Posted on 07/22/2014 11:44:48 AM PDT by IChing
Hmm, let’s see, a 6′ 4″, 400-lb career criminal–with 31 prior arrests on a variety of charges ranging from drug possession to assault–adamantly refuses to be taken into custody by police who are investigating yet another an alleged crime by him (while he is out on bail facing 3 other charges), and he starts actively resisting when they try to handcuff him..
Then, in the ensuing struggle, he has a heart attack while being subdued by multiple officers, one of them using what many cops posting in online forums are insisting is not actually the form of choke-hold banned for use by the NYPD, but merely a quick take-down restraint technique, which protects the throat and windpipe while moving the subject to the prone position by steering the head–and thereby the body–in that direction.
The suspect, chronic street hustler and asthmatic diabetic Eric Garner, loses consciousness while being restrained on the sidewalk, and is transported to the hospital by paramedics where he is pronounced dead on arrival.
The next day, syndicated radio host Michael Savage–just as he did in the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case last year–loudly bellows blatantly dubious personal presumptions about the incident (such as, “he wasn’t doing anything!”) at the top of his program, and the top of his lungs, and millions of blindly rabid cop-haters pile on in countless other distorted forums.
Ignoring facts such as the extensive criminal history and overwhelming size of the subject, and other factors which point more to it being an accidental death (due to the suspect’s grave health issues and non-compliance) than a homicide caused by rogue cops, the howling masses all scream for the cops to be fired and/or charged with various crimes.
How would Savage, or any other supposed impartial party who wasn’t there, know what Garner was or wasn’t doing, during any amount of time prior to the video?
Remember, this Eric Garner incident comes hot on the heels of a 23-year-old rookie NYC-area cop being recently murdered in cold blood by another career criminal, whose wife announced on video, at a community event memorializing and glorifying the cop-killer, that she wished her husband had killed more cops.
There’s no denying that there are racial dynamics being brought to bear, appropriately or not, in this and countless other incidents having to do with crime and police work.
However, even left-wing New York City mayor Bill de Blasio went on record to clarify a crucial aspect of the matter saying, “Not wanting to be arrested does not grant an individual the right to resist arrest, nor does it free the officers of the obligation to make the arrest.”
What do you think would happen, to society and to the overall effectiveness of law enforcement, if every time an actively resisting suspect protested loudly that they couldn’t breathe, or otherwise demanded that the cops needed to let off and let up on them while attempting to take them into custody, and got their way? What if the police just took their word for it, and let the perp call the shots?
Eric Garner’s death was avoidable, that’s for sure. Of course, I wasn’t there either, but based on Garner’s long rap sheet of priors, I give the cops at the scene the benefit of the doubt as to having probable cause to arrest him for illegally selling cigarettes.
Furthermore, it was Garner’s choice to use the tactics of protest, and loudly claim that he was being harassed by the cops while putting up his hands to fight them off as they tried to cuff him–he caused the situation which resulted in his experiencing cardiac arrest, because he resisted arrest instead of letting the court (where he was headed this October anyway, to face 3 previous charges) sort it all out.
The politically realistic outcome of this, I expect, is that the officer who used the controversial take-down will be thrown under the bus for it, since it is close enough to a choke-hold that even the police union won’t be able to save his job from the seething mobs demanding his scalp.
While it’s true that these days we are being exposed to increasing amounts of evidence of police brutality and abuse of authority by badge-heavy cops across the land, especially with the proliferation of cell phone recordings and the surfeit of internet videos on social media, nonetheless we have to weigh all known factors, and consider a myriad of unknown factors carefully when confronted with recorded incidents such as the Eric Garner case, and the recent roadway apprehension of a black female wherein the white male officer punched her repeatedly in order to subdue her. Such videos contain highly provocative but often also very abbreviated information, imagery, and actions, which may or may not allow viewers to reach accurate conclusions about what really took place, and especially why.
As I said, I’m giving the cops in this case the benefit of the doubt here, for now. Based on what I’ve stated, I think you should too–and I’m as serious as a heart attack when I command you not to dance to Al Sharpton’s blaring megaphone when it comes to this, or any other episode.
(due to the suspect’s grave health issues and non-compliance)
Comply or die!
Sorry Charlie....I don’t care what he was in trouble for...
I’ve seen the video...
He clearly let the officers know he was in breathing distress and they clearly ignored him and let him lay there and die...no one even attempted CPR when he clearly wasn’t breathing.
Negligence at the VERY least.
Popo need to think more passively about taking suspects!
Unless the perps are holding hostages, or gone zombie, they should employ the most peaceful means of capture. Even if they have to stake out and wait a week outside someones house. I promise you they will eventually surrender. If they come out guns blazing, let em have it. If they come out peacefully no one gets assaulted.
I watched the video. Looked like a good take down to me. It was not a choke hold because the perp was still talking.
Any strenuous activity can cause a coronary. Deciding to resist arrest is going to cause very strenuous activity. This was a choice that the perp made. Given the long rap sheet, it was a well informed decision.
All I ask is the everyone be subject to the SAME LAW, no immunity of any kind. I support equal rights for everyone. PERIOD.
They should have offered him a limousine with a wet bar and wifi.
And they should have made sure that his favorite lunch was waiting for him when he arrived.
If Michael Weiner has his panties in a wad over this, then its clear. I'm on the cops side.
The cops checked and verified that he had a pulse and was breathing after he passed out, and the paramedics also verified that he had a pulse and was breathing once they arrived.
The problem is that the cops did nothing to help him before EMS arrived. No matter what a dirtbags he was, cops are supposed to protect and serve.
Do you really think it was just for looseys?
Do you know so little about the inner city that you are unaware of what he was doing out there?
innocent until proven guilty
and overwhelming size of the subject,
doesn't warrant excessive force
and other factors which point more to it being an accidental death (due to the suspect’s grave health issues and non-compliance)
with the police not knowing those health issues, the vic stated them succinctly when he said "I cant breath".
just curious - how many cases did the perp WIN against the dept previously ? - Is it possible they had a chip on their shoulder?
The cops checked and verified that he had a pulse and was breathing after he passed out, and the paramedics also verified that he had a pulse and was breathing once they arrived.
I guess he must be alive then.
What do you think he was doing out there?
You watched the video...then you obviously saw that the victim was handcuffed and therefore in custody...the instant at which his disposition is absolutely the responsibility of the pigs standing around not rendering aid.
He was obviously not responding and unconscious, because he wasn’t breathing. THEY are responsible for him because he was in custody, and incapable of helping himself. He required immediate resuscitative aid, and the only people around him, who had a legal obligation to provide it, refused.
At the very least, these pigs are guilty of depraved indifference. EVERY one of them who stood around and failed to render aid.
A lot of the stories posted here are about people not suspected of anything being shot.
Don’t worry, Rev. Al is on the case, assisted by the rest of MSNBC.
Like Elvis?
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