Yesterday I blogged about a YouTube video purporting to show police brutality on the part of the LAPD. I reserved judgment because many details are yet to come out, but I pointed out that many of the existing facts should make one skeptical any wrongdoing took place. I also brought up the fact that most “brutality” videos only show a few seconds of pounding without giving any context.
It seems an expert, Rod Wheeler, agrees with my gut reaction on pretty much every point. ABC has the scoop here. From the article:
“What you don’t see is the pressure he’s exerting on the officers,” Wheeler said. “And they only begin hitting him in the face when he starts trying to raise his arms. They were also trying to get handcuffs on him, which is very difficult to do when someone does not want to be handcuffed.”
He also pointed out that the suspect crying out “I can’t breathe” — I said yesterday that the words “I can’t breathe” can never be spoken honestly, as speech requires breath — is often used as a tactic to resist arrest. When police lighten the hold, suspects grab for guns.
Finally, Wheeler reiterates my point that force is only excessive when officers keep going after a suspect stops resisting or is under control (as they did with Rodney King). If you’re resisting arrest, you’re asking for a few good smacks.
Robert VerBruggen blogs at http://robertsrationale.blogspot.com.
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1 user commented in " Expert supports LAPD in brutality allegations "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackbackyou are right to an extent,resisting arrest can esculate to police battery of a suspect.however,police brutality has become a nation wide problem in this country.if you managed to look into othere youtube bloggings you would have noticed police have been dealing out their own brand of justice to the public.if the training is to laxed for recruits then heads with the public will surely bump hard.
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