Brickbat: Community Outreach

A Decatur, Alabama, liquor store owner is suing the city and a police officer who punched him when cops responded to a shoplifting incident he reported. Kevin Penn held the shoplifter at gunpoint and called cops. When police arrived, store surveillance video appeared to show Penn unloaded his gun and placed it on a counter. Officers took the thief into custody. But three of them confronted Penn about his gun. When Penn said he had a right to have a gun, Officer Justin Rippen stepped forward and punched him. The officers then wrestled Penn to the ground, handcuffed him and arrested him for obstruction.

Comments

[Adans smith]

His second mistake was exercising his rights. His first mistake was being a black man in Decatur Alabama.

[Fist of Etiquette]

When Penn said he had a right to have a gun, Officer Justin Rippen stepped forward and punched him.

The Founders said you can keep and bear arms, but never said the state can't punch you for doing so.

[Vernon Depner]

Yes. No one is stopping you from exercising your rights, but that doesn't mean there won't be consequences for doing so. Nelson has explained this to us.

[perlmonger]

What the fuck?

Goddamned pigs.

[sarcasmic]

He talked back to one of the king's men. He's lucky to be alive.

[croaker]

A black man with a gun in Alabama?

He's lucky he wasn't shot out of hand.

[D-Pizzle]

Definitely not Decatur's best and brightest. The criminals they are supposed to stop know full well that liquor stores are heavily surveilled.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

This sounds like equity law enforcement. Abuse and arrest everyone!

[KiwiDude]

Another nothing-to-see-here story until the footage gets out, then something happens.

Shirely no-one had seen the footage before it was leaked or they would have gotten on to this right away