Brickbat: Compassionate Cops

Eevlva / Dreamstime.com

The Evans family had just gotten back from the hospital, where their two-month-old son had died of a respiratory infection. That's when West Valley, Utah, cops showed up. Officials say it is routine for them to investigate any "unattended death." But the child's grandfather told them them to leave the family alone. That didn't sit well with the cops, who proceeded to knock down the door, pepper spray family members, shove them around, and arrest the baby's father for assaulting an officer when he tried to defend his family.

Comments

[Hugh Akston]

It cannot be easy to go through life being so brittle and self-absorbed that violence seems like a good response to a minor slight.

[henrijefson]

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[Hugh Akston]

I can only assume your response is due to your uncle also being a violent, needy, emotionally undeveloped man-child who physically abuses you for failing to cater sufficiently to his ego. it doesn't matter what car he drives or what he does for a living, spam-bot, you don't have to live like this.

[Rat on a train]

It is a black SUV.

[Crackers Boy]

Racist!

CB

[Jerryskids]

It seems like it wasn't "the cops" who showed up, it was one lone officer according to the story. Unless and until you're in those shoes, one lone brave officer facing down a whole family of murderers so monstrously depraved that they kill sweet innocent little babies, you have no right to talk. You weren't there, you don't know what happened, you don't know what it's like to put your life on the line every single day just to protect and serve a public undeserving and unappreciative of your sacrifice. Plus, when you're getting beaten and pepper-sprayed by armed intruders in your house, it takes your mind off your dead baby so it's really like the cops were doing them a kindness in their time of sorrow.

[croaker]

Look at the video. It was two officer who kicked in the door and made illegal entry. The residents would have been within their rights to shoot those pigs dead.

[Rod Flash]

If they had rights, that is.

[Cynical Asshole]

Fuck your rights

THIS IS WHAT COPS ACTUALLY BELIEVE

[Rat on a train]

No animals were harmed in making this arrest.

[Radioactive]

yet!

[Leo Kovalensky II]

Mr Evans, you're free to go. But it seems there was a mistake during the arrest. We're going to need you to bring in your dog to be euthanized.

[Kivlor]

We're going to need you to cut your dog's head off so we can test it for rabies

FIFY

[Longtobefree]

Only because there were no animals there (before the invasion)

[Cynical Asshole]

After the invasion there was a pair of 'roided up pigs.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"The incident that prompted this complaint came to our attention through our own internal review process. West Valley City Police supervisors regularly review actions taken by our officers, including things such as, response to resistance and forced entry. It was during one of these standard reviews that we became aware of this incident. The incident did pose concern for us and prompted us to immediately launch an internal investigation. That investigation is currently underway. While this investigation is occurring, the involved officer has been placed in a modified assignment where he has no contact with the public.

The West Valley City Police Department is committed to gaining a full understanding of this incident, how it happened, why it happened and how we can ensure that only the highest levels of professionalism are displayed by West Valley City Police Officers."

The "incident" being the failure to erase home security footage. That behavior can't be tolerated.

[some guy]

the involved officer has been placed in a modified assignment where he has no contact with the public.

Maybe we can get all the officers placed on such modified assignments, in the name of public safety?

[Citizen X - #6]

Does the "modified assignment" involve being locked in a shipping container that's slowly filling up with sand? Because that seems like the best possible fit for this officer's inclinations and proclivities.

[some guy]

Personally I believe in proportional responses to anti-social behavior. This cop deserves some felony assault charges and a few years in prison.

[Citizen X - #6]

Can we at least bring back scourging?

[TrickyVic (old school)]

An ACRO?

Angry Cop Restraining Order

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

Pepper spray was deployed in a split-second-decision by the officer as an aid to the grieving process. Let the tears flow.

[Longtobefree]

I get confused easily.
The article says that the baby died on the second visit to the hospital.
The article says that the officer was investigating a unattended death.
So why was the officer at the family home instead of at the hospital where the poor child was left unattended to die?
GPS failure?
The lawyer should be researching how much insurance the hospital carries, as well as the police.

[Libertarian]

"The lawyer should be researching how much insurance the hospital carries"

Aint that at the truth. Second visit.

[some guy]

Police have unlimited insurance thanks to your friendly local tax-payer.

[croaker]

If the department is smart, they'll go limp on the officers and say their actions were outside of policy. That way they avoid the bulk of the liability. They'll still be on the hook for failure to train/supervise.

[Don't look at me.]

More money needed for training!

[Libertarian]

Huh. Looked up a weird two-word term on Wikipedia. Perhaps the West Valley PD should take a look:

A search warrant is a court order that a magistrate or judge issues to authorize law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person, location, or vehicle for evidence of a crime and to confiscate any evidence they find. In most countries a search warrant cannot be issued in aid of civil process.

Jurisdictions that respect the rule of law and a right to privacy constrain police powers, and typically require search warrants or an equivalent procedure for searches police conducted in the course of a criminal investigation. The laws usually make an exception for hot pursuit: a police officer following a criminal who has fled the scene of a crime has the right to enter a property where the criminal has sought shelter. This contrasts with authoritarian regimes, where police typically can search property and people without having to provide justification or secure court permission.

[sarcasmic]

Since when did the law apply to those who enforce it?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Exigent circumstances. The responding officers had reason to believe that an ongoing incident of aggravated disrespect was happening inside the dwelling.

[croaker]

Official Butthurt In The First Degree

[some guy]

Next look up the word "anachronism".

[Cynical Asshole]

This contrasts with authoritarian regimes, where police typically can search property and people without having to provide justification or secure court permission.

Since we're living under an authoritarian regime, I fail to see the issue here. /sarc, sort of

[Conchfritters]

Heros doing heroic acts.

[SQRLSY One]

"An apology isn't good enough," said Tevin Evans. "We don't think those words from the officer will be meaningful because he may be forced (by his superiors) to say those words."

Yes, indeed, Tevin Evans does understand some basics about how human animals think and live!

"Mistakes were made".

"I'm sorry if you feel that way about it".

[Citizen X - #6]

Don't want to get arrested like a thug, don't be a horrified, grieving parent like a thug.

[Griffin3]

Hear.

[Inigo Montoya]

I suppose the cops figure their actions temporarily made the family completely forget their grief, so it was not all bad.

Also, how was the death "unattended" when it's clear it happened in a hospital and with the parents there?

[Citizen X - #6]

Paperwork mixup. So, obviously, nobody's at fault, and we should all just move on.

[croaker]

The underlying cause of death occurred at the home, thus "unattended death."

[H. Farnham]

Don't worry, the taxpayers will provide the family with a large settlement and provide the officer with pay while he's very sternly not allowed to work for a few weeks. The system works!

[sarcasmic]

Not allowing a cop to be a cop is indeed severe punishment. Most cops have their entire personal identity wrapped up into their job. They live to work. Strutting around with the power to do whatever they want to whomever they want without consequence is what they live for. Take that away and they are nothing.

[croaker]

The punishment would be more meaningful if he was forced to be a meter maid, in blouse, skirt, hose and heels.

[H. Farnham]

Eh, I don't know if I agree completely. I think that probably would apply to this particular cop, and a great many others, but lumping all police officers into that category seems a bit collectivist. I've personally known cops who are good people, and whom I doubt would do something like this. The biggest problem is that individuals are rarely ever held accountable in that profession because the standard for criminal behavior is set so ridiculously high with cops.

[H. Farnham]

Oh, I mean... KILL BLUEY!

[sarcasmic]

You said "all," not me.

[Eidde]

Like some other professions, they need to clean house. There's plenty of cops who do great work so long as they're assigned actual crimes to fight, and don't raise too much a public stink about their misbehaving colleagues. In an imperfect world, given the options, I'm glad we have this kind of cop. The other kind, not so much.

[Seamus]

Yeah, I know. It's terrible how a mere 99% of cops give all the others a bad name.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""Not allowing a cop to be a cop is indeed severe punishment. "'

There is some truth to that. There is also some truth that the cop will likely continue being a cop somewhere else.

[Get lit]

So it's like that. Regular nut punches aren't good enough. Now you distract me with butterflys and hugs before kicking me in the balls.

[Finrod]

And cops wonder why people don't have more sympathy for dead cops. What goes around, comes around.

[loveconstitution1789]

The Founding Fathers had a clear solution to government officials who violate the 4th and 5th Amendments and are tyrannical to a point where the Constitution is ignored:

The 2nd Amendment.

[Inigo Montoya]

Truth be told, it's amazing that more people don't know this, nor that it ever comes up in gun control arguments.

The founders didn't enshrine the 2nd Amendment because hunting was a much more important source of food back then for most people, nor because of high crime rates, etc. They did it because, just like what spurred the 4th, 5th, and even 1st Amendments, they had RECENTLY lived under a repressive colonial government.

People who talk crap like, "Daily life was different 200 years ago," miss the point that oppressive government officials existed back then and still exist today. If prostitution is the world's oldest profession, my guess is "leaders" who lord it over everyone around them "for their own good" is the world's second oldest profession.

[Cynical Asshole]

my guess is "leaders" who lord it over everyone around them "for their own good" is the world's second oldest profession.

And it has a lot in common with the first.

[Finrod]

"Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first." -- Ronald Reagan

[Matrix]

how was this an unattended death? It doesn't fit the definition.

[StackOfCoins]

Watching that pig get decked was pretty satisfying. Unfortunate for the family any of this happened.