A Minneapolis police officer has been relieved of duty while his department investigates a profanity-laced video in an encounter with a man at a car stop. During the abusive confrontation, the officer threatens to break the legs of a suspect if he attempts to escape.
The stop in South Minneapolis was captured on video below and the officer can be heard saying “Plain and simple, if you [expletive] with me, I’m gonna break your legs before you get a chance to run.” It is still unknown what led to the arrest. Indeed, the young man can be heard asking why he was being arrested and the officer responds simply “Because I feel like arresting you.”
Some accounts say that the officer is Officer Rod Webber who has been put on paid leave while an internal investigation.
The videotape is another example of the value of videotape in the proving of police abuse. We have been following the continuing abuse of citizens who are detained or arrested for filming police in public. (For prior columns, click here and here). Despite consistent rulings upholding the right of citizens to film police in public, these abuses continue.
Oh please, a FEDERAL investigation? Why, because Minnesota has history of slavery, Jim Crow and civil rights abuses? Why don’t we just disband the states altogether and let the federal government run everything? Fact is, the cop was calm, in control, and at worst used some tough talk to VERBALLY control three teen males suspected of car theft. It reminds me of my mother saying, “BECAUSE I’M THE MOTHER AND I SAID SO!!” I didn’t realize at the time that my civil rights were violated, HaHaHa.
stevgroen brings up a point of San Diego cops shaking down jaywalkers. It is a big problem. I’ve not had it happen to me but I’ve seen it and heard many complaints. I’ve been told the nearby city of Coronado is the worst. But, lets delve into this micro issue.
When I lived in Chicago I had cops try and shake me down for minor traffic and liquor violations. It was the 1980’s and the shakedown was $20. Give the corrupt cop $20 and you were free. Obviously, that $20 goes in the Chicago cops pocket, not the city coffers. I had a friend who was a Major in KC Police Dept. They had a policy of not writing up people w/ Chicago drivers licenses if they tried to give you $20 to get out of a ticket. It’s that ingrained in Chicago people. Now, I think that was an enlightened empathetic policy in KC. The poor Chicago schmucks don’t know any better.
The San Diego shakedown is fundamentally different. The money does not go into the cops pocket. It goes into the city coffers. Feeding that fat, wasteful, corrupt, govt. beast. Pressure is put on cops to write tickets to feed that beast. The problem in San Diego is really more pernicious. It is the govt. using its power to tax people w/o representation. You know, that little problem that founded this nation.
Attorneys are well educated and do more damage to people than cops. They protect their own right up there w/ cops and docs, maybe even more so. Oh, they don’t shoot or beat people. They just con and steal from people, often the elderly. It is interesting that the folks here who have the unmitigated temerity to tell liberals that education is not a panacea are Alinskied to being “AGAINST EDUCATION.”
Education in this country is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic party. It is a huge trillion dollar industry w/ incredible fraud, waste, incompetence and corruption. College is not for everyone. Is it a good idea for cops. Yes. Can a cop be a good one w/o a college education. Yes. Are there cops w/ college educations that have no business being cops. Yes. But, in the macro issue. Liberals have made people think they are a failure if they don’t have a college education. Microsoft and Facebook are just 2 of thousands of examples that shoot that notion down. But, that “college is everything” mantra hurts this country. College is not for everyone. The trades are an honorable, fulfilling, way for a person to achieve middle class and raise a family. This sending kids to college who don’t belong there has hurt this country in taking away kids who could be electricians, carpenters, mechanics, etc. My mechanic charges $90/hr. Not too shabby. There is a great job market for tradesmen. The elitist liberals need them, as do all people.
Nick – 98% of political contributions from Harvard went to Democratic candidates.