I don't think there should a rush to judgement. I do think there should be a rush of common sense. The pattern of abuse reported is consistent with incidents where eyewitnesses have previously recorded similar events in different parts of Minneapolis.
It's to all our advantage to know what can happen if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's definitely time to open dialogue between City Police and local communities.
J. Kurtis Ballantine, Uptown
Alan Shilepsky <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
There sure seems a lot of rush to judgement on this. I would prefer to
see the results of the investigation before jumping to conclusions and
taking sides.
In fact, it is regrettable that there are "sides." It could just be
flawed observations, misunderstandings, or sloppy police work that
doesn't rise anywhere near a "brutality" standard.
Here is what the Pioneer Press said:
"The [2] witnesses [looking out of their residence window] saw the
officers 'manhandle' the [intoxicated] man, then leave him on the ground
and speed away, Bellecourt said. The witnesses went out to check on the
man, identified by Bellecourt as Ronald Lee Johnson, 32, and it appeared
someone had urinated on him, he said. Johnson declined to comment."
What and how much did the observers see, and how well could they see
through their (frosted?) windows? How well lit was the parking area?
What does "manhandle" mean, esp. when you are dealing with
an intoxicated person. I don't know, maybe they were holding him
upright. The interpretation might be different from a person suspicious
of policepersons generally, than from me, or from a cop.
Regarding the urination on the person. Did someone see a cop do it? Is
it really likely? Could the person have urinated on himself, or could a
drinking companion have done it back where the police picked the person
up? These are possible, maybe even more likely, explanations.
And was it "subfreezing" or 0 temperatures. I walk outside without a
coat sometimes when it is 25 degrees. I'm assuming the person was
wearing winter clothes. And I leave lots of people outside their
doors--esp. if they don't seem to want any further assistance from me.
No, I wouldn't be so fast to bash without benefit of more information,
and an impartial investigation.
Alan Shilepsky
Downtown
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