The answer to either question does not lead a reasonable person to conclude that prosecution of the victim is in order.
I posted on the city's site here (Freep if you'd like): http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=23587514958&topic=18336&post=132255#post132255
Sorry about the links... Too used to sites that recognize..
Velcome to Amerika commrad.
“As a cop of five years, I have to ask two questions “
You guys have a tough job. It’s too bad there are unprofessional cops like this who do this kind of thing.
Guys like Dougherty are the reason for the 2nd Amendment
This being said, I just go along with the cops on confrontations outside the house. Granted their might be moral high ground on taking them on if they are way off, but I have a personal preference for taking care of these problems formally after the fact.
When Colorado became a shall issue state for CC the police started drawing there weapons and disarming permit holders during traffic stops. They learned pretty quick not to do that after a few abuse of authority cases. Still it is a dangerous job and I take my hat off to them. However there is no need for that kind of language from the cops. I would have immediately complied with their order to get down on my knees. I would have been fantasizing the whole while about how I was going to spend the money from the settlement.
Why do I get the feeling that all of the cops and the DA are of one race, and the victim is of another?
The next week i was working at the same school when as I was leaving I found my car blocked by a county police cruiser and a hefty police sergeant standing by. As soon as I identified myself he launched into a profanity laced tirade about me telling his son ‘a bunch of f-——g lies’. I asked him if he really understood that Americans were free men not subjects of government and the 2nd Amendment was put in the Constitution to assure that a tyrannical government would never come to power. This produced a bigger explosion of rage and a warning not to ‘f-—’ with his son again or there would be ‘bad things happen to me’ (a direct quote I can remember to this day). Sgt Friendly then got in his cruiser and drove off.
I did keep my hear, knew his name and remembered his badge and unit number and I carefully typed letters to the commander of the county police and my county supervisor describing the incident. No further direct consequences followed for me but on three occasions county police cars did mysteriously appear as I was leaving either home or work and obviously trailed me for a while.
After I had entered service a tersely worded letter from the Public Affairs office of the police arrived at my folks house ‘regretting’ any misunderstanding that I may have had and assuring me the officer was only speaking as a parent not in an official capacity.
That was forty years ago , I can only imagine the pretensions and ignorance that are today rife in police agencies.
Surprised they didn’t just take his recorder too. It is Philly after all.
This cop should be stripped of his citizenship for his arrogant despotism. While he is in exile, he should learn english so he can communicate in a middle class, professional manner.
I'll give the cop the benefit of the doubt that he was poorly trained and didn't know the law. But the cop was still a jerk who needs a job cleaning latrines.
He needs to sue their pants off.
I’ve read several accounts of this incident. My only criticism of the gentleman’s actions was they seemed to escalate rapidly into the confrontational when stopped by the police. You aren’t going to “win your case” on the street during an active stop, no matter how “right” you are. And you could end up being “dead right”....
IMO the wisest, (and safest, since the officer had his weapon drawn and pointed), action would be to comply with the officer’s orders as expeditiously as possible. Once his fears/phobias/ego have been “massaged” and you are publicaly/visibly under his control it might be possible to discuss his misconceptions with him, or get him to request the presence of his watch commander.
It takes a certain mentality - inculcated in training and during their “probie” period - to make a successful street cop. But they deal most often with a societal stratum where “face” is an important element in their personal safety. IOW you can’t afford to look “weak”, regardless of the circumstances once you’ve committed.
And there are “bad cops”. Cops that see the badge as excuse to bully/threaten/intimidate everyone unfortunate to cross their path. Every PD has them. Philly, unfortunately, seems to have more than its share.
But the gentleman’s real “violation” was documenting the level of bullying/ignorance and lack of “people skills” this BIB (bully in blue) evidenced. The PPD’s management has to play by the same rules as their street cops.
Any “slacking” is seen as weakness in Council, so he has to get the treatment. Once the account hit Facebook it was no longer a legality” issue, but one of face. >PS