In Seattle, we take jaywalking seriously.
I watch the youtube and feel bad for the officer. Not that I condone popping teenage girls in the face, but he is just clearly in a world of shit. Makes you wonder why he didn’t tase anyone, which woudln’t have made for such impressive video.
Yeah, he fucked up. There was a lot of crap going on and she was practically begging to be socked in the mouth, but he screwed up badly.
Resisting arrest, touching a cop = punched in the fucking face. He’ll be acquitted.
If so, it’s too bad. He’s not in control of that situation and he brought it on himself for no good reason. Jaywalking? He’s lucky the crowd didn’t jack him.
It’s not illegal to not be in control of a situation. I doubt it’s illegal for him to punch someone in the face if he feels threatened by them coming in to stop him from doing his job, even though he was doing a piss poor job at doing his job. The fact that it’s a woman getting punched is irrelevant and likely what every armchair peace officer on the internet is going to be outraged about.
Why even bother resisting arrest for jaywalking? Talk to the cop like a human fucking being, take your god damn ticket, and live with it. You don’t blatantly jaywalk right into the path of a cop car either, that’s just retarded.
It seems like there’s a jaywalker every morning on Elliott Ave and if not there’s one on Denny. They should all get punched in the face one time if you ask me. It’s better than getting hit by a car or causing an accident.
Yes, looked like a poor effort on the part of that cop. And all over what? Jaywalking? Christ. Wonder what that officer does over a purse-snatching – call in an air-strike?
I have no idea if his behavior was legal, but it was stupid and dangerous and that seems bad enough. Maybe get someone on the force who can offer smart, legal, and safe performance?
You think this is enough of a use of force to warrant hyperbole like that? Yeah, he handled it like shit, he should have called in backup at the first sign of resistance since there were 4 in the party.
Note that the original jaywalker, a single male, wasn’t resisting arrest, he was just being talked to by the officer. Then these 4 ladies blatantly walk across the street in exactly the same way. And when a cop catches you doing something like that and you find it a good idea to just walk away, he has every right to put cuffs on you and deal with resisting arrest.
You don’t blame the cop for doing his job trying to write tickets for jaywalking.
Sure, you blame him for showing poor judgment.
Agreed.
I find it hard to approve as strongly as I do of Snookie or Stogie or whatever the skank I’m thinking of is called on that reality show getting clocked and disapprove of this. It’s like trying not to laugh when your five year old kid just pantsed your bastard father-in-law.
Why even bother arresting people for jaywalking? Talk to the civilians like human fucking beings, give them a god damn warning, and live with it. You don’t blatantly punch a civilian right in the face either, that’s just retarded.
Talking to the civilians like human beings is what he was doing before the camera started rolling. What happens when the civilians don’t act like human beings back? Of course, that’s when the camera turns on, eh?
Talking to the cop like a human being was what they were doing before the camera started rolling. What happens when the cop doesn’t act like a human being back?
You’re damn right that’s when the camera turns on, eh?
He should have just tased her, duh.
We expect more of cops than we do random civilians, that’s why we let them have guns, nightsticks, tasers and katanas… or whatever it is your guys carry around.
Sometimes the people you’re supposed to protect and serve act like assholes, and that’s when you have to remember that “hey, I am a trained professional” and not some random bully.
So you’re doubting the news story, then? You don’t think the video shows enough evidence to make the claim that the women could have been “verbally antagonistic” in the first place?
heh. That’s my vote. At least then there’s a spectacle. A cop throwing a punch just doesn’t have the oomph of a tasing.
By the way, Pogo. I don’t actually know who started that altercation. Hell, it’s not even clear what “started” means. What I was doing was illustrating the stupidity of your assumptions, and how easily (and equally unjustifiably) they can be flipped around. The only analysis that makes any sense (given that that video is the only evidence we have) are the comments of Tim & Mark, who correctly state that that cop was not in control, and thus doing a piss poor job. Any attack on the jaywalkers is unwarranted. Not because they aren’t at fault, but because we have no way of knowing if they were at fault. Not yet, at any rate. If there’s a court case or disciplinary hearing, a better informed judgement could be made.
Well, I agree in a way. At this moment I’m only taking the news report for its word, which is admittedly risky considering how many often official statements don’t jive with the events after an investigation.