TheAgitator.com
The New Professionalism
Friday, December 23rd, 2011
Maybe there’s a legitimate law enforcement reason to strip a man naked, strap him to a chair, tie a “spit hood” around his mouth, put a hood over his head (see video at the link), and douse him with pepper spray until he dies. That’s what sheriff’s deputies in Lee County, Florida did to 62-year-old Nick Christie two-and-a-half years ago.
I certainly can’t think of any such legitimate reason. But Lee County State’s Attorney Stephen Russell apparently can. Because he cleared the deputies involved of any wrongdoing.
Christie’s family just filed a lawsuit.
And police wonder why they’re hated.
Sounds like another great opportunity for the DOJ to bring charges of civil rights violations against rogue law enforcement. Alas, they’re too busy running guns in Mexico to do such silly things.
The legitimate reason is because they’re fucking sadists who get off on torturing people.
I hear they’re recruiting Lt. John Pike for some special training.
Truly Appalling!
782.07 Aggravated Manslaughter
A person who causes the death of any elderly person or disabled adult by culpable negligence under s. 825.102(3) commits aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult, a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
825.102(3)(a) “Neglect of an elderly person or disabled adult” means:
1. A caregiver’s failure or omission to provide an elderly person or disabled adult with the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the elderly person’s or disabled adult’s physical and mental health, including, but not limited to, food, nutrition, clothing, shelter, supervision, medicine, and medical services that a prudent person would consider essential for the well-being of the elderly person or disabled adult; or
2. A caregiver’s failure to make a reasonable effort to protect an elderly person or disabled adult from abuse, neglect, or exploitation by another person.
You’re telling me you can’t get an indictment? Get someone in front of a god damned grand jury.
Anyone here want to take the side of the cops? Anyone?
When is the White House press corp going to start asking (every day) about cases like this…instead of non-stop softballs? Put it on the front page.
Abu Gharib has blatantly arrived on our shores.
The War on Cops* – their integrity, character and truthfulness – is the ONLY war I support.
*to include all in law enforcement and their badgelicking fuckbuddies.
Everyone,EVERYONE that was in the smallest way associated with this atrocity including the prosecutors should be tried and convicted of murder by torture. Anything LESS in un-American. We as a People should not allow this to happen EVER!!!
Used to be you had to be an international spy to have a license to kill.
Something worth watching:
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/12/22/off-duty-deputy-arrested-for-murder-following-bar-fight-in-murrieta/
I assume they were trying to torture either a confession or information out of him. If they did it to him, they did it to others, almost certainly. Someone should look into the cases this police department has solved with confessions recently….
I am sure there was dancing involved.
I’ve been adding these stories to my arsenal of arguments for a stateless society that’s based on the non-aggression principle. Just how well is the state working when it can rarely convict or even dissuade many of the most evil people in society? Even vigilantism looks like an improvement to me!
Exactly why I hate and have no respect for the grand majority of police officers. Sick bastards.
From the video:
The family’s lawyer says, “…that evokes thoughts of being tortured.”
The tortured man’s wife says, “It was almost like he was tortured.”
Of course, he was tortured to death by a pack of public servants working under color of law…am I right to assume that the identity of the killers is the primary reason nobody is on that video (including the victims) saying this man was tortured to death?
Also, WTF was that bit at the end where the reporter went off on a rant about pepper spray not being regulated by the appropriate government agencies? Talk about deflection, and that was their ending point? They tortured him to death. They can do it using hands, elbows, feet, knees, zip ties, cuffs, firearms, vehicles, batons, tasers, box trucks, water, chemical sprays, toilet plungers, etc. Blaming the manufacturers of the pepper spray is so shameless and so illustrative of the fact that this is a part of ourselves that is just too painful to look at honestly. We better learn how before it’s too late!
If I were on the jury, I would push for an award far in excess of what is sued for. I think one or two orders of magnitude would be sufficient to get the attention of the authoritahs. Say, 25 MILLION dollars. Wonder what the electorate would think of that? Would they still support said prosecutor and said cops? I think not. So long as their insurance covers the award amount they will not pay any attention. Exceed the insurance limit by a healthy amount, make the citizens live without services they want but can’t afford due to the award, and see how they feel next election.
#17
I agree wholeheartedly.
Albatross, he wasn’t arrested for planting a time bomb or kidnapping a child. He was arrested for disorderly intoxication. So I don’t think they were going for information or a confession. I guess they just get off on abusing people under their control, and I seriously doubt this was the first time.
Mission Creep: They got away with torture in overseas, no one really raised much of a fuss, so now it’s being done here.
Exactly how much more of this bullshit are we, The American People expected to take?
#17
Next election, the electorate will feel like capping damage awards.
#16 Arthur,
If you followed the marketing of Taser International you’d know at least one manufacturer has some blame. The chemical weapon manufacturers tend to put limits on distance and dousing as a warning as their chemicals can kill asthmatics and COPD sufferers. Taser International does put limits on duration and number of shocks, but still maintains “it’s totally safe” no matter what. They’ve pushed the idea that it’s “excited delirium” from drugs or whatever they thought their hat would hang on that causes death, nothing to do with the use of electricity that induces muscle paralysis after severe muscle contraction.
There is a reason that when police are tased they have 2 or 3 men to catch them and have medical personnel ready. Motorcycle helmets are tested with a six foot straight drop as one parameter for efficacy, a taser creates that very test when used against a citizen who drops down to the asphalt or concrete curb, but Taser International ignores it. As do the police who use it not for countering violence but for compliance. After all, their safety is paramount, and Taser International knows that their tasers are being used in that manner. They have blame for the ensuing injuries (try a face plant, or a straight back on the head, for example).
BTW, if cops could measure up to what I’ve seen Coast Guardsmen do in the north Pacific on rescues (violent seas, 3 minutes max survival by water temperature, climbing rope ladders while alongside heaving ships, landing helos on decks moving 5 to 10 feet or more), who did it voluntarily and without thought of their own safety but only for the safety of those they were trying to rescue, I’d give them blanket hero status. But only a very few cops measure up.
#19, Fair a guess as any, but torture is often used (traditionally) to get a confession of something, not necessarily the thing you arrested someone for, and not necessarily something that was actually done by someone in the first place.
#22 Ariel:
off topic, but it’s funny that the Coast Guard (what should be called the “Navy”) doesn’t actually guard the coasts, but has evolved into almost purely a rescue organization (save for drug interdiction in the carribean.) The Navy, charged with the task of “defending” us, is off in far-flung seas attacking other countries.
I’m not a big fan of government programs of any kind, but the Coast Guard as it exists today I could live with, if it was one of the precious few that had to stay on the books.
Who needs a grand jury? These cops -all at TPD – need a taste of their own medicine. Strip all of THEM naked. Put THEM in a restraint chair. Spit Mask. Then spray the bastards with their own pepper spray until someone gives up the murdering bastards that did this. I mean, if it works for cops to do it to citizens, then maybe they need a little taste of Abu Ghraib for their own personal edification.
The first cop that says that this procedure is a violation of his civil rights gets punched in the face. Because every man jack – with the exception of the deputy trainee who has given a deposition on the subject – is either a perpetrator or an accessory before and after the fact.
How nice to be a cop in TPD. We can torture someone to death, have it ruled a homicide and still be immune from criminal prosecution.
@ #22 Ariel:
Wow, I feel like i was just in 40′ seas trying to follow how that was in any way a response to my comment.
Omission from #26:
The fact is that Lee County, Florida tortured a man to death 2.5 years ago and not a damn thing has been done about it…forgive me if i don’t want to talk about the Coast Guard!
I often think that the following would be a good policy to have for law enFORCEment, including prosecutors:
Anything they want to be able to do to the public as part of their jobs must first be FULLY tested on them. Not the “half measure” version of taser and spray testing they do now. The full stream. Conducted by members of the public, not by fellow badge toters.
I’m sure there’d be no shortage of volunteers willing to line up and help the fine officers test out these (supposed) non-lethal measures and tools.
This is some gestapo shit, seriously. This should be all over the headlines in Britain and Germany and all the covilized countries. If the shit Kim Jong Il did to his people is worth condeming by all the human rights watch organizations then why the hell isn’t this?
The thugs who tortured this man to death, and the shyster who let them walk away for it, are proof that there is no justice system in Lee County, Florida.
-jcr
The real purpose of torture is always terrorism. The intention is to scare anyone sympathetic to the victim into silence.
-jcr
My home county!
It makes a feller proud…
Publish the name and home addresses of all those involved. That will be enough to eventually get Americans to react in the only effective way we now have left.
Lee County State Attorney’s Office: (239) 533-1000
“…obviously there’s pepper in it…*chuckles*…let’s talk for a minute about how pepper spray works…”
They can get away with it because of “journalists” like that.
What, exactly, is the purpose of calling the state attorney’s office aside from getting you on someone’s list and possibly a knock on your door?
@7 Boyd Durkin,
A cop was defending the cops in the Hit and Run thread about this.
Clearly local prosecutors cannot be trusted to investigate or charge their police officers impartially. City/county police should also be under the jurisdiction of the state or federal level, just as a matter of course.
Funny insert about the Coast Guard and actually VERY appropriate and on point as the Coast Guard is now saying it is a BRANCH OF MILITARY that can arrest, detain, police, regulate, enforce and YES… even adjudicate civilian affairs and thus by doing so…. MAKE civilian law…… [martial law?]..
Go check out what the Coast Guard has been doing to me since 2003 in charging me as an “alleged” Civilian with “being depressed” and using Coast Guard Military JAG counsel to prosecute me aggresively in what is clearly a military tribunal, and even use Coast Guard Uniformed Commissioned Medical OFfices and Staff [as graduates of the Coast Guard Academy] to observe me in the proceedings and declare me to be “medically/ mentally incompetent” by how I defended myself in the proceedings against a Branch of Military that I am not in… nor ever served within….
More propoganda blurbs placed in here by some who would wish to cover up what the Coast Guard is invovled within BP and the Gul Oil Disaster, and a number of other events and breaches of the public commons….
sorry for the typos.. but was kind of pissed about what they did to this guy and that someone had the nerve to try and throw in a blurb about the peace loving MILITARY POLICE known as the Coast Guard…..
@lunchstealer, you MUST be joking. You are looking to state and fed bureaucrats to protect us? omg, omg, OMG Don’t you get it YET??????
According to codified law, not constitutional law, the police can do anything they want if you object and then some.
Under the new Patriot Act they can turn you over to be transported out of country if they want and never heard from again.
A person above stated sections of the law that are no longer of any consequice.
I hope you get it through your thick skulls that talking about it is going to solve the problem.
An organized response of force is the only way left. Or just set back and shut up!
#36 Lunchstealer,
This kind of leads into a question I’ve been thinking about… how is the prosecutors reaction to this any different than that of the people involved in the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State. “Special” people are covered for I guess. Scary that more people think that way than I used to be willing to believe.
How about a new policy that prosecutors must recuse themselves when law enforcement in THEIR jurisdiction are under investigation? So cops in county “A” are being investigated for something like this, well county prosecuter in county “D” (far enough away) will handle this investigation- AND remain anonomys- so as to avoid any conflicts of interest.
I’m not a lawyer, and I’m about as average as your “average Joe” can be… so I can’t pole the holes in that idea. But it seems like a good one to me.
Sorry all… looks like my idea is almost identical to lunchstealer’s… so it MUST be good!
Answer, short of a Title 42 suite: create legitimate Citizen’s Police Review Boards
#39
In the 70s as well before the 3 missions of the USCG were: SAR, LE, and War, in that order, with real heavy emphasis on SAR. It has been a branch of the Military since 1799, whether under Treasury, DOT, or now DHS. And it could “arrest, detain, police, regulate, enforce” American laws on waterways, coastal beaches (at least in times of war), or within the recognized limits of American waters, the latter goes back to it’s inception as the Revenue Marine Cutter Service from 1790. The additional areas of LE power may have accrued over time, I’m not going to bother with an in-depth history that you should know but don’t. It was 1915 that the name changed to incorporate the emphasis on SAR.
That you’ve been caught up in legal issues, which are probably supported by today’s laws, rightly but likely wrongly, doesn’t negate what I’ve said regarding SAR, or that the Coast Guard always had an LE power. It doesn’t come under Posse Comitatus because it’s mission has always been LE under strict restrictions. However, attributing “Martial Law” to what the Coast Guard does is just pure BS.
This quote gave you away: “the Coast Guard is now saying it is a BRANCH OF MILITARY that can arrest, detain, police, regulate, enforce and YES… even adjudicate civilian affairs and thus by doing so…. MAKE civilian law…… [martial law?]“. Unless the DHS has so expanded their mission as to make all it’s history, where it could do just what you say (it doesn’t make civilian law, still), into something more….
#40
Further reinforcement that you have no idea of the history and continual mission of the US Coast Guard. They’ve been LE since 1790 for Christ’s sake. REVENUE Marine Cutter Service means “Treasury Department laws”. I never wrote they were “peace loving” because they are Military, but that the mission of war was third on the list after SAR and LE (the part you think is new after 221 years of doing LE, its original mission per Hamilton ). Really, you embarrass yourself with anyone that knows the Coast Guard.
Still, they’ll routinely put their ass in danger to save yours on the high seas. Been there, seen it, shook hands of those saved and doing the saving. Me, I was the War part of the mission. Never saved lives, but did get to point a 5 inch at a Russian trawler (more tonnage and quite capable of sinking us while surviving the collision itself) which purposely cut across our bow requiring a full twin-screw reverse. It was an LE moment regarding coastal waters.
I’m sorry about your legal problems; incorporating the USCG into the DHS wasn’t my choice. Use a link that directly gives the details of your case and I may side with you on your issue. However, sending me to a site that states “we are clearly under martial law” just leaves you on the wacky fringe. Speaking of that, I bet you think a US flag with fringe means “martial law” or “admiralty courts” or whatever other than just decoration.
As for the issue at hand, really, what did the officers do wrong? So somebody died by their procedures, ok, they followed procedures. What could possibly be wrong?
My old-man died a few years ago. He’d been a cop for years. And when he finally gave it up to the worms, -I could have cared less. He was an abusive weekend drunk who put our family thru hell. His “cop-buddies” were on par with him. Had I been able to take a p1ss in his urn -I would have.
The “new” generation of “cops” is on par with Nazis. I’m not kidding. G00GLE “Police State” and check out the videos, etc. I think in order to be an officer in the USA, that there should be a DIFFICULT test on the US Constitution -heavy on the RIGHTS section. And then refresher courses every so many years. And notice that I said “OFFICER” — not “cop”.
My sympathy to the victim & his family. I hate to think that someone’s life ended this way. I hope his friends & family can find comfort in memories of better times.
Outlaw all electric shock and pepper spray weapons. There is some fault of human nature that makes us – some of us more than others – turn into sadistic power tripping control freaks. No one should possess these weapons.
I hate cops.
#48, The procedures, obviously (and the people who followed them). If I made a list of procedures for my hirelings to follow that involved doing horrible things that got harmless people killed, few people would point to those procedures as a justification. They’d point to the actions as a condemnation of the procedures and anyone who had a hand in designing or following them. And rightly so.
If your claim is that weapon manufacturers, rather than users, are to blame, the same excuse works for them: they’re just following their procedures.
(Excuse my spelling)
I worked in the medical field for more than 15 years. At no time were we allowed to restrain ANYONE, either chemically or physically, unless a doctor’s order was issued.
I worked for a hospital for about 2 years. My ONLY job was to sit with people. I was a sitter, my job was to make sure the patient didn’t harm themselves or others. It cost a lot of money. Why? The ENTIRE hospital and it’s multiple campuses, nursing homes and hospices ( I worked at their AIDS hospice for 4 years) RARELY PHYSICALLY restrained patients. No, we are not talking straps, hoods, bed harnesses, we are talking about getting a doctors ORDER for something simple as FULL BED-RAILS. locking wheelchair trays. I wont go into all that we were allowed to try up to that point, such as bed alarms, wheelchair (seat) alarms. We even put mattress on the ground before we would strap someone into their beds.
So why can the cops do it? Because they view ALL individuals at their worst possible capabilities. Essentially, every one of us is Hannibal Lecter.
There is a situation where this does work, it’s call Universal Precautions, but this pertains to body fluids. Ergo, EVERYONE has AIDS, Hepatitis, TB, etc.
This DOES NOT work with mental illnesses. There is a new movement in society that 100% of citizens in custody, are Hannibal Lecters. There is a huge difference between being mentally ill and Insane. And every single study concerning the mentally ill and violence shows that most mentally ill individuals are never violent. Most mentally ill people simply want to be left alone.
It all in the definition and redefining old definitions. This one is getting away from us, it might be too late. Read all the articles about these kinds of deaths, and you will always see this statement “The safety and welfare of the officers is most important”. Or “The officers feared for their safety”.
That’s the one that needs to be discussed “”The officers feared for their safety”. Since when is hysteria and paranoia, acceptable? “Fear for one’s safety” is highly subjective, isn’t it? A 6′ body building marshal arts expert police officer can be terrified of a 3lb chihuahua. Then take a 5′ 98lb female postal worker who has no problem staring down a dog more than half her weight.
Therein lies the problem, the court defining reasonable fear. But then, even the Judge’s views are subjective, especially if the Judge is a dog lover or not.
proof that all cops, lawyers and politicians should be shot on sight, and their carcases hung from light poles as an example to everyone…
it sounds like anarchy and vigilantism, but if that is what it takes, so be it!
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I don’t condone someone killing a specific police officer for the crimes committed by police in general.
But, if it happens, I can understand.
#29 – the gestapo found most of their victims from neighbors reporting other neighbors. sadly the social fabric in usa is that of ‘be quiet at the grocery store’.
if you wana make a difference, keep waking people up IRL as i have done since 03. grocery store lines, all clerks you see, just say something simple like “did u hear about that new wikileaks thing” or “did u hear about that dude that was strapped to a chair and peppersprayed to death by cops” ? ¿ oh well have a nice day.
The thing is I believe that the states attorney is also afraid of Police and Judge retaliation, much more then the retaliations of the public, because the public is weak and is just worried about money or whatnot, and how this effects them overall. I believe that the police force has got too much power and no oversight, it’s only getting worse. Don’t you think it’s funny that Cops are called in to bust up people protesting and or forming unions/meetings while they themselves have the strongest union around? The fact is that our government is a joke and we are living in a circus tent of clowns entertaining us and not letting us see outside the tent.
As an admirer of the US, I am Horrified that the States attorney let the Police off.
As to pepper spray, the Policeman in New York was seen walking along casually spraying protesters in a line all of whom seemed to be sitting (restrained)?
This sort of story does not do Lee county or the US any favours!!
Angry Englishman
(No I’m not a Commie)
If this happened in the Netherlands we’d slaughter the guy with a plastic spoon.
[...] The cops who tied a ‘spit-hood’ around some dude that was tied to a chair and pepper-sra…. [...]
We will not see this image and story on main stream media.
And this was 2 1/2 yrs ago. Think of all those who have had similar treatment we never hear about. Now add the indefinite detention apice. We’re in deep caca
wow…and we all wonder why most police officers do whatever they want..when are we gna start prosecuting these killer cops…the boys in blue are the biggest gang..facebook.com/justiceforernest
when will you start taking some affirmative action on this? if a bunch of women can organise to get the vote, surely you can all get together and rescue your country from slipping into facism.
What if the same had been done in Iran?
When will we learn that the only way to get rid of bad cops is to lay a claim on their bond. When the bond company has to pay the claim, they will cancel coverage for the bad cop. Bad cop now out of business and no one will hire him EVER again because they cannot get coverage on him.
Why sue for millions and those bad cops are still on the streets? Peace.
I have never heard of this story.. I know that cops.procuters can be like peas inl the same pot as for judges they seem to go along what the procers want. You should remember the witch hunts of the 90ds whe cops.judges and procetors railed roaded insodents people to prisons. It took the appells court to get them out. It seems to be now they want to forget the trails just get them now becasus the judges let them walk. It seems that the little people or the poor have no chance with or so call2ed legal systems. Sorry about spelling. This seems to the answers to when ever we the people stand up the cops knocks us done without any punshment to them we are so lost in the jungle of injustes for the masses by the few in charge.
The legitimate reason is fuck you that’s why
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