St. Paul cops allegedly taser and arrest black male for sitting in public space (rental car, 2014)

[Stillnew]

The video is vile...unpleasant and scary but confirms my observations of this otherwise natural paradise. It's very sad and also quite humiliating to acknowledge that yes, I've been "profiled" and experienced racism here already...not overtly except for the constant parade of police I see while driving...and I drive slow...and quite often way too slow for a policeman not to be obvious.

But it's not just with driving...it's also with the quality of care and attention received at hospitals, restaurants and even the Cub grocery staff.

It's not until I show off my brands and tags making it super clear that I'm not poor do I get some respect ...or perhaps it's my Brahmin accent that then deems me "acceptable "... Not sure.

So conclusively I'd say all those who attempted to persuade me that racism doesn't exist here in MN...well check out the article and look at the video...become aware instead of defensive. Racism just doesn't go away with education. Racism is stopped and prevent through conscientious efforts to not ignore the plight of someone bring mistreated or excluded because of their skin color or religion.

St. Paul cops allegedly taser and arrest black male for sitting in public space | Twin Cities Daily Planet


St. Paul man from cellphone arrest video identified; police dropped charges in July | Twin Cities Daily Planet

[Stillnew]

Three quarters of whites don’t have any non-white friends - The Washington Post

[siameseifyoupls]

I was visiting St. Paul about three years ago. I had a rental car. I am a Caucasian female, mid-60s. Never been arrested. Excellent driving record. Without going into detail, on that trip I had two encounters with the police. I'm from NC and what happened in St. Paul has never happened to me around here. The two cops were unfriendly and rude. Never experienced anything like it. I came away saying if that could happen to me I can only imagine what they might do to a minority. It changed my way of thinking about the police. I still believe most are professional. But I also saw the dark side. I think something has changed within some police departments in this country.

[Ghengis]

no reason to feel sorry, people should not be taking a crap in a public space

oops...never mind, I misread the title.

[iNviNciBL3]

Idk about racist but we are obsessed with race, i know that.

cop tasers someone and that means he's racist?
an actual racist would of said a racial slur while they are tasing him.

[atler8]

There are many ways to express racism other than by verbal means. So the mere lack of a racist utterance is not a perfect determinant that an experience was not an act of racism & that all is well w/ the officer(s) & police department in question.
Let's keep an open mind here as we recall that the charges were dropped by the SPPD.
If the police did act as alleged, then I'd be all in favor of a law suit being filed.
Harrassment for the sake of it, whether by the police or security guards, etc. is still harrassment.
We had a really nasty incident here in Atlanta (of all places) several years ago that eventually was an eye-opener for many people as concerns the corruption that can be found in police departments.
Before it was fully revealed, I was at the office & came around a corner in time to hear 2 women discussing what had happened. They felt as though the 92 year old woman who had been killed & then defamed by officers of a drug unit surely must have been a drug dealer & thus guilty of what was claimed by the APD.
As the truth prevailed, it became an ugly embarrassment for the APD & rightly garnered national attention.
http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...nston_shooting

[Stillnew]

Originally Posted by iNviNciBL3

Idk about racist but we are obsessed with race, i know that.

cop tasers someone and that means he's racist?
an actual racist would of said a racial slur while they are tasing him.

Did you view the video? Perhaps you should. And put yourself in that guys shoes....you're in a shopping area waiting for your kids to get out of school, the police approach you and ask you your name....but you haven't done anything suspicious nor have you done anything other than sit outside a store...so you refuse to tell the cops your name as you know it's against the law and violates your rights to freedom to be have to tell your name to a cop unless the cop suspects you of a crime....furthermore the cop doesn't say you've been labeled a suspicious person...he/she just wants your name..you refuse and so the cop tasers you, handcuffs you and takes you to jail.

I guess you could explain the cops actions by acknowledging that you're ignorant and stubborn and should have just given the cop your name. And that of course the cop would pick you out of all the others sitting because you just have that kind of demeanor...you know, that offensive uncanny resemblance to all those thugs out there...that group of people who cause trouble and populate jails. Anywhos, it's for the good of society.

Clearly, as per your response and reaction, people in Minnesota trend towards the support of racism towards blacks.

And minorities need to be aware of this before they move here. Thank God my experience on this board prepared me for subtle indignities I'd face as a "minority" otherwise I'd probably have been wondering if I'd done something offensive.

And yet MPLS has a better social environment than many other cities ...Perhaps as whites here are not competing with as much frequency with minorities for jobs they are not as hostile towards minorities, at least in the upper middle class, but those who are more likely to compete with minorities for the lower wage jobs appear to be absurd racists.

[iNviNciBL3]

Its messed up yes, i still wouldn't scream racism but you can think what you like.

[GeneR]

The video I saw the perp was refusing to comply with police. He was asked to move and he argued the point. I may be white but I know if I start giving attitude to an officer I will, like the perp in this case, get some attitude back. You screw with the bull, you get the horn.

None of us know the facts beyond what was released in this video (by the attorney for the perp?). They're taking this to court probably hoping for a quick cash settlement from a city government that has no balls and bends over quickly for political correctness.

[roneb]

Originally Posted by GeneR

The video I saw the perp was refusing to comply with police. He was asked to move and he argued the point. I may be white but I know if I start giving attitude to an officer I will, like the perp in this case, get some attitude back. You screw with the bull, you get the horn.

None of us know the facts beyond what was released in this video (by the attorney for the perp?). They're taking this to court probably hoping for a quick cash settlement from a city government that has no balls and bends over quickly for political correctness.

The "perp" (a loaded term that implies guilt) was talking in a non threatening tone in his conversation with police. You are not obligated under the law to comply with everything the police ask you to do. He was right that he did not have to tell the police his name if he was not under suspicion of a crime. As was clear in the video, they were walking, which means he had already complied with the request to move; at which point the police officer should have let it go. In this case it appears the police, particularly when the second officer arrived, escalated the situation. Once the man was up and walking, vacating the area, he could have simply been instructed to go get his son, as he said he was about to do.