Constitutional Law, Criminal law

Ferguson Officer Suspended After Captured On Video Pointing Weapon At Protesters and Threatening To Kill Them

1408576057271_wps_9_UPDATE_The_St_Ann_Police_The St. Louis County Police Department has announced the suspension of an officer who was seen pointing a semi-automatic assault rifle at a Ferguson, Missouri, protester and threatening to kill him. The confrontation occurred during the protests and looting following the shooting of Michael Brown by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. [Warning: foul language]

The confrontation was caught on video, as shown below. The officer can be seen walking around with his assault rifle raised and pointing the weapon at protesters while saying “I’m going to fucking kill you. Get back. Get back.” When asked for his name, the officer is heard to say “Go fuck yourself.” He was later led away by another officer who appeared to get him to lower his weapon.

The police issued a statement that”The unified command strongly feel these actions are inappropriate, and not indicative of the officers who have worked daily to keep the peace.”

He has been “relieved of duty and suspended indefinitely”

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/20/us/missouri-police-officer-suspended/index.html?hpt=ju_c1

292 thoughts on “Ferguson Officer Suspended After Captured On Video Pointing Weapon At Protesters and Threatening To Kill Them”

  4. Thank God another officer pulled him away and got him to lower his gun. He should have been yanked off the street that moment.

    I am no expert, but he looked really stressed and I suspect he was completely losing it. The cameramen obviously didn’t think he really meant it, because they kept calling him “Officer Go F&** Yourself.” But they were taking a chance.

    When an officer is doing wrong, you don’t taunt him, you go to his superiors and file an Internal Affairs Investigation.

    This cop’s behavior is indefensible. No one on the video was threatening him.

    Cops have to keep their composure during stressful, dangerous circumstances. They need to make good decisions independently, and they’re supposed to care about the public. Sometimes good cops just start losing it, and get burned out, and other times bad apples get through the screening process.

    Either way, it’s time to go.

  5. Paul,
    The video showed the guy moving in the direction of the passenger-side cop and was about 5-10 feet away when they shot. The cellphone video was from about 40 feet away and I couldn’t tell if the victim was “lunging” or not. I was surprised by the number of rounds fired.

    1. Max-1 – I think those are the beanbag shotguns. That is what they look like. It is a defensive weapon for riots and crowd control.

  9. nick, Don’t think she is gay. Most of the time I lived in Texas the rumor was that Rick Perry was gay. There was a cash offer made for someone to come forward, but no one did. Maybe he is not gay or maybe he under went conversion therapy and that is why he supports it. In any case it is his business.

  10. bettykath
    Max, I think lying cops.
    = = =
    I was gonna put that down as option #3 but didn’t want to offend the authoritarian boot lickers…

  11. bettykath – there is a interpersonal communication techique in which you mimic the other speaker. In this case, Annie started by saying “Paul hon.” So I responded in kind.

  13. With this country in the toilet and the Middle East screwed up, Hillary should come out of the closet now. And if anyone thinks Hillary is for ANTHING then they’re clueless. Hillary is for what the polls tell her, nothing else.

  16. Paul C. Schulte, “Annie hon,…:

    Annie, is there a romantic relationship happening here? Or is he your daddy? or big brother? Or is he just being condescending?

  20. Annie, Hillary is for gun control, and she will be the candidate of Planned Parenthood.

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