they used to hang horse thieves. Too bad they stopped that. police were overboard, but i don’t care. Jerk caused injuries to the horse, i was hoping the horse would have reared up and hurt him, but horse was too good to do that.
If I’d caught him stealing my horse I would have kicked him in the head. But, isn’t there some sort of training for police officers that teaches: do not cuff him then beat the $#!t out of him…?
My first thought when I saw the video and the stolen horse was that had this been 100 years ago . . .
According to news reports, all 10 deputies involved were suspended pending investigation.
[QUOTE=JanM;8100116]
According to news reports, all 10 deputies involved were suspended pending investigation.[/QUOTE]
Yes, that’s what paid leave is.
[QUOTE=pAin’t_Misbehavin’;8099364]
From this article
So he’s a wife-beating, puppy-murdering horse thief. Can’t work up a whole lot of outrage over what happened to him.
I can’t imagine how he didn’t get shot by the police during the prior domestic call.[/QUOTE]
Probably because it didn’t happen and the story was fabricated to paint the suspect in as bad a light as possible. I’m surprised that they didn’t throw in that he abused crippled children while they were at it.
Police ‘always’ lie to to make their illegal actions seem a bit more justifiable.
I would sooner believe the single bullet theory than a police report or anything derived from one.
Abusing puppies is a bit over the top (I would need proof beyond a police report) I think it was fabricated to create sympathy for the officers and get the public to feel that the man deserved it.
I don 't see much sweat on the horse in the video, I don’t think he was run half to death, his head was held too high and he didn’t look to be dripping with sweat or lame.
Edit to add…
Here is an unpleasant but not out of the question theory… How do we know the police didn’t play cowboy with the horse until it was exhausted and lame then they took the not fun to play with anymore horse back to the owner?
The SBPD don’t seem to have a problem with ignoring civil rights, perhaps their understanding of horses as private property is equally fuzzy.
For anyone who thinks the man was a scumbag and therefore got what he deserved: I wouldn’t be surprised if this incident interferes with a fair trial and consequences for whatever he had done. He could instead end up with a big settlement and never be held accountable for his crimes.
Due process isn’t just for when we feel like it–it is owed to everyone, regardless of what he or she did. Arrest him? Sure. Gather evidence and present it in a trial? Absolutely. Send him to prison if that’s warranted? Again, yes. Beat someone beyond the necessary force to effect an arrest? Never.
Rebecca
Fair enough, but until the advent of all these cell-phone cams, security cameras, police did not need to have any accountability and there is a top-down spin to protect any misconduct.
Hopefully this is another small incident that will go a little way to getting rid of these out of control officers…eventually.
It has been going on for ever, but never anything for the public to see.
[QUOTE=RMJacobs;8100258]
For anyone who thinks the man was a scumbag and therefore got what he deserved: I wouldn’t be surprised if this incident interferes with a fair trial and consequences for whatever he had done. He could instead end up with a big settlement and never be held accountable for his crimes.[/QUOTE]
That’s a valid point too, especially to the “he had it coming” brigade - when these incidents hit the media, the result is likely to be dismissal of charges, and possibly a settlement that taxpayers pay for. So a bunch of deputies got their jollies out, but in the end the perpetrator might get out of this with $$$.
Still have no problem with police ignoring the rule of law?
The point is that these kinds of settlements come BECAUSE the law enforcers chose to ignore the law. That is what is horrifying about the video to me.
Has there been an update as to where this person is and what condition he is in?
So let’s say for the sake of argument that the horse thief is a POS.
Like many here, if it was my horse and I caught him after he hurt it, I would want to kick the tar out of him too.
However, that is why we have professional law enforcement! They are supposed to be trained to act in accordance with the law and not allow personal feelings to override that. Otherwise we as a society open ourselves up to allowing the LE officer on the scene to determine who is guilty or innocent and who is entitled to civil rights and who isn’t. Obviously fraught with danger of abuse according to the feelings and biases of the individuals.
It is more difficult and sometimes less satisfying to be the “good guys”.
[QUOTE=MsM;8100638]
It is more difficult and sometimes less satisfying to be the “good guys”.[/QUOTE]
This is very true and it bears repeating.
What ever the back story on this thief might be, the law enforcement officers had no right acting like they did. It may be understandable (and I have in mind a recent incident in MA when a police officer stopped a car and was shot in the face), but it is never justifiable.
Why didn’t fate step in and provide thief with a barn-sour bucker that wouldn’t have left the yard?
Though the thief deserved all of it, the cops should not have continued to beat him after he was down and cuffed. At that point he was officially in custody and unlikely to make any more trouble (though he could have if he’d really been motivated). I’ve worked in corrections and taken shared trainings with the sheriff’s department staff, and know that it’s easy to follow protocol in training, but when your adrenalin is up and some sorry so-and-so has just made your shift turn to…manure…some people just can’t shut themselves off and go back to being Officer Friendly right away.
Did anyone interpret my post to say the police were justified in beating this guy? I’m not clear if that was what some of the responses were saying. In case anyone interpreted my post that way:
That is the opposite of my point. Not only do I think that law enforcement must keep to a higher standard, but I was also making the point that their actions could let a scumbag get away with his/her crimes. I don’t care what the guy did–he is entitled to due process, as is every accused person. That due process does not include getting the crap beaten out of you when you’ve already surrendered.
I was living in LA when the Rodney King incident occurred, and happened to be on jury duty when the police officers responsible had one of their pre-trial hearings (this was before the case was moved to Simi Valley). The courthouse was totally insane that day and I feared for my life.
The fact that the officers were not convicted was unthinkable, and the aftermath was certainly no fun. I had to drive home in the middle of the riots because my employer decided they could not defend our office building, and turned us all out into the street into the rioting. Fun times. I broke a lot of traffic laws that day, as I refused to stop for a red light when there was a mob approaching my car.
So this is a subject I’ve thought about a lot, and overreach by law enforcement absolutely must stop.
Rebecca
Rebeca- I’ve agreed with everything you have written so far.
If this was a cowpuncher beating the tar our of the dude who clotheslined him on a trail to steal his horse- have at it dude- game on!!
But if we are talking about not one… but MANY LEOs with not one but at least TWO helicopters hovering overhead- helicopters who are CLEARLY equipped with cameras- so the out of control lawless brutality was absolutely going to be recorded- what is that? Is that-
A: so raging blind out of control adrenaline psycho freakout that the idea that they were going to be filmed was not even possible to enter the equation.
or
B: So practiced and comfortable going totally outside of protocol, training and the law that they don’t even CARE if they are being filmed dogpiling on and beating the tar out of a surrendered suspect? Like when drug dealers work major street corners in broad daylight- it’s just a sign of a total breakdown of society?
If those helicopters hadn’t been there- what reason do I have to believe that man would not be dead in the desert having “resisted arrest” and required execution by a firing squad?
I so disagree Pat9 - That is what training is - to train officers in their jobs.
If a candidate cannot do that he better go on a desk job. No sympathy for their out of control behaviour.
It is called due process, your day in court, not for a few redneck cops to be judge and jury.
To Serve and Protect…nah, not these guys.
The cops are getting so much bad press, it is a wonder anybody wants to join the forces and that leaves us with even less good cops and more of the
bullies.
Love that little horse. But I cannot fathom why the police commenced to beating on that man. Sure, he shouldn’t have stolen the horse and run but as soon as they caught up to him he submitted, face down and hands behind his back. I realize that adrenaline is high in a pursuit but it seems that there needs to be some kind of training in place that counteracts it and keeps these guys sane.
Dp
