Ongoing U.S Police Brutality and Corruption Discussion Thread

mask below nose too

also a lot of bootlicking in that thread.

In a show of some chutzpah, Houston PD fired four officers-who killed 'danger to themself' suspect during a standoff back in April-here on the same day as Gov. Abbott asked citizens to join him in signing a "Back The Blue" pledge and threatened to tack away property annexation powers of cities that defund their police.

"Take Away"

abbott has been just as shitty as youd expect handling covid and police brutality, the tx gop just hates us so much

Can someone talk more about the situation in Seattle?

I'm genuinely stunned. City council just stood up the mayor and overturned her veto. The defunding of the Seattle Police Department has begun. So much gratitude to the people who have been on the ground for more than 100 days, and those who have fought for decades. You did it. ❤️

— Spek (@spekulation) September 23, 2020

I believe the good Reverend is celebrating right now, for what it's worth.

Wasn't it like a less that 1% reduction in funding for the SPD? 3 mil in a 400 mil budget? Not really something worth celebrating, tbh.

Wasn't it like a less that 1% reduction in funding for the SPD? 3 mil in a 400 mil budget? Not really something worth celebrating, tbh.

5%-ish off the remaining budget for 2020. They can't do more for this year since most of it is spent already, but this lays the groundwork to cut the 2021 budget by 50% as demanded by the community. :)

— vpellis (@_yesellis) September 23, 2020

Not a revolution, but the city council is not a revolutionary body. The fact that they took the strongest action available to them seems noteworthy.

Grand jury indicts 1 officer on criminal charges 6 months after Breonna Taylor fatally shot by police in Kentucky.

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) September 23, 2020

jfc

wanton endangerment

Imagine, someone could have been hurt!

Attorney @Samaguiar1982 on the Hankison indictment: "Way to really rub it in. Three counts for the shots into the apartment of the white neighbors, but no counts for the shots into the apartment of the black neighbors upstairs..." pic.twitter.com/z57UGFmKNb

— Darcy Costello (@dctello) September 23, 2020

words fail me

I just don't know how to pull any more hope out of this irredeemably fucked country we live in. I'm glad there are stronger folks than me who find ways to do so, but I just don't have the reserves anymore.

if only Botham Jean's little brother had hugged Amber Guyger for just a few seconds longer, and also we banned handguns, maybe in twenty years this wouldn't have happened

you're not long for this world, burrito

if you're suggesting that I reverse my pro-hug, anti-gun stance to increase my life expectancy, I'm not sure I agree

why are no-knock warrants even issued? why is it a legal police practice to bust someone's door down in the middle of the night, anyway? especially when it's in an apartment complex. just because the suspect is most likely to be sleeping? in what circumstance is that preferable to surveilling and then approaching the suspect in the light of day when they come out to their car or something? wouldn't that reduce the likelihood of innocent bystanders being caught in the crossfire?

oh, and two police officers shot during the protests tonight. Love those guns

oh, and there's a good hour-long New York Times documentary about Breonna Taylor on Hulu right now. I watched a few weeks ago; would recommend. (The one about the 2020 Australian wildfires was pretty good too but there was practically no police brutality in it.)

Kent Gilbert report on last night in Louisville:

Tonight protesters including many Louisville clergy were hemmed in on the grounds of First Unitarian Church. Mayor Fischer had asked churches to remain open for prayer, but LMPD declared the area a riot scene and arrested peaceful protestors both at and on their way to the church. As many as 200 people were essentially trapped at First Unitarian when LMPD instituted curfew 30 minutes early and began arrests and aggressive action in response to a broken window or windows on Fourth Street. I was contacted by clergy on the premises in my role as president of the Kentucky Council of Churches might be able to offer as police closed in on the church courtyard.

Witnesses report that Rep. Attica Scott was arrested steps from the church grounds on the pretense of inciting a riot. We also have reports that police told some clergy and protesters they could leave, but arrested many as soon as they stepped off the church property. If true, this is an egregious abuse of trust and a clear failure to "serve and protect."

In response to requests from clergy present at the scene from many different congregations, I immediately reached out to denominational leaders of churches in the area. I am very grateful for the work of the Unitarian Universalist Association President, Susan Frederick-Gray and for Episcopal Bishop Terry White whose churches were most directly affected.

We all reached out to law enforcement through various channels in an effort to communicate our desire that clergy and peaceful protesters not be confined by armed police, and that they be allowed to return to their vehicles and homes. After some arrests and a tense several hours, the police withdrew, and clergy helped the crowd disperse.

As church leaders who were ASKED TO OPEN OUR SANCTUARIES, the actions of LMPD are particularly disturbing. From clergy witnesses, there is reason to question their tactics of intimidation and confinement. This is a violation of faith community sanctuaries and of citizen trust, both of which should be of sacred concern to law enforcement.

Church leaders will be initiating conversation with the Mayor's office and the Attorney General's office about feelings of entrapment, violations of several first amendment guarantees, and the city's own stated policies for open churches. Feel free to express your own feelings to them on the matter. The more the merrier.

We are all grateful that none were seriously injured tonight, but remind all that until justice, peace and security is as equally available to brown and black citizens as it is to white citizens, we must continue to speak and act. Our faith demands better of us and of those who govern on our behalf.

thanks for sharing that, Sleeve.

I know a lot of people who live there, and they are PISSED

they are also charging protestors with "wanton endangerment" for being in the road, which is... what they charged the fucking cop with.

isn't this a form of entrapment?

yes, only remove "a form of"

and they know prosecutors won't actually pursue charges against most so anybody arrested will be released, after hours of being mishandled, crowded into tight spaces, and treated inhumanely. but of course the prosecution isn't the point. the point is they send the message that 'we're in charge, and we can put you in jail for whatever we want, and disrupt your life indefinitely, anytime you protest', in an attempt to suppress future protests.

fuckin' infuriating

and they know prosecutors won't actually pursue charges against most so anybody arrested will be released, after hours of being mishandled, crowded into tight spaces, and treated inhumanely.

and when they do that, they're going to end up "catching" several people with unrelated charges, warrants, etc, and keeping them in there, sometimes for weeks before releasing them with no charges, and sometimes for good.

if you're very lucky you get released the same night, and the prosecutor basically laughs at law enforcement, but only after the LASD has told literally dozens of lies about you https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-24/los-angeles-sheriff-kpcc-reporter-arrest-josie-huang

Haha but seriously

Parscale, who is having a calm conversation with a police officer, is assaulted by five other police officers armed with automatic weapons.

Is that a new treatment for people with "mental health" issues, or is it just for Trump supporters? pic.twitter.com/2YbhwKW7Or

— August Takala (@AugustTakala) September 28, 2020

I did not believe that was a serious tweet at first

I think he missed, oh, several hundred similar videos over the past few months.

sad lol

Yeah, but this one was, like, different for some reason. Sure, there were reports that he was armed and had weapons in the house and was maybe loading a weapon and probably was beating his wife, but other than that, he looked like he just wanted to party down.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/09/police-officers-qanon/

Cops being the most paranoid, credulous, and yet entitled group means that they can go hog-wild into Qanon and also kill you

This story regarding the Breonna Taylor grand jury is pretty nuts:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/29/us/breonna-taylor-grand-juror/index.html

Basically, one of the members of the grand jury retained an attorney and filed a motion to have the grand jury transcript/recordings released to the public. That is unprecedented afaik. The implication is that what the KYAG has been stating was presented to the grand jury was not accurate.

thanks for posting, I saw that, hope it works

At one point on the first day of grand jury deliberations, one of the prosecutors laments to the jurors that they can’t play all the body cam videos because of time. A juror responds loudly: “We got time!”

— Roberto Aram Ferdman (@robferdman) October 2, 2020

The timing of this sucks, because it is getting swept away by Trump's positive covid test. Preliminary reports sound like the prosecutors just threw some shit in front of the jury and said, "What do you think?", which afaik is not how these things usually work.

Full statement from Alameda DA Nancy O’Malley on reopening investigation of 2009 killing of Oscar Grant by BART PD: pic.twitter.com/F8KlfmoXnb

— David DeBolt (@daviddebolt) October 5, 2020

wow. bout time.

Sheriff connected to 2 members of the terrorist group that planned to kidnap governor. Defends them.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/10/10/michigan-sheriff-spotted-at-rally-with-men-charged-in-scheme-to-kidnap-kill-governor/

Sherriff should be arrested. "hey we didn't know if they were going to kidnap the governor or just make a totally valid citizens arrest?" Is that really his argument?

I had not heard about this: https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/us/galveston-horseback-arrest-lawsuit-trnd/index.html

jfc, that's joe arpaio level

Looks like Philly PD smashed the windows of a passing vehicle that was trying to turn around, then dragged the parents out and beat them on the ground in front of their terrified children. [@MrCheckpoint] pic.twitter.com/dNBf0aLGAf

— Chad Loder (@chadloder) October 28, 2020

That's a five minute walk from my house.