Norm Stamper: Police Brutality: Deal With It

Police Brutality: Deal With It

Disclosure: During my rookie days back in the sixties as a San Diego police officer I used excessive force, more than once. I remember most of the incidents, though I'm sure I've conveniently forgotten some. I'm ashamed, wish to hell I hadn't done it. But I did, and visceral memories of these incidents help shape an answer to the question of why certain cops engage in brutal behavior, and others don't.

As police brutality cases go, it may not be one for the annals.

In late February, King County, WA sheriff's deputy Paul Schene deposited a slender 15-year-old girl into a holding cell and ordered her to remove her shoes. The teen used her right toe to loosen the heel of her left sneaker, which she then cast off, the rubber-soled shoe apparently striking Schene in the shin.

As she began the mirror process with the other shoe, Schene stormed the holding cell, kicked the girl in (what appears to be) the groin, chased her across the cell, grabbed her by her hair, flung her to the concrete floor, burrowed his knees into her back, slugged her twice in (what appears to be) the head, and handcuffed her, all of this on camera. He then yanked her by her hair to her feet and "escorted" her out door, and out of our view.

The girl, who had offered no resistance, reported trouble breathing. Paramedics were called. Schene's report declared that the teenager had suffered a "panic attack."

Pretty bad. But does it stand up to the LAPD Rodney King beating? Or the NYPD torture of Abner Louima? Or the countless other videotaped police attacks we've seen in recent years?

Yes.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norm-stamper/police-brutality-deal-wit_b_173427.html

She disrespected the cop's au-thor-i-tee..

A lot of people think of Heinlein as a right wing asshole, but I recall he once wrote that "public servants" require displays of obsequious respect from the public because they lack self respect. Heinlein wasn't particularly fond of cops.

I seem to recall that Heinlein also said that in modern society "public servant" is functionally equivalent to "public master".