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Now, I wouldn't want to see this PO be hung out to dry. True, his behavior was over the top hostile, nice public relations work there guy! But, at his age he's very likely given many long years of good service to the public. That should count for something and be properly acknowledged, just as his inappropriate behavior needs to be addressed.
I get it, that the POs are jumped up and pumping adrenaline after such an event. Me? -I'd poop my pants doing what they're called on to do, and need about 3 days and quite a few drinks to come back to normal, but that's not an option for them. Perhaps they need increased training on how to stand down after chases like this. This was just some verbal sparring and a temporary inconvenience to the press person. Could've ended far worse, and that potential needs to be addressed and avoided. C'mon! It's 2011, we can do better than this.
..or maybe his behavior has always been this hostile, and no one has ever had a camera to record it.
As I've heard many people say before, what are you so afraid of if you've done nothing wrong? Anybody who is that incensed by having someone keeping an eye on them has a power issue and probably something to hide.
This is nothing new and it's going on all over the country, the only reason it's getting pubic attention is because everyone has a recording device now. One can only imagine the amount of rough stuff that went on before when it was your word against the cops. That video from Ohio with the guy threatening to execute a guy is the most disturbing example, and the victim of that steroid ape did absolutely nothing wrong except being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Figures SCPD would do something this scummy. I haven't seen the video because its blocked at work but I can imagine what it shows.
They dont like to be videotaped should there be charges brought against them for police brutality or something - while there is a valid point about "obstructing justice", if the camera men is filming from a safe distance and not being a nuisance, I don't see what the problem is..
There is another instance of this that happened in upstate NY a few months ago..I wish I could remember the YouTube clip but it was a woman who was standing outside her OWN HOUSE filming a neighbor being arrested by the police on her street. There were 3 cops standing around the guy's car and it looked like he was being arrested for a DWI... and she was videotaping everything when a cop came up to her and told her to go inside her house. She got annoyed and told him, "but this is my house, and this is my lawn, I have every right to be here. I am not doing anything wrong.."
The cops cuffed the guy and then cuffed HER and arrested her for supposedly obstructing their job. It was all on YouTube, the link is discussed on another message board:
..or maybe his behavior has always been this hostile, and no one has ever had a camera to record it.
As I've heard many people say before, what are you so afraid of if you've done nothing wrong? Anybody who is that incensed by having someone keeping an eye on them has a power issue and probably something to hide.
This is nothing new and it's going on all over the country, the only reason it's getting pubic attention is because everyone has a recording device now. One can only imagine the amount of rough stuff that went on before when it was your word against the cops. That video from Ohio with the guy threatening to execute a guy is the most disturbing example, and the victim of that steroid ape did absolutely nothing wrong except being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I'm not excusing that PO's actions. What he did, as shown in the video, is wrong, an abuse of his authoritative powers, and he needs to be held accountable. I just don't want to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Maybe he is a power tripping bully by nature, or maybe not. But I'm only going to judge him for that event, not the entire SCPD. For example, none of the other POs at that scene seemed to have any issues with being filmed or watched by passersby. Just.that.one. That's something like 6:1 with no problems of being filmed. OTOH I find it equally disturbing that not a single other PO quietly suggested that he check himself before it escalated to this foolish and shameful ending.
I agree that Police Departments are ill equipped to accept today's commonplace technology that enables anyone anytime anywhere to film police activity. A 6 year old could've been filming the event with his dandy shiny new iPhone that Grandma gave him for Christmas. This procrastination to realistically accept, absorb and flex with modern technology isn't limited to the Police. Look how woefully behind our government is in dealing with computer/internet law. The Police, like the gov't, are reactionary systems, and they're very slow to mature.
The ultimate resolution is updated training and/or and clear procedures to reflect the changing world we live in. It's very unfortunate that the leverage to move the inevitable along is going to be repeated episodes of such unacceptably brutish behavior that makes it to the public's attention when some pro-active planning and execution would resolve it before it goes boom.
absolute power comes to mind.
The SGT. is used to being feared by the public so when an American stands for his rights offering no threat and respond with respect up The Sgt felt his absolute power is at risk.
I have respect for Our PD. but this officer should be charged with Abuse of Power.
Can't wait to see the law sute [ unless that was a condition of dropping the charges]
absolute power comes to mind.
The SGT. is used to being feared by the public so when an American stands for his rights offering no threat and respond with respect up The Sgt felt his absolute power is at risk.
I have respect for Our PD. but this officer should be charged with Abuse of Power.
Can't wait to see the law sute [ unless that was a condition of dropping the charges]
If there is a lawsuit , it will come out of the pockets of the Suffolk County taxpayers... not the PBA's coffers ... so the public loses again.
Lets hope the SGT's superiors get in his face , perhaps he will learn how it feels to be spoken down to.
Finally got to watch the video (blocked at work), I was going on the report before.
The cop should at least be suspended without pay..the first half of the video is no biggie, but the racing up like a madman in his car at the end is pure anger and completely out of line.
Finally got to watch the video (blocked at work), I was going on the report before.
The cop should at least be suspended without pay..the first half of the video is no biggie, but the racing up like a madman in his car at the end is pure anger and completely out of line.
Still he had valid press credentials and was filming from across the street and down the block on a sidewalk on public property. This so called supervisor had no business arresting or harrassing the journalist
Douse the torches. A reasonable, and hopefully constructive, response is being acted on. I'd wish for such outrageously unnecessary events to never again occur, but how realistic is that? This open dialogue and reassessment of current procedures is a good and healthy start. This silly Sargeant, now a YouTube Hit, may have actually precipitated something good in the end. As for any punitive actions towards him, well, I'm sure his fellow POs are very grateful for the extra class time he's caused them to endure.
Commissioner Richard Dormer said in a statement Monday that there is an internal review of the incident and all officers will undergo media relations refresher training. The announcement came about an hour after the Press Club of Long Island, a local trade group, called for the charges to be dropped.
“I am working with the Suffolk County District Attorney to have the arrest nullified,” Dormer said. “The police department believes in keeping an open line of communication with the media and we will be reviewing the department’s policy concerning involvement with the news media.”
“Our efforts have always been to forge a good working relationship with all police officers in the field,” Stringer News said in a statement following Dormer’s announcement. “Hopefully the attention brought to this situation will be used as a learning tool for both media and law enforcement alike.”
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