Cops Who Screw Up - Videos

Cops who screw up! One would think there would be so many possible videos on that subject that you could almost post non-stop forever. But this post is going to stick to cops driving their squad car improperly to the point where they end up in very hot water.

Our first vid is about a police car chase that goes wrong, as far too many of them do, it seems. The cop in this first video actually goes through...well, maybe you should just watch it:



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If you think a police officer driving his squad car through the brick wall right into a building is bad, this next video isn't any better. This cop runs into a man in a wheelchair while driving his squad car. Watch:



In grammar school in basic first aid class I was taught: do not move someone injured in an accident. The man in the wheelchair could have further injuries to his spinal cord and not know it. So what does John Law do? He picks the man up and returns him to his chair. John Law flunks Rescue 101.

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Sarah Palin Condemns the Associated Press

Sarah Palin posted the following note on her Facebook page (1) on Sunday, 9/6/2009 at 11:25 PM

Shame on the Associated Press for Ignoring the Wishes of a Grieving Family

Many of us join Secretary Gates in condemning the Associated Press for its heartless and selfish decision to turn its back on the wishes of a grieving family in order to exploit the tragic death of a true American hero.

Lance Corporal Joshua 'Bernie' Bernard was a selfless young American who sacrificed everything for our freedom.

Shame on the AP for purposely adding to the grieving family's pain. Ignoring the family's wishes by publishing a sacred image of their loved one proved a despicable and heartless act by the AP. The family said they didn't want the photo published. AP, you did it anyway, and you know it was an evil thing to do.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bernard family. Words can not adequately express our sorrow and appreciation for your sacrifice. We will never forget your Marine or his fallen comrades.

May God bless the Bernard family.

-Sarah Palin

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Less than 24 hours after posting this Sarah had received nearly 2,800 comments and had also received over 13,000 Facebook members who indicated they agreed with her.

The photo in question is part of a photo gallery on the AP site about the fire fight that resulted in Corporal Bernard's death and can be found here (2). The AP also released an article (3) explaining why they distributed the photo and how anguished they were in deciding whether to use it.

There has been considerable discussion, both pro and con,(4) of AP's decision to use the photo. In all fairness to the AP, in most other wars such photos were commonly used by the media.

In fairness to Sarah Palin and her viewpoint, both Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the parents of the Marine requested that the AP not use the photo.

Palin calls the AP's action "despicable and heartless" and "evil." If one reads the AP's explanation of why they distributed the photo, it is difficult to reach Sarah's conclusion, especially since use of such photos is common throughout much of the world.

But it is also quite likely that Palin is trying to make political hay from her condemnation of the Associated Press. Sounds like she is running for something.

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Citations:

(1) Shame on the Associated Press for Ignoring the Wishes of a Grieving Family, http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=129417598434#/note.php?note_id=129417598434&id=24718773587&ref=mf, Facebook - Sarah Palin, Retrieved 9/7/2009

(2) Death of a Marine: A Photographer's Journal, http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_international/afghan_marine/, Associated Press, Retrieved 9/7/2009

(3) AP and the Death of a Marine, http://www.ap.org/fallen_marine/, Associated Press, Retrieved 9/7/2009

(4) AP picture of wounded Marine sparks debate, http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AFGHAN_DEATH_AP_PHOTO?SITE=TNMEM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT, Associated Press, Retrieved 9/7/2009

Minneapolis Cops Again Caught Beating Suspect - Video

Minneapolis police are once again caught on film viciously beating a suspect, who in this case had already surrendered. Nicolas Kastner is the passenger in the getaway vehicle the police are chasing in the below video. When that car stops and the driver, Brian McCarthy, of the vehicle flees the scene, Kastner does not flee. Instead he lies on the pavement with his arms spread indicating that he is surrendering.

Instead of simply arresting him, however, the two officers beat him severely, kick him several times and tase him at least twice.

The following video is a news report of the incident:



Officer Sherry Appledorn, who has been a Minneapolis police officer for 16 years, is seen in the video standing over Kastner and then is seen stomping on his back with her foot. She stomps on him four times, then she proceeds to kick him nine times.

The police state that Appledorn believes at this point that her partner may have been killed from action that took place prior to what is shown in the video, although they do not say if Kastner is a suspect in that regard. Appledorn's partner, however, is perfectly fine.

Officer Joe Will, who is also a long time veteran of the Minneapolis police with 14 years on the job, next sits on Kastner, after which Appledorn begins kicking him once again.

At this point Appledorn uses her taser on Kastner, tasing him twice.

In a video statement three days after the incident Appledorn states, "The passenger failed to get on the ground. I grabbed him and threw him on the ground face first. [He] started crawling under the squad in an attempt to get away. The suspect refused to place his arms behind his back."

The video clearly shows that Appledorn's statement is a blatant falsehood. Officers Appledorn and Will were not charged in the incident and both are on active duty on the Minneapolis police force at this time.

Kastner's attorney states that he and Kastner have filed a federal lawsuit alleging police brutality, excessive force, and a cover-up - especially by Appledorn.

Minneapolis police chief Tim Dolan said that his department has referred this case to the St. Paul City Attorney for possible prosecution. St. Paul is directly across the Mississippi River from Minneapolis.

This is the second time in less than a month that Minneapolis police officers have been involved in a beating incident that was caught on tape. (1)

The Minneapolis Police department is also suffering criticism because seven of its officers were recently named for being under federal investigation for possible illegal activities while they were members of the multi-jurisdictional Metro Gang Strike Force.

The second video is the raw video of the incident:



The Strike Force was disbanded because of scores of criminal activities by members of the force, (2) including confiscation of cash and property from illegal immigrants and suspected drug dealers. Very little of the confiscated property was ever turned in, but instead became the personal property of the confiscating officers.

Confiscated property included cars, cash, jet skis, TVs, furniture, jewelry, computers, electronic equipment, among other items.

One Minneapolis police officer who is under federal investigation as part of the Metro Gang Strike Force has quit his job amid charges that he used confiscated electronics (3) to stalk his ex-girlfriend.

Plus a Minneapolis Police sergeant who is a former member of the strike force is suing the city of Minneapolis, claiming he was reassigned after trying to blow the whistle (4) on the Metro Gang Strike Force in 2007.

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Citations:
(1) Minneapolis Police Caught Beating, Kicking Suspect - Video, http://inthespotlite.blogspot.com/2009/08/minneapolis-police-caught-beating.html, In the Spotlite, Retrieved 9/06/2009.

(2) Investigator says gang strike force actions were 'criminal,' http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/08/20/strikeforce-report Minnesota Pubic Radio, Retrieved 9/06/2009.

(3) Minneapolis officer quits amid federal probe of Metro Gang Strike Force, http://www.twincities.com/ci_13227741, Pioneer Press, Retrieved 9/6/2009.

(4) Ex-Strike Force member sues Minneapolis, http://www.startribune.com/local/west/56349982.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUl, StarTribune, Retrieved 9/6/2009.

Walmart Patron Slaps Stranger's Toddler Daughter

Stone Mountain, Georgia, resident, Roger Stephens, allegedly slapped a stranger's two-year-old daughter Monday in a local Walmart for crying too much.

Stephens had been shopping at the Rockbridge Road Walmart in Stone Mountain, which is a suburb of Atlanta, when he apparently grew increasingly annoyed at the continual crying of a two-year-old girl in the store.

The child's mother, Sonya Mathews, told police that her daughter was crying as they walked down one of the aisles.

Just moments later, slightly before noon, Stephens approached the child and Mathews, both of whom he did not know, and allegedly said, "If you don't shut the baby up, I will shut her up for you."

Shortly afterward, Mathews and her daughter were in another aisle, and the girl was still crying. Stephens allegedly grabbed the girl and slapped her on the face. According to Police he hit the child four or five times.

Afterward he allegedly told Mathews, "See, I told you I would shut her up."

Another shopper stepped forward and held Stephens until store security arrived. The police report stated that, before police arrived on the scene, Stephens did apologize to Mathews for hitting her child.

The toddler suffered redness to her face but, otherwise, was uninjured. She was treated at the scene and left with her mother, who later told CBS Atlanta that she forgives Stephens, but she feels he may have mental issues.

Stephens was arrested and is being charged with felony first degree cruelty to children. He is being held without bond at the Gwinnett County Detention Center.

The following video is a report of the incident by CNN:



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