The video below is now the basis for an investigation into a raid by Long Beach California officers of the THC marijuana dispensary. The officer accused the dispensary of operating without a permit. However, one officer first steps on an employee and then other officers target the security video system and destroy the cameras before tearing the place apart.
More than a dozen Long Beach Police officers raided the store and show officers forcing one employee on the ground. Officers then proceed to step on him. The volunteer employee Dorian Brooks was entirely cooperative at the scene before being stepped on.
THe officers then notice the security cameras and proceeded to destroy them with a metal bar. The after-raid video shows extensive damage to the store. The dispensary lacked a city permit, but was operating in compliance with state law. Five people were arrested.
On its face, the stepping on the suspect is an obvious violation. There was obviously room to step over the employee and the officers did not appear to be in the course of pursing another suspect or dealing with some exigent circumstance. The destruction of the cameras raises another troubling question. We have been following the series of arrests by citizens who film officers despite court rulings stating that such filming is entirely lawful. (For prior column, click here). This video shows the instinctive hostility of officers to being filmed. There is no operational reason to destroy the video system.
The Obama Administration has been cracking down on medical marijuana establishments and pressuring states to do the same with marijuana dispensaries. Once again, if the camera did not capture the first few minutes, the account of the employee and the store would likely have been dismissed as a complaint. It would have been left as a matter of the word of the officers against this employee.
The matter is under investigation by the Long Beach police department.
Source: NBC
Powerful and powerdrunk types usually don’t abuse people who have any power; thus, the victims are generally chosen among those the abusers expect will not be able to get redress. Usually it works out just fine — for the “educated guesser/abusers.”
Note that the man they step on and abuse was a VOLUNTEER.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/1M-Claim-Filed-in-Long-Beach-Pot-Shop-Raid-161502325.html
Well, well, well, this may cost them a million bucks:
Lawyers for a medical marijuana dispensary worker wounded in a police raid at a Long Beach shop filed a claim on Thursday seeking $1 million in damages from the city of Long Beach.
The claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, alleges that a police raid of a pot shop June 19 was illegal and that the officers involved used excessive force.
“In terms of the excessive force claim, we will investigate that aspect of it,” said Long Beach City Attorney Robert E. Shannon.
Shannon said that the Long Beach Police Department is also mulling whether to open a criminal investigation into the activities of the medical marijuana dispensary and police are considering an internal investigation into the officers’ conduct during the raid, Shannon said.
The claim, filed Thursday with the Long Beach City Clerk’s office, alleges officers injured a volunteer employee, violated his civil rights, and violated the state’s disabled persons act.
It also alleges officers “engaged in conduct that violated various provisions of the state and federal constitutions,” the claim alleges.
The claim stems from a YouTube video that shows officers smashing surveillance cameras and stepping on a suspect at THC Downtown Collective in the 300 block of Atlantic Boulevard. The video was posted by user “Long Beach Raids” on July 1. Officials said they learned about the video on July 3.
An advocate for medical marijuana dispensary owners and workers criticized the officers’ conduct.
“That behavior is so blatant it cannot be the first time,” said Steven Downing, a retired Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief and current board member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.”It was arrogant. It was unnecessary and it was brutal.”
The claim seeks damages in excess $1 million for medical treatment and mental counseling.
The world is more unstable than it was for a while; turn on the news or read it and watch the streets fill up with uniformed men (few women): the police, the army, the militias… men in boots to quell the unrests set off by the tiny fraction of a percent that is squeezing the common people till they burst. Pay a man to put a uniform on, some black boots, a helmet and some weapons and let him loose on the crowd. This is a simple way for the bosses to keep the unruly crowds, small and large, at bay, scared, and confused.
SAD TO SAY THESE ANIMALS WILL ESCAPE ON DISABILITY PENSIONS AND LAUGH AT US TAXPAYERS.
1- Take the damages out of their pensions times a factor of 3.
2- Suspend them until trial
3- if convicted, fired and jail time
End of problem
cops smashing up stores looks like the mob of the twentys tv shows
this is not how civil people do things this looks like zionism unition nation thug jack boot criminals.
Terrifying….
how do this cops live with themselves? Are they not capable of thinking for themselves? Im usually a passive person, but I wouldnt be against opening fire on them if they tried to keep on doing shit like this.
Protect and defend my arse. These cops were acting like thugs. I hope the hold them accountable.
People wake up it not a war on drugs it’s always been a war on “certain” people. Pot=Hippies and BLACKS! OMG! Longhair, ROCK MUSIC, LSD! Anti -WAR=Anti America! Their are anti “god” and country! Communes=Communism! Many Americans hate hippies! They are dirty lazy commies un-American to the bone hippies! Cartman from TV south park hates them too. The point here the producers of that show are quite aware of this real bias of many Americans. Its a unprotected status to be a pot smoker because if you are you are a Hippie and all the things Hippie represents… listed above!
People we all know this personality type these cops are. I do, growing up in the early 70’s San Francisco Area I was almost beat to death by a cowboy in Lake Tahoe because I had long hair at that time. Some reading this would approve of the adult cowboy’s actions on 16yo me! My hair=my politics. He (cowboy) just needed to look at me and he hated me.
Its not just cops that are supported in actions like these. Way too many including the people running the city county state and Fed are cowboys and know the cops and others act like this and they quietly approve.
Nothing will come of this.. This story just like all the others will just go away. If people did not support these actions they would not happen! if the people doing them liked the people they think smoke pot it would not happen either.
Is it just me, or am I seeing a definite trend in the emergence of rogue cops nationwide? As the NWO comes to fruition, total control will require the military and law enforcement to control by brute force. This means no mercy, bullying, incarceration of many innocents, unnecessary and unusual physical handling of suspects not engaging in resistance. We are already seeing knees in throats, slammed to the pavement, arms twisted in abnormal positions, multiple cops on one individual punching and gouging, when absolutely not necessary, thinking they are hidden away from the camera’s view. Lord help us when we can no longer film the culprits and bring them to justice, all bets will be off. There is nothing more despicable than a lard butt, bulling, rogue, power hungry cop. The same mentality that took lunch money from kids back in school. The goal being to instill the maximum amount of fear in the populace as possible, fear rules. How can we instruct our children to turn to police if they are in danger when the police are tasering and beating kids? There is a definite parallel in the direction all military and law enforcement agencies are going today and the build up of the Third Reich with their Brown Shirts and SS Troops during the early thirties. This may be the initial formation of Obama’s “civilian Army, just as strong and just a well equipped, just as well funded, as our military for internal enforcement. If it happens once it’s an accident; if it happens twice it’s a coincidence; if it happens again it’s a plan. Do he markings on the police cars in your city still say; “To Protect And To Serve?” I do not see that motto too much anymore, maybe this is a clue of things to come.
Yes, there are many good dedicated cops and we surely need them, however, given that, we still have to open our eyes to the fact that something evil this way comes. In the final analysis what happens to the public begins back in the offices of management. You know they have to know what goes on in their watch.
These cops need to be hunted down and beat to a bloody pulp.
thugs
I’m amazed that no one has fragged Long Beach cops involved with the murder of Douglas Zerby and others?? Have Americans become a bunch of sniveling cowards? Stand up guys like Ron Thomas file lawsuits and at least attempt to obtain justice via legal channels…and, if such fail I’m certain a couple of combat vets would jump at the opportunity to appropriately visit rogue cops and rectify matters.
This crap would stop overnight with one straightforward change….
Pay all abuse judgements and settlements out of the cop’s pension fund.
Francis, good idea
Kane, vigilante justice is baaaad.
Time to publish the names and home addresses of the “lawbreakers”.
I’m sure someone will pay them a visit…one at a time.
Maybe it’s time to resurrect a version of the KKK?
Time for a Title 42 USC 1983 lawsuit and then a Title 18 USC 241-242 lawsuit. Big money and jail time for the perps.