Cops and Skateboarders, What do you think?

Is the cop too abusive? confused

This happened in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

There are two parts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOKb2PQs4kc&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT6z0dQ_-pg&mode=related&search=

 

Yeah, this just recently happened. I know the videos were put up on Tuesday or something.

There was a news article yesterday in the newspaper, but I don't have it anymore. The kids that they caught were arrested and charged, but I don't remember for what.

 

Hot Springs Police say it is a violation of a city ordinance to skateboard on the city

Hot Springs Police announce today, Officer Joseph Williams is on paid administrative leave, while an investigation is conducted into his actions during the arrests of six individuals. Police say on June 21, the group was skateboarding on the sidewalks, then fled when an officer tried to stop them. They face charges of resisting arrest, battery, and fleeing.

Although the charges will most likely stand.

http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/?cid=57101

 

Well, every state is different, however:

Here you cannot ride a skateboard on a side walk or public area like that. It is illegal.
The first one was asked to stop--he did not. Thats unlawful fleeing. It is illegal.
The others swarming the cop deserved to be arrested--they were interfereing with an arrest. The cop was right to cuff all of them--they could have had a gun, or knife. He was well within his rights to spray or taser them if they did not disperse.

I think the cop did lose his temper and shouldnt have manhandled them when he didnt have to--but the kids are far from innocent here. They messed around with a cop, and lost. To expect that they could talk trash to a cop, and swarm around him while he was arresting someome--and get away with it...thats ludicrous.

 

The streets were busy, Hot Springs relies heavily on Tourists. It is a beautiful place.

The kids were surely aware they were outside the law in skateboarding on the sidewalks. They were trying to do damage control by acting innocent. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

 

^^^^^^

I agree, 100 percent.

 

It's a tough call. On the one hand, you have kids riding skateboards where it is likely clearly posted that it is not allowed, i.e. a busy sidewalk. Did anybody get hurt by these kids? Probably not this time, but if one of them had hit an elderly pedestrian, serious damage could have resulted. When the cop says stop, you stop. Period. You and your friends do NOT start verbally harrassing him, you do not resist, you certainly do not run. Nothing will upset a cop more than making his fat butt chase you.

On the other hand, cops are people. Whenever you look at a cross section of people, you'll find a lot of jerks, to put mildly. Some cops are no better than thugs, and the only difference is they get a badge, a gun, a paycheck, and the legal system backing them. Their word versus yours.

In my county there was a Deputy Sheriff, 2nd in command, that followed a woman with her baby into a restaurant parking lot. She was on her way there to meet her husband for lunch, and apparently did something to agitate this OFF DUTY officer. When she stopped,he was screaming and cursing at her at the top of his lungs. The husband sees this, and tries to find out what is going on. The off duty cop pulls his pistol, and the husband ends up getting arrested for resisting arrest, assaulting an officer, and interfering with the police.

Cops should be held accountable for their actions, yet this nutjob didn't lose his job, he was temporarily removed from duty WITH pay, while they investigated it. Of course, nothing came of it that I know of. I say they need to be thrown in the can with the other criminals, just like everyone else is, until proven innocent. I'm not saying every cop is like this, but there are too many.

 

I don't disagree--I just hope the media doesn't blow it up to the point of these kids being little angels. Nobody was right in this circumstance.

 

It's probably not the first, or second time he has had problems with skateboards on the sidewalks. Maybe even some of the same kids he has warned. This time he snapped.

 

When you are in Law Enforcement, you are not allowed to "snap". If you can't deal with the pressure, you shouldn't be a cop. Too many have Roid Rage, literally, and some citizen gets hurt because of it.

 

I go to Hot Springs several times a year. I like Hot Springs, they like to keep that downtown area pleasant for tourists, etc.

Many years ago, people use to drive through the downtown area like it was a cruise strip especially on Friday and Saturday night. Many Hot Springs residents and business owners didn't like that. I remember there being a lot of news articles on the subject back in the early 90's. Hot Springs decided that if you were caught going up and down the avenue during certain times they would ticket you for some reason or another, loitering or something.

Maybe that mentality causes incidents like this. confused

 

I wasn't condoning his actions.

Still he had to gain control. The YouTube and News article could have read "Incompitent Cop Cant Even Nab Kids"

 

well i don't. 100%. . the cop was way over the top. and to expect unconditional respect for the law when law is so full of corruption, inconsistency, prejudice, favoritism, and manned by bullies, is unrealistic and in my opinion unconstitutional. they should of questioned what that policeman was doing with there friend. it is apathy that allows injustice to reign unchecked, the self preservation/cowardice of those that see and do not speak. i did not hear or see the teenagers say or do anything i would be ashamed of.


so i say GOOD ON THEM. wearing a uniform DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT.


(aloha as always)

 

They weren't just questioning the cop, they were harassing him. Then, they were gathering close enough to hinder his job, and potentially, put him in danger if they had a weapon. I've seen enough to know, if a cop is arresting someone, you better BACK OFF.



Yep, its your opinon, and thankfully, I don't have to share it.

Its not your place to decide that. So long as there are laws, expect to obey them.

You have three choices in this world.

1. Obey the law.
2. Disobey the law, and deal with the consequences as they come up.
3. Move where the laws are different.

Your opinion when it comes to the law isn't worth a cent.

 

or:

4. argue about it. one of the jobs of the justice system is to determine the fairness and effectiveness of any given law or legal situation. i am not suggesting they are awarded millions compensation for pain and suffering. just that they were right to protest what they perceived as unfair.

and of course now there is:

5. video it on your cell phone and let the rest of the world argue about it.

 

arguing is fine. What they were doing went past that.

 

How about,
4. Stop when directed to do so by the Police. (thats where they screwed up the second time)

5. Listen to him tell you to go away to the skate park where you are not breaking the law.

6. Courts decide justice. Not opposing parties in the streets.

 

This can be a very hot debated topic. People can go one way or the other depending on what information they prefer to take in and the experiences they have had themselves.

We really don't know if the skateboarders were causing problems on the strip there. It may have been hot and the cop may have had to work a little bit harder that day. The skateboarders may have been bothering pedestrians. confused

I'm pretty sure a lot of the older people that were are glad that someone was taking action on the skateboarding when there wasn't supposed to be any. (I know some skateboarders act like they rule the road, sidewalk, or wherever they're at, at that time. And there are some that are very courteous.) And that goes for cops too, some are laid back some are hyper, etc.

You can take different stands depending on who's eyes you're looking through.

I do believe though, this could have been handled a little bit better though, by both the skateboarders and the cop. Maybe the kids should have been more respectful and the cop a bit more disciplined and calm.

 

this is obviously going to be played out in our court system. it will be interesting to see what is determined. without witnessing the original arrest, it is difficult to judge. personally i have never been arrested for resisting arrest. but i do know people who have fallen foul of this particular anomaly. because of option 5. they will not have the difficult task of making people believe 'i wasn't doing anything", and their protests will either be deemed appropriate or not.

even the 'system' works sometimes, and there are good, just, intelligent, people everywhere. we are all fortunate to live in places where our opinions DO count. each and every one of ours. i do not believe in mindless obedience in the name of 'authority'. neither do i believe in anarchy. fortunately there is a whole big gray area in between.

 

Yeah, no kidding.

 

You can argue as much as want as long as your simultaneously following the cops instructions without hesitation,they didnt,case closed as far as I'm concerned.

I thought the double dancing headlock was pretty funnyI see why it isnt standard procedure,or is it?,I think the the main cop was forced into using excessive force because his partner was useless

 

I work at a local youth sports facility and the little skate punks are always coming around and causing trouble. There are signs posted and the little jerks still cause trouble. They would take the benches out of the dugouts and use them as rails and also managed to destroy a few picnic tables. As for respect of authority they have none. I personally have chased them out of the facility and we now have it in place where if you do not get off of your board after being told to do so you will be arrested and detained for endangering the public. I give kudos out to the cop in Hot Springs and hopefully we can keep these little menaces off our streets.

 

Evilfantasy Your check confirmed my thoughts of a need for a police investigation from what looked like undue force with the latter two. However, such force is applied if there is a possible threat (eg if either persons lifted their skateboard towards officer...not clear in video).

Police investigations here are pretty tough too.

 

Cop Cleared of Wrongdoing in Skateboarder Choking Incident

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,287835,00.html

 

Well, I know their court dates are coming up.

And there is also supposed to be a video or pictures of what actually happened before the cop arrested them. I don't know if it's been let out yet, though.

 

Whatever happens it will most likely be the parents who suffer the most. Court costs......

 

Even though they were breaking the law the officer appears too zealous making the arrest.
I recently saw on tv where 4 young girls were protesting in a public (thinking government) building. they locked themselves around what looked to be a tree stump. The police pried their eyes open to swab them with pepper spray liquid. I think that law enforcement has far to much power.

 

Wow, now that's extreme. :eek