Posted on 02/19/2014 1:21:12 AM PST by YankeeinOkieville
MOORE — The city’s police chief Tuesday defended the actions of officers being investigated after the death of a Norman man who was tackled and handcuffed early Saturday in the Warren Theatre parking lot.
“I know these officers, and I don’t believe there was any ill will,” Moore Police Chief Jerry Stillings said in a news conference.
Three Moore police officers and two off-duty game wardens were involved in the scuffle with Luis Rodriguez, 44. One of the officers and the game wardens were working security for the theater.
Rodriguez’s wife, Nair, caught some of the incident on video on her cellphone, which was confiscated by police. Though the phone was released to her Tuesday afternoon, she hasn’t shared the video to the media on the advice of her attorney.
Stillings said he didn’t see anything inappropriate in the video. The officers, who are on administrative leave, have not been named. The game wardens have been allowed to continue working while an investigation is conducted, said Bill Hale, assistant chief of law enforcement for the state Wildlife Conservation Department.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsok.com ...
*note* In the above story, it mentions the wife got her phone back on Tuesday but per the chief's conference and several other sources, she has not yet retrieved it.
full disclosure: I live in Moore, less than a mile from the Warren. This is not a "bad part of town". They are right next to the hospital that we lost in the tornado while I am a couple of blocks away.
I am not surprised the police here 1) beat an unarmed man to death for no more than allegedly "taking a defensive stance" 2)stole the lady's private property and refused to return it when asked (and it may or may not now contain the full unedited video) 3) would stretch the truth to cover their behinds *believe me, I've seen it happen here* 4) nor will I be surprised to hear they get away with it.
When you kill someone and then forcibly take the evidence, you have comitted a felony known as “evidence tampering” and, if you’re anyone other than a police officer, you can be senetenced to 20 years in prison for that act alone. Then there’s the fourth amendment violation-unreasonable seizure of private property by the government. then there’s the murder.
When you go back and examine Oklahoma events of the past twenty years....you will find dozens of episodes like this. Some are simply cop-on-civilian assault...some worse.
In this case...they will bury the guy, and then come around to the city with a likely fifty-million-dollar lawsuit. The city attorney already is adding up the liability insurance (I would imagine), and knows the magic number that the city has to come up with. Being a town of 110,000....I’m guessing they have a twenty-million liability situation, with the first half-million as a deductible. So, anything beyond that twenty...is cash that the city will have to borrow or try to force the widow into prolonged talk and hopefully down to the limit of the insurance.
The cops involved? They will be told in strong language to talk to no one...even their relatives. Their time left with the force....is equal to what it takes to get the widow happy. After that...they will be released, and I doubt that they find law enforcement work in the state.
As they get terminated....more idiots will be found to replace them, and everyone goes back into a wait-for-the-next wrongful death suit.
This is the trend...year in and year out. Until some folks get hostile and take down some cops in the midst of a theater or restaurant because they were fed up with the immature behavior...it’s our society in this modern era.
If you asked the way to fix this...it’s simple. Require all state officers to go off to a one-year police academy and pass various tests to be certified. These wannabe cops with a weekend certification course, and two or three college classes....simply aren’t capable of doing the job.
Or from what I witness around here any given weekend night or weekday morning, just punch up the number of petty traffic tickets. Three and four cop cars at a time in a few chosen stretches of main thoroughfares just off the highway. No turn signal, didn't stop long enough at a sign, burned out tail light, turning into the second lane, and on and on. Any excuse to ticket and then tripe that with court & administrative costs. They have ways to make money in this town.
There does seem to be a need for a new technology. A smartphone with a wire remote camera, that transmits data in blocks as soon as it is recorded. Thus, the phone could remain in a pocket while the camera, like a small lapel camera, would be recording and saving data.
This would mean that police wouldn’t be aware that you were recording, so wouldn’t take away your camera, and even if they did, everything you recorded would be stored beyond their immediate reach.
I know this technology works, because some police departments are using it for their officers.
Wait there are states that only require a few courses or weekend certs? I thought all had to attend a police academy of some type... only reason I care is it might allow for a sheriff run for non-careerists which I think would be a good thing.
Dear Law Enforcement Officers:
When the Ukrainian style mob comes for you, and I hear you screaming while burning in your Police Cars I won’t help you.
When the crowd pulls you limb from limb and you are screaming for help, I won’t.
The advocates of the police should be aware of a deteriorating level of public support due to incidences like these receiving prominent attention through the Internet, social media, and independent media. After the acquittal of the California policemen, the predominant reaction on FR, DU, and the Daily Paul was overwhelmingly negative.
You said it is/was a good (well not bad) part of town.
Not knowing the size of the city, is it the NORM for 3 Security Officers for a movie theater?
Admittedly I do not frequent theaters but don’t really think I would be visiting one that REQUIRED 3 security types.
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