There is another disturbing videotape of a beating by police in California. This incident involves a bizarre chase of a suspect on horseback in San Bernardino county. The aerial footage shows the suspect on the ground after being stunned by a taser. Despite no evidence of resistance, the sheriff’s deputies proceed to punch and kick Francis Jared Pusok, 30. Pusok was suspected of stealing the horse. Three deputies were injured during the search — two from dehydration and a third was injured when kicked by the horse.
The encounter was the culmination of a bizarre series of events that started when deputies went to a home to serve a search warrant in an identity theft investigation. Pusok took off in a vehicle and deputies pursued him. Pusok then allegedly abandoned the vehicle and took off running. He lalter allegedly stole a horse and rode it on dirt trails. From the video, he does not appear a particularly skilled horseman.
The video below appears to show an unjustified and savage beating by the officers. There is obviously a possibility of not only termination but possible criminal charges against the officers. The police have launched an investigation.
Pusok has convictions for resisting arrest, animal cruelty, disturbing the peace, attempted robbery and failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility. However, that record does nothing to excuse this beating. While the department has claimed that the taser device was “ineffective due to his loose clothing,” it seems quite effective in the video. It would be interesting to see if the officers made this claim in their reports because the video shows Pusok on the ground and not moving. It then shows the other deputy quickly begins kicking him in the head and the deputy with the Taser is seen kicking Pusok in the groin area. Five more deputies arrive and join in on the attack. They then let him lay there for approximately 45 minutes, without receiving medical attention.
I cannot see a viable defense for these officers from this videotape and the analogies to the Rodney King beating are understandable. This case has the makings of a massive civil lawsuit as well as possible criminal charges against the officers. Pusok has an attorney.
Karen
North Eastern California. Spinelli has my email if you want to contact me I can be more specific. It is beautiful here and we have plenty of water 😀 (For now that is)
DBQ: “Investigating yourself is not really a very good strategy or one that gives credible results.” Someone should tell this to the IRS and Hillary Clinton. 🙂
And you’re so right about rural areas having long response times due to the length of travel and unmarked dirt roads. Many people in rural areas own firearms, and yet the rate of gun crimes is far below that in gang neighborhoods. People out here go riding armed all the time, and yet we don’t have shootouts at the OK Corral. OK, we do have mounted shooting competitions, but no one gets shot. The next town over has a problem with gangs and Mexican drug runners. It’s also a dumping ground for pedophiles. They do have gun violence. As you’ve pointed out before, it’s not the tool, but the criminal wielding it.
Your town sounds nice. We have less than 200 people per square mile, so it’s low density, but not as open as where you live. It’s also quite dry down here. Are you in Northern CA?
IT also seems that this guy has a long history of being a general PITA to the whole area. Police and population. A bad boy. So maybe they are just sick and tired of having to deal with him.
NOT that this an excuse for beating him up, but might put the over the top anger into context.
fiver – I also agree that these types of investigations need to be done by some unbiased committee or investigative office outside of the department, and free from conflict of interest. We need neither an investigator with an ax to grind, nor someone who turns a blind eye.
@Paul
That makes sense.
Maybe cops should have to do steroid screenings, I wonder, do they do drug screenings as they do for healthcare workers, military and various other professions that deal with people? I hope so.
ABC News: Police Juice Up on Steroids to Get ‘Edge’ on Criminals
Oct. 18, 2007
MEN’S HEALTH: Cops on Steroids: It’s the “other” doping scandal, and we’re breaking it wide open BY SABRINA RUBIN ERDELY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2005
Roid rage? All of them? Or do some humans go ape poop nuts in a highly volatile situations and lose their own humanity?
Steroid abuse is a strong consideration when I see these seemingly incomprehensible beat-downs.
Pogo – there is a whole “teach the b**tard a little lesson” that goes along with this that started long before steroids.
Paul,
That’s one of the better practices around now. But we’re still dealing with prosecutors and investigators who’s primary motivation is often to clear the cops rather than investigate them.
I think people may understand the impulse to be violent because of rage, but I would posit that less people understand acting on that rage. What happens in a person’s mind when people they give themselves permission to act on violent impulse, especially people like law enforcement who are trained to deal with the public. Aren’t these police candidates screened to determine if they are psychology fit to do this kind of work? Or do cops after years of dealing with criminals lose the ability to see the humanity in those who enrage them?
“Meanwhile, out of state neurosurgeons had no problem stating the guy was incompetent.”
Interesting.
I do not know what a fair LEO Review Board should be comprised of.
Out of State LEOs, lawyers, citizens, among others.
I would require they pass a logic test.
One could simply ban anyone who supports raising the minimum wage, much as that’s a good proxy for naivete, gullibility, and irrationality.
@Pogo
Well, I do some part time work for my BFF Fabia Sheen, Esq, an attorney. There is an interesting situation in Louisiana where a non-board certified neurosurgeon was grossly incompetent and “malpracticed” scores of patients. A problem arose under Louisiana law because Louisiana neurosurgeons were reluctant to state that he was incompetent because they all got their malpractice insurance from the same fund. A large award against the lousy doctor would significantly hike their own insurance rates. (Can you say “conflict of interest???) Meanwhile, out of state neurosurgeons had no problem stating the guy was incompetent. Someone should write a book about this.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
“I’m done with you for now. ”
Imagine my relief.
Late to this thread…but On Topic, I’ll go with what USN420 & Karen S & Trooper York have said. Those cops crossed the line.
Slightly off topic, Karen S said …
Most horses are extremely dangerous for a green rider to just hop on their back and kick their bellies,……And a bridle is not some sort of anchor that tosses out behind you, physically slowing you down. It’s basically a cue, and the horse can say “No.” A bolting horse will often decline to politely stop, so you need to know how to do an emergency stop…
Amen. I’ve owned horses that would buck you off for one “kick” in ribs…call them well trained and sensitive to proper cue and stimulus actions…e.g., leg pressure and a v-e-r-y slight tap on the ribs with a spur, nub or rotary, for certain maneuvers, like a lead change at speed. You need a bolting horse to stop, sit back and down and don’t yank on the reins. Hollywood did horsemen no favors on how they portray riding.
That and, Karen S, since you are training your horse for a liberty ride, ala’ Stacy Westfall, I admire that diligence. Good luck with the reining patterns and even dressage, where it also can be applied. Takes years. My best horse, a very sensitive beast, a stallion and a cutter of King Ranch ancestry, would have been capable of the Liberty Ride, but at the time I wasn’t aware of it as a discipline (now an event in AQHA Events) …many times we rode together bareback, cross country, and only a halter…he was perfection. A rib kicker who tried to try him found he’d sit down like a mule and not move. That boy was smart. Eventually I never let anyone try him unless a student I was teaching…and we started bareback, with hackamore or just no reins on a bridle (on a long lunge line)…first to just learn to acquire a “seat” and not be a pest to the horse.
Back on topic, Ingannie said …
Yes, there are people who understand this behavior. What does that say about them?
Depends on what you mean by “understand.” I understand it, but I do NOT advocate it. It is similar to what motivates some soldiers, but not all by a large margin, to shoot & kill a wounded enemy on the ground. I understand it, but would never let it happen near me if I could stop it. Google up WO Hugh Thompson and see what right thinking soldiers can do to stop atrocity…he stopped My Lai. Good cops can also stop atrocity. Understanding it is what makes you react to it preventively, not join in. You cannot control what you do not know or grasp.
Never-the-less, you may say whatever you want about me.
Pogo,
USN420’s comment’s are well written and thought out (at least the one’s I have read). I just disagree.
That’s quite different than your deliberately avoiding the substance of the discussion to spit out accusations that you simply don’t even understand yourself.
I’m done with you for now. Have a nice day.
Meanwhile, in Philly:
http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/trial-set-to-begin-for-six-accused-cops/zsJocC—I7EpGW1iN36kE/?dps=dp1
“special prosecutors without a conflict of interest”
But the problem is they often have a conflict of interest.
See Wisconsin’s ‘secret routers’ investigation for an egregious example.
Medicine has State Boards that investigate claims against MDs and are not ‘investigating yourself’, as they are not beholden to any particular business entity or political party.
Their needs to be some balance between citizen oversight and expert opinion (i.e., reviewers with LEO experience). Internal reviews lack sufficient credibility.