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Jersey Cops Let K9 Maul Man to Death, Then Try to Steal the Video
A police dog tears apart an unarmed black man's face while officers watch.Policing in this country really seems to be going to the dogs. Yes, that’s a silly euphemism, at least unless you live in Vineland, New Jersey. A video filmed a week ago Tuesday appears to show local police allowing a K9 dog to tear into the face of what looks to be an unarmed black man while he is curled up on the ground. The man, identified as 32-year-old Phillip White, later died while in police custody
So a question to all the do-not-resist-and-you'll-be-fine crowd:
what do you do if a cop illegal asked you to comply with something -- in this case, to give him the crucial phone/video footage or evidence ?
Do you give him the phone knowing that the evidence may be destroyed/tampered? Or do you not comply and risk being shot to death?
So a question to all the do-not-resist-and-you'll-be-fine crowd:
what do you do if a cop illegal asked you to comply with something -- in this case, to give him the crucial phone/video footage or evidence ?
Do you give him the phone knowing that the evidence may be destroyed/tampered? Or do you not comply and risk being shot to death?
I don't know why this is even a question. Of course you comply, even if it is a bad cop doing something illegally. If you are dead, then it really won't matter in any case.
You can always sue the pants off of them for civil rights violations after the fact and you may even have a case for criminal charges to be brought. The phone company has records of things that go on in phones and the cops can't do anything about that without involving the courts.
I don't know why this is even a question. Of course you comply, even if it is a bad cop doing something illegally. If you are dead, then it really won't matter in any case.
You can always sue the pants off of them for civil rights violations after the fact and you may even have a case for criminal charges to be brought. The phone company has records of things that go on in phones and the cops can't do anything about that without involving the courts.
Well that was easy ... if you refuse to turn over your phone, you risk death. LOL
Phone companies won't have a record of your videos/photos unless you stream to the cloud right then and there. I suppose you could still be an eyewitness ... unless they shoot you and plant a taser.
Jersey Cops Let K9 Maul Man to Death, Then Try to Steal the Video
A police dog tears apart an unarmed black man's face while officers watch.Policing in this country really seems to be going to the dogs. Yes, that’s a silly euphemism, at least unless you live in Vineland, New Jersey. A video filmed a week ago Tuesday appears to show local police allowing a K9 dog to tear into the face of what looks to be an unarmed black man while he is curled up on the ground. The man, identified as 32-year-old Phillip White, later died while in police custody
The police were responding to a report of a disorderly person, who was “screaming and yelling,” according to a local television station with access to the police radio transmissions of the incident. Multiple officers arrived on the scene and requested backup, yelling as they allege White reaches for one of their weapons. Moments later, one of them reports, “Slow units down. Subject under apprehension. Tried disarming me.”
According to a statement from Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, "White was handcuffed and restrained… White was placed in an emergency vehicle to be transported to the hospital. At some point during transport White became unresponsive."
Philadelphia’s NBC10 station reported that the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office said White, the father of three, was transported to a local hospital for “respiratory distress,” where he was declared dead, despite efforts to revive him.
The person who shot the footage, which is from a phone, is shown being approached by police, saying, “I need your information and I’m going to need to take your phone.”
It is legal to film police interactions in New Jersey.
The situation is under investigation by the New Jersey State Police, Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, and a private lawyer hired by the family named Conrad Benedetto.
This is the second death involving police in Cumberland County since last December, when Jeramie Reid was shot and killed by Bridgeton police during a traffic stop after officers allegedly saw a handgun. It was later revealed that Reid was suing the county for allegedly being assaulted by corrections officers while he was in the county jail.
I don't want to suggest that this is not a serious incident that must be investigated, but I would like to point out that :
The OP's title, that cops tried to "steal the video" is not justified by the mere fact that the officer asks for the phone. In fact, its the right thing to do to make sure that evidence of the incident is preserved. It doesn't matter if taping is legal or illegal in N.J. The officer could have been faulted if he had not tried to secure the video.
The available video (I could not watch the link given, but found a more current video online) does not show what was happening before the deceased hit the ground, i.e, the extent of his resistance.
The video shows a dog hanging on to the man's arm. It does not show a dog "tearing apart an unarmed black man's face." The fact that the OP later amends the statement to say that "it appears to show" does not justify the statement.
Until the autopsy results are made public, we don't know how he died.
These kinds of incidents are very serious and tragic, and are difficult enough as it is to investigate and make a call on. Its important for the public to focus on the precise facts available, otherwise nasty things can occur -- like riots and attacks on uninvolved police officers. Its irresponsible to do otherwise and fan the flames of an incendiary situation based solely on one's political views.
I don't want to suggest that this is not a serious incident that must be investigated, but I would like to point out that :
The OP's title, that cops tried to "steal the video" is not justified by the mere fact that the officer asks for the phone. In fact, its the right thing to do to make sure that evidence of the incident is preserved. It doesn't matter if taping is legal or illegal in N.J. The officer could have been faulted if he had not tried to secure the video.
The available video (I could not watch the link given, but found a more current video online) does not show what was happening before the deceased hit the ground, i.e, the extent of his resistance.
The video shows a dog hanging on to the man's arm. It does not show a dog "tearing apart an unarmed black man's face." The fact that the OP later amends the statement to say that "it appears to show" does not justify the statement.
Until the autopsy results are made public, we don't know how he died.
These kinds of incidents are very serious and tragic, and are difficult enough as it is to investigate and make a call on. Its important for the public to focus on the precise facts available, otherwise nasty things can occur -- like riots and attacks on uninvolved police officers. Its irresponsible to do otherwise and fan the flames of an incendiary situation based solely on one's political views.
Do you honestly believe that cop would have taken the phone, tagged it as evidence and turned it in? What world do you live in? That phone would have gone missing as soon as the cop had a chance to toss it in a river.
Threatening people who record cops is par for the course anymore. No you do not turn it over to them, keep recording so it will pick up any threat made to you, because they will threaten you.
So a question to all the do-not-resist-and-you'll-be-fine crowd:
what do you do if a cop illegal asked you to comply with something -- in this case, to give him the crucial phone/video footage or evidence ?
Do you give him the phone knowing that the evidence may be destroyed/tampered? Or do you not comply and risk being shot to death?
What was illegal about asking for the phone? The cop is allowed to ASK for anything he wants. He can ask for your digits and what time you get off work honey, Mr Honey, whatever!
It would only be illegal for the cop to tackle you and rip the phone out of your cold, dead, fingers.
You can decline the request and wait for the warrant and he can detain you while they wait for the warrant to ensure YOU do not tamper with the evidence. If the cop does illegally seize the phone, then you can brag to everyone that you were right and the cop is dirty. Otherwise you will have to wait like everyone else to see if the evidence disappears.
Do you honestly believe that cop would have taken the phone, tagged it as evidence and turned it in? What world do you live in? That phone would have gone missing as soon as the cop had a chance to toss it in a river.
Threatening people who record cops is par for the course anymore. No you do not turn it over to them, keep recording so it will pick up any threat made to you, because they will threaten you.
I cannot tell you whether this particular cop would have turned over the phone, and neither can you.
I can tell you, as a former criminal prosecutor AND former criminal defense attorney, that at least attempting to secure that phone was the proper thing to do, from the point of view of both the deceased and the officers. The owner of the phone could have lost it, damaged it, etc., and the evidence on it -- regardless of what it shows -- was very important.
There is nothing in the article to suggest that the owner of the phone was threatened. It was absolutely the right thing to do to at least ask for his identification, as he/she was a potential witness.
Jersey Cops Let K9 Maul Man to Death, Then Try to Steal the Video
A police dog tears apart an unarmed black man's face while officers watch.Policing in this country really seems to be going to the dogs. Yes, that’s a silly euphemism, at least unless you live in Vineland, New Jersey. A video filmed a week ago Tuesday appears to show local police allowing a K9 dog to tear into the face of what looks to be an unarmed black man while he is curled up on the ground. The man, identified as 32-year-old Phillip White, later died while in police custody
The police were responding to a report of a disorderly person, who was “screaming and yelling,” according to a local television station with access to the police radio transmissions of the incident. Multiple officers arrived on the scene and requested backup, yelling as they allege White reaches for one of their weapons. Moments later, one of them reports, “Slow units down. Subject under apprehension. Tried disarming me.”
According to a statement from Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, "White was handcuffed and restrained… White was placed in an emergency vehicle to be transported to the hospital. At some point during transport White became unresponsive."
Philadelphia’s NBC10 station reported that the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office said White, the father of three, was transported to a local hospital for “respiratory distress,” where he was declared dead, despite efforts to revive him.
The person who shot the footage, which is from a phone, is shown being approached by police, saying, “I need your information and I’m going to need to take your phone.”
It is legal to film police interactions in New Jersey.
The situation is under investigation by the New Jersey State Police, Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, and a private lawyer hired by the family named Conrad Benedetto.
This is the second death involving police in Cumberland County since last December, when Jeramie Reid was shot and killed by Bridgeton police during a traffic stop after officers allegedly saw a handgun. It was later revealed that Reid was suing the county for allegedly being assaulted by corrections officers while he was in the county jail.
Lot of "maybes" and "could haves" in the story. But we can't have facts get in the way of a good "all cops are evil" story.
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