YouTube Shows Evidence of LAPD Police Brutality

[Voodoo Child]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LOS ANGELES - An FBI investigation prompted by video footage of a man being punched repeatedly in the face by police has demonstrated anew the power of the Internet sensation of the year, YouTube.com.

In addition to being a monumental time-waster around the office, YouTube could also become a tool for keeping police honest, some say.

This week, a clip on the post-it-yourself video Web site triggered a police-brutality investigation by the FBI. The footage shows the Aug. 11 arrest of alleged gang member William Cardenas, 24. Two Los Angeles officers can be seen holding him down on a Hollywood street; one punches him several times in the face before they are able to handcuff him.

The Los Angeles Police Department is also investigating the officers' conduct.

Police Chief William J. Bratton said he found the video to be "disturbing," but stressed that the 20-second clip amounts to only a fraction of what transpired.

The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that a Superior Court commissioner viewed the video nearly two months ago, heard the officers' testimony, and concluded that their conduct was "more than reasonable" because Cardenas was resisting.</div>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061111/ap_on_...deotaped_arrest

 

[Chuck]

It's a horrific film, and it makes me sad to know that it would've gone unpunished if it wasn't for youtube, and blind luck.

 

[Voodoo Child]

<div class="quote_poster">Chuck Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">It's a horrific film, and it makes me sad to know that it would've gone unpunished if it wasn't for youtube, and blind luck.</div>

Yeah, in many ways, the police are the biggest organized crime ring in America. I've seen and have experienced myself a lot of overzealousness from law enforcement. I've never exactly gotten my ass kicked like that, but I've been verbally abused many times, and when you get busted and are scared shitless, that's the last thing you want. Most cops have inferiority complexes or are just plain sadistic.

 

[Shapecity]

You guys have no idea, the police down here in LA are an organized gang. They're referred to as the gang in blue, and there's different divisions of gangs within the police force.

The cops out here are high strung and view you as guilty before getting all the facts in.

I know a few of the sheriffs out here, and the stories they tell are unreal.

The cops definitely have a gang mentality down here. They affiliate themselves with Tats, nicknames, and territory.

 

[Bobcats]

As NWA said famously back in '89, ***** The Police.

 

[Skiptomylue11]

<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">You guys have no idea, the police down here in LA are an organized gang. They're referred to as the gang in blue, and there's different divisions of gangs within the police force.

The cops out here are high strung and view you as guilty before getting all the facts in.

I know a few of the sheriffs out here, and the stories they tell are unreal.

The cops definitely have a gang mentality down here. They affiliate themselves with Tats, nicknames, and territory.</div>
I'm kind of surprized about what the LA police are like. To my knowledge, Toronto police aren't like that. I'm guessing I have no clue how a city like Los Angeles works.

 

[asdf]

Toronto police are actually pretty nice. They don't mind a couple jokes once in a while.

I remember one time I saw two police officers and randomly shouted at my friend "OH SHOOT ITS THE PO-LEEEEEEEECE HIDE THE DRUGS!" And they just shook their heads and laughed.

 

[Chutney]

Our police definitely aren't as bad as L.A.'s, but every police force defends their own members to the extreme. That's probably what's most similar to a gang.

 

[I-Miss-MJ]

hopefully with the increase in capturing technology (ie. video cameras, mobile phone video capture devices) it might weed out these a**holes.

 

[B.e.]

"Some things will never change"

I guess Pac was right

 

[Schaddy]

I can't speak for the notorious cops of LA, but around here, when someone gets a beating, they tend do deserve it. There was a big to-do about police using a taser on a kid in high school not too long ago here in Madison. The thing is, the kid was wanted by police for some prior crimes (I believe it was gang-related something or other), and when the cops tried to arrest him, he took a swing at the officer and ran. The officer used the taser, got the guy, and it was all on video. But it still prompted a HUGE controversy. In my book, if the cops are after you for a good reason and you run, well, you get what you deserve. I'm not excusing officers who truly are brutal and use their power the wrong way, but I've heard a lot of sob stories lately about police, but the cops weren't in the wrong.

That's just around here, though. I have no business commenting on the cops elesewhere, so I won't.