TheAgitator.com
He Wants To Be Starting Something
Friday, April 2nd, 2010Prince George’s County, Maryland Sheriff Michael Jackson formally announced his candidacy for county executive this week. I wrote about Jackson’s political ambitions last October. Jackson is the sheriff who oversaw the violent botched drug raid on Berwyn Heights, Maryland Mayor Cheye Calvo, and while he has apologized to the mayor for wrongly raiding him, Jackson has refused to discipline any of the officers involved (in fact, he has praised them), and said if his department had to do the raid over again, he wouldn’t change a thing. Jackson is also trying to delay the release of his department’s internal investigation of the raid until after the election.
Jackson’s nothing if not consistent. Last September, in a lawsuit stemming from another botched raid, a federal jury found that the protocols governing police raids in Jackson’s department are unconstitutional. A year after that raid, Jackson’sdeputies again raided the wrong home, and this time—as they did with Calvo—they killed the innocent family’s pet. Again, no officers were disciplined. And the department didn’t change any of its rules or procedures.
Earlier this month, one of Jackson’s deputies was arrested by Prince George’s County police for suspected drunken driving. The deputy failed a roadside sobriety test, but wasn’t given a blood or alcohol test, nor was he criminally charged. Instead, he was turned over to Jackson’s department for an internal affairs investigation. Three weeks later, the deputy remains on the job, and Jackson won’t comment about the status of the investigation.
In announcing his candidacy this week Jackson touted his “executive-level experience.” I guess it’s true that he does have that experience. It’s what he’s done with it that’s the problem.
When asked by the Washington Post about the incidents above, Jackson replied, “How would it look for me, the leader of an agency, to not give my people the benefit of the doubt?”
For some reason I mentally hear that final quote from Jackson as if were delivered by Marlon Brando in The Godfather. In that context it sounds really appropriate.
“How would it look for me, the leader of an agency, to not give my people the benefit of the doubt?”
It would look like you’re doing your job, idiot.
County Executive Jackson.
One word.
No.
Ah, well — if his critics ask “why” he indulged official corruption, Jackson could just tell ‘em that is human nature.
“How would it look for me, the leader of an agency, to not give my people the benefit of the doubt?”
It would look a lot like….Accountability in Government!
Benefit of the doubt for your people is one thing, but in both the D.D. episode and the botched raid there isn’t any doubt at all about what happened, and there isn’t any doubt that innocent people were harmed in the raid and laws that citizens are expected to obey are flagrantly broken by L.E.O.’s without consequence. Think about how that looks Mr. Jackson…
“How would it look for me, the leader of an agency, to not give my people the benefit of the doubt?”
If he or one of his thugs encountered a private citizen who drove into a ditch and “failed” a “field sobriety test” would they give him or her the benefit of the doubt?
One man’s “benefit of the doubt” is another man’s “bitches be runnin’ wild.”
“How would it look for me, the leader of an agency, to not give my people the benefit of the doubt?”
Is his primary duty to the public or his subordinates?
Speaking of outrages, where the hell has Fluffy been?
“How would it look for me, the leader of an agency, to not give my people the benefit of the doubt?”
I’m gonna go with “coppy.” Is coppy a word? Screw it, I’m going with it anyways.
Love the post title.
“How would it look for me, the leader of an agency, to not give my people the benefit of the doubt?”
This is such a great line, in the sense that it explains soooo much. How much low-level thuggery–or even high-level thuggery–gets started around “protect your group” instincts like this? I’m guessing quite a bit.
I grew up in pg county and ever since the 70s the police there have been corrupt. The voters will probably elect this guy BECAUSE of his contempt. I’m so glad I got out of that sh#thole.
years ago, there was a guy working as a medic who would say, ‘Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt’ if he wasn’t sure whether or not to shock a patient who was in cardiac arrest. ‘Benefit of a doubt’ is still a joke about defibrillating people…
Michael Jackson means ‘do nothing’ when benefit of a doubt applies to his employees. He means ‘kill their fucking dogs, destroy their property, and stomp on their rights’ when he applies ‘benefit of a doubt’ to citizens.
Tell me when and where this man has a campaign event and the dog and I will be there in full “Puppies against Jackson” attire.
CC
Me too CC!
How about a little benefit of the doubt for the citizens?
As in innocent until proven guilty!
As in due process of law!
As in personal accountability when you kill someones dog or shoot a homeowner or destroy their property and terrorize their family!
The people of PG county pay your salary you fucking goon. They deserve some benefit of the doubt. Your myrmidons should be held to a standard of suffering consequences for their wrongful actions.
I long for the day when Americans wake up and start to shoot back at the first goon through the door. There is a proper way to serve a warrant for arrest or search and it does not include flash bang grenades, dozens of Jack Booted Thugs storming in the door and shooting anything that moves. It will have a profound impact on the next gang and their overzealous lust for brutality under color of law when the first guy in gets a dose of what they like to dish out.
Apologize–To acknowledge and express regret for a fault or wrong, etc.
To apologize and also say he would do the exact same thing again is disingenuous. Mr. Jackson lied to Mr. Calvo when he apologized. Probably not his first or last lie, but I hope he is held accountable for his dishonesty as well as his other crimes against the citizens of P.G.C.
“Last September, in a lawsuit stemming from another botched raid, a federal jury found that the protocols governing police raids in Jackson’s department are unconstitutional. ”
Radley: Could you please cite what case this was? I have a Fed 1983 Civil Rights Action pending against a Texas SWAT team now. This could be very useful informtion.
Thank you
Hee hee.
Radley – this seems to be an almost libertarian show http://www.hulu.com/watch/106763/v-pilot#s-p1-so-i0
OT Breaking News from the Precrime Desk:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100403/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_governors_extremists
The FBI says something can lead to violence. Wow.
“Is this pot of water getting warmer or is it just me?” — Froggie
“How would it look for me, the leader of an agency, to not give my people the benefit of the doubt?”
To any rational person it looks like precisely what it is: arrogant refusal to pursue what is *right.*
We need to get pictures from the raid, and make them into a commercial with the “wouldn’t change a thing,” “benefit of the doubt” and “executive experience” quotes plastered over them.
His last comment…raises my blood pressure.
How would it look?…to not give his people…the benefit of the doubt…well…it would look like…he might be the first…”leader” of a law enforcement agency…that is sworn to serve and protect…to recognize that everyone…without exception…should be held to the same standards…as those of us without badges…would be held to…in questionable circumstances…and therefore would demand…an unbiased investigation…transparency…and most importantly…the deserved accountability…that justice seeks.
Now…wouldn’t that be a miracle.
Radley…I wish you a Blessed…and Happy Easter.
http://www.justiceforsal.com
It’s not a problem that the police and prosecutors refuse to comment on ongoing investigations, or refrain from imposing any punishments until the investigations are finished. That’s all perfectly sensible. The problem is that they use these as excuses to avoid taking action, and then they stonewall the investigation and bury any unwanted findings as deep as possible.
The same comments made by people who had demonstrated by their past actions that they cared about seeing justice done for all involved would be admirable. But coming from people who have a history that demonstrates the opposite, it’s hard to hear it as anything but another attempt to put off any accountability for police wrongdoing.
What’s needed isn’t more citizens shooting back (which leads to both more dead people and more paranoid, trigger-hapy cops). What’s needed is more citizens deciding that police abuses aren’t okay, even if we’re told that this is how the police are protecting us from the bad guys. So long as so many citizens have this instinct for siding with the police even when they’re pretty obviously in the wrong, there won’t be public pressure for accountability, and it won’t happen.
Be nice if some gremlin were to whisper in his ear, “A word to the wise guy, Sheriff–what was done to your namesake can just as easily be done to *you.* But we’ll spare your dogs.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF4mRKXKJ34&feature=player_embedded
Anent the video above, about 35 seconds in:
“I think the police showed amazing restraint…”
OK, maybe he felt he had to say it.
Myself, I thought the dogs showed even more restraint by not eating the cops as well. “More, eh, long pig, Spot?”
Dear All/Radley: Anent comments #28 and #29. Please ignore/delete. It’s been a REALLY bad week. My bad.
@ Kevin:
“”And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand? After all, you knew ahead of time that those bluecaps were out at night for no good purpose. And you could be sure ahead of time that you’d be cracking the skull of a cutthroat. Or what about the Black Maria sitting out there on the street with one lonely chauffeur — what if it had been driven off or its tires spiked. The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin’s thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt!” – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
We aren’t at that point…yet. But all of the anti-Constitutional legislation abridging our freedoms and producing the laws that allow police to behave like thugs originated with the DrugWar. The rights-destroying provisions of the (choke, cough, puke) PATRIOT Act, the MCA, all of it…sired by that DrugWar. The acclimatization of the citizens to fascism…can be laid at the feet of the DrugWar.
How long before something happens in which the badged home invaders are successfully repelled with great cost to their side by an armed citizen unwilling to roll over and wet himself on command when the goons come calling? I don’t know, but it’s bound to happen, someday. And it may just start a civil war. And no one sane wants that.
Suggested chant for Sheriff Jackson’s public campaign appearances:
“Hey, hey, MJ–how many dogs did you kill today?”