THE POLICE PROBLEM
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/texas/comments/1fvvgad/blue_alert_at_453_am/
www.techdirt.com
> The MRI machine’s magnetic force then allegedly sucked his rifle across the room, pinning it against the machine…An officer then allegedly pulled a sealed emergency release button that shut the MRI machine down, deactivating it, evaporating thousands of liters of helium gas and damaging the machine in the process. The officer then grabbed his rifle and left the room, leaving behind a magazine filled with bullets on the office floor, according to the lawsuit. > Despite the TARGET PREMISES’ legitimate business certification, OFFICER FRANCO, as a natural next step, contacted LAPD’s Gang and Narcotics Division Cannabis Support Unit. OFFICER FRANCO learned that the TARGET PREMISES, a medical diagnostic center, does not have a license to cultivate cannabis, a finding he promptly labeled a “violation of the California Health and Safety Code.” > Based on his 15 years as an LAPD officer and twelve hours of narcotics training, and based upon the presence of security cameras (typical of any reasonable commercial business), tinted windows (a reasonable practice for any medical facility concerned with patient privacy), high power usage (as any diagnostic facility), the alleged odor of cannabis plants (in a busy shopping plaza with no prior reports), the absence of a cultivation permit (which no diagnostic healthcare facility would possess), and the presence of two men wearing identical company branded shirts (unexpected of individuals involved in illegal cultivation), OFFICER FRANCO found probable cause for cannabis cultivation at the TARGET PREMISES.
www.techdirt.com
> Georgia State Police officers stopped Amir Meshal, a professional truck driver, for a minor traffic infraction. During the stop, the officers received notice that Meshal was on the FBI’s No Fly List. Despite clear language on the notice instructing the officers not to detain Meshal based on his presence on the list, they handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a patrol car while they sought and waited for guidance from the FBI. While they waited, the officers searched the inside of Meshal’s truck and questioned him about his religion and his international travel. After determining that his truck was free of contraband and receiving the all-clear from the FBI, the officers released Meshal with a warning citation for the original infraction. He was detained for 91 minutes in total. > When [Officer] Janufka returned to the patrol car to tell Meshal that “narcotics- and explosives detecting canine teams were on their way,” Meshal asked “if he was being detained because he is on a watchlist.” Janufka responded, “Exactly. So, you know what’s going on?” Meshal then “explained that he had been detained in 2007 in Somalia by Kenyan authorities working with federal law enforcement agencies, and that he ended up on the No Fly List after refusing the FBI’s requests to work as an informant.” Janufka responded, “This is over my head. I’m getting instructions on what to do.”
stitchsnitches.com
The lawsuit stems from an incident on December 29, 2023, when Manis was pulled over in Monroe County for allegedly having illegally tinted windows, a claim Manis denies. According to the complaint, Manis was cooperative and respectful during the stop, and Trooper Riley Shreiner noted that there was no sign of intoxication or marijuana smell. However, the situation escalated when Trooper William Yates-Matoy recognized Manis as the brother of someone he knew and insisted that Manis had marijuana in his car, despite no evidence. Yates-Matoy then accused Manis of being under the influence because his eyes were red, which Manis attributed to just waking up.
Your privacy is important. [Protect yourself from Google with the FreeTube app.](https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube)
www.cnn.com
cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/43424862 > Police in a majority-Black Mississippi city **discriminate against Black people, use excessive force and retaliate against critics**, the Justice Department said Thursday in a scathing report detailing findings of an investigation into civil rights abuses. > > The Lexington Police Department “has created a system where officers can relentlessly violate the law” in one of the poorest counties in America, according to the Justice Department. Investigators found **police also sexually harassed women and kept people behind bars for minor offenses because they couldn’t afford to pay fines**. > > “Today’s findings show that the Lexington Police Department abandoned its sacred position of trust in the community by routinely violating the constitutional rights of those it was sworn to protect,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said.
Your privacy is important. [Protect yourself from Google with the FreeTube app.](https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube)
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19963910 > JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into a Mississippi sheriff’s department whose officers [tortured two Black men](https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-goon-squad-sentencing-6d0fb2b195ec319411a2ee2333b5f5d6) in a racist attack that included beatings, repeated use of stun guns and assaults with a sex toy before one of the victims was shot in the mouth, officials said Thursday. > > The Justice Department will investigate whether the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department has engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force and unlawful stops, searches and arrests, and whether it has used racially discriminatory policing practices, according to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. > > Five Rankin sheriff’s deputies pleaded guilty in 2023 to breaking into a home without a warrant and engaging in an [hourslong attack](https://apnews.com/article/rankin-mississippi-deputies-civil-rights-brutality-2c2154e67cc6cd3b9a28cb16686f2a5c) on Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker. A sixth officer, from the Richland Police Department, was also convicted in the attack
From [r/acab](https://www.reddit.com/r/ACAB/comments/1fj5974/26yearold_rhyker_earl_killed_by_indiana_sheriffs/): FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE September 16, 2024 On September 8, 2024, 26-year-old Rhyker Earl experienced a medical emergency around 8:30 PM. He underwent a severe seizure at home in Demotte, Indiana. His grandmother called 911 for emergency assistance. EMTs from Keener Township Emergency Medical Services and officers from the Jasper County Sheriff's Office responded. While they were on scene, Rhyker was in a postictal state, trying to recover from his seizure. He was confused and agitated, typical symptoms for someone who had just suffered a severe seizure. As Rhyker was trying to put on shorts to go to the hospital for medical attention, he lost his balance and fell into an officer. At that time officers became aggressive, yelling, "you don't treat law enforcement that way." Officers took Rhyker to the ground and handcuffed him face down on the floor. Multiple officers then remained on top of Rhyker while EMTs administered three separate doses of sedatives. Some of the EMTs on scene had responded earlier in the day to a different location when Rhyker had another, less severe seizure. They knew he was undergoing a medical emergency, and they also knew he had asthma. Officers stayed on top of Rhyker for more than 15 minutes, with his face in a pillow. During this time, Rhyker begged for his life and screamed that he couldn't breathe. His pleas, and those of his aunt and grandmother, were ignored. After more than 15 minutes, Rhyker went limp. His aunt noticed that Rhyker was blue in the face and pleaded with EMTs to do something. After an agonizing few minutes, they finally took Rhyker's pulse and realized he was not breathing. Rhyker was taken to the hospital, but it was too late. After tests confirmed Rhyker had no brain activity, life support measures were terminated on September 10th. National civil rights attorney Ben Crump, along with Indiana attorney Stephen Wagner, have been retained by Rhyker's family to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. At this early stage there are still many unanswered questions. Why was Rhyker treated like a criminal, not a patient? Why did officers ignore the obvious risks of prone restraint? Why did they ignore his pleas that he could not breathe? The family's attorneys intend to fully investigate this matter and hold all those responsible for Rhyker's needless death accountable. During this difficult time, Rhyker's family would like to thank all those who have expressed their condolences on the tragic loss of a young father who was loved by many, especially those who attended the candlelight vigil for Rhyker last evening. Until their investigation is complete, the family and their attorneys will have no further comment. Stephen M. Wagner WAGNER REESE, LLP 11939 North Meridian Street Carmel, IN 46032 Email: SWagner@WagnerReese.com Mobile: (317) 431-6966 One of the Attorneys for the Family of Rhyker Brian Earl
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13420137 Tracker removed from URL * [Archived page](https://archive.is/dCT1C)
www.bbc.co.uk
For evading a $2.90 subway fare...
reason.com
Medina offered two puzzling excuses for leaving his camera off. He "cited intermittent conversations with his wife, who was a passenger in his unmarked patrol vehicle at the time of the collision," Ortiz says. "He claimed there was a right to privileged communication between spouses, which specifically exempted him from mandatory recording requirements." But the relevant policy "does not provide for nonrecording based on spousal privilege." Even more troubling, Medina said he "purposefully did not record because he was invoking his 5th Amendment right not to self-incriminate." Since "he was involved in a traffic collision," he reasoned, he was "subject to 5th Amendment protections."
PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio — Portage County's sheriff appeared to call for residents to record the addresses of residents who publicly display support for presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Sheriff Bruce D. Zuchowski, who took office in 2021, made the remarks in Facebook posts shared to two separate accounts on the night of Sept. 13. "When people ask me...What's gonna happen if the Flip - Flopping, Laughing Hyena Wins?? I say...write down all the addresses of the people who had her signs in their yards! Sooo...when the Illegal human "Locust" (which she supports!) Need places to live...We'll already have the addresses of the their New families...who supported their arrival!" Zuchowski wrote.
eu.indystar.com
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13349939 > cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13145612 > > > (edit) Would someone please ship some counterfeit money through there and get it confiscated, so the police can then be investigated for spending counterfeit money?
www.theguardian.com
> Danny Torres, 27-year veteran who forcibly arrested Hill in Florida on Sunday, suspended for total of about 50 days
www.propublica.org
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19678700 > The New York Police Department has tossed out hundreds of civilian complaints about police misconduct this year without looking at the evidence. > > The cases were fully investigated and substantiated by the city’s police oversight agency, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, and sent to the NYPD for disciplinary action. They included officers wrongfully searching vehicles and homes, as well as using excessive force against New Yorkers. > > In one instance, an officer punched a man in the groin, the oversight agency found. In another, an officer unjustifiably tackled a young man, and then another officer wrongly stopped and searched him, according to the CCRB. > > The incident involving the young man was one of dozens of stop-and-frisk complaints the NYPD dismissed without review this year — a significant development given that the department is still under federal monitoring that a court imposed more than a decade ago over the controversial tactic.
When law enforcement officers question a young person in custody, it is called custodial interrogation. In many states, lawyers are not guaranteed for every child during police interrogation, and most states allow children to waive their right to legal counsel—even if they are unclear about what that means. In Delaware, Illinois, Oregon and Utah, law enforcement cannot use deceptive tactics such as making false claims about evidence or promising leniency when questioning a minor. Nevada is among the states to have enacted other safeguards, such as requiring police officers to read a simplified version of Miranda rights to young people during interrogations. Utah passed a similar bill earlier this year. Some states, including California, Illinois, Maryland and Washington, have adopted legislation to mandate that youth speak to a defense attorney before waiving their Miranda rights. Also during the 2023 legislative session, three states—Colorado, Indiana and Nevada—enacted laws making a young person’s statement inadmissible if deceptive tactics are used during questioning.
www.techdirt.com
_The video makes it disturbingly clear that the kitchen floor, onto which Killian was ordering Ramirez and Gonzales to lie down, was covered by this point in their dogs’ blood._
www.theguardian.com
> A police officer dragged Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill out of his car and then forced him face first on to the ground during a traffic stop
www.desertsun.com
According to the video, a minor answered the door after the deputy rang the bell. Captions in the video say the minor closed the door after seeing the deputy, only for the deputy to open the door and let himself in. After Shirey points at the deputy, he grabs her and pulls her onto the front porch before putting her in handcuffs. The Sheriff's Department says she was ultimately booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for resisting arrest and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. "This incident occurred over a month before being posted to social media and only days before the arraignment of the individual arrested for delaying/obstructing an investigation and contributing to the delinquency of minors," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement. All body-worn camera footage has been obtained, and the Sheriff's Office says it will conduct a thorough investigation to determine if discipline is warranted.
Source https://apnews.com/article/trump-police-crime-law-enforcement-de5662eb889fb5dd75a893e1871b3400
edmonton.ctvnews.ca
Sequence of events: 1. Lightning-Saddleback made a 911 call at 12:28 a.m. stating he was being followed by a group of people who wanted to harm him. 2. In an interaction captured by the officer's in-car video system, the two spoke about the situation, and the victim gave the officer a machete and a knife that he had in his possession. 3. The officer determined that the victim was at risk and attempted to arrest him. 4. The victim panicked and ran. He was struck by gunfire and fell to the ground.
Talk about intimidating the populace!
denvergazette.com
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19313916 > A retired Aurora police sergeant faces criminal charges for raping his daughter and continually sexually assaulting her and his two adopted daughters, but he remains free from custody while his ex-wife is in jail for objecting to court-ordered reunification therapy meant to repair his relationship with two of his sons.
denvergazette.com
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19313916 > A retired Aurora police sergeant faces criminal charges for raping his daughter and continually sexually assaulting her and his two adopted daughters, but he remains free from custody while his ex-wife is in jail for objecting to court-ordered reunification therapy meant to repair his relationship with two of his sons.
slatereport.com
Disgraced Massachusetts cop Matthew Farwell, 38, strangled Sandra Birchmore, 23, in 2021 after she revealed she was pregnant with his child, prosecutors alleged Wednesday. Farwell is accused of having a years-long sexual relationship with Birchmore, beginning when she was 15 and he was 27, the US Attorney’s Office said.
>Instead of showing her hands as told, they said, the 16-year-old girl stood and approached them with the blade. > >Two officers opened fire simultaneously, one with a less-lethal foam projectile and the other with real bullets, killing her two days before Leafa was to start her junior year of high school. She had recently moved from American Samoa to get a better education and was still learning English, her family said. > >Leafa was among seven people shot by Anchorage police since May... more than twice as many as the department typically shoots in a year. Four of the subjects were killed. Archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20240827115115/https://apnews.com/article/police-use-force-officer-shooting-anchorage-456f54d86ad8e3d60e07ab75eb2fcac6
Louisville Metro Police Department says Javar Downs, who works for the Traffic Unit, was taken into custody on Friday. They said a person was arrested on Wednesday and the next day, filed a complaint with police saying around $4,000 of their $10,000 had been taken. LMPD's Public Integrity Unit opened an investigation and, early Friday morning, arrested Downs and charged him with theft by unlawfully taking over $1,000 and official misconduct. The department said Interim Chief Paul Humphrey placed Downs on emergency suspension, limited his police powers and has begun the process of firing him.
According to police, officers were investigating Ridder on an unrelated matter when they found evidence of child pornography on a device belonging to Ridder. His home and other devices were also searched. When Sheriff Gerald Sticker was made aware of the allegations, he said he placed Ridder on administrative leave and made him surrender his department uniforms, gear, and car.
THE POLICE PROBLEM
!thepoliceproblem@lemmy.worldThe police problem is that police are policed by the police. Cops are accountable only to other cops, which is no accountability at all.
99.9999% of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct is never investigated, never punished, never makes the news, so it's not on this page.
When cops are caught breaking the law, they're investigated by other cops. Details are kept quiet, the officers' names are withheld from public knowledge, and what info is eventually released is only what police choose to release — often nothing at all.
When police are fired — which is all too rare — they leave with 'law enforcement experience' and can easily find work in another police department nearby. It's called "Wandering Cops."
When police testify under oath, they lie so frequently that cops themselves have a joking term for it: "testilying." Yet it's almost unheard of for police to be punished or prosecuted for perjury.
Cops can and do get away with lawlessness, because cops protect other cops. If they don't, they aren't cops for long.
The legal doctrine of "qualified immunity" renders police officers invulnerable to lawsuits for almost anything they do. In practice, getting past 'qualified immunity' is so unlikely, it makes headlines when it happens.
All this is a path to a police state.
In a free society, police must always be under serious and skeptical public oversight, with non-cops and non-cronies in charge, issuing genuine punishment when warranted.
Police who break the law must be prosecuted like anyone else, promptly fired if guilty, and barred from ever working in law-enforcement again.
That's the solution.
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Our definition of ‘cops’ is broad, and includes prison guards, probation officers, shitty DAs and judges, etc — anyone who has the authority to fuck over people’s lives, with minimal or no oversight.
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RULES
① Real-life decorum is expected. Please don't say things only a child or a jackass would say in person.
② If you're here to support the police, you're trolling. Please exercise your right to remain silent.
③ Saying cops ANYONE should be killed lowers the IQ in any conversation. They're about killing people; we're not.
④ Please don't dox or post calls for harassment, vigilantism, tar & feather attacks, etc.
Please also abide by the instance rules.
It you've been banned but don't know why, check the moderator's log. If you feel you didn't deserve it, hey, I'm new at this and maybe you're right. Send a cordial PM, for a second chance.
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ALLIES
• r/ACAB
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INFO
• A demonstrator's guide to understanding riot munitions
• Cops aren't supposed to be smart
• Killings by law enforcement in Canada
• Killings by law enforcement in the United Kingdom
• Killings by law enforcement in the United States
• Know your rights: Filming the police
• Three words. 70 cases. The tragic history of 'I can’t breathe' (as of 2020)
• Police aren't primarily about helping you or solving crimes.
• Police lie under oath, a lot
• Police spin: An object lesson in Copspeak
• Police unions and arbitrators keep abusive cops on the street
• Shielded from Justice: Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States
• When the police knock on your door
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ORGANIZATIONS
• NAACP
• National Police Accountability Project
• Vera: Ending Mass Incarceration