Corporal James Angelo Palermo, 40, of the San Marcos, Texas police department is under arrest today after his department reviewed an arrest of a predestrian who was allegedly roughed up by Palermo in a false arrest. The woman lost two teeth and suffered a concussion. Palermo is now charged with aggravated assault by a public servant.
Palermo had stopped a car at midnight and the woman walked by on the sidewalk. Palermo reportedly stopped her and asked if she was walking by his traffic stop — a curious question since you are allowed to walk by a traffic stop. Palermo however thought otherwise. He demanded her identification. She says that she told him that she had done nothing wrong and that he slammed her against the car and then on the concrete.
The woman may require surgery. Presumably there is a lawsuit in the making. The department will clearly argue that this was a rogue officer who was promptly charged. However, he was still acting under color of law and as an employee of the department.
Palermo has been with the department since 2000 and remains on paid administrative leave despite the charges.
Source: WTSP
Kudos: Michael Blott
Do you know how badly a cop has to treat someone to get arrested? Getting fired is hard enough, but to be arrested for his actions? Wow. Good thing they got this cop off the streets before he could brutalize more people.
I agree with the observations of the officer J.H. cites in his post above. I have been in the business of screening new hires for four decades. I have consulted with a number of departments across multiple states. I have seen it play out many times. The rookie starts out idealistically, and ends up burned out and cynical.
If it happens too often, we can assume a crisis of management in that department.
Reblogged this on ExCop-LawStudent and commented:
Another case of an officer making stuff up as he goes along.
I don’t even know how to address this from a police officer’s perspective. Walking by a traffic stop is a violation? In what universe?
J.H., Thanks for your real world perspective and honesty. Your jerk mayor is in a heap of shit! My wife had him pegged as lecherous the first time she saw him. Women can pick that type out of a crowd.
itchinbay, Corleone was actually the name of the town where Vito emigrated. The family name was Andolini, and the Ellis Island bureaucrats got it backwards.
Send him back to Palermo. When grandpa came to Ellis Island the custom and immigration guy switched his real name to his home town name. Thought they were doing him a favor because Corleone was not appreciated over here.
“It comes down to this: real cops, those with a conscience, those who honor the law, must step up and take control of the cop culture.”
Yep.
The following is excerpts from an interview of a retired San Diego police officer speaking out on the causes of police brutality.
During my rookie days back in the sixties as a San Diego police officer I used excessive force, more than once. I remember most of the incidents, though I’m sure I’ve conveniently forgotten some. I’m ashamed, wish to hell I hadn’t done it. But I did, and visceral memories of these incidents help shape an answer to the question of why certain cops engage in brutal behavior, and others don’t.
Apart from the question of why in the world they’d do it with today’s omnipresent cameras rolling, why do certain cops resort to excessive force? Why did I abuse the very people I’d been hired to serve?
Not to get too psychological, I did it because the power of my position went straight to my head; because other cops I’d come to admire did it; and because I thought I could get away with it. Which I did–until a principled prosecutor slapped me upside the head and demanded to know whether the U.S. Constitution meant anything to me.
So, how do we prevent this kind of behavior in the future?
Please don’t say through (1) more thorough screening of law enforcement candidates, or (2) better training. They’re both important, of course. Critical, in fact. But law enforcement, for the most part, doesn’t pick bad apples. It makes them, and not through academy training.
Forty-three years ago I was an idealistic, vaguely liberal 21-year-old when the San Diego Police Department hired me. The last thing on my mind was taking to the streets to punish people. And lest there be any doubt about the department’s policy. The police academy, even then, drove it home: excessive force was grounds for termination.
It comes down to this: real cops, those with a conscience, those who honor the law, must step up and take control of the cop culture.
Here attorney in the upcoming civil action better be able to pick up a slab of concrete to show the jury ala Zimmerman’s barrister.
He’s got nowhere to go but up in Texas…I’m sure this guy will be a judge soon………Or maybe congress.
San Marcos…. Home of the university LBJ went to…. Didn’t say he graduated….. But, it’s a college town……nth is cop needs to go….
Dredd, usually paid administrative leave is required as merit system public employees have a due process right to review and respond to charges before being deprived of their income. The issue will be whether the matters moves along the disciplinary track in a reasonable time, and what actions were taken in connection with prior similar allegations.
Steroids are highly plausible. I’ve seen up close what they can do to people. It isn’t pretty. I had a good friend – had been since high school – who was demoted to acquaintance because of his steroid use.
I agree with Darren. A zebra does not change its stripes. Based on the description of the incident, I have to wonder about steroids.
Paid administrative leave is standard operating procedure for civil service employees who get into trouble. As soon as Internal Affairs finishes its investigation and issues a report and recommendations, he will be canned, but they must follow civil service rules. I have a feeling the IA investigation will not take long.
He’s done.
It is most likely there will be other incidents with this officer if he is like other officers who commit these types of assaults. If this is the case with Palermo his department is not going to be able to protect itself by claiming he was a rogue officer due to the negative retention issue they will face.
A definite abuse of power, cannot handle the job.
Is it time to have mandatory drug testing following bizarre behavior? Don’t discount steroid rage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf15HrUZ5Wk
I wonder which way I gotta go to get on outta here . . .
That WTSP link goes to the wrong location at the moment.
“Paid administrative leave” will help in the civil lawsuit won’t it?
I mean, it will help the plaintiff to argue that they kept paying him which means they have not really cut him loose.