The Truth about Police Brutality in Ocean Beach
Police brutality is claimed so often it is now mostly regarded as crying wolf. Most people don't believe that it really happens.
The story of alleged Ocean Beach police brutality by cops including the sergeant and other officers that almost killed a NYC businessman should be a wake up call to all those doubters out there. Police Brutality is real, and happens more frequently today than ever before. There are more cops every year, more laws, rules, more restrictions on individual liberty. All of this while crime continues to decrease.
This case is not important only on its own, but reflects the growing danger of a police state so often imagined in sci-fi novels. Individual Liberty is losing ground to equality and a perceived safety that the government will supposedly provide for us.
Should it truly be the government's right to decide that we must wear helmets when we ride motorcycles? Or be able to drink water on Ocean Beach?
Fear sells advertising. Watch the news. We are being constantly bombarded with fear in the media and believe that the government should be responsible and liable for everything. Can an elected person really run on a platform that includes decreasing the size of the police force?
Why should the government decide how I live my life, as long as I don't interfere with the liberties of others? It is now normal in our society, even encouraged, not to take responsibility for our own actions. If I fall down in a supermarket it is their fault, not mine. If I run out of gas and crash my plane it is the manufacturers fault, and if I stick my foot under a lawnmower while its running - they should have told me not to do that. Thanks, Nader - one person who had the single most contribution to one of the biggest industries of all, trial law. Its not my fault. Pay me.
In the great majority of police departments in cities across America, thankfully, police do their civil duties, are good people, and ensure we live by the rule of law with courtesy and respect.
The nightmare scenario of the Ocean Beach Police Brutality case is of a fascist police state dominated by thugs and killers with guns who are trained to shoot first. We as civilians are being forced to live our lives according to the signs, and had better not step out of line. This alleged Ocean Beach Police Department brutality case is about something most of us have forgotten or take for granted. The Ocean Beach Police Department brutality case is about Freedom.
Did the large and allegedly sober police officers including the sergeant and other officers REALLY need to send a 150 pound kid to the hospital for 10 days? If cops are allowed to wear guns then they should be held to higher standards. If he insulted them, can they be allowed to get away with beating him almost to death? Surely he didn't physically threaten them. Just because they have no education is certainly no excuse.
Of course, one probably isn't PROMOTED to that Ocean Beach Police Department post.
The people in charge of overseeing police are voted in. And, depending on the political climate, it may not look good to investigate cops. How often do police get arrested or go to jail?
San Francisco, as an example has debated for decades how to hold bad officers accountable, and time and again, voters have made it clear that they wanted the Police Department and politicians to do just that. Voters established the civilian oversight agency known as the Office of Citizen Complaints. They voted to increase the agency's budget. They voted to make the Police Commission more independent of the mayor.
Despite all these efforts, the city still rarely holds errant police officers accountable for their actions.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgifile=/c/a/2006/02/08/MNUFDISCIPLINE.DTL
Surely in the Louima case they held the officers accountable. The trial also exposed the role of the Policemens Benevolent Association (PBA), which provides a key element of the so-called "Blue Wall of Silence" under which cops systematically lie about incidents of police abuse. The practice is very common; reported by the 1994 Mollen Commission which was formed to investigate a raging scandal over brutality and drug-trafficking by police, and officers themselves talk about "testilying" in court. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/mar2000/loui-m09.shtml
If the cops had tried to understand rather than be offensive, blend in rather than be hostile, maybe there would be no 42-shot killing of an unarmed Diallo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadou_Diallo_(shooting_victim)
It is hard to conceive of any action by Mr. Gilberd that could have warranted such a severe and intense mauling by the Ocean Beach Police Deparment cops under the supervision of Chief Ed Paradiso and Sergeant George Hesse. How can these types of people be allowed to have weapons?
They make real, honest cops look bad, they need to be punished, and be made to feel the same abject terror and helplessness the victim must have felt.
The story of alleged Ocean Beach police brutality by cops including the sergeant and other officers that almost killed a NYC businessman should be a wake up call to all those doubters out there. Police Brutality is real, and happens more frequently today than ever before. There are more cops every year, more laws, rules, more restrictions on individual liberty. All of this while crime continues to decrease.
This case is not important only on its own, but reflects the growing danger of a police state so often imagined in sci-fi novels. Individual Liberty is losing ground to equality and a perceived safety that the government will supposedly provide for us.
Should it truly be the government's right to decide that we must wear helmets when we ride motorcycles? Or be able to drink water on Ocean Beach?
Fear sells advertising. Watch the news. We are being constantly bombarded with fear in the media and believe that the government should be responsible and liable for everything. Can an elected person really run on a platform that includes decreasing the size of the police force?
Why should the government decide how I live my life, as long as I don't interfere with the liberties of others? It is now normal in our society, even encouraged, not to take responsibility for our own actions. If I fall down in a supermarket it is their fault, not mine. If I run out of gas and crash my plane it is the manufacturers fault, and if I stick my foot under a lawnmower while its running - they should have told me not to do that. Thanks, Nader - one person who had the single most contribution to one of the biggest industries of all, trial law. Its not my fault. Pay me.
In the great majority of police departments in cities across America, thankfully, police do their civil duties, are good people, and ensure we live by the rule of law with courtesy and respect.
The nightmare scenario of the Ocean Beach Police Brutality case is of a fascist police state dominated by thugs and killers with guns who are trained to shoot first. We as civilians are being forced to live our lives according to the signs, and had better not step out of line. This alleged Ocean Beach Police Department brutality case is about something most of us have forgotten or take for granted. The Ocean Beach Police Department brutality case is about Freedom.
Did the large and allegedly sober police officers including the sergeant and other officers REALLY need to send a 150 pound kid to the hospital for 10 days? If cops are allowed to wear guns then they should be held to higher standards. If he insulted them, can they be allowed to get away with beating him almost to death? Surely he didn't physically threaten them. Just because they have no education is certainly no excuse.
Of course, one probably isn't PROMOTED to that Ocean Beach Police Department post.
The people in charge of overseeing police are voted in. And, depending on the political climate, it may not look good to investigate cops. How often do police get arrested or go to jail?
San Francisco, as an example has debated for decades how to hold bad officers accountable, and time and again, voters have made it clear that they wanted the Police Department and politicians to do just that. Voters established the civilian oversight agency known as the Office of Citizen Complaints. They voted to increase the agency's budget. They voted to make the Police Commission more independent of the mayor.
Despite all these efforts, the city still rarely holds errant police officers accountable for their actions.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgifile=/c/a/2006/02/08/MNUFDISCIPLINE.DTL
Surely in the Louima case they held the officers accountable. The trial also exposed the role of the Policemens Benevolent Association (PBA), which provides a key element of the so-called "Blue Wall of Silence" under which cops systematically lie about incidents of police abuse. The practice is very common; reported by the 1994 Mollen Commission which was formed to investigate a raging scandal over brutality and drug-trafficking by police, and officers themselves talk about "testilying" in court. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/mar2000/loui-m09.shtml
If the cops had tried to understand rather than be offensive, blend in rather than be hostile, maybe there would be no 42-shot killing of an unarmed Diallo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadou_Diallo_(shooting_victim)
It is hard to conceive of any action by Mr. Gilberd that could have warranted such a severe and intense mauling by the Ocean Beach Police Deparment cops under the supervision of Chief Ed Paradiso and Sergeant George Hesse. How can these types of people be allowed to have weapons?
They make real, honest cops look bad, they need to be punished, and be made to feel the same abject terror and helplessness the victim must have felt.
posted by Police Abuse Victim at 3/04/2006 04:22:00 AM
2 Comments:
Why did they do that? I will read up on this. Meanwhile check out my situation as former Civil Rights attorney dealing with abuse and cover up, assisted by the local NAACP, of abuse in Jaffrey, NH involving 3 drawn guns and a body cavity search....for loitering. Which the guy beat pro se.
Click to enlarge Summary:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d44/blackenroe/Picture076.jpg
Today's blawg post:
http://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2006/03/judges-dont-know-what-to-do-with-king.html
Sorry, the summary may be found here:
http://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2006/02/naacp-image-awards-are-nice-but.html
And I am a former Assistant Attorney General of Ohio, who has represented and sued police, so I know they have a tough job. But wrong is wrong.
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