Not quite dancing at national landmaks.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

On june 7th, 2011 Miami police were videotaped surrounding the car of a known suspect. The vehicle had come to a complete stop and it seemed the suspect was prepared to give himself up, when multiple police fired numerous gunshots into the vehicle in what appears to be a blatant attempt to commit murder.

22 year old, Raymond Herisse the driver of the vehicle was shot and killed. 4 bystanders and 3 officers were also shot and injured by gunfire.

Raw video of the incident:

Miami police then confiscated video they could find of the incident pointing loaded weapons at witnesses to the crime scene(youtube clip) to compel them to relinquish phones and cameras which had recorded the incident. Alegedly, the phones and cameras were then stomped on and crushed in an attempt to destroy them and whatever footage they might contain.

Witnesses who phoned the police department to report what they had seen allege that they were hung up on or ignored.

Link to story

(I'm hoping no one will recite apologist remarks on this in a "we shouldn't criticize how our government overlords bosses choose to handle criminal matters" vein. Although considering some of the things I've read here -- it wouldn't surprise me.)

Opinion: it seems as if everyday government, tax funded, services which in theory exist only to serve the public good become more oppressive, exploitive and corrupt. Far from being an isolated incident, it would seem this is merely the latest in a recent series of blatantly criminal practices initiated by those tasked with protecting the peace.

I don't know that people in communities like this one are particularly aware of current events given the general low quality and lack of relevent news posted here. It seems popular to substitute a sense of 'American entitlement' as a legitimate means of defending ourselves from potential attacks upon our freedoms and liberties. And to trust within the faith based belief that injust and corrupt practices only happen in other countries in a our-shit-don't-stint frame of mind.

In reality, I think we are human and prone to the same realities, injustices and tendencies to be exploited as others of our species. Jefferson was right when he said: "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance". And, neglect of individual responsibility and blind faith in a government or some assumed standard of american imperialism to protect us from such things is by no means a reliable standard.

Cue peanut gallery~

Comments

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, I didn't catch your point...?

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

A nice and scenic change from posting typical news stories which run contrary to the concept of american police being corrupt.

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

In before "post an opinion or this will be deleted."

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

I think most of the active mods live in europe and may be out binge drinking on happy friday. Thanks for the reminder, though. If you hadn't reminded me I might have went away for a few hours and come back to see my post deleted!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Cue peanut gallery~

Hey everyone, you're all idiots!

HaHa!

Have fun trying to spin this!

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

Idiots ≠ peanut gallery.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

I'm sure the police will thoroughly investigate themselves and then release a report exonerating the (unnamed) officers.

Move along citizen!

[paedraggaidin.livejournal.com]

Or it actually goes to trial and the jury acquits them anyway because we all know all Police Officers = Pure and Righteous Defenders of Rich White People Freedom Who By Definition Cannot Be Guilty of Wrongdoing.

Either that or the little punk(s) had it coming. Whatever.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

THIS!

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

The reality is if all this proves true, this is a heck of a lot more serious than a bunch of attention-seeking LWNJ's faking arrest injuries and disturbing the peace.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

Sweet baby jeebus, you and I agree on something.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

Offhand, I could easily name 3-5 recent incidents which are close to being worse than this one.

I think the outcome is guaranteed to be bad.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

I mean, the correlation you're making here between tax-funded government services and police brutality does not = causation.

And pointing that out does not mean you support police brutality.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

1. Idaho man suffers burns inside his anus from police taser (http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/idaho-man-suffers-burns-inside-anus-from-police-taser/blog-118365/).
2. Off duty police officer guns down marine in nightclub without provocation (http://www.wbaltv.com/news/23810790/detail.html)
3. SWAT Team "accidentally" shoots ex-marine 71 times in his own home carrying out a drug raid(which found no drugs). They left the man to die and denied him medical care for over an hour. (http://newstaco.com/2011/05/24/cops-shoot-latino-marine-71-times-deny-him-care-in-arizona/).
4. Police taser and brutalize 57 year old disabled woman who called 911 to report a burglar (http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/134640.html)
5. Man cuffed lying facedown in front of police shot in the back & killed (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/4149902/Family-of-man-shot-in-back-by-police-sue-for-25m.html)

Tax funded government services not equal to causation? What is the cause?

Assuming sinister motives where you have only speculation is lazy at best.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

The driver or a passenger could have had a weapon and aimed it at the officers, so that explains the shooting. 911 operators get bullshit calls all the time, so there's that. The rest, well, panic, over reaction, whatever. Perhaps they assumed a wider threat than just the original suspect. Heard of this new 'gangs' thing?

Or they could be completely corrupt. We don't know.

Call us when the whole story is out.

Re: Assuming sinister motives where you have only speculation is lazy at best.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

[existentme.livejournal.com]

From the linked story, "it was unclear whether the suspect shot at the officers, but police later recovered a gun from his car."

I wonder if there is a betting line somewhere on what the odds are of that weapon having a traceable history. (That's in the "just saying" department, obviously.)

I also wonder what the law is - although I do recognize that "what the law is" becomes less and less relevant - on the videotaping of such incidents. I know it's probably different in DC or anywhere revered federal officials are to be found, so maybe Florida lawmakers will get hot on this.

Perhaps, they can just borrow language from another piece of legislation already in the works (http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/1246/BillText/Filed/HTML) down there to make it a first degree felony (that's the one that comes with 30 years in the slam) to record farm scenery (http://salon.com/a/sKS0fAA).

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

The law is very clear on it being legal to video tape police. The topic has come up recently (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2008566,00.html) and the ruling has been the same.

There was even two separate cases where people flipped off police and were arrested. They later filed a lawsuit and one was awarded $5,000 (http://www.topix.com/forum/city/overland-park-ks/TM0OTML7I5FBML9BP), I think the other was awarded around $30,000.

[udoswald.livejournal.com]

This is a sad story, and cops in America are far from perfect, but American police by and large are far less corrupt than some countries I could mention.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

Our police record mirrors our healthcare rating.

[raichu100.livejournal.com]

Very sad story.

The point at which this becomes a nationwide issue is when these police aren't thoroughly investigated and dealt with appropriately. Because there will always be imperfect people doing bad things, even in the police - I'd be more concerned to see the entire system being corrupt than one small cell of corruption that can be dealt with.

Or maybe it was all a misunderstanding. Unlikely, given the police stomping on cell phones and shit, but possible. (Also, why is it illegal anywhere to videotape police? That's bullshit right there - and a move in the direction of corruption.)

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

Its not illegal to videotape or even flip off police.

Police intimidate some into thinking otherwise.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

Actually, fizzyland corrected me on this. Apparently, videotaping police is illegal in 3 states.