Russia Today is showing a less than positive image of the United States as a video shows its reporter trying to report on the protests in Baltimore last week only to be mugged on camera. Fortunately, police were in the area and apprehended the suspect. In the meantime, another disturbing video shows City Paper Photo Editor J.M. Giordano was tackled and beaten by Baltimore City police outside of Western District headquarters last night while covering the protests. The attack on a journalist by police was accompanied by the arrest and charging of another reporter for disorderly conduct.
The protests have followed the death of an African American man, Freddie Gray, in police custody. Six officers have been injured in the later protests and 34 people arrested.
One group looted a convenience stores and broke store windows. Another group smashed the front window of a department stores and threw flaming debris at police.
The group involved in the attack on the journalist was shown yelling profanities before the mugging:
The majority of protesters however remained peaceful.
City Paper Photo Editor J.M. Giordano was beaten outside of Western District headquarters. He was standing next to the protester in the video and facing the police line, at about 12:30 when someone threw a rock which hit a police officer’s shield. That appears to have triggered the violent response. The video was shot by City Paper Managing Editor Baynard Woods who is heard yelling, “He’s a photographer! He’s press!” Giordano was not arrested though the man next to him was, even though Giordano says that he did not throw anything. However, he says that Reuters photographer Sait Serkan Gurbuz, was arrested nearby and taken away in the police van. Gurbuz was later released and cited for disorderly conduct.
Police apologizes later for the confusion with the reporters.
TJustice
There’s a huge difference between admitting that the proper protocol was not followed in this instance and the declaration that the police beat Gray to death. Maybe the police didn’t get him the immediate medical attention that he needed? That’s a far cry from stating that he was beaten to death. You have no evidence of that at this point. None. Yet you seek justice, at all costs, even if it means condemning the officers for murder. Some justice.
While I agree with most of what you say DBQ, I do care that a young man’s life was needlessly cut short because of poor decisions, whether those poor decisions were made by Gray or by the police. Life is a sacred and precious thing. The fact that wild, angry mobs are tolerated in the streets of Baltimore does not diminish the loss of life.
and we also aren’t sure if saddam or iran has nuclear weapons.
Pogo
He was in police (government) custody. Shouldnt we know more?
Why can’t people wait for an investigation before they burn down or loot their neighbor’s stores? They’re just destroying their own property values. Will that be everyone else’s fault then, too? Why is being angry now a justification for violence?
For praising the founding fathers so much, we forget about their lawless actions to fight back against what they thought was unjust colonialism. Not much different here in the broadest sense. Integration/ assimilation on a large scale has not been existed in this country unless you’re a sycophant.
DBQ – why is Devil’s Food cake racist? Are all light/dark analogies racist, now, too? I just can’t keep up with the offended brigade.
“I run and make eye contact with police constantly in west jackson (poor area of mostly blacks) and that has never gave reasonable suspicion
You run <away from police right after after they make eye contact with you, or you are already out running for exercise and make eye contact with police?
There’s a difference between the two behaviors.
“an injustice to gray”
No one knows what happened.
One witness described his legs being flexed back, but that wouldn’t break the cervical spine.
And as in Ferguson, there’s a lot of lying by witnesses aiming to fan the flames or gain notoriety.
Was he body slammed?
Did he run and fall onto his head?
Did he have a prior neck injury that gave way?
” batter him to the point of death”
No evidence of that thus far. The preliminary autopsy was reported (by the police) as being absent of bruises and lacerations suggesting battery.
It could be argued the arrest itself was unlawful (most courts will uphold). So much for an affinity for liberty. I run and make eye contact with police constantly in west jackson (poor area of mostly blacks) and that has never gave reasonable suspicion or probable cause to chase me and drag me around (all things police have admitted to happening).
Police have already admitted they did not follow proper procedure.
Also, it’s not difficult to understand how cops and our society at large treat young black males when it comes to the law or criminal justice system. If everything is coming from the “legitimate” institutions you are relying on authority and not truth.
Were, not where
Is it logical to assume facts not in evidence? Is it logical to assume that he was battered to death by the police? Is it logical to assume that the spinal injuries where not self-inflicted as the result of trying to evade the police?
The facts are unknown in this case. You have already determined that he was beaten to death. Facts are such a terrible nuisance. They get in the way.
Amazing that this isn’t framed as an injustice to gray.
What about the rollback of civil liberties???? He made eye contact with a police officer ran and they found it logical to batter him to the point of death. But hey civil liberties only apply for some in the United states not all.
Always be skeptical of intellectual leaders
@Pogo
Do you have any idea what possibilities could have caused Gray’s death by “spinal injuries”??? While, I am awaiting the medical results, I ponder this, in a morbid fashion:
Gray’s Anantomy???
An Irish Poem by Squeeky Fromm
Did Freddy Gray have scoliosis???
Or, was there some deep vein thrombosis?
Or, was there a wreck,
Which impacted his neck,
And why he became comatose-is???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
@DBQ
I tend to think along your lines. Frankly, I hope all the victims of White Privilege go apesh*t in these big northern, Democratic leaning cities. Where they have strict gun laws. And where most of the silly White folks pushing the whole “White Guilt” schtick live. Maybe then the country can start getting sensible again. I just hope the savage black mobs can get past the gates in those communities.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
So this is what is going on in Baltimore.
Valerie Jarrett told the mayor to allow this, she did the same thing with the Governor of Missouri in which he held back the National Guard.
VJ wants mayhem in this country so that there is an issue.
It’s disgusting.
Keep them angry and they will vote………….!
VJ’s hands are all over this along with George Soros; they want mayhem and division in this country.
into the back, not into to
I’m surprised, JT, that you would state that the majority of protesters remained peaceful. Are you claiming that because it’s the politically correct thing to say, despite, what I viewed as an out of control mob, resembling a wild pack of animals, hell bent on mayhem and destruction? Was it so peaceful that you would’ve brought your wife and kids to the scene to observe a lesson in civics? I think not. Not trying to be disrespectful to you, JT, in any way, but I find your need to classify the widespread looting, violence and destruction, as a mostly peaceful demonstration, to be ludicrous. The police are expected to keep the community safe, yet more and more there’s a hands-off policy when it comes to these out of control mob frenzies, which is a better classification than calling it a mostly peaceful demonstration. Of course there are going to be mistakes made and innocent people arrested when those innocent people mingle among the criminals who are looting and throwing stones. It’s to be expected when these massive crime orgies are not shut down immediately. No Constitutional rights allow this insanity to envelop our streets and communities.
I don’t know what happened to Mr. Gray. The one video shows officers dragging him, from under his arms, into to back of a police van. My first impression, when I saw the video, was that Gray may have already sustained a spinal injury at the time of the arrest. His legs are motionless as the officers, one under each arm, move him to the vehicle. Was Gray being defiant, by refusing to walk, or was he incapable of walking due to a serious spinal injury which occurred as he was attempting to flee the police? I don’t assume that the police beat him, so severely, in the van, that they damaged his spine. The fault, in my view, is in not getting the immediate medical treatment for what appears to be a seriously injured individual.
What a mess.
DBQ FTW.