Covered at Reason 24/7: Ex-Cop Convicted of Assaulting Mentally Ill Man After Arrest in Washington State

Reason 24/7

Police brutality doesn't always go unpunished.

From The Columbian:

A Clark County District Court judge Wednesday convicted and sentenced a former Washougal police officer for attacking a mentally ill man restrained in the backseat of a police cruiser.

In a bench ruling, Judge Sonya Langsdorf convicted Robert E. Ritchie, 53, of fourth-degree assault for a July incident in which he twice punched 26-year-old Tyler Lampman in the face after taking the man into custody. Fourth-degree assault is a gross misdemeanor.

h/t sloopyinca

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Comments

[The Immaculate Trouser]

With all those hat tips sloopy's been getting recently, I'm thinking he angling for a spot as a Reason contributor.

[LTC(ret) John]

Does this mean he has to go to Cosmotarian Cocktail Parteeze?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Nah, he's more of a Traktor Pullz kind of guy.

[Hugh Akston]

Langsdorf sentenced Ritchie to two days of house arrest, a $100 fine and two years of bench probation, during which he's to have no contact with Lampman.

Justice!

[Andrew S.]

Wait, two days of house arrest and a $100 fine constitute an actual sentence? I mean a for real sentence? Are you shitting me?

[Hugh Akston]

Of course! And of course it goes without saying that Lampman would have received the exact same sentence if the situation were reversed.

Assuming of course he was alive enough to make it to trial.

[Fist of Etiquette]

He had an exemplary record except for the time he tased a woman 27 times.

[WTF]

Hey, come on now, he was never properly trained not to punch retarded people in the face while they're handcuffed.

[sloopyinca]

What do you attribute tazing that woman 27 times to, cerebral palsey in his trigger finger?

[WTF]

Nah, he obviously wasn't properly trained on the number of times it's appropriate to tase the fuck out of someone. You can't expect our brave heroes in blue to have any judgment or accountability on their own, can you?

[PS]

While he was under house arrest he was forced to watch Downtown Abbey so it was really much worse than it sounds.

[sarcasmic]

Hat tip? Justice has been served!

[PS]

There will be no true justice until a few adjectives are thrown in, like "cloyingly filling sloopyinca"

[Episiarch]

You know, if I punched a retarded person like Hugh in the face twice, I think I'd end up with a much harsher penalty. Until the judge talked to Hugh, and then I'd have all charges dropped immediately.

[Hugh Akston]

Punch me in the face once, shame on you. Punch me in the face twice, shame on me.

[R C Dean]

Don't forget, this cop tied the 'tard down before punching him.

And got a misdemeanor, two days of house arrest, not even jail time, to spend watching the NCAA tournament, and fine that wouldn't even cover dinner in a really good restaurant.

But no double standard! Nuh-uh! No way!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Is there some secret law out there that says law enforcement officers must be either roided up or overweight? Employment can come with requirements, you know.

[Virginian]

A local PD's physical requirements are as follows: while wearing full gear the officer must exit a car, hop a six foot wall, cover a 1/4 mile on foot, jump a four foot gap, fire five rounds with both strong and weak hand, and then drag a 155 pound dummy 30 feet. They have 3 and a half minutes to do the first five things, and another minute to drag the dummy.

[WTF]

Not that those requirements are very difficult, but I'll bet they have to pass them once upon hiring or exiting the academy, and never have to pass them again. I've seen cops so fat and out of shape that just exiting the car is an effort, never mind hopping even a three-foot wall.

[Virginian]

Yeah you're exactly right. That's the entrance exam. And note it's not "hit a target five times", it's "fire the weapon five times."

I haven't run over a mile in nearly a decade, and I bet I could make a three minute 1/4 mile. I'd be red faced and sweaty and out of breath, but I could do it.

[Stormy Dragon]

1/4 mile in 3 minutes is only 5mph. If you're in a hurry, you can walk that fast.

[Virginian]

Wow so it's even easier then I thought.

[Paul.]

Yeah you're exactly right. That's the entrance exam. And note it's not "hit a target five times", it's "fire the weapon five times."

At a random pickup driving down the road. Check. We already knew that. Or is the 'five times' supposed to be an example of showing restraint. "Fire only five rounds, we dare you!"

[Paul.]

and another minute to drag the dummy.

One of the other officer's volunteer to get dragged or is that mandatory?

[BlogimiDei]

Fuck LE.

I love JPD

[Capt Ace Rimmer]

Feds could and should nail this cop to the wall. That may still happen.

[R C Dean]

Unless the cop is white and the victim is black, DOJ won't be interested, because civil rights.

[Loki]

Well, despite what you may have heard to contrary, retards ARE as strong as apes, they DO rule the night, and they DO run in packs. So really, what choice did the cop have?

[Stormy Dragon]

Obviously the solution is retarded apes, which are stronger than both retards and apes individually.

[Loki]

Cops are retarded apes...

[Mensan]

FWIW humans are apes.

[Paul.]

It's an isolated increment!