Official "FUCK THA POLICE" thread

[Stormlight]

[lisarea]

In case you, like me, were wondering if this was the case where a murdering cop didn't get fanboys, here you go:

Indiegogo allows crowdfunder for Officer Michael Slager, accused of murdering unarmed black man | PandoDaily

People who donate money to this guy would also probably pay for lynchings in advance.

[Crumb]

[The Man]

I think this article is a nice summary of the current state of policing in America.

The Police Are America's Terrorists

At least, according to the article, that Indiegogo campaign doesn't have that much money donated to it yet. (I don't have the amount of bile fascination required to click on it and see what the current tally is, but at the time the article was written it was $200. Which is still $200 too many, but it's nowhere near as bad as I expected).

[lisarea]

To me, it's less about the amount of money raised and more about that fact that a) yes, there really are hard-core racists out there who will donate money to people for no other reason than that they killed a black man, and b) Indiegogo is A-OK with funding this sort of thing.

Or was, anyway:

Indiegogo removes funding page supporting SC cop accused of murder - CNET

In a completely unrelated and, again, totally isolated incident, police in NJ also recently killed another black guy and tried to cover it up:

Disturbing Video Shows Cops Allowing K-9 to Maul Unconscious Man to Death | The Free Thought Project

[Angakuk]

Originally Posted by Professor Stoughton

What's missing is what happens from the time the two men run out of the frame of dashboard video to the time picked up in a bystander's cellphone video a few hundred yards away. The cellphone footage starts with Scott getting to his feet and running away, then Slager firing eight shots at the man's back.

"It is possible for something to happen in that gap to significantly raise the officer's perception of risk," Seth Stoughton, a former police officer and criminal law professor at the University of South Carolina

I can't begin to imagine what Prof. Stoughton thinks that might be. Whatever may have transpired during the gap in the video record doesn't change the fact that Mr. Scott was running away from officer Slager when he was shot. When someone is running away from you they no longer represent any kind of imminent threat to you. It is just that simple.

Gap in video record of S.C. shooting

[The Man]

Depressing report from the Washington Post on officer-related shootings and the prosecutions thereof. Spoiler: It's exceedingly rare for an officer to get any jail time even for outright murder, and it's even rarer for that jail time to be at all proportional to the crime.

[The Man]

Nation Hopeful There Will Be Equally Random Chance of Justice for Future Victims of Police Abuse | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

[BrotherMan]

Freddie Gray was Murdered, Charges Chief Prosecutor

The death of Freddie Gray was a homicide, and six Baltimore police officers now face criminal charges that include second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, Baltimore chief prosecutor Marilyn J. Mosby says.

Mosby announced the charges Friday morning, citing her office's "thorough and independent" investigation and the medical examiner's report on Gray's death. She said warrants were issued Friday for the officers' arrest.

The city's recently elected state's attorney, Mosby detailed a range of charges against the officers, with offenses ranging from one count of second-degree murder and four counts of involuntary manslaughter to assault and misconduct in office.

The most severe charges are leveled against Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., identified as the driver of the van that transported Gray to a police station. He is charged with second-degree depraved heart murder, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

The investigation by the prosecutor's office found there had been no reason to detain Gray — and that his arrest was in itself illegal, Mosby said. She said the knife that police officers found on Gray turned out to be legal.

Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr.: Second degree depraved heart murder; involuntary manslaughter; second degree assault; manslaughter by vehicle (gross negligence); manslaughter by vehicle (criminal negligence); misconduct in office

Officer William G. Porter: Involuntary manslaughter; second degree assault; misconduct in office

Lt. Brian W. Rice: Involuntary manslaughter; two counts of second degree assault; manslaughter by vehicle (gross negligence); two counts of misconduct in office; false imprisonment

Officer Edward M. Nero: Two counts of second degree assault; manslaughter by vehicle (gross negligence); two counts of misconduct in office; false imprisonment

Officer Garrett E. Miller: Two counts of second degree assault; two counts of misconduct in office; false imprisonment

Sgt. Alicia D. White: Involuntary manslaughter; second degree assault; misconduct in office

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by BrotherMan

How many of you were familiar with depraved heart murder before this?

[JoeP]

An officer has been charged with depraved heart murder in Freddie Gray's death. What is that? - Vox

Freddie Gray charges: what is 'depraved heart murder'? | US news | The Guardian

Depraved-heart murder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[BrotherMan]

I had heard the term before but I can't say I'm familiar with it.

[Ari]

Press box. Press only allowed within police designated first amendment area.

(Photo credit, Edwin Torres).

[BrotherMan]

Where are the second amendment solutions for this abridgement of the first?

[Crumb]

Cops Who Flash Banged Infant's Crib Are Blaming the Baby | The Daily Sheeple

[Stormlight]

Wait ... I was sure this was some sort of satire piece. So, this is actually real?

What Sheriff Joey and his cornpone chekists are claiming, in effect, is that while he was sleeping, Baby Bou-Bou ambushed them.

[Nullifidian]

However, the fact that this defense is being raised in a civil case where Baby Bou Bou is the plaintiff has to be taken into account. There aren't too many defenses to the tort of negligence. They can't claim that they weren't actually negligent, because they plainly were, so one of the few other options that would be legally sufficient is to claim that the plaintiff brought his sufferings on himself. It may be factually absurd in this case, but that is the kind of defense that can win negligence cases if you can prove it. So this is not, in itself, a condemnation of the system, since everyone is entitled to a defense even if they're plainly in the wrong. The fact that it happened at all is a condemnation of the system, and if this ludicrous argument prevails in court then that will be a further condemnation of the system, but the fact that this is merely being argued by one side is what one would expect.

[Angakuk]

That they are using this defense may not be a condemnation of the system. It is, however, prime facia evidence of the defendants' lack of humanity. As if more evidence of said deficiency were necessary.

[BrotherMan]

Slager Indicted for Murder

A grand jury indicted former North Charleston, South Carolina, police officer Michael Slager on a murder charge in connection to the April shooting death.

Scott was shot by Slager in the back as he was running away. His death was recorded by a bystander, and the graphic footage sparked outrage and reignited a national conversation around race and policing.

"Today was just an example that if you just keep the faith, even in the darkest times, you'll see the light," Chris Stewart, an attorney for the Scott family, said after news of the indictment broke. "But this is just step one."

[Stephen Maturin]

Originally Posted by Nullifidian

However, the fact that this defense is being raised in a civil case where Baby Bou Bou is the plaintiff has to be taken into account. There aren't too many defenses to the tort of negligence.

Oh, there's lots of 'em, actually. Contributory/comparative negligence, assumption of risk, intervening/superseding cause, release, waiver, estoppel, laches, statute of limitations, accord and satisfaction, failure to mitigate damages, and nonparty fault just to name a few.

Originally Posted by Nullifidian

They can't claim that they weren't actually negligent, because they plainly were, ...

I tried to access the complaint and the answer from my jerb computer, but Scribd apparently rubs McAfee the wrong way. However, I have no doubt whatsoever that the pigs denied negligence in their answer.

Originally Posted by Nullifidian

... so one of the few other options that would be legally sufficient is to claim that the plaintiff brought his sufferings on himself.

Children of that tender an age are pretty much universally considered to be incapable of tortious conduct as a matter of law. I suspect -- I hope -- that the negligence alleged by the pigs was that of the parents. If the summary found in the article that Crumb linked is anything close to accurate -- sleeping in the room was "criminal conduct," impeding the path of the grenade was "assumption of risk" on the baby's part -- well, someone needs to be sanctioned and/or disbarred.

Originally Posted by Nullifidian

It may be factually absurd in this case, ...

Ain't no "may be" about it.

Originally Posted by Nullifidian

but that is the kind of defense that can win negligence cases if you can prove it.

Thing is, a lawyer is supposed to have a reasonable, good faith basis in fact and law for an affirmative defense before pleading it. Theoretically, you can get in trouble for pleading affirmative defenses without any basis and just hoping that they pan out in discovery.

Theoretically.

The shit defense lawyers get away with in their answers is nothing short of disgusting in many cases.

Originally Posted by Nullifidian

So this is not, in itself, a condemnation of the system, since everyone is entitled to a defense even if they're plainly in the wrong.

If they really asserted in their answer that THE BABY was comparatively negligent and/or assumed the risk, the defenses are frivolous. No one is entitled to pursue a patently frivolous claim or defense, not even the pigs. (Again, theoretically.)

Originally Posted by Nullifidian

... but the fact that this is merely being argued by one side is what one would expect.

Sad, but ever so true.

[JoeP]

By the numbers: US police kill more in days than other countries do in years | US news | The Guardian

[JoeP]

All 50 US states fail to meet global police use of force standards, report finds | US news | The Guardian

Amnesty International report describes ‘shocking lack of fundamental respect for the sanctity of human life’ as nine states have no laws to deal with police force

[Ari]

Police murder 17 year old teen while he was on the ground during a traffic stop, caught on camera.
No charges.
Cause of course not.
WATCH: Cop Kills 17-Year-Old During Traffic Stop, Will Not Face Charges / Sputnik International

[Watser?]

Okay so this time the cops in the Netherlands killed someone. And if he hadn't been from Aruba, which led to an official response by the Aruban government, we would have only heard about it on Facebook.

Public prosecutor revises statement about Aruban holidaymaker's death - DutchNews.nl

PM Mark Rutte: We demand justice for Mitch Henriquez

'According to the revised public prosecution department statement, Henriquez shouted that he had a gun, prompting police to take action. He is said to have resisted arrest, leading police to ‘use violence’ against him.'

According to eyewitness reports circulating on Facebook that is utter crap. He didn't shout any such thing and 6 cops jumped him. They also beat one of his relatives who tried to help and intimidated passers-by.

The Aruban/Antillian community over here and in the Carribean is up in arms over this. Most black people here are either Aruban/Antillean or Surinamese.

[JoeP]

So that brings the total for the year to what? (US: 545; 154 of them black, being 3.69 per million [])