Another proportional response from police

[richlevy]

From here

Assuming that the account is true, it is 'disorderly conduct' to say something that a police officer doesn't like to hear.

Pepin Tuma, a 33-year-old gay man, was discussing the recent arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates with a few friends as they walked to Cobalt on July 26. At some point in the pre-bar jaunt, the Washington Blade reports, Tuma loudly condemned the alleged bigotry in the case in a sing-song voice: “I hate the police!” he declared. “I hate the police!”
A D.C. police officer, Tuma says, responded with some hate-speech of his own—and a swift arrest. Second District Officer J. Culp, Tuma says, “charged 40-50 feet” toward him, “pushed him against a transformer box,” arrested him, then told him to “shut up, faggot.”

I'm not sure if he was being stupid or just testing the state of the Constitution. If the latter, then the Constitution isn't looking so good.

Tuma’s lawyer friends, too, are committed to fighting the charge:

D.C. attorney Luke Platzer, one of Tuma’s two friends to witness the arrest, said he and a second friend, attorney Dave Stetson, were approached by a D.C. police sergeant shortly after police drove Tuma to the station to process his arrest. Platzer said the sergeant, whose last name is Geer, told them he observed Tuma attempting to “resist” arrest in a disorderly way and asked them if they would give a statement confirming his observation.
“We said, ‘No, we did not see that at all,’” Platzer told the Blade. “We thought he was trying to trick us into saying that there was physical resistance by Pepin to the arrest. That is not true.”

I've heard defenses of the police in the Gates case about how it was necessary to get him out of the house for his own protection or how it was necessary to maintain authority during a potential break-in. Neither of those conditions apply in this case.

Tuma’s arrest, the Blade reports, is currently being investigated on the orders of D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

Too right. Part of the reason that decent cops have so much difficulty with the public is that the public has experiences like this. Assuming Pepin wasn't waving a weapon, there was no sufficient provocation for a confrontation or arrest.

[Trilby]

Actually, this sounds like typical cop behavior. What is so great about being a cop is that one lies and the others swear to it. They know the system.


this is pretty outrageous:


Cops in Parker-Broderick
case arraigned
Chiefs accused of snooping on
surrogate mother
Updated: Friday, 31 Jul 2009, 4:21 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 31 Jul 2009, 4:16 PM EDT

CINCINNATI (AP) - Two Ohio police chiefs accused of snooping on the surrogate mother for actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick were charged with several felonies on Friday.

Special prosecutor T. Shawn Hervey said the men conspired to take items from the woman's eastern Ohio home to sell to celebrity photographers.

At an arraignment Friday, Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter was charged with two counts of burglary, one count of receiving stolen property, one count of theft in office, one count of unauthorized use of property or services and one count of tampering with evidence.

Bridgeport Police Chief Chad Dojack, 30, was charged with two counts of complicity to burglary and one count of complicity to receiving stolen property.

Both men pleaded not guilty and are free on their own recognizance. Neither of the men could be reached for comment. There are no residential telephone listings for them.

Carpenter could face 21½ years in prison if convicted on all charges, and Dojack could face up to 14½ years if convicted on all charges against him.

Martins Ferry Mayor Phil Wallace said he gave Carpenter the day off on Friday and still considered him the working police chief. Wallace said he planned to meet with Carpenter Monday morning and would make a decision later next week on whether to suspend the chief.

The mayor declined to comment specifically on the allegations but indicated he was concerned about the scandal reflecting poorly on his community.

"I'm really disappointed that things have to happen like this in a small town. It's bad, and I wish it wouldn't have happened. But it did, so we've just got to put up with it," Wallace said.

Messages seeking comment from Bridgeport Mayor John Callarik were left at his office Friday. Bridgeport police wouldn't comment on whether Dojack is still on the job.

Hervey said that Carpenter is alleged to have entered the home of Michelle Ross and removed items from the home identifying Ross as the surrogate mother. Along with Dojack, Carpenter attempted to sell the items to photographers, Hervey said.

Carpenter, 32, also is accused of using his office to commit the crimes, destroying evidence and illegally using a law enforcement computer system, Hervey said.

"It is extremely troubling that the persons sworn to uphold the law and protect the public are now charged with violating those oaths," Hervey said.

He also said it was troubling that society "is so celebrity crazed that a market exists and tens of thousands of dollars are exchanged for pictures and stories of celebrity scandal."

"Unfortunately, the city and Belmont County are now living their own Hollywood soap opera," the prosecutor said.

The alleged burglary took place in mid-May in the eastern Ohio town of Martins Ferry, and the allegations against Carpenter and Dojack surfaced about a week later.

Ross is no longer believed to be staying in the Martins Ferry area, officials have said.

The surrogate mother, who gave birth to twins June 22 at an Ohio hospital, was not home at the time of the alleged burglary.

Publicist Simon Halls has said Parker and Broderick "have complete faith in the legal system."

A message was left for Halls at his office Friday.

___

Associated Press writer Doug Whiteman in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

[xoxoxoBruce]

If they're guilty, throw the book at 'em.

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

If they're guilty, throw the book at 'em.

I agree. I our legal system, police officers, even when off duty, are given special protections under the law. Conversely, they should be and are subject to special punishment for abuse of their authority.

[joelnwil]

When you read an article like that one from Ohio, you wonder just how many nut cases there are on police forces. These guys were chiefs! What are the indians like?

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by joelnwil

When you read an article like that one from Ohio, you wonder just how many nut cases there are on police forces. These guys were chiefs! What are the indians like?

there are many, many nut cases on the force here in Kettering. How do I know? Let's just say that I left the guns but took the canoli.