Girl-Punching (and Cop-Taping) in Seattle

Via beloved Hit&Run regular Dagny T. comes this video of a Seattle cop cold punching a gal in the face in the course of investigating an outbreak of jaywalking. Take a look:

Story here.

I'm no expert on this stuff, but a few observations: 1) That cop doesn't seem very skilled at neutralizing teenage girls. 2) It remains poor strategy to yell repeated angry obscenities at police officers in the course of their work. But most importantly, 3) Look at all those phone-cams! The Rodney King video exists only because there happened to be some guy with an expensive video camera in the vicinity. Thank goodness that no only do we live in different technological times, but that the default strategy by the bystanders in the video above was mostly to stand a safe distance, whip out a recording device, and trust in transparency to deliver justice.

Radley Balko argued for the right to videotape cops back in April.

Comments

[SugarFree]

"Beloved"? All they called me was "frequent." As in "frequent urination."

This sexism, straight up.

[John]

You have to understand that since no one knows what anyone else looks like, all of the female posters on here are assumed to be hot.

[SugarFree]

I've seen a picture of Dagny. You don't have to assume she's hot, just take my word for it.

[John]

I always imagined she looked a bit like lobster girl. And I won't ask how you saw a picture of her.

[SugarFree]

She's been stalking me for years.

[John]

Oh. That is what they are calling it now.

[Groovus Maximus]

Not really John; the new MO is to move in next door to the object of your obsession.

[JW]

Sug is the GBF to the all the ladies here.

[SugarFree]

"Gay Black Female"? Wha?

[JW]

Henceforth, he shall be known as "Whoopie."

[Sandi]

I took a shit in Seattle once. It winked at me and whistled.

[Groovus Maximus]

I see that Mag Citrate I prescribed worked!

[AlmightyJB]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Astrid looks like the Buffalo Jill girl in the last blog.

[Episiarch]

They called you that because it was true, moron.

[SugarFree]

They didn't have to be so mean about it.

[Episiarch]

The truth hurts.

[SugarFree]

I know. What was it they called you when you got a hat-tip?

[Episiarch]

STEVE SMITH.

[Groovus Maximus]

Would you like Roquefort, brie, or sharp cheddar?

[Warty]

I didn't even get an adjective. What the fuck is all this racism?

[Episiarch]

You're not even human, dude. What do you expect?

[Groovus Maximus]

Warty doesn't even get an article. That's how bad he is.

[Seattle Libertarian]

You mean black racism against white cops, right?

[Warty]

No, racism against me, you fucking racist.

[solly]

Stupid bitch was resisting arrest. The punch was uncalled for but all the yocals taunting the cop only provide further proof of a failing public school system

[Rev. Al Sharpton]

Oh Lord! So many ways to play these cards you dealt, I'd better get a chute!

Oh, and, RACIST!

[mike]

I concur. I have as much disrespect for authority as the next guy in here, but these inner-city black skanks with their "oh no you didn't" bullshit need to recognize that you can't just yell ebonics louder than the other person as a means to winning every disagreement. This cop did much better than I would have expected.

[cynical]

What, in not shooting her?

[mike]

Or tasering, or macing, or pulling out his club and beating the shit out of her, yes. I'm not saying any of those things would be right, I'm just saying it's what I expect from many LEOs. As soon as somebody tries to physically interfere with a cop, they have to whip it out to see whose is bigger.

[horatius]

Mike = dickless wonder.

[Winter Soldier]

Saw this yeaterday. Cop hauled a guy over for jaywalking. Four females followed suit, so he called them over to cite them as well. One decided she wasn't sticking around for her ticket, and hilarity ensues. Broad caught the fist for getting between the dog and his bone, imo.

Cops like power, people are stupid, move along citizens . . .

[Tara Davis]

Yeah. He's trying to restrain somebody, even if it's for a REALLY stupid reason. If you try to stop him, you're very lucky if a punch in the face is all you get.

People are shocked because he landed a punch on a woman. If it was a man that shoved a cop and got clocked for it, this would be a total non-story.

[Gabe]

If three guys jumped the cop took his gun and capped him I would have cheered.

[?]

Yay! I was wondering when the kill-the-pigs crowd would show up.

[Gabeisajackass]

you must be a ni$$er.

[domoarrigato]

eat a dick and die

[Tulpa]

nipper?

[Rhywun]

nisser?

[Groovus Maximus]

nimmer?

[Jim]

Oh, Naggers.

[wayne]

Nitler. I call Godwin on you.

[Liquid4012]

Unless, of course, the man was black.

[Wickerman2kl]

Cops are supposed to be trained in grappling/jiu-jitsu, which enables you to restrain someone without hitting them. A trained cop should be able to subdue a teenage girl without punching her in the face. If he can't, they have shit training.

[NAL]

Damn! Good thing I'm not a cop. I'd have gone Clubber Lang on both those bi***es.

[horatius]

Good thing you are not a cop. But you are still a douchebag.

[Barbelith]

WINRAR

[Sean]

I think this is more likely a good example of why police fear being taped. To me it is pretty clear that the girl was resisting arrest. I'm wary of police abuse of power, but to me this just looks like a guy trying to do his job and having a really shitty day.

[TK]

If only he had taken the opportunity to parlay this situation into a fun tasing story. Now I'll have to go through the end of the week with that feeling that I forgot something. ***sigh***

[Tara Davis]

Actually, the taping will probably save his bacon (no pun intended) in this case. Somebody attempted to flee in order to avoid a citation, and when he tried to restrain her, another woman came in to try to break things up. He will probably be praised for not whipping out the mace, baton, and/or taser on either one of them.

[horatius]

About time you got punched in the face too bitch.

[Gabe]

If th cops job was "preserving the peace" then I would be happy for him to do his job..if his job is to enforce jaywalking and write tickets to people for walking around on strets....then I really won't be upset if he has a hard time "doing his job".

[CatoTheElder]

This is an instructive video on how not to deal with the cops, or any other agency of the State.

This is the first example of police misconduct cited by Reason that seems to me to be blown out of proportion. The cop's punch looks a normal human response to the detainee's behavior rather than excessive brutality.

[domoarrigato]

think she was really a threat?

[Tulpa]

She was a threat to the cop's ability to issue the citation, which he has a legal duty to do.

[Groovus Maximus]

Really Tulpa? And if said girl was some blond with a smoking hot body, or some red haired svelte ginger siren, either of them are scantily clad (or both) I would bet both boulders and my tree trunk they would have gotten a warning.

Cops love to talk about "leniency in the law." Funny how that seems to apply to certain classes of people who happen to have an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Or, if you will, "jaywalking while cute."

[Tulpa]

Sorry, I'm going to have to cite you for a red herring there.

[Groovus Maximus]

Not quite Tulpa. I did do it sloppy, but let me refine the point: besides the tautology of the "law is the law" (which means no laws are wrong, unjust or immoral. We both know that is dubious at best), I am talking about application of applying the law equally and justly. It these women crossed the street without harm, where is the problem? Why did the cop feel the need to cite these women and not others? Does this police officer chase down every single offender of this oh so "the world will end if someone jaywalks" law.

Perhaps my anarchist tendencies are showing here, but it makes little sense to me to cite someone for something so trivial. Particularly when no harm has come of it, and perhaps just a simple warning "Ladies, please use the crosswalk provided next time."

Aside from your occupation with peanut butter, prostates and parasites, I do hold you in great esteem, just for the record.

[dunphy]

oh for fuck sake, the ignorance here is astounding. they installed a pedestrian overpass at this location SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE several people had been struck by cars. it's a very high traffic arterial,and there is no "right" to cause cars to come to a screeching halt because you are too fucking lazy to use an overpass vs. cross the street contrary to traffic laws. the local high school had requested police assistance in enforcing jaywalking laws at this location, also. all of this has been discussed, in articles that actually show balance.

this wasn't some random power hungry cop who just decided to cite people for jaywalking.

[bigbigslacker]

They wouldn't have received a warning. They would have got his phone number.

[smartass sob]

whip out a recording device, and trust in transparency to deliver justice.

They can record all they please, but nothing serious will happen to that cop. Sonofabitch needs to find out what it's like to get socked in the face though.

[The Gobbler]

Myopia much?

[smartass sob]

WTF you talkin' about, Gobbler?

[The Gobbler]

Your shitty vision.

[smartass sob]

Nothing wrong with my vision, dude. The cops up there in that part of the country sure seem to like beating up teenaged girls. Bastards ought to get a taste of their own medicine sometime.

[The Gobbler]

http://carlae.files.wordpress......-chart.jpg

[Liquid4012]

Maybe the girls in that part of the country like to assault cops. What's the use of a LEO if s/he can't enforce the laws?

Here's a nice video of Seattle teens punching... everyone:
http://www.yourdiscovery.com/v.....as-mayhem/

Seattle, you have a problem.

[Reason Readin Female]

Seattle doesn't believe they have a gang problem....they do.

Also, there was a death that night.
Christopher Kime died after being punched by some thug.
It might be forgivable for the producers of that show to be so lazy as to not get the information right....but they had on that asshole, Jim Foreman who is a local TV reporter. I guess he's an asshole AND a moron...

[smartass sob]

You like videos? Here's one for you. Like I said, big brave Seattle cops seem to enjoy beating up girls.

[Chinny Chin Chin]

It is tragic, how the wide dissemination of video technology has brought the worst out of our law enforcement officials.

I yearn for the gentler era, when nobody had a cell-cam and all LEOs were honorable.

[Tara Davis]

By "brought out" I think you meant to say "captured."

[Episiarch]

I have been told that cops in Seattle really like giving out jaywalking tickets. I guess this cop likes it so much, it requires him to punch girls in the face.

[Mike M.]

The scourge of jaywalking must be ruthlessly crushed by any and all means necessary!

[Groovus Maximus]

You know, jaywalking enforcement is really, to me, the most inefficient use of police resources. Think about it. You see a cop, as a herd, and you all decide to jaywalk. Really, is the cop going to detain all of you? And what of the people that jaywalk right past the cop as he is writing the ticket to the poor slob that he did decide to cite? If there are no vehicles in an intersection and one jaywalks, has a crime really taken place?

I say let liberty rule and if people are stupid enough to cross on foot in heavy traffic, let Darwin sort them out!

[JW]

let Darwin sort them out!

Exactly. Jaywalking is ultimately self-correcting.

[Tara Davis]

Except if you jaywalk on a busy street and a car has to suddenly brake and/or swerve to avoid your dumb ass, causing a secondary accident for people who were doing nothing wrong.

The law is there for a reason, as are the crosswalks.

[?]

That's sensible enough to be anti-libertarian!

[Groovus Maximus]

Yes, revenue generation. As Episiarch astutely points out, in NYC, society without the New Professionals(tm) "help" can easily correct their own and free up the cops' time to do more important things, such as checking the ID's of brown people.

[dunphy]

its not about revenue. it's about a busy arterial with several collisions and a request by, among others, the local high school to enforece jaywalking laws at that location. it's about a city that responded to a traffic safety problem by building a pedestrian overpass that these nimrods chose to ignore, and then chose to ignore the cop who stopped (one), and then the other who assaulted the cop and interefered with the other's arrest for refusing to stop.

[JW]

That's simply a negative externiality of a private good, like tailpipe emissions.

[AJs]

actually in this case this was a busy enough street that there was a pedestrian bridge... that the girls were walking underneath while jaywalking across a busy 4-lane street.

[oncogenesis]

The law is there for a reason

Worthy of an epitaph!

[Tulpa]

Right. And a property owner should not yell at / threaten with force people who trespass on his property, since if they did it in a large group, he would not plausibly be able to single each and every one of them out.

[Groovus Maximus]

I'll need to cite you for false equivalency, as no one in this case no one was a property owner and the area was public property.

Also, that's what sprinklers with a dye reservoir is for Tulpa, for such occasions as a mob showing up on your lawn.

[Groovus Maximus]

I rescind that citation, Tulpa. Spirit of the law you know.:-) I have to be consistent here, but the criticism stands.

[wylie]

Dye? I was thinking more along the lines of mace or the chemical in stinkbugs.

[Sean]

A lot of people also get hit by cars in Seattle. I hate the idea of jaywalking tickets, but they do exist for a reason - to prevent people from causing accidents.

To me Cap Hill is a great example. I've had to slam on the brakes 4-5 times when someone just walked right in front of me, not in a crosswalk, in the middle of a street. I think it's reasonable to cross a street if you are paying attention and there is no traffic, but a lot of people are not paying attention 🙁

[JW]

That's just Dr. Darwin toying with you. Besides, that's why God invented car horns and loud and prolonged swearing out the open window.

[Guy from LA (The State)]

But we all know Darwin's theory did not involve the American legal system. If you are the one eliminating a not-fit-for-survival human who is jaywalking, even if the case gets dismissed, it is going to hurt your pocketbook.

[CatoTheElder]

Yeah, the American legal system works against natural selection. Sure, one specimen of the least fit dies off, but the legal system showers vast quantities of cash upon his survivors, enabling them to copulate and populate and assuring the survival of their offspring.

[Resident Smartass]

And reinforced bumpers.

[bigbigslacker]

And hot coffee.

[Aresen]

"I think it's reasonable to cross a street if you are paying attention and there is no traffic, but a lot of people are not paying attention."

Vehicular Darwinism.

The unalert jaywalkers will be culled from the population in a few generations. Then the drivers will be able to go faster in the cities, requiring the jaywalkers to be even more careful...

Give it 1,000 generations and the problem will solve itself.

😉

[Sean]

Problem - there are externalities in your solution. The innatentive jaywalker becomes sidewalk jam, I am OK with that, but he/she also majorly damages someone's car. At the very least you're talking a new bumper skin and hood, and there is also a strong possibility of needing a new core support, radiator, headlights, etc. Even in an economy car hitting a human at 25-30 mph would likely cause 2,000-3,000 in damage. So, for the time being I think I am OK with jaywalking remaining a ticketable offense.

[Aresen]

No, it just selects for cars with stronger body parts. 🙂

Get out there and start improving the gene pool!

[Sean]

Stronger means heavier. The problem is that if you want your car to be faster, you need to add lightness. I don't want to have to drive a 1970 chevy pickup around all the time just because pedestrians are idiots. Those old steel bumpers do murder to modern econoboxen though.

I guess I will have to trust in my reflexes and ability to read the body language of meat sacks.

[T]

'75 K-5 Blazer, baby. In addition to having a big steel bumper positioned right at crotch height, the brakes are shit. Step out in front and the best I can do is slow it down some.

[JW]

Those old steel bumpers do murder to modern econoboxen though.

Not necessaarily.

[Sean]

There's a really similar vid out there of a subcompact demolishing a 90's Volvo station wagon. Modern construction techniques really do a lot for structural rigidity in crash situations, but 70's pickups are still quite beastly.

[Tara Davis]

The problem with 70s pickups is that the only "crumple zone" is the cabin area.

[Voton]

Agreed. This happens to me all the time, and I always tell myself that knocking one of our jaywalking African-American brothers or sisters 15 feet in the air isn't worth fucking up my car that much.

[race baiter]

Depends on the point value of the jaywalker.

[PapayaSF]

Years ago a friend of mine got his revenge against a jaywalker. She walked in front of his car mid-block knowing he would stop for her. Unfortunately for her, he was left-handed and holding a milkshake in a paper cup with his arm out the open window. So he hit the brakes, tilted the cup, and squeezed. It hit her like a pie in a silent film. "Gosh, I'm sorry, but you walked right in front of me!"

[Tulpa]

That requires a lot of preparation. I may have to keep a cup full of urine in my car from now on just in case.

[Slut Bunwalla]

One time I knocked a deer about 15 feet into the air and it didn't even scratch my car. Weirdest thing...

[?]

Give it 1,000 generations and the problem will solve itself

If Obama gets his way, in 1000 generations we'll all be pulling a travois.

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gre.....ravois.jpg

[Precolombian Poains Indian]

The horse drawn travois is like the automatic transmissions: a crutch for softies.

[?]

I couldn't find a picture of a Sioux-drawn one. And I looked for at least 2 minutes.

[The Gobbler]

Try "Lakota" As opposed to the racially charged Sioux:

http://www.firstpeople.us/pict.....00x571.jpg

[Episiarch]

People get hit by cars in Seattle because they're retards. As a former New Yorker, I see driving--and walking--behavior that is absolutely verboten in NYC, because you'll get hit or get the shit beaten out of you for it, but in Seattle, it's par for the course. People do it because other people just let them and don't react.

And jaywalking is just a revenue generator, like so many other things.

[Groovus Maximus]

Former? You can get as many procedures done as humanly possible, but you'll never get NYC out of your rectum, Epi.

[CatoTheElder]

That's because 2/3's of Seattle's downtown population is comprised of stoners, slackers, hipsters, and the mentally deranged.

[Sean]

Don't forget Juggalos!

[B]

Yeah, the driver/pedestrian situation in Seattle is exceptionally bad. There are enough people walking (I'm usually one of them) that as a driver, you really have to keep an eye out for them, but also enough people driving who NEVER walk that they tend to drive as though they are in a place like Atlanta or Dallas where almost no one walks. As a transplant myself, I've definitely had to change my own driving habits. For example, learning not to pull up too close to the curb to make a right turn until making absolutely certain that there is not a pedestrian coming from my right (whether I have the signal or not). I've never had to think about that anywhere I've lived.

And in Cap Hill (where I live) it is especially bad at night when people are coming out of the bars. I make it a point to not be driving then, whether I'm out drinking or not myself.

My understanding is that the law here is very much tilted in favor of pedestrians in any car-pedestrian incident, so with that in mind I really don't have a problem with SPD cracking down on *dangerous* jaywalking, and I say that as someone who jaywalks daily, albeit only when there are no cars near and mostly on side streets.

[Joe_D]

The one time I had to attend traffic school, the teacher was emphatic in repeating, over and over and over, that if someone jumps in front of your car and you hit them, you are *not* at fault.

Thought you should know.

[Sean]

Even if you're not at fault, you may have been involved in someone getting maimed or killed. Even if it were an accident caused by someone else being stupid, I don't want to have that on my mind.

[Tulpa]

if someone jumps in front of your car and you hit them, and you can prove this in court, you are *not* at fault.

FTFY, and good luck proving that.

[wylie]

Dash cams for everyone.

[CrB]

I FUCKING hate driving in Cap Hill, fuckin' sea of flannel and skinny jeans.

[sage]

I almost got run down by a cop in Seattle years ago while jaywalking. He rounded the corner and had to stand on his brakes to keep from hitting me. I think it shook him up pretty good, because he just waved me across. Good times.

[wylie]

What's the problem? Look at all that restraint! He didn't crack her with the nightstick or shoot her dog or anything!

[smartass sob]

Yeah, he didn't even tase her to death!

[Nick]

I'm actually shocked that he didn't resort to more violence. For starters he was having a terrible time handcuffing the first girl which has to be frustrating enough, especially in public where everyone can see his ineffectiveness. You can almost see his crank shrink as this goes on.

Then, second girl comes in and tries to pry them apart, a big no-no to cops. He clocks second girl in front of a growing audience of interested onlookers and still retains enough composure not to break first girl's arm while handcuffing her. He didn't pull his gun, his taser, his nightstick. Nothing. He won't be getting called for the next episode of Cops. That has to hurt.

[Richard]

"Rodney King," huh? Sorry, I'm totally fine with what the cop did. And so was pretty much everyone who called in to my local talk radio station today.

[Sean]

He was outnumbered, and they were touching him/wrestling with him. My stepdad was a cop and told me that whenever an LEO puts a uniform on, he's wearing a magic blue suit - if anyone touches him without his permission, they get arrested, period. Personally, I have a problem with authority, but I can see why police have to think that way. If the public sees that they can get away with not complying with police commands, or physically contesting police, it can get really scary for cops fast.

[CaptainSmartass]

Pretty much this. I'm no lover of cops in general, but in this situation the cop did the right thing. He was outnumbered and the other people involved were either wrestling with him or otherwise assaulting him. Kudos to him for showing restraint and not just shooting the whole bunch of them.

[SugarFree]

Jaywalking wouldn't be a problem if there was enough public transport in Seattle. Really, it was the repeated voting down of light rail initiatives that punched this poor girl in the face.

[JW]

If the monorail hadn't failed, this would have never happened.

[Episiarch]

The monorail didn't fail, you idiot. It takes at least 2-4 tourists to Seattle Center each run. How can you call that failure?

[JW]

Oh, they fixed it? When I was out there in '05, it was standing dormant, decaying away like one of those "what-if-people-disappeared-tomorrow" apocalypse porn shows.

[be-boppin']

Yeah, do you think this kind of stuff happened in Ogdenville, North Haverbrook, or Brockway?

[sage]

Jaywalking wouldn't be a problem if there was enough public transport in Seattle.

There's more than enough now. You know how many 400 lb union goons are out there driving empty articulated buses? A lot, that's how many.

[SugarFree]

Sarcasm detection failure.

[sage]

Do you not know me but at all?

[SugarFree]

Ah, counter-sarcasm sarcasm. Wheels within wheels. You clever bastard.

[sage]

Well, I detected your sarcasm, to be sure. But my statement? Not sarcasm - in fact I might be a bit conservative on the mass of the transit operators.

[Dagny T.]

Sug, I ask that when in Seattle, you consider riding the SLUT.

[SugarFree]

Oh, I'll do that. Don't you worry. I'll ride the SLUT hard.

[Maverick]

The SLUT gets around.

[SugarFree]

I like to ride the SLUT in the morning, so she knows she's been ridden all day.

[JW]

I wouldn't ride anything that Robin Williams had ridden already. It'll take days to vacuum out all the hirsuteness.

[John]

I am torn. I will freely admit the girl is a mouthy little shit who probably needed to be punched in the face years ago. If she acts like this to a cop, how does she act when a regular person crosses her? But, the situation never would have happened if the cop hadn't been harassing people for a bullshit crime like jaywalking. I hope the women goes to jail and the cop gets fired.

[NAL]

The cop will get fired, but the women are going to get huge settlements which they'll then use to spend themselves into bankruptsy.

[CaptainSmartass]

Jaywalking is not a bullshit crime. If someone walks out into the middle of the street they're going to disrupt traffic and possibly cause an accident, one that might not even involve them (someone may brake or serve to avoid them, causing property damage to others).

The woman needs to go to jail for assaulting the officer (she clearly grabbed his arm before he slugged her). As a strong believer in the right to self defense, the cop was completely justified in kicking the shit out of her once she did that.

[CatoTheElder]

Jaywalking is a bullshit crime in a lot of places, but not downtown Seattle.

[Tango Mike]

I'm from Pittsburgh, where we consider jaywalking our birthright. Crosswalks are for pussies.

[Tulpa]

I know a guy who got a ticket for jaywalking on Forbes Ave. in Oakland last week. So it looks like our rights are under attack.

[Tulpa]

The cop should get fired for "harassing" people for what you consider a bullshit crime? Did the cop vote for the jaywalking bill in the legislature?

This is libertarianism chauvinism at its worst. You don't like a law, so you think anyone who is involved in its enforcement is acting wrongly.

[Joe M]

No, I believe it was the punch in the face that John is referring to when he calls for the firing of the officer. The enforcement of the bullshit crime was merely the catalyst for further nonsense.

[Jeffersonian]

I tend to agree. If jaywalking is a bullshit crime (and it is, to an extent), then it should be narrowed or eliminated. Until then, I think firing cops for enforcing the laws legislators put on the books is bad policy.

[Monty Crisco]

I want to see what Tony has to say about this... I am pretty sure he will fall on Rev. Sharpton's side... so THREE CHEERS FOR THE COP! That bitch was CLEARLY resisting arrest and my policy is that even though I hate cops I am as polite as possible to minimize the amount of time I have to be in their company. If someone can shoot you legally, don't fuck with them. Bitch got what was coming - five across the eyes - and I am sure that transparency WILL deliver justice. Anyway, I am sure those innocent schoolkids didn't have a record as long as your arm or anything...

[Sean]

Pretty much my sentiments exactly. I really don't like police, but I am always polite with them.

[CatoTheElder]

White cop. Black detainee. No doubt. The police behaved stupidly.

[PapayaSF]

"Five across the eyes": nice.

[bigbigslacker]

Tony would point out how obviously racist everyone is in not supporting the black "victim" solely on account of her race. Same way he did with that douchebag professor who just happened to be Obama's buddy.

[bigbigslacker]

Tony would point out how obviously racist everyone is in not supporting the black "victim" solely on account of her race. Same way he did with that douchebag professor who just happened to be Obama's buddy.

[JW]

When will someone dub Yakkity-yak onto this?

[Groovus Maximus]

I was thinking El Kabong.

[SugarFree]

Only if it's the Alvin and Chipmunks version.

[?]

That cop doesn't seem very skilled at neutralizing teenage girls

Huh? Truly "skilled" would have entailed a clubbing or at least a tasing. So I'd say he handled it reasonably well, considering the nonstop verbal abuse and resisting arrest.

[Matt Welch]

Granted, I come from more militaristic Southern California, but my cop friends would have had a resisting girl handcuffed in about 10 seconds.

[Tara Davis]

In other news, Matt Welch still has cop friends!

[?]

It's Radley who's on their Enemies List.

[The Gobbler]

It's Radley who's on their Enemies Hit List.

[Tulpa]

Maybe the cop needs to take some tips from Ben Roethlisberger.

[P Brooks]

I'm totally fine with what the cop did. And so was pretty much everyone who called in to my local talk radio station today.

Ah.

Okay, then.

[Hector Garza]

Whole lot of statism and cop-loving in this comments section.

[?]

I'd call it a refreshing bit of dissension from the usual anticop group-think.

[Monty.Crisco]

Huzzah! (This is a LIBERTARIAN website, right?)

[P Brooks]

The cop will get fired

I'm betting six weeks paid vacation.

[Mike M.]

Imagine for a moment if this same incident had happened somewhere in the rural south instead of the uber-liberal land of the Venti triple mocha latte. It would probably be front page news on the New York Times for the next week.

[John]

Good point. Al Sharpton would descend on the town with 1000s of protestors. Oprah would be doing a special show from the town. Remember all the bullshit over that high school in Louisiana where the black kids got suspended for beating up a white kid?

[Daniel]

He should have punched her harder. That was weak.

[Sean]

Problem - there are externalities in your solution. The innatentive jaywalker becomes sidewalk jam, I am OK with that, but he/she also majorly damages someone's car. At the very least you're talking a new bumper skin and hood, and there is also a strong possibility of needing a new core support, radiator, headlights, etc. Even in an economy car hitting a human at 25-30 mph would likely cause 2,000-3,000 in damage. So, for the time being I think I am OK with jaywalking remaining a ticketable offense.

[Warren]

1) That cop doesn't seem very skilled at neutralizing teenage girls.

Who can?

[Kolohe]

Joran Van Der Sloot?

[The Gobbler]

FTW!

[Michele Hardy]

She was resisting arrest. Both women were VERY hostile, abusive and repeatedly put their hands on HIM. Obvioulsy, He should not have punched her but it is not like these 2 woemn were delicate flowers of femininity by any means. She felt confident verbally abusing him and arguing with Him BECAUSE of all the people around with cameras. She felt she was protected by that enough to provoke him. She was wrong.

[Groovus Maximus]

I notice you capitalized the pronoun when referring to this exemplary and honorable public servant, who was obviously demonstrating the Scalia "New Professionalism". Do you always deify the police? Further, I take it you are one of those, "Free speech, but only nice speech," types?

[Sean]

The pronoun capitalization is weird, but don't you think police have to demand a certain amount of respect/authoritah to do their jobs correctly? If people can just walk away from LEOs trying to cite them for stuff, what good does having a police force do?

The question of whether or not jaywalking is a bullshit offence is a seperate question. To my own amazement I can see the argument for having it on the books this morning.

[Groovus Maximus]

Fear =/= respect.

[Sean]

I agree. I'm not saying police should terrorize the public, only that there should be consequences for someone who obstructs or lays hands on police officers who are on duty.

[Groovus Maximus]

A punch in the face, IMO, hardly qualifies as an appropriate response.

Why didn't he tazer her like a good little piggie? Or call for backup? Better yet, just let the girl off with a warning and say "Have a nice day?" It's just a stupid jaywalking ticket. It's not the end of the world.

[Sean]

So someone shoves you around after resisting being detained and you're supposed to let them walk? I don't see why he should have to back down. If you resist arrest, things get much worse for you, so don't resist arrest.

It's really easy to second guess for us, watching this video after the fact. When your adrenaline gets up, you don't always make the best decisions, and given the situation I think the cop kept his cool pretty well.

[Tulpa]

Stick to the colonoscopies, doc, because I don't think I'd like living in the society you would design.

[Groovus Maximus]

I will. I never claimed to be a social engineer or central planner, Tulpa, and I certainly don't want to be. I hold cops to a higher standard, Tulpa. Maybe even an unrealistic standard, but I wish consistency applied across the board. No special favors for one group or another, none of this letting some bimbo off for "driving while cute", or some "connected" person off (most notably another cop).

It is the "thin blue line" that really gets my goat Tulpa; it seems "the do as I say not as I do" attitude seems so damn pervasive it's sickening. And before you get on me about DAISNAID, I don't have the luxury of a) sovereign immunity and b) my liability and potential loss of life in my job beats this cop's any day of the week and c) I am asked for help and provide my expertise when requested, as opposed to running around saying "Hmmm, that's nasty rash, let me rub analgesic ointment on it without permission", "You're walking funny. Do you have a hemmorhoid; here lemme check against your will" or "Gee, that's a wicked case of swayback, lemme manipulate your spine, stand down!" Or "I see you're been over in obvious radiating pain in your back and lower abdomen; I'm taking out your appendix and gall bladder for your own good!" In fact, I would submit my professional liability risk is way higher than 95% of the posters here in their respective professions, including yours.

[Groovus Maximus]

I also forgot to add what my patients care about it being healed, cured and and their diseases intervened and if they don't want to be compliant, they are free to leave. My patients care about favorable outcomes and don't have to worry about me punching their faces in if they are not compliant with a given therapy regimen.

[Cyto]

There's no evidence that a warning wasn't going to be the result if they hadn't refused to comply with his orders. A polite "yes sir" and apology will often suffice in that situation. The only reason to believe otherwise is that the school specifically requested stepped up enforcement of jaywalking at that location. A location which happens to have an overhead pedestrian walkway mere feet from the location they crossed the street - the presence of this walkway lets you know that this is an especially dangerous location to be crossing the street. It's not like they build those things at every street corner.

[Enough About Palin]

Tell that to a bullshit, punk-ass, gangbanger bitch with a gun.

[Groovus Maximus]

I have, EAP.

[.]

Who? The cop?

[Aresen]

Fear suffices for the police.

[Tara Davis]

I fully support your right to scream "fuck you, pig" at any cop in almost any situation.

However, pushing a cop away from somebody they are trying to detain... that's a face punchin'.

[.]

I fully support your right to scream "fuck you, pig" at any cop in almost any situation.

The cops don't - you can bet money on that.

[M]

funny becuase i did that and i was given a 50 dollar citation...for a noise violation

[Groovus Maximus]

See above response to Sean @ 12:11.

[smartass sob]

@Groovus Maximus:

The pronoun wasn't capitalized, but was typed in all caps - "shouted", if you will. I took it strictly as emphasis, not deification.

[Groovus Maximus]

He should not have punched her but it is not like these 2 woemn were delicate flowers of femininity by any means. She felt confident verbally abusing him and arguing with Him..[emphasis mine]

The first "him" was in all caps, correct. Though I was initially posting with sarcasm, the more I read Ms. Hardy's post, the less inclined I am to think they were mere typos.

[CaptainSmartass]

Obvioulsy, He should not have punched her

Bullshit. You put your hands on someone else illegally and you deserve to have your ass kicked up and down the street. Both of those girls should be in the hospital right now.

[.]

Nah, he should have pulled out his piece and shot them. Cop was obviously in fear for his life.

[P Brooks]

Stupid girl acts stupid.

Jaywalking doesn't even rise to the level of leaving your chewing gum stuck the bottom of a park bench.

[bagoh20]

This has nothing to do with jaywalking. It's about how you act when approached and ticketed by the police. If you think we should just fight it out right there, then you find this cop in the wrong. That would be a nice society you wish for there.

[Jim]

How many of these videophone carriers are on welfare, food stamps etc.?

You can't treat a cop like that and not expect ann ass-kicking

[.]

How many of these videophone carriers are on welfare, food stamps etc

What in hell does that have to do with anything?

[bagoh20]

I bet a group of working teens from working families would not act like that. In other words, dependency breeds this stuff.

[Mike H]

Can I get an AMEN!

[Sean]

I was a working teen from a working family and I still had all sorts of problems with authority. Granted, I never tried to punch a cop, but I've also never had suicidal tendencies.

[Groovus Maximus]

DOOOODEEEERRRRRRRRRROOOOOO!

[guy in the back row]

The cop is sucking off the public tit for a lot more money than a welfare queen will ever see.

[Tulpa]

I ride the bus to work every day, and am continually amazed at the level of technology ghetto people are carrying around with them. Here I am, pillar of the community with a respectable job and a Stone Age Moto flip-phone, while the guy sitting next to me reeks of alcohol, holding up a touch screen phone with a gorram keyboard attached to it against his ear going on about "Yo, ma otha baby mama done burn me lass not!" before leaving puddle full of garbage on his seat when he got off the bus. Where the fuck are they getting all this money from?

[T]

Your tax dollars at work, Tulpa! Or they're free market entrepreneurs selling drugs.

[Jeffersonian]

Not paying for the baby or the mama, Tulpa.

[Warty]

In that guy's defense, sometimes it's really fun to punch people.

[sage]

He might think about working out with his wife the heavy bag.

[Ragin Cajun]

I'd rather a video about Cop-Punching (and Girl-Taping).

[guy in the back row]

What about donkey punching?

[Ragin Cajun]

Now that's just aberrant.

[R C Dean]

So lets concede that she was resisting arrest.

Is punching someone in the face the approved cop procedure for that? Really?

Ya know, maybe cops should be doing a little thinking ahead. As in:

"Hey, they're jaywalking. I could ticket them, but there's a bunch of them, and if I try to ticket all of them, it will probably result in Drama. Is it worth it? Naah."

It takes two to escalate. If the offense ain't worth escalating for, maybe you shouldn't start in the first place.

[Groovus Maximus]

You beat me by 2 min. No more Cialis for you, Counselor. I keed, I keed.

[JW]

Respect the author-i-tie!

[bagoh20]

Then gangs rule. A gang assaults you as a cop drives by and he says: Naa, not worth the drama if I get involved.

The only problem was the girls' reaction. Without that bad decision, nothing goes wrong. Once she made that decision, it could not come out good. She was wholly at fault here.

[ben tej]

If the offense ain't worth escalating for

[tkwelge]

If I were that cop, I would of just told her that she is resisting arrest, whip out my cuffs, cuff her to my person or part of the cruiser, and waited for assistance. Then I would have told her that she could have just gotten a citation, but now she is going to jail for a little while. Problem solved and nobody had to be socked.

[.]

He didn't hit the one who was resisting arrest - he puched the one who grabbed his arm and interfered with the arrest.

[tkwelge]

It's not like he pushed her away or anything, he straight up decked her.

[Tulpa]

If he pushes her away she's just going to come back and keep interfering, probably more intensely the next time. The least coercive way to make sure that someone stops interfering is to slug them.

As private citizens, we all know this, and would react the same way if someone were grabbing at us in a public place, but apparently some of us think that cops have superpowers that allow them to prevent interference without coercing the interferer.

[Jeffersonian]

My first thought was that Miss Pink was begging for a nightstick shampoo. The cop could have made his life a lot easier if he had escalated.

[Nash]

He punched her because she assaulted him.

You assault a cop, you get punched in the face. Or worse.

[.]

Assault? You know, if you were to grab my wrist or arm and try to pull it away, and I turned around and decked you, I could probably be sued and charged with assault and battery. He punched her because he was pissed off that she had the temerity to defy his authority. The lords of creation are special, you know.

[Tulpa]

I could probably be sued and charged with assault and battery.

They could sue, but I seriously doubt they would win.

[Tulpa]

Libertarian tote board:

1. Throwing rocks at a person's head is not lethal force.

2. Grabbing someone's arm and pulling it is not coercion.

I'll keep updating it for you all.

[wylie]

Tulpa's tote board:

"The least coercive way to make sure that someone stops interfering is to slug them."

[T]

I dunno where you live, but in my state, once you lay hands on me, it's on like Donkey Kong. I can use whatever level of force necessary to get you to cease and desist, up to and including shooting your dumb ass.

[.]

It usually isn't necessary to slug someone - or shoot them. If you use unnecessary or excessive force, you're probably going to be in alot of trouble...unless you're a goddamned cop - they can get away with most anything. BTW, I live in a right-to-carry state, so one thinks twice about pulling a weapon on someone, if he's wise.

[Leo]

If they were thinking ahead, they wouldn't be handing out jaywalking tickets.

[?]

Nip-slip @ 1:24!

I keed, I keed.

[seattlelibertarian]

The real problem in Seattle is uneducated, undisciplined, fatherless young blacks. They are the biggest social problem. But guilty white libs from scandanavian heritages would rather blame aggressive cops. Seattle is very passive aggressive and overly liberal and the urban punks know they can get away with anything, play the race card and the urban league will whine and scream about their "rights". It's pretty pathetic really.

[tkwelge]

Why couldn't the cop of just cuffed the woman to himself or his cruiser? He could then wait for assistance while he tries to process the others. Then she'd be the idiot for not just taking the jaywalking citation. Did he have to sock her?

[Cyto]

That's what he was in the process of doing with the other one. If you watch the entire video you'll see that he was mostly very restrained. He lost his temper for a second when he took a swing at the interloper, but it was a pretty weak-ass swing. Mostly it had the effect of a push-back blow. You can tell by her reaction that he didn't hit her very hard. Stupid move to take a swing, but hardly rising to the level of police brutality.

He then proceeds to take a couple of minutes using minimal physical force to get the girl cuffed and in the back of the car. He never even took her to the ground - which was probably the "by the book" answer in that situation, and much more violent than that sissy-punch.

[Steve Gunn]

You can't take someone to the ground and leave your back unprotected when you're standing in the the middle of a hostile group.

My first instinct was to side with the "victim" out my standing hatred for LEO's (God do I fucking hate cops!)

But, in this case, he was perfectly justified, and it pains me to say it. He reacted cooly and calmly and did the right thing.

[Enough About Palin]

Thug-Life is a social desease.

[mouthbre]

She had it coming. If it were two males, they may have been shot. They both should thank their lucky stars.

[Mike H]

If he handled the situation well in the first place and took control of the suspect, he wouldn't have had to slug her. With that said, bitch got what she deserved.

[bagoh20]

I'm sure you have a fool proof method of controlling such bitches.

[ice t]

meet the pimp hand

[MarkySparky]

Total non-story. Not super-professional hitting a teenage girl, but admirably restrained considering the constant obscenities and physical confrontation. Back in the day, he would have brained her with a maglite and nobody would have said shit. Progress!

Acting like this is a serious violation cheapens the concept and makes principled critics of police power look like cop-hating douchebags.

[&]

Nice use of "brained." That word isn't used enough.

[Enough About Palin]

It's pretty clear the bitch doesn't have one.

[.]

...look like cop-hating douchebags.

Better than being cop-hated punching bags.

[Tulpa]

Exactly. Prepare to be reviled for sucking cop cock around these parts, though.

[bagoh20]

I know very few people who could have maintained the level of self-control that cop did under those conditions. Neither do you. He's exceptional and should be commended. He made the arrest, nobody got hurt, nobody with mace in their eyes, no collateral damage and nobody got away with their anarchy shit. Perfect job. What could have been better after those girls' reaction to the cop started it.

[R C Dean]

He made the arrest, nobody got hurt,

Tell you what, bagoh. I'll punch you in the face, and then you tell me nobody got hurt.

[-]

She didn't seem to be hurt at all.

[bigbigslacker]

They don't feel pain the way humans do.

[travis]

If she was white she wouldn't have got punched. In the exact same circumstances a white woman would not have been punched.
Probably just a coincidence that the last 26 friendly-fire killings of police officers have been of black police officers. The insurmountable evidence of police racism and use of violence against black folk should just be ignored.

[wylie]

Probably just a coincidence that the last 26 friendly-fire killings of police officers have been of black police officers.

To be fair, all 26 "victims" were armed.

[Edwin]

Bullshit. ANYONE in that exact situation would have gotten the same treatment. And they'd be LUCKY to not get worse.

Assault the cops or resist arrest, and you better be prepared to receive a lot of force.

[radar]

We can all agree here that the girl who got slugged acted like a jackass and brought about said punching. Granted. Now that that's out of the way, did the cop act properly? Well, I don't know what the Seattle police department's continuum of force policy looks like, but I'm going to guess that positive control comes before physical force. I see no effort at positive control here, at least not with the second girl (the one who got smacked).

On the whole, I can't say I get too worked up about this other than the fact that this was all over a ridiculous thing like jaywalking. This is not the UM kid getting the piss beaten out of him by a large group of riot gear-bedecked cops for no apparent reason. The punch may have been a bit much, but at that point SOME kind of response was called for by her actions. It's one thing when grannies get tased because they say mean things to cops, and it's something else entirely when someone physically intereferes with a cop. Sorry, you pretty much get what you asked for in that case.

[Leo]

A cop with a functioning brain, and there are a few of them, would already know that handing out jaywalking tickets is a stupid thing to do.

The problem is, this kind of duty is reserved for the shittiest cops on the force. They can't get rid of them so they give them shitty details. And the shitty cops take the assignments gladly because they're sociopaths.

[Nick]

It took him a couple minutes to handcuff a small girl, and only 5 seconds of that couple minutes was the delay caused by the other girl. So, I have to agree he's not very good at his job.

[jonathan]

A punch in the face is better than pepper spray or tazing. Fact is, whether you think it's victimless or not (and it's not) jaywalking is illegal. The police have a responsibility to uphold the law. A liberal society depends on the enforcement of law to function properly. This "f the cops" nonsense is immature and idiotic.

[R C Dean]

A gang assaults you as a cop drives by and he says: Naa, not worth the drama if I get involved.

Being assaulted by a gang is a little different than jaywalking. I think you could say that stopping a gang assault merits the likely escalation, but jaywalking doesn't.

[Tulpa]

That would be a pragmatic concern. Most of the people on this thread are not addressing the pragmatics of the situation, but screeching about how the cop attacked a poor innocent citizen.

[Edwin]

Yeah but it isn't the cops' jobs to decide what laws are more "important" than the others. In fact, that's often outright illegal.

And yes, the cops have discretion in enforcing the law - but resisting arrest and assaulting an officer is ALWAYS taken seriously.

And let's be frank, the cops already DO what you're saying. They indeed do NOT place jaywalking on a high priority. Certainly at least not here in the NY/NJ area. People jaywalk all the time, me included, and don't get cited.

But in this situation, the school ASKED the cops to help enforce the law, to get the kids to use the pedestrian pass that was built. And the punching didn't come from the jaywalking, it came from the girls resisting and outright assaulting the cop.

[wingnutx]

Grabbing anyone like that should result in a punch to the face.

Being under 18 does not absolve one of this.

[Nick]

I'd like a rewrite of the jaywalking law. Instead of "you can never walk here" it should be "you can't walk here when there is vehicle traffic because it interferes with that traffic." If the street is empty, cross at your discretion. Something like that.

[jonathan]

That would be a good idea. I'd support that 100%. That's very different from saying "I don't care what the law says, I'm going to do what I want anyway and screw the cops for doing their jobs."

[wylie]

This.

"Not Crossing at a Signal" != Jaywalking.

"Stepping into traffic assuming it will stop for you" = Jaywalking.

[domoarrigato]

hmmm, I was always thought the expression was "cold-cocking," not "cold punching." But then the whole sentance would have read "video of a Seattle cop cold cocking a gal in the face." I guess "cold-cocking" and "face" in the same sentance was judged to be too likely to descend into sophmoric humor. good thing we avoided that...

[Nick]

The pedants around here would never stand for using "coldcocked" or a variation since she wasn't knocked unconscious.

[domoarrigato]

fair nuff, but cold punched just sounds wrong, doesn't it?

[.]

Yes, it does. And cold-cocking is usually done with an object. I'd say the chick was sucker punched.

[PapayaSF]

No, I wouldn't say that. I always thought a sucker punch was one totally unexpected, unprovoked, out of the blue. She shoved the cop, so the result isn't a sucker punch.

[Tulpa]

In polite society the correct term is "bitch slapped".

[Invisible Finger]

Really, what self-respecting police officer thinks handing out jaywalking tickets is a wise thing to do?

The answer of course is neither of them.

But I'm sure they're only following orders.

[dunphy]

what self respecting reader doesn't realize that

1) the pedestrian overpass was built (*the one the jaywalkers ignored) to address a traffic safety problem, specifically a record of collisions due to JAYWALKING

2) these morons ignored the overpass and crossed the street right in front of a uniformed cop

3) seattle (like it or not) is well known for routinely enforcing jaywalking. and considering the # of collisions, many fatal, involving jaywalkers at this and other intersections, i have no problem with it.

[EscapedWestOfTheBigMuddy]

Some observations:

* Concerning the portion of the event in the video, the officer gets at least a little credit for restraint. As others have noted he limited the degree to which escalated the violence (no gun, stick or tazer) and didn't keep throwing punches after the situation reverted to just him wrestling with a single arrestee. Good show that.
* The public was surprisingly restrained. That blue shirt really does have a magical quality to it.
* Under some circumstances jaywalking is negligent endangerment of other people, which is why laws against it aren't totally bonkers. But the crime is one of endangering others and enforcement in situations where that does not obtain *is* unreasonable.

What follows assumes that the events that precipitates this are

1. Some dude jaywalks, and Officer Bob (OB) cites him.
2. On seeing this a group of bystanders make a point of jaywalking in front of the OB.
3. OB demands that they stay where they are so that he can cite them too (i.e. places them under arrest (read your next traffic citation)).
4. One of these folks walks off
5. OB chases her down and precedes to attempt to cuff her for resisting/fleeing
6. Her friend jumps in and the video picks up...

(I don't know this, but have gathered it from the discussion)

Bob made at least on strategic error. You see, that second group of jaywalkers are making a specific statement of contempt for either the law itself or of the officer. Trying to ticket people who have just made that statement is risky and has an aspect of "Respect mah authoritay!" to it. Bad move, Bob; there are time when not seeing crimes is an important skill. Your authority rises mostly out of the respect that people have for you and your uniform.

[.]

...there are time when not seeing crimes is an important skill.

Yeah, like when one of your brother officers commit them.

[aaaaa]

FYI, if you keep watching, i think at the -1:15 mark you can see a guy in the crowd walking around with an open firearm.
Pretty sure it was not to make a citizens arrest.

[?]

Was he on the grassy knoll?

[Dello]

I can't see it. Was it the Black guy?

[Massa Tom]

This performance leaves me disturbingly aroused.

[Byron]

The LEO certainly controlled his temper and the escalation of force more than I expected, but wow, does he need some additional training on restraint and submission techniques!

[zab]

Is this where all the cool racist Paultards hang out?

[R C Dean]

I'm having an argument with somebody.

Their friend grabs my arm.

I punch their friend in the face.

Have I controlled my temper and the escalation of force?

I don't think so.

[Byron]

No, but you're a lawyer, not a cop. I expect reasonable behavior from you.

[Tulpa]

Because you having an argument with someone is just like a cop trying to arrest a lawbreaker.

Tell me, what is the appropriate response when the person with whom you're having an argument runs away from you? I suspect the answer to this question will show you why the situations are fundamentally different.

[Joe M]

Well, they weren't just having an argument. He was trying to cuff her.

[TrickyVic]

""I'm having an argument with somebody.""

Not apt.

This is about an arugment, this is about attempting to establish control while making an arrest. The video clearly show the officers bad attempts at getting the one ladies hands behind her back so he could cuff her, then the other lady jumps in to obstruct.

The ladies wanted to fight the cop and he fought back. I don't see a problem. Sure the cop wasn't doing his job very well. That doesn't mean the arrestee gets to win or has a right to fight back.

[TrickyVic]

"""This is about an arugment, ""

Should have said this isn't about...

[.]

Or how about this: you're having an argument with your wife, girlfriend etc. You turn away from her and she grabs your arm to pull you back. You turn and slug her cuz you're pissed and irritated. Some of these hotshots around here might think you'd be justified, but any court in the country could probably charge you with spousal assault. You're a lawyer - am I right?

[Stormy Dragon]

Depends on the state. IIRC, in Pennsylvania, once someone initiates the use of force against you, you're legally allowed to escalate as long as you don't switch from normal to deadly.

[Dello]

The cops technique is just painfully bad. Grab the wrist with both hands and gently turn it over while turning away from her. If she's strong, use one hand to help roll the elbow over. She'll be bent in half, reaching for the sky, and easy to put the cuffs on.

[buzeeph]

She physically attacked a police officer. Hello? Is there some place in the world where that's a good idea? Does that usually work in Seattle?

[Gigolo Asshattin']

Post a video of a woman getting punched in the face, watch every hateful fuckstick online que up to talk about how they would have fucked her up worse. You stay classy, you monstrous assholes.

[Byron]

You must be reading different comments than I am.

[Sean]

There were a few comments regarding the fact that the girls and most of the people in the crowd are black. I think it was less than the race-baiting you would see in most comments sections, but it's still not ideal.

[Seattle resident]

I live right by this intersection and all these kids need a punch. This girl has a rapsheet as long as the Deepwater Horizon spill.

[Cyto]

After re-watching the video - this should teach the police that being video-taped by citizens is not a bad thing. He's totally vindicated by the full video, if something of a punk at being able to control his detainees.

Unfortunately, there's a media engine out there willing to turn a non-story into a story just because they have video. The Today show had the clip with the punch (blown up) on near continuous loop. During the time I was watching they never showed the larger context of the clip. This is like the anti-Rodney King video, where the context is actually important.

In the Rodney King case the lawyer for the cops broke the video down frame-by-frame to remove the context and justify the unjustifiable. In this case they are doing the same to the opposite effect. If you watch the cop wrestle with her for a couple of minutes trying to get her cuffed without resorting to additional violence you can see that he isn't hell-bent on doing violence to a poor defenseless minority teen.

[Lyle]

I'm with the cop on this one. He didn't run away at least.

[D-FENS]

Reminds me of an episode of Corner Gas... No punching, only jaywalking tickets.

[TP]

So, where was the cop's nightstick? Usually, a quick shot to the back of the thigh quiets things down real quick, without inflicting much damage.

[old redneck]

Cop should have used his tazer.

[geronimo]

That chick may be the dog stupidest cunt that ever crapped between a set of heels.

[Cytotoxic]

I have to agree with an earlier commenter that this is the most blown out of proportion police incident see here. The law being enforced here is shitty, perhaps, the officer is obliged to enforce it. One bitch is avoiding arrest and another is physically interfering in the arrest. Had it coming.

[Max]

Is this our Dagny T.???

http://lookbook.nu/look/4236-To-the-piercing-parlor

[heller]

Damn joke handle!!!

[ShmoFo]

I live near this area and it is popular for black kids to walk right out in the street, forcing cars to stop suddenly, glaring at you and sometimes cussing you out for no reason whatsoever other than they are really screwed up angry kids going nowhere fast. Could it be because you have a car, and/or your skin is a different color? It's nasty and a real drag and I don't mind seeing them ticketed for doing it.

[Bystander]

Looking at these comments and wondering how this site can be called "Reason"

[Byron]

Drink!

[Dan]

Honestly, this looks like this guy was doing the best he could. The girl he punched had pushed him. If you came into my office and pushed me as I was trying to do my job, I'll punch you as well.

I think it looks like he was having a tough time with the girl because he was trying not to mess her up. I am sure he could have taken her to the ground and really screwed up her face. He was being nice if you ask me.

[Byron]

There are a lot of techniques based on pain compliance he could have used to control and arrest her without 'messing her up'. Taking her to the ground in the middle of that crowd would have been a dangerous thing to do for both of them.

[Stormy Dragon]

The punch may not have been smart from a tactical standpoint, but I don't think it was wrong from a legal standpoint. If you are engaged in a legal activity and someone who doesn't like it comes up and starts pushing you, you are allowed to use normal (as opposed to deadly) force to make them stop.

[AlmightyJB]

I'm still waiting to see a tape of the police "abuse" when the person wasn't being combative.

[julio]

this cop is a coward i bet he would have called for back up had it been a man they need to get rid of this garbage we hire to uphold the law