This video is the focus of an investigation into the beating of a San Jose State student Phoung Ho by officers. Police reportedly had difficulty communicating with Ho and the encounter with the math major ended in beating Ho with batons and using a taser on him.
The video is grainy because it was taken with a cell phone, but it raises some troubling questions. One officer hits 20-year-old Phuong Ho with a metal baton more than 10 times, including once on the head.
What makes the matter worse is the impression that most, if not all, of these blows occurred after Ho was cuffed.
Police say that Ho, who is from Vietnam, did not obey an order to stand still and officers did not seem to understand what he was saying due to his accent.
The police were called after Ho reacted to his roommate Jeffrey Suftin allegedly putting soap on his steak. He reportedly picked up a steak knife and said that, in Vietnam, he would have killed Suftin for the act.
Police arrested Ho when he tried to follow them into his apartment. Ho said that his glasses fell off and, when he tried to pick them up, the officers attacked.
This video seems to offer a good basis for possible criminal charges against the officers, particularly for the final couple of blows. It is also an excellent basis for a tort action of assault and battery.
For the full story, click here.
Police today feel so victimized that they express their frustration by victimizing those they are sworn to protect. Why do they feel victimized? They do because they are an insular group, with an us vs. them (the citizenry)attitude promoted by their chain of command and by their training. Despite that many LEO’s perform their jobs with intelligence and compassion. For too many though, like these officers, it is all about not allowing perceived challenges to their authority and/or disrespect. These
challenges engender rage and retribution that dehumanizes their victims as well as themselves.
Well, well and California is known for all of it “Good” treatment of persons with Asian heritage. Yick Wo come to mine.
This case is a Rodney King moment in history. Hand cuffed none the less and they beat him surely you jest. Words are lost in what I think should happen to this gestapo……
OFF TOPIC:
Dearest Regulars,
Over the last week, I have been remiss in handling my e-mail and posts as I have been ill and in hospital with a kidney infection. I apologize for the tardiness in replies, but for the last week let’s just say I have a doctor’s note and enough drugs in my systems to get a Rhino stoned.
Over the next week, I’ll be catching up as I can and hope to be up to full speed in a week to 10 days. As of now, I am still a bit loopy from some of the meds and very tired. Sitting upright for long periods is still an effort. I have been following the blog as consciousness allows, so there a couple of things I’d like to throw out there about the recent Kansas stories, but they can wait until I’m off the Oxy (nasty, NASTY crap – perfect for Limbaugh though, I cannot wait to be off of them).
Mike S, CCD and Bob I owe especial apologies too as I seemed vanished amid out of camera conversations without so much as a by your leave.
Again, sincerest apologies and I look forward to rejoining the fray at full strength as soon as I am able.
Yours most truly,
Buddha
“vanished amid [our out of] camera conversations”
I really really hate Oxy. Meh!
Just the sight of that familiar green avatar brings a smile to me and no doubt many others. Heal up BIL you’ve been sorely missed. Order those microbes to either get back into balance or leave the scene.
Criminal probe? The official report will be the cops acted “appropriately under the circumstances”. Maybe if there is enough public outcry there will be one or two token short term suspensions (with pay of course) just for show. America lives in an expanding police state, has been for quite some time. The government and most of the sadistic masses like it this way. Just look at the horrible stuff you can see on “Cops” and whatnot, and that’s the things they SHOW you for ENTERTAINMENT, just image the abuses they edit out or don’t do because the cameras are rolling.
If you read the whole story one of Ho’s roommates put soap in his food and laughed about it. When Ho got angry and didn’t allow himself to be bullied so easily another roommate called the police with the lie disguised as an hysterical overreaction claiming Ho was making a threat: the as+hole roommates just wanted the cops to do their dirty work for them. The cops, being the half witted sadistic brutes they are who overreact violently to the most mundane situations, were only happy to oblige and be used to settle the personal vindictive vendettas of the as+hole roommates. If Americans insist their police must be monstrous brutes who dole out savage (sometimes fatal) punishment to whoever is today’s witch, maybe they should use these henchmen more judicially. For example, in this case it seems at least two of the as+hole roommates could have used a couple of baton whacks and tasering. Maybe, just maybe it would have taught them a little civility. As for civility with the cops? That’s out of the question in a Police State.
Do You Know the Way to L.A.? San Jose Shows How to Turn an Urban Area into Los Angeles in Three Stressful Decades
Now that takes talent.
Link: http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=8738
Should it not be say a little prayer for you? But alas here we go:
Buddha:
Good to see that you’re back.
Buddha:
hope you feel better.
“Now we see the violence inherent in the system, now we see the violence inherent in the system….Help help I’m being repressed..!”
Eric Idle: The Holy Grail..
Really, could not make anything out from this video, it could have been four black cats fighting in a darkened coal cellar for all that I could see.
Maybe more can be seen if the picture is blown up to larger size or if the brightness is increased for the action in the door way but as is this U Tube clip is useless to prove anything.
Buddah.
Oh man of the giant green avatar, get better soon.
maybe we should fire all police and start over.,.
Buddha Is Laughing!
Yea!!!
So good to see your great greenness, you “have been sorely missed.”
Best wishes for your speedy recovery BIL!
Insecure babies with adult bodies and a shark’s brain. They should be charged with battery or attempted murder. Instead, they will receive:
Paid leaves, followed by reinstatement and a hero’s welcome back.
Their activities are, as usual, abundantly expressed. I hope the FBI is beginning to see this is a national-not local-problem. Come on, Top Law Enforcement Agency, calm the fascists down while we get some legislation passed.
These baton wielding cowards need to be sent to the front line in Afghanistan and left there.