors wanted to complain about being put down by the man. In business, we call this a "win-win".
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That's so weird, since I think we were looking at the same picture. I didn't seen anybody being blocked. I didn't seen anybody using or threatening force. I don't even know that they weren't told to sit there by Pike so it would be easier to spray them.
While I'm sure they want to complain, I'm also fairly sure they didn't expect force to be used against them for peacably exercising their rights. Kinda like when guys protest about the government taking away their guns or not letting them shoot people for trespassing or running away.
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Great point about them blocking the sidewalk.
Of course in this video we can see the cop step over them unhindered before he starts spraying them in the face.
But otherwise, great skills.
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So spraying people who are already seated and interlocked - i.e. in a position where it would take significant physical effort to get up and walk somewhere else - with a chemical that causes severe pain when you do anything up to and including blinking is going to make them MORE likely to move? How, exactly?
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That line of folks on the ground looks menacing... I'm surprised no one was tased...
The guy looks like he's spraying cockroaches...
Steve Magas
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"The guy looks like he's spraying cockroaches..."
In his mind, he probably was.
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This is really upsetting. I went to UC Davis, it's not a radical campus like Cal. I want to help out this movement but I'm in law school and I'm worried that if I happen to get arrested it will affect my bar acceptance and my career in criminal law.
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If you do nothing, you will never be a lawyer, regardless of whether you are admitted, certainly undeserving of a career in criminal law and barely human, if at all.
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Sorry Jeff, but sometimes it really is better not to comment.
Fearlessness is pretty essential to practise at the Bar either side of the pond.
To not get involved because you don't care about what they're protesting about is fine...
But you suggest you do care enough, but have decided not to as it may damage your career. Do you see how this might look a little, you know, cowardly?
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Now this is funny! Let's see, here we have one unionized tax feeder, probably a democrat, pepper spraying other democrats who want to force me to pay higher taxes so their torturer can comfortably retire at 55? And they want me to pay more taxes so they can go to school for free, get free health care and have more governmental intrusion into my life. Doesn't the cop realize the only reason he is getting paid so much is because the idiots he is pepper spraying constantly vote for higher taxes for me?
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So you want to pepper spray all of them so you won't have to pay taxes?
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You don't get it. They are on the same side! They both want more money from me.
The protesters want ever bigger government to give them more of the fruits of my labor(for tuition & healthcare, etc). The Police want the government to give them more of the fruits of my labor(for permanent health care and early & luxurious retirement).
Neither of them are for individual freedom, liberty or the right to be left alone. So, they deserve one another.
I have a full time job, I additionally write articles for magazines and manage 2 e-commerce websites. I am saving to put 3 kids through college. My property taxes just went up 5%, my earning are down and both sides in the picture want more money from me and more government control over me.
Good luck Socialists John Gault is on the way!
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Of course I get it. They're all fighting over who gets more of your money. It's all about you and your money. If we shoot 'em all, then you get to keep all of your money, which is the only individual freedom, liberty or right to be left alone that matters. Got it.
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Who the hell is "John Gault"?
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"Shame on you!", indeed. I watched this on TV in the UK with horror and disgust. This is not supposed to happen in a civilized country.
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