Re: COPS behaving badly
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 11:42 am
Maricopa County Attorney's Office alleged protesters were gang members in another case
In addition to filing criminal street gang charges against a group of police protesters, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office filed similar allegations in a different protest case.
By: Dave Biscobing
Posted at 7:21 PM, Feb 19, 2021 and last updated 3:21 AM, Feb 20, 2021
There wasn’t just one gang protest case.
In addition to filing criminal street gang charges against a group of police protesters, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office filed similar allegations in a different protest case.
The additional allegations, which have since been withdrawn amid growing public pressure, raise questions about whether county prosecutors were expanding a strategy to label protesters as gang members as a way increase potential prison sentences and force plea deals.
“It’s a way to make charges even scarier than they already were,” said Armando Nava, a defense attorney, whose client was labeled as a member of an unidentified gang by MCAO. “It was something we were flabbergasted by because there wasn’t any indication of any gang activity. So we were all shocked.”
Different from the criminal gang charges filed against a group after an October 17th arrest, MCAO filed special motions that are known as sentence enhancements against four defendants in a separate protest case.
https://www.abc15.com/news/local-news/i ... other-case
Commentary
Prosecutors must be held accountable for charging protesters as gang members
By January Contreras -March 1, 2021
When I became a prosecutor, what attracted me to the job was the mission – acting in the interest of justice. This means protecting public safety while holding people accountable within the bounds of the law.
As prosecutors, we have a constant duty to meet legal standards, governed by our laws and constitution, as well as ethical standards that are governed by our legal profession. When we fail in either aspect, we must be held accountable.
At the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO), I worked under the leadership of Rick Romley, the elected Maricopa County Attorney at the time. It was a time when divisive politics did not rule the office and, in fact, did not influence how I performed my job as a line prosecutor. I could not and would not have done the job any other way.
Since that time, however, we have witnessed drastic examples of politics eclipsing the legal and ethical standards that should govern all prosecutors.
https://www.azmirror.com/2021/03/01/pro ... g-members/
https://www.al.com/news/2021/05/whitmir ... still.htmlWhitmire: Huntsville PD keeps a murderer on the payroll
Three weeks ago, a Madison County jury found Huntsville police officer William Darby guilty of murder.
Three weeks have passed since that verdict — and he’s still an employee with the Huntsville Police Department.
If it’s difficult for you to make sense of that ugly fact, you’re not alone. There are not many workplaces, outside of organized crime, where an employee can kill a man on the job, be convicted of murder, and then get to keep that job indefinitely.
But that’s what’s happening in Huntsville.
And it didn’t just start three weeks ago. This has been going on for three years.
Three years ago, Huntsville police responded to a call from a suicidal man named Jeff Parker. Two officers arrived at the scene before Darby. Parker sat on a couch holding a gun to his head. One of the officers calmly attempted to talk Parker out of doing something tragic.
And then Darby rushed in and did the messy part for him.
Darby shouted at the other officers to point their guns at Parker. He told Parker to put his gun down, then he shot Parker in the face with a shotgun. Later, Darby would say he shot Parker after he saw the gun move.
How someone is supposed to put down a gun without moving it is a riddle I still can’t solve.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/vid ... t-78298312HONOLULU -- Doorbell camera video obtained and made public by lawyers representing the family of a man fatally shot two months ago by Honolulu police provides more information about the events that unfolded before the deadly encounter with officers.
The footage shows that he arrived at a house, took off his shoes, entered the home and then quickly left after his presence confused the occupants. He repeatedly apologized.
He may have thought he was entering a Hindu meeting, but it was apparently a private home.Lani wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18, 2021 4:21 am Regarding the death of Lindani,
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/vid ... t-78298312HONOLULU -- Doorbell camera video obtained and made public by lawyers representing the family of a man fatally shot two months ago by Honolulu police provides more information about the events that unfolded before the deadly encounter with officers.
The footage shows that he arrived at a house, took off his shoes, entered the home and then quickly left after his presence confused the occupants. He repeatedly apologized.
In the new released videos, he apologized. He was entering a Hindu meeting.
What a bunch of asses. This is absurd. The officers are still working as officers and thus, will still be policing protests and riots. Now they made it more dangerous for themselves.Uninformed wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18, 2021 6:49 pm “Portland riots: Police crowd-control team resigns after officer indicted”:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57532258
“Every member of a police crowd-control unit in the US city of Portland has resigned after one of its officers was indicted on an assault charge.
The charge stemmed from violent anti-racism protests that rocked the city, in the state of Oregon, last year.
Prosecutors allege the officer used "excessive and unlawful use of force" against a protester in August 2020.
But Portland's police union described the decision to prosecute the officer as "politically driven".
The crowd-control unit, known as the Rapid Response Team (RRT), is comprised of about 50 police officers. They serve in the team voluntarily and are deployed during events such as riots, large-scale searches or disaster situations.
In a statement, Portland police said members had "left their voluntary positions and no longer comprise a team". It said the officers would continue in their regular assignments.”
It's a B&B. Screen door not locked. People come and go. Two people went in ahead of him. On the video, a man told him that there was no temple on the property. (It was next door. Similar front, semi circle driveway.) That man also said he didn't understand why the woman was so upset. Lindani repeatedly apologized. Oh, and when the men began yelling him, he asked who they were. They didn't say they were cops until after he was shot.sugar magnolia wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18, 2021 7:17 pmHe may have thought he was entering a Hindu meeting, but it was apparently a private home.Lani wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18, 2021 4:21 am Regarding the death of Lindani,
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/vid ... t-78298312HONOLULU -- Doorbell camera video obtained and made public by lawyers representing the family of a man fatally shot two months ago by Honolulu police provides more information about the events that unfolded before the deadly encounter with officers.
The footage shows that he arrived at a house, took off his shoes, entered the home and then quickly left after his presence confused the occupants. He repeatedly apologized.
In the new released videos, he apologized. He was entering a Hindu meeting.
Just because 2 people enter a building doesn't mean it's ok for anyone to enter the building.Lani wrote: ↑Sat Jun 19, 2021 3:35 am
It's a B&B. Screen door not locked. People come and go. Two people went in ahead of him. On the video, a man told him that there was no temple on the property. (It was next door. Similar front, semi circle driveway.) That man also said he didn't understand why the woman was so upset. Lindani repeatedly apologized. Oh, and when the men began yelling him, he asked who they were. They didn't say they were cops until after he was shot.
The court has ordered release of all videos, but I think another is still pending and also his cellphone.
The court also ordered the release of videos in the shooting of teen a few days earlier. The teen had a criminal record and was in stolen a car. Cops said they had to shoot him before he shot. But in the released of police video, the teen was not holding a gun, and he was shot in the back and the back of his head. (Also, they weren't supposed to have high speed chases in the city.)
The woman that called 911 said this was a burglary."The video shows Myeni asking the woman, “What’s wrong?”
She replies, “Who are you?”
Myeni says, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I know you guys though. Can I see your phone?”
Using that standard, anyone could walk into your hotel room. It isn't your residence, you don't own it, and it's a place of public accommodation.
Sorry, but I disagree 100%. You're expecting the officers to know more than they possibly can. Sugar Magnolia explained why police lights weren't on. That's normal procedure.Lani wrote: ↑Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:08 am It wasn't the Shriners. It's a house that became a Hindu temple that's open all the time. Well, technically it's not a temple, but everyone calls it that. Popular vegetarian restaurant, guest rooms, great weddings, yoga and mediation, etc. That house is the next one up the road from the B&B.
Yes, the woman was hysterical and said there was a burglary. (She also has limited English. Should have been a translator on the 911 call.) The other person inside said he didn't know why she was acting that way. Given how she was behaving, I can understand why the cops thought something bad was happening. Were they told that she said he didn't have a weapon and wasn't yelling/threatening? I don't understand why the car lights weren't on and the cops didn't say they were the police - which is required by law here. You can see how dark it was outside with a bright light on Lindani. He was threatened with a gun and could run, fight, or lie on the ground because some stranger pointed a gun at him.
Probably nothing will happen to the cops, the public will (and is) blaming the woman who for no known reason freaked out, and there will some payment made to his wife and children due at least to the cops failing ID themselves. (The law was passed years ago because of other similar unfortunate situations.)
Oh, and just to clarify. He didn't enter that woman's residence and she isn't the owner. He entered a place of public accommodation.