Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Hi Bill:
They use the Rodney King tape as a training tool to show what not to do
now. So that in itself tells me that the cops didn't handle the
situation right.
At the beginning of the tape it shows King on the ground a few times,
and getting up. But it also show about 8 or more cops standing around.
Seems like there were more than enough cops there to subdue him without
beating him. In fact one of the cops actually is shown with his foot on
Kings neck, and still hitting him with a stick. Then the one with the
foot on the neck, kicked him.
Sue
> HI Sue,
>
> I agree with you and Kathy on this one, to a certain extent. I doubt if
> the LAPD training taught cops to continue to beat a perp once he was
> subdued and posed no threat to them or anyone else. And certainly Rodney
> King was to blame for much of what happened. He failed to stop when
> ordered to do so and failed to follow instructions initially when he
> finally got out of the car. He was under the influence of alcohol.
>
> However, in no way can we as a society choose to ignore the blame of the
> police officers in this incident. I'm the first to admit that these cops
> have an extremely difficult job to do. That is why they get such
> intensive and ongoing training in how to handle the situations they are
> likely to encounter. It is essential that they maintain control of their
> behavior 100% of the time. This is a tough task for situations where
> they may have seen a scumbag gun down one of their friends and then drop
> his weapon and raise his hands. The tempation to blow him away must be a
> tremendous one to resist. However, resist it they must. Just as they
> must resist the urge to beat the hell out of a guy who is subdued and
> helpless. Cops who choose not to resist this temptation make it so much
> more difficult for the majority of cops who do resist it.
>
> IMO, it doesn't matter what King was doing prior to the time he was
> subdued and helpless lying on the ground. (And let's not try to kid
> ourselves. The tape we saw showed clearly and undeniably that he WAS
> subdued and helpless). The choice those cops made to continue to beat
> the hell out of King, and to give in to their frustrations and anger, was
> a choice that was wrong and that demanded a response of punishment under
> the same law these guys were sworn to uphold. Anything less than this
> would create a society that admits that some people are above the law and
> that crime is defined not by what is done but also by who does it.
>
> It is ironic, IMO, that law and order people who talk long and loud about
> people being responsible for their actions and paying the price for their
> actions when they are against the law would be so quick to try to defend
> the cops in this situation and say that they were merely doing their
> jobs. These cops lost their careers and had their lives ruined because
> of THEIR actions and THEIR choices. Just like a drug user loses a career
> and ruins his life because of HIS choices. To condemn the druggie and
> support the cops is the height of hypocrisy, IMO.
>
> Bill
--
Two rules in life:
1. Don't tell people everything you know.
2.
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