Not that things are looking all that great for the integrity of Law Enforcement, but following all the other recent shootings of unarmed persons which have raised questions and concerns about police conduct from Sean Bell to Kendrec McDade, Darrien Hunt, Jonathon Crawford, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown and most recently Walter Scott, now we have this behavior by at least 10 Deputies from the San Bernadino Country Sherrifs Dept.
It's very clear from this video that the subject is not a threat, he literally throws himself onto the ground spreadeagled as deputies reach him. You can even see him fling his arm behind his back, placing his hands in the perfect position to be be cuffed.
But do the deputies cuff him?
No, they do not. The first thing that happens is he gets kicked in the head by one deputy, then another one kick him between the legs clearly aiming for his genitals. Then as others arrive, do any of them attempt to stop the beating?
No.
They. Join. In.
And it goes on for minute after minute after minute.
Whatever "Good" Cops there may be out there on our streets right now, whatever "Good" officers may exist in the SBSD, this does not serve them well. This does not repair the strands of broken trust with the public after all of these shootings not to mention the brutality scandal that recently rocked the LA Country Sherrifs Dept and led to the indictment of 20 Deputies.
http://www.cnn.com/...
In video captured by cameras aboard a helicopter for KNBC, deputies gather around the man after he falls from a horse he was riding to flee from them. The video shows deputies using a stun gun on him and then repeatedly kicking and hitting him.
KNBC reported that the man -- identified by authorities as Francis Pusok -- appeared to be kicked 17 times, punched 37 times and hit with a baton four times. Pusok was later hospitalized, KNBC reported, citing authorities.
"The video surrounding this arrest is disturbing and I have ordered an internal investigation be conducted immediately," McMahon said in a statement.
What shockiing about this is how much so many of the deputies who aren't participating in the beating seem completely unphased by it. They're just standing around, apparenlty discussing their day with each other as they collegues brutalize this man, several kneeling on his back so he can't escape, for minute after minute.
It's chilling.
There is one thing that might make this story actually make a difference, one thing that might pehaps make some people [Fox News, The Republican Congress] finally wake up and pay attention to Police Misconduct that seems to be occuring unchecked and unnoticed unless someone happens to be there with a camera to catch it.
Francis Pusok looks like this:
And if there hadn't been a News Camera capturing the event, would we have even known?
Vyan
5:46 PM PT: Two additional thoughts:
1) Whenever you hear someone claim that Person X or Y should have just "Done what the Officers told them to do and they wouldn't have gotten hurt!" Show them this video. Even though we can't hear audio, it's clear that up until the time he first gets kicked in the head, he's enthusiastically following directions to submit and surrender.
2) The next time people say that all of these events are being exaggerated, or are only the result of the actions of criminal or paranoid, chip-shoulder Black People - as I said above. Show them this video.
Sat Apr 11, 2015 at 2:02 PM PT: New version of the Video with commentary from News Reporters
