User Comments

1. 

   2/17/08

   GlossGreen

   From what I understand, this is a pretty old video. The guy has already been punished and served a suspension. Yeah, he went a little overboard, but he didn't hurt the kid. He didn't actually choke him. Being a cop in Baltimore would not be the job I'd want. I went to Baltimore once. Once was enough. That doesn't excuse his actions, but it's in the past.

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   1. 

      2/17/08

      BlueSunshine

      Although it did happen this past summer, he's facing suspension WITH pay right now after the video leaked on Youtube a week ago:
      
      www.abc2news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=66fc0900-6624-4ac2-8c1b-7...
   2. 

      2/17/08

      GlossGreen

      I still think the story is overblown. The kid didn't get hurt. He just got yelled at a lot.
   3. 

      2/17/08

      BlueSunshine

      That amount of pain the kid felt didn't exactly excuse the officer's actions. I mean come on.
   4. 

      2/17/08

      GlossGreen

      I didn't see him in any pain. He just grabbed him around the front and held him to get the board. He didn't say he was in pain or yell. Like I said, overblown. But, you are certainly entitled to your opinion and I certainly won't say that you are wrong. I just disagree.
   5. 

      2/17/08

      jafabrit

      I have to respectfully disagree. We don't need hot headed cops who are that emotional and manhandling kids just because a child called him dude! He manhandled this kid! Get the kids name and address and send the parents a ticket, get the parents on the phone, but acting like that is unacceptable.
   6. 

      2/17/08

      BlueSunshine

      I have to agree with jafabrit. Did anyone catch the "I'M NOT YOUR FATHER" bit at the beginning? Perhaps this dude (pun intended) smacks around his own kids at home...
2. 

   2/17/08

   jafabrit

   yes, I am. We should expect our police officers to do their job with a cool head. There is a real danger in ignoring cops who lose their cool that easily or like to bully people and I don't see that it is acceptable.
   
   I used to go to Baltimore a lot for art shows, hang out with friends, etc, and the cops there face some real challenges, this wasn't one of them.

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3. 

   2/17/08

   davet

   like any profession, you're going to have some bad apples. i'd say the majority of cops are hard-working men and women who would give their life for your life any day. when one of these cops goes over the line, it almost always makes news, much like the athlete who screws up. we never hear about the athletes who donate thousands of dollars to charities, etc. because the idiots like michael vick, roger clemens, mike tyson always grab the headlines. i watch the tv show COPS on a regular basis (i know, i need to get a life) and i see a bunch of hard-working men and women for the most part. hopefully they're representative of most in law enforcement.

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   1. 

      10/12/09

      CentricStudios

      If they were so "hard-working", they would find real crimes to go after instead of targeting kids. This and the thousands of videos like it are the main reason why kids have no respect for law enforcement officers. And the police don't seem to care, so the cops get what they deserve in my opinion.
4. 

   10/12/09

   lotusb

   Oh the latest Police Harrassment...
   
   I find it very interesting that only the video recorded incidents of police harrassment is made into a big deal. I've had several friends (mostly black males) who have had to go to court to press charges against the police departments for vinidcation of instances where they were hit, punched, choked, left in the cold and in one case; arrested for no reason and never told why. Because it was never video tapped there was no publicity and therefore no pressure on the department to really care. A lot of those cases were dismissed. I don't think it's ok that this cop choked a kid for calling him "dude"....but I also don't think it deserves that much hype.

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   1. 

      10/12/09

      trailofpen

      It's not hype, it's just pointing out an injustice that was caught on tape.
   2. 

      10/12/09

      CentricStudios

      Filmed or not, cops are out of control!
      
      I would say that skateboarders get targeted as much as black males do. Maybe skaters are not always attacked violently like black males, but there is always the chance of being harassed for no real reason. And I think the bottom line is the same in both instances: White business owners don't want blacks or skaters on their property if they aren't buying some cheap crap.
      
      I have skated for over 20 years and if I learned anything, it was that property rights are more important than the individuals rights.
   3. 

      10/12/09

      wagerwitch

      CENTRIC - trust me - there are some good cops.
      
      BUT the administration is what is corrupt. And they have power - and absolute power corrupts.
5. 

   10/12/09

   CentricStudios

   Why should I trust anyone that doesn't live in my area and see the crap that goes on around here. I am not saying that cops can't be good people, but when they are in uniform they work for someone else. So, I am probably in partial agreement with you. Cops can be good people, but I doubt good people can be cops.
   
   Actually, my father was one of the good cops (for over 30 years) and he would often tell me stories of the bad cops (roughing people up behind buildings, stealing, etc). So, if my dad was such a good cop, why did he never stop the bad ones. I guess that doesn't make him any better.
   
   If cops are so great ("heros") they should stop the corrupt administration (with force if necessary). Until then they are pretty much cowards to me and they don't get my respect.

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