Davenport police are facing an outcry over the treatment of an alleged shoplifter, Brandie Redell, in custody after a videotape surfaced showing clear contradictions with what the officer stated in his report. The report states that Redell was the aggressor and the officer her victim despite serious injuries to Redell that required medical treatment. Officer Scott Crow hit Redell repeatedly because he says that the woman appeared to be “willing to fight.” It is not clear what that means but the video shows the woman seated when Crow hits her and throws her to the ground.
Crow says that Redell swore at him and “Brandies hands were clenched” and she “appeared willing to fight.” That is clearly not enough to justify such an assault. She is shown upset and agitated but sitting in the chair and crying. That is when Crow lunges at her.
Crow says that he used “two quick jabs to the side of her head”, another “closed fist strike to the side of her head to distract and disorientate” after she bit him. When that did not work, he says that he “directed her head into the back of the chair, “then decided to try some distraction strikes to the back of her head.”
Despite the contradictions found in the video and what he describes as excessive force, Davenport Police Chief Frank Donchez has refused to fire the officer. Instead, he respond “Let me ask you this, in every case of excessive force, should the officer be fired?” Many people would of course say yes, but that is not the answer Donchez is looking for. In the meantime, the County Attorney has declined to bring charges against the officer.
Donchez not only does not appear to view excessive force as a firing offense but what appears to be false statements written in a police report and during an investigation. He is quoted as saying “I’m not making excuses for the officer that deviates from policy. I’m a realist. It’s going to happen from time to time.” Well, I can see why it would happen from time to time given the response from Donchez.
Source: WQAD
Ahh, gotcha OS. I’m a bit slow this morning. Long night, first cuppa. 😀
Gene,
I doubt he could pass the psych screening. Been there, done that. My comment was predicated on whether, hypothetically, he could make it through the screening. One thing about being failed by an outside expert; it sticks. That is, if the state has a POST Commission. In our state, without a POST certification, an officer can’t work.
Seated woman, Leg crossed tiger. I saw this in a kung foo movie once.
The woman leaned forward, levitated above the desk, did two back flips and a 3/4 spin. then lashed out with a stuffed dragon toy from her child’s stroller. Obviously this leo must have seen the same movie.
…. What was his intent? his purpose?
The woman was 100% caught for shoplifting, it is only a process thereafter. Specifically in this situation she was seated, her child next to her, a desk and stroller between her and the leo. I saw zero physical threat to the officer. This guy has a problem, Davenport has a problem if he is allowed to continue as a leo. The chief too has a problem.
At the moment it seems the solution is denial, and continued employment of lousy abusive police officers.
She told CBS Chicago that the beating appeared to be triggered by a call she made to her boyfriend to ask him to pick the child up.
The boyfriend, James Gibson, is a community activist who has conducted race sensitivity training with police.
Redell said that when one of the officers heard his name, he told her “This is going to get ugly, real quick.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/video-shows-cops-beating-shoplifting-mom-article-1.1421102
More on Chief Donchez:
http://www.clubrunner.ca/Data/6000/1663/html/62312/NorScottarian061709.pdf
Police experience: 25 1/2 years with Bethlehem (Pa.) Police
Department, started as a patrol officer and retired in 2006 as
commissioner.
“Licensed attorney in Pennsylvania, where he earned his law degree from Temple University in 2001.”
Chief Donchez hails from Bethlehem, PA:
“When Donchez came on board as commissioner, the Bethlehem department was struggling and in the midst of a large federal lawsuit regarding alleged excessive use of force by officers, Callahan said.” -from the following link
http://qctimes.com/news/local/frank-donchez-jr-named-new-police-chief-in-davenport/article_7a14239c-e3c1-5bd8-af18-99f98be0999c.html
Chief Donchez hails from Bethlehem, PA.
January 30, 2008 12:00 am • Tory Brecht
Excerpt:
The lure of being a cop again, instead of a lawyer, proved enough incentive for Frank Donchez Jr. to leave his hometown after 48 years to be Davenport’s new top cop.
Donchez, the retired police commissioner of Bethlehem, Pa. — where he rose through the ranks from street patrol to the highest administrative office — will take over in Davenport in early March.
…
When Donchez came on board as commissioner, the Bethlehem department was struggling and in the midst of a large federal lawsuit regarding alleged excessive use of force by officers, Callahan said.
OS,
We agree on most things, however, not in this instance. Both need to go. Police abuse of citizens is one area where I think the usually misguided “zero tolerance” policy is appropriate. Neither one of these clowns should have a badge, ‘roid rage or not.
rafflaw Ahh I didn’t know this was a updated video. The first one I saw didn’t include the confession.
I stand corrected….
Common sense seems to be dead in places, but mostly at the top levels of authority, which is sad, and more than a lil annoying.
The root of all this abusive and thuggish behavior by our police is the combative, militarist culture that has taken hold in this country’s police forces. They’re being trained as combat forces in a “war” and thus act like it.
Combine this with the recruitment of the types who want to play soldier, and you’ve got a toxic stew. We have to change the culture. First step is to remove the main impetus for this culture: the drug war. Then we clearly have to replace the leadership with a new breed who wants to protect and serve. There are some good folks out there, but they’re being drowned out by this evil.
I would definitely like someone to investigate the mindset of this officer. We are often made aware of the fact that the police are horrified by some of the results of crime that they come upon. Seeing someone severely injured or perhaps murdered can definitely trigger a human reaction of disgust and anger. These feelings can impel an officer to strike out. However, even in that example the nature of an officers job is that they are not the ones to administer “justice”.
In this instance though was was the source of the officer’s anger and rage. “Felonious Shoplifting”? Deprivation of department store profit? The fear of interlopers from Illinois? Of course whatever impelled the officer to strike out was the result of his own internal rage/anxiety and this women just happened to be around to allow him to self regulate his stress. He should be fired. The Chief should also be fired because his reaction gives license to future incidents that might even be more disastrous. I hope the woman receives a substantial settlement from Davenport and in the process the City fathers realize that officers with anger management problems don’t belong on their police force. The cynic in me says so it goes.
Disgusting……. Did you notice the child hiding behind the end of the desk? Police officers all over this country need to be retrained if this is the kind of activity that is currently tolerated. That clown should be fired. Are they waiting until he ‘accidentally’ beats someone to death?
The Davenport Police Department has big problems. The CALEA accreditation of which Chief “I”m a Realist” Donchez is so proud might not be forthcoming this year.
CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) is a national accreditation process including an examination of all aspects of the Department’s policies, procedures, management, operations and support services. The Chief brags about receiving this accreditation on his web site.
There is a fine line between supporting one’s officers and aiding/abetting criminal behavior.
John,
The video shows the victim admitting to shoplifting and she pled guilty to the charge.
The officer should be facing criminal charges and the police department should be facing a civil suit. Disgusting. I guess the next time the police pull you over for an alleged crime in Davenport, just tell them to let you go because these things happen from time to time!
QUOTE “Davenport police are investigating the beating of a shoplifter”
Shouldn’t that be alleged shoplifter? Because unless they have more video SHOWING her theft, I wouldn’t believe anything these people claimed.
Not after the first lie…because liars don’t stop at one lie…
I have a theory. The officer can be retrained, hopefully, but should be tested for steroids and sent for a psychological evaluation before being allowed back on duty. If he is clear of steroids and can pass a careful psychological screening by a psychologist who knows what s/he is doing, the officer can be sent to anger management training and counseling to help him deal with whatever inner demons made him react like that.
The chief, on the other hand, is the one who should be canned. If he tolerates that kind of behavior without taking decisive action, then he is in the wrong job. Some departments have a culture of misbehavior, while others don’t. As the proverb says, a fish rots from the head down.
Davenport, Iowa Police Officer Scott Crow was acting in a very professional and highly trained manner when he administered some “street justice” in the backroom at the Von Maur store in Davenport Iowa.
It is clear that Brandie Redell had taken a seated combat style position with her young child present and was completely deserving of the beat down she received.
How dare Brandie Redell have the temerity to shop-lift in Davenport and interrupt Officer Crows day.
Hang the Officer….. Right next to the Chief!
“… a videotape surfaced showing clear contradictions with what the officer stated in his report …”
Filing a false report is enough for termination. Assault is too.