Police and the Citizen
I guess all through history, there has been
a bit of a battle between the police and the
citizens.
The police seem to feel everyone they come
into contact with is a dangerous, vicious
and an armed criminal.
The truth is most of the people they come
into contact with are not criminals at all.
I would venture to guess that 95 percent of
the arrests are not of “criminals,” just
ordinary citizens who messed up. They
aren’t killing, robbing or harming, but none
the less, they were breaking laws.
In the past 30 years, I have seen several
police activities personally. They were all
similar. The police appeared to have been
using excessive force. Of course this is just
my opinion and I’m sure some of these
small citizens could have been dangerous to
the overwhelming number of huge well
armed officers.
Today, I saw another example of this (about 3/16/08).
As I walked to get my lunch time coffee, two burley officers thundered by me and tackled a man walking away. They both collided with
him and he hit the sidewalk without warning.
Just a fraction of a second behind them were two more officers, plain clothes, in hot pursuit. The tackling officers told the plain cloth
officers it was under control.
He was handcuffed on the spot.
As I walked on a security officer asked if there was some resistance, I told him “No, there was a tackle.”
I came back that way with my coffee and asked the security guard, “What did he do?” The guard explained he was drunk and had been
arrested 4 times before for this.
As I walked on, sure enough, he was drunk or at least appeared to be under the influence of something. He was still on the sidewalk
handcuffed.
I walked on. The officers told him not to get up. He did sound intoxicated.
As I crossed the street and wondered about all this, I heard sirens. First a fire truck from one direction and then the paramedics from
another.
I stopped about half a block away. Sure enough, the fire department showed up for this event. By now there were at least four officers
there as well as the four firemen.
I recall watching an old television show where the drunk as invited to sleep it off and go home. What happened to helping citizens? I do
know it still happens.
But this was a blindside tackling on concrete and there was no communication that I heard such as halt or stop.
The man must have been injured, why else call in the fire department and paramedics?
I see this as an unnecessary application of excessive police force and a huge waste of money. The man was not resisting. At the worst,
he was leaving.
I’m not saying it’s okay to be drunk in a public area especially where there are families and lots of public at lunch. I personally don’t
appreciate the bums and derelicts that collect in many areas. I find them offensive. But I don’t expect them to be violently handled!
This did not give me a "friendly city" impression.
I’d like to see officers realize not everyone is a violent criminal. Learn to observe the difference!
At the same time, do watch the person who is not cooperating and be ready to apply all the force needed!
Just realize only a small fraction of the public are really dangerous. I’d say from my observations half of the dangerous ones are criminals
and the other half are police officers who are not observing who they are dealing with!
Hopefully, the officers involved never connect this with me and find a reason to take me down for “resisting arrest” when there was little if
anything to tackle me for and absolutely nothing to arrest me for besides observing and "Commenting On the Times."
Carl Watts
See related articles Comment on The Times “The Police and the Citizen, Fourth of July, 2008” and “The Police and the Citizen Second
Edition” and “The Citizen and the Police, Good News.”
To respond to either, click here.
Return to Updates
Return to Comment On the Times Index
I guess all through history, there has been
a bit of a battle between the police and the
citizens.
The police seem to feel everyone they come
into contact with is a dangerous, vicious
and an armed criminal.
The truth is most of the people they come
into contact with are not criminals at all.
I would venture to guess that 95 percent of
the arrests are not of “criminals,” just
ordinary citizens who messed up. They
aren’t killing, robbing or harming, but none
the less, they were breaking laws.
In the past 30 years, I have seen several
police activities personally. They were all
similar. The police appeared to have been
using excessive force. Of course this is just
my opinion and I’m sure some of these
small citizens could have been dangerous to
the overwhelming number of huge well
armed officers.
Today, I saw another example of this (about 3/16/08).
As I walked to get my lunch time coffee, two burley officers thundered by me and tackled a man walking away. They both collided with
him and he hit the sidewalk without warning.
Just a fraction of a second behind them were two more officers, plain clothes, in hot pursuit. The tackling officers told the plain cloth
officers it was under control.
He was handcuffed on the spot.
As I walked on a security officer asked if there was some resistance, I told him “No, there was a tackle.”
I came back that way with my coffee and asked the security guard, “What did he do?” The guard explained he was drunk and had been
arrested 4 times before for this.
As I walked on, sure enough, he was drunk or at least appeared to be under the influence of something. He was still on the sidewalk
handcuffed.
I walked on. The officers told him not to get up. He did sound intoxicated.
As I crossed the street and wondered about all this, I heard sirens. First a fire truck from one direction and then the paramedics from
another.
I stopped about half a block away. Sure enough, the fire department showed up for this event. By now there were at least four officers
there as well as the four firemen.
I recall watching an old television show where the drunk as invited to sleep it off and go home. What happened to helping citizens? I do
know it still happens.
But this was a blindside tackling on concrete and there was no communication that I heard such as halt or stop.
The man must have been injured, why else call in the fire department and paramedics?
I see this as an unnecessary application of excessive police force and a huge waste of money. The man was not resisting. At the worst,
he was leaving.
I’m not saying it’s okay to be drunk in a public area especially where there are families and lots of public at lunch. I personally don’t
appreciate the bums and derelicts that collect in many areas. I find them offensive. But I don’t expect them to be violently handled!
This did not give me a "friendly city" impression.
I’d like to see officers realize not everyone is a violent criminal. Learn to observe the difference!
At the same time, do watch the person who is not cooperating and be ready to apply all the force needed!
Just realize only a small fraction of the public are really dangerous. I’d say from my observations half of the dangerous ones are criminals
and the other half are police officers who are not observing who they are dealing with!
Hopefully, the officers involved never connect this with me and find a reason to take me down for “resisting arrest” when there was little if
anything to tackle me for and absolutely nothing to arrest me for besides observing and "Commenting On the Times."
Carl Watts
See related articles Comment on The Times “The Police and the Citizen, Fourth of July, 2008” and “The Police and the Citizen Second
Edition” and “The Citizen and the Police, Good News.”
To respond to either, click here.
Return to Updates
Return to Comment On the Times Index
Page created 3/16/08. Incident viewed
3/14/08. Modified 3/29/08, 7/4/08,
9/15/08, 11/8/08
3/14/08. Modified 3/29/08, 7/4/08,
9/15/08, 11/8/08
| The arresting of a drunk took eight men, two squad cars, a fire engine and ambulance. |
