"Charles J. Kelly, a former Baltimore Police Department lieutenant who wrote the department's use of force guidelines, said pepper spray is a "compliance tool" that can be used on subjects who do not resist, and is preferable to simply lifting protesters.
"When you start picking up human bodies, you risk hurting them," Kelly said. "Bodies don't have handles on them."
... course the cops had no choice.... bodies do not have handles...
"After reviewing the video, Kelly said he observed at least two cases of "active resistance" from protesters. In one instance, a woman pulls her arm back from an officer. In the second instance, a protester curls into a ball. Each of those actions could have warranted more force, including baton strikes and pressure-point techniques."
UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza said the decision to use pepper spray was made at the scene.
"The students had encircled the officers," she said Saturday. "They needed to exit. They were looking to leave but were unable to get out."
Maybe we should raise our voices,
ask somebody why But demonstrations are a drag,
besides we're much too high And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody Outside of a small circle of friends
phil ochs
16 comments:
Ya know, people are dying in Egypt and Syria. Some suggest that the violence of the police will cause people to stay away from the OWS out of fear. I think the opposite. They are making the case for us. They are very afraid.
My sources say President Obama gave the order to Homeland (In)security to instruct the mayors of three U.S. cities, New York City, Portland, OR and Oakland, to shut down and sweep away the Occupy camps.
Before any O-Bot rises up in defense of Obama and say this isn't true, please keep in mind one of my sources is the mayor of Portland, Sam Adams.
Also, King Bloomberg admitted in an interview on NY1 News that yes, he had been in contact with Janet Napolitano vis a vis the Occupy Wall Street camp.
Barack Obama loves the expansion of civil rights as long it is part of the 'Arab Spring.' However, when civil rights are exercised in the U.S. by American citizens, he becomes uncomfortable.
Maybe people will finally realize that Kent Brockman was right all along.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
They used pepper spray because moving the demonstrators could have hurt them? Riiiiiiiiight. Pepper spray causes extreme pain, eye irritation, temporary blindness, and skin blistering. If you have asthma or other breathing difficulties, God help you if you get sprayed. What is that, if not hurting someone?
Let's be frank. The use of pepper spray in that situation was out of MALICE, and it was completely uncalled for.
i'd like to know where people are supposed to peaceably assemble. it's a right given by the constitution, but it seems it only applies to teabaggers. anyone else is chased away and told they aren't allowed to be where they are.
Your post brought back fond memories of every bozo Constable of Police I've run into. Things don't change, much.
Almost 40 years ago a guy hands me a J at a house party very late into the evening. Knowing he was a cop was unnerving enough.Skip over my mental gymnastics that followed. He continues and relates a story he calls the "Thin Blue Line" .The dark side of what's out there protecting and serving us. Stories of corruption, brutality and the like.
Oh, and according to one Fox News voice, pepper spray is a "food product." Talk about adding insult to injury!
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201111210021?frontpage
Pretty scary crowd there. Yeah, real scary. I watched the video and saw at least one of them move. That's enough to throw the fear of God into those police in their armor and protective headgear.
I will say the lack of any real response of any kind after they were sprayed surprised me. Those kids did not rise to the intimidation used on them. Good for them.
Sherry... cowards never like opposition...
Christopher... sorry, I am a little skeptical of that
Randal... but but but, see NO ONE wants to occupy Cleveland..even the folks that live there
Ahab, Nonnie.... I watched several of those videos... there was absolutely not threat to public ... if they really WANTED to clear the space, they could have just ignored the demonstrators for a few hours... been in those a few times.
G'rillo... I knew a few cops in college... great dedicated guys serving the public... but there are always some chumps... and some were at UC Davis
Libs... ya, freedom to carry a concealed gun, but not open, honest convictions.
spot on, kiddo
Ahab... thanks for the video.. I would have missed it... yupperz, Pizza is a vegetable, Pepper Spray is a food product... and Billo is a cheese whiz beyond his expiration date
Macrum ya gotz dat right... bunch of violent kids... gees, love them... maybe there is a bunch that have put away there ipods and stepped forward... good on them!!!!!!
!
The Occupiers give me a lot of hope; the police, not so much. It's a scary situation out there.
I would love to see some enormous, silent demonstrations, everyone in their sunday best, saying nothing, disbanding nightly and returning another day. Enormous, I say, and ongoing, and growing.
Christopher's source is Sam Adams, alright. The beer. Not the mayor. Goofy conspiracy theories help some of us sleep better at night, I guess.
I don't recall any of the Tea Party folks or the Westboro Baptists being pepper sprayed or interfered with by the police at all. And that whole excuse about humans lacking handles? Oh, hell, I've seen the police lift protesters by the arms before. The use of pepper spray is a way for the police to pretend they're not being violent - after all, the billy club just doesn't photograph that well.
Maybe if one of those demonstrators held a sign saying "Obama is a Marxist" this kind of thing wouldn't happen.
Susan... as we breathe there is always hope
Murr... yes yes... it can be done!
SDS... it was the most riveting display of unprovoked violence I have ever seen. &Christopher is ok... he just doesn't like Obama much
Dave... ya, and I didn't see any signs that said I am a food product, spray me!
I find it a impossible to believe trained, disciplined and armed cops had to use pepper spray because they were surrounded by unarmed students who were there for a peaceful demonstration. And that line of students sitting down — wow, they were so intimidating.
(Slaps forehead and reaches for nausea pills.)
The lieutenant in charge at that fiasco should be off the force and into felonious assault charges, along with one of his henchmen.
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