Two off-duty NYPD Officers Michelle Anglin, 37, and Koleen Robinson, 24, were charged with assault, gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon for a road rage incident that resulted in the beating of driver Marion Smith. The incident began in true New York tradition with two driver’s screaming profanities at each other — but the police officers proceeded to pistol-whip Smith for his insults. They then allegedly fled the scene.
The incident began when Smith, 35, had pulled up alongside Robinson’s black Suburban. Smith’s driver’s side car door was wide open and one of the officers yelled “Close the door, you f—— a——!” when it came close to scraping Robinson’s SUV. Smith responded in the customary New York fashion, yelling “You are a f—— b—-!” That is when it went from bad to worse.
Robinson and Anglin jumped out as Smith tried to close his doors. Anglin hit him with pepper spray. When he tried to grab her or the pepper spray, Robinson hit him. A witness tried to break up the fight, but Smith screamed, “Do you know who you are f—— with? We are the police!” Not for long it seems.
They ended up tumbling to the ground where Robinson beat him in the head with her baton. When Smith grabbed the baton, Anglin pistol-whipped him and Smith said that one of the women then pointed a gun in his face. He required 25 staples to close the gash in his head.
Smith sounds like no gem himself, but these officers are not likely to survive this trial with their badges or their liberty. The problem is that they were allegedly the aggressors and quickly escalated the violence. Moreover, pistol-whipping violates a host of regulations for a police department — even when force is justified. They could have just as easily shot a bystander by mistake in such a move. The question is whether Smith will sue civilly in tort, which seems likely.
Another case of two out-of-control cops using their badges to justify beatings on citizens. I think they need to be kicked off the force and maybe do some jail time for assault as well. Whether Mr. Smith was an “angel” or not is irrelevant. Police officers, even those who are off duty, should know enough to exercise better judgment in the street and not use brute force simply because a motorist verbally insulted them. And didn’t one of the officers use the F.A. comment FIRST?
Susan,
Culturally, we have given permission to police to believe that they somehow are more equal than the average citizen. After 9/11 “First Responders” have been lionized by the media, pundits and politicians.
That is I think, one of the reasons for a growing sense of police entitlement, with the Cop TV Shows providing backup propaganda and stereotyped criminals. It is true, as you no doubt know, that historically the US has allowed police to have the privilege of abusing the population based on ethnicity, class and status.
In NYC, part of the anger of the police is that they see the disconnect between how they are personally treated in their careers (pay, working conditions and environment) and their receipt of political economiums from the establishment. This causes them to be bitter, form the Blue Wall of Silence and personally feel the entitlement of an alienated brotherhood. Given also schedules that mitigate against personal relationships, beyond their co-workers, it all works to make them feel apart from the citizens they serve.
Given this, while I will always take the side of civil liberties and social equality, I feel personal sympathy for the police because they are as much victims as victimizers.
They’ll get off. Out-of-control-cops, out-of-control-soldiers and especially Blackwater thugs are immune to prosecution in George Bush’s super testosteroned, action-movie glutted, militaristic America.