UNR Students for Liberty » Law Enforcement Series

Law Enforcement Series: Chad Holley

Barry Belmont — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:59:19 +0000

Who: A teenage burglary suspect and about half a dozen police officers.
What: Chad Holley was running from the police
Where: Houston, Texas
When: Incident: Late March 2010. Tape Released: February 2011.
What Happened: Chad Holley ran from the police, got hit by a police car, surrendered, and got kicked, beaten, and assaulted for about two minutes before being thrown into a cop car. Four cops (not all 6-7) have been charged with “Official Oppression” — a misdemeanor — rather than for the clear assault that it is.

Ultimate Police Beatdown Mashup

John Russell — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:25:38 +0000

Back by popular demand, this video was compiled last semester by your very own UNR SFL leadership to be played at the end of our latest “How to Survive a Police Encounter” event when everyone was exiting. I present to you the rawest and most clearly visible form of government force (and the inherent depravity of human nature).

Law Enforcement Series: Karolina Obrycka

John Russell — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:02:43 +0000

Who: A 125 lb bartender named Karolina Obrycka and a 250 lb off-duty police officer named Anthony Abbate
What: After Karolina would not serve Abbate anymore drinks in the tavern, he became violent and pummeled the bartender to the ground and continued kicking her.
Where: Chicagom Illinois at Jesse’s Shortstop Inn
When: Incident: February 2007. Judgment: June 2009.
What Happened: Abbate said she pushed him first and claimed self defense for the assault. However, Cook County Circuit Judge John Flemming rejected the claim but only sentenced him to a home curfew of 8PM to 6AM and 130 hours of community service. Additionally, Abbate was relieved of his duties and pay but was not formally fired from the Chicago Police Department.
Footage:

Watch CBS Videos Online
Extra:
There were two surveys on the source website:
1) What do you think of the sentence?
It’s too lenient 96%
It seems reasonable 3%
It’s too harsh 1%
Total Votes: 22,236

2) Do you think Abbate would have gone to prison if he hadn’t been a policeman?
Yes 93%
No 4%
I don’t know 3%
Total Votes: 21,375

Source:

http://news.aol.com/article/cop-in-bar-beating-gets-probation/510139?icid=main|main|dl1|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fcop-in-bar-beating-gets-probation%2F510139

Law Enforcement Series: Ronnie Holloway

John Russell — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:28:20 +0000

Who: A 49 year old schizophrenic man by the name of Ronnie Holloway and a policeman by the name of Joseph Rios III
What: After complying with a female officer’s request to zip up his jacket while he was on a sidewalk, the male driver of the vehicle they were riding in steps out and proceeds to assault him.
Where: Passaic, New Jersey
When: May 29, 2009
What Happened: After tackling Holloway to the ground, it can be seen that the officer began allowing him to stand back up, only to body slam him into the police car. The punching continues until backup arrives. Holloway was arrested on charges of resisting arrest and wandering with the intent to buy drugs. He has filed a complaint and an Internal Affairs investigation is underway. Officer Rios remains on active duty during the investigation, and has made no comment.
Footage:

Raw Footage:

Source:

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=6850726

Law Enforcement Series: McDonalds

John Russell — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:57:41 +0000

Who: Two Denver police officers and a drive-thru window clerk at McDonalds
What: Police officers were becoming increasingly agitated as their order was taking an unusually long time to be prepared. Apparently it took so long that one of the policeman thought it would be a good idea to motivate the young worker by flashing his badge and pointing a gun threateningly through his window.
Where: Denver, Colorado
When: May 21, 2009
What Happened: After receiving their food, the police drove off without paying. The officers involved have paid administrative leave while the investigation is taking place. Felony menacing charges have been filed.
Source: http://cbs4denver.com/investigates/denver.police.suspension.2.1049330.html

Law Enforcement Series: George Morales

John Russell — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:47:20 +0000

Who: A deceased man named George Morales
What: A man was found by police in the back seat of a minivan after the vehicle received numerous parking tickets and was going to be towed.
Where: New York City, New York
When: June 5, 2009
What Happened: The family of the disappeared man is wondering why police did not notice the body which was in plain view in the back seat of his car after it received numerous parking tickets before getting towed. The daughter suspects that her father, who has diabetes and heart problems, may have become ill and pulled over to take a nap. “If you see a car has already three to four tickets and you just slabbing more, at least call 9-1-1 and say there’s a car here that’s not moving,” Jennifer Morales said. The article noted that she wondered why police did not notice a body decomposing in the back seat of a vehicle that had been sitting there receiving parking tickets for so long.
Source: http://wcbstv.com/local/ny.vehicle.ticketed.2.1032503.html

Law Enforcement Series: Maurice White

John Russell — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:39:45 +0000

Who: An on duty EMT worker named Maurice White, and a Oklahoma state trooper named Daniel Martin
What: An Oklahoma state trooper pulled over an ambulance with a patient inside claiming the ambulence refused to yield to the squad car. Even though the paramedic offered to resolve the dispute after dropping their patient off at the hospital, the trooper not only ignored the request but proceeded to escalate the conflict by declaring that the EMT was “under arrest” and grabbed the EMT’s neck as if he were choking him.
Where: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
When: May 24, 2009
What Happened: Due to the footage captured by the cellphone camera, the incident has become quite popular and police have released the dashboard footage from the cop car. The investigation is still underway, and the officer in question is on paid administrative leave. The EMT was reported in saying during an interview, “He’s taken an oath, just as I have, to protect and serve,” White said during a FOX News “Nowhere to Hide” report. “I could not believe that this was happening.” The officer has been difficult to contact apparently, but did say, “I believe this will play out in the end,” he told FOX News. “We should allow the investigation to take its course. I’ll let it go with that. I don’t want to interfere with any ongoing investigations.”
Footage:
Cellphone Footage

Dashboard Footage

Source:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526128,00.html

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/OHP-Releases-Dash-Cam-Video/Nx97Jxe30UydXbkSbkiplw.cspx

NY Police May Now Taser Suspects in Order to Collect DNA Evidence

John Russell — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:04:31 +0000

It is now legal for the police in New York to “drive stun” suspects with a taser in order to collect DNA evidence from them. A judgment issued by the New York Supreme Court Judge Sara Sperrazza ruled that the police in Niarga Falls who shocked Ryan Smith into compliance to gather a DNA sample was ruled Constitutional.

Smith was grabbed on the street by two detectives and brought to police headquarters.
He refused to give another sample, objecting to the authority of the court order. He told the officers that they would have to “Tase” him to get another swab.
Police considered holding him down and forcing open his mouth. A Niagara Falls detective lieutenant called an assistant district attorney, who told him they could use the “minimum” force necessary to obtain the sample.
A video shows Smith handcuffed, seated on the floor with his shirt pulled up over his bare shoulders. Police can be heard telling him that the Taser would be “painful and unpleasant,” but he persisted in his refusal, according to the judge.
The officer applied the Taser to Smith’s shoulder area, which caused him to cry out and pull away. The data record for the device showed it was activated for 4 seconds.
“The video recording indicates that the defendant did yell out as if in pain and then agreed to comply with the order,” Sperrazza wrote.
Smith allegedly was unconscious when the swab was taken, and was arrested for refusing to submit to a court order.

“It’s terrifying,” Balkin said. “You should never use force to collect evidence. We’re headed down the wrong way if we’re going to do that.”
Source

Is this how we are going to be treating people who are supposed to be innocent until proven otherwise? If you were wrongly accused of committing a crime (which I think has happened at least once before in history) and the police kidnapped you, handcuffed you, and brought you to a police station where they forced you to give DNA evidence by lifting up your shirt and shocked you with a stun gun until you complied – would this be considered proper administration of justice?

Law Enforcement Series: Kathryn Winkfein

John Russell — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:51:51 +0000

Who: Kathryn Winkfein – A 72-year-old great grandmother
What: She was pulled over for driving 15 MPH above the speed limit in a construction zone where she refused to oblige the officers orders, used abusive language, and became “violent”.
Where: Highway 71 and Bee Creek in Travis County, Texas
When: Incident occurred May 11, 2009, but the footage was released only a few days ago.
What Happened: Deputy Chris Bieze pulled over Kathryn Winkfein for going 60 MPH in a 45 MPH construction zone. During the stop, the women became belligerent and refused to sign the ticket. After becoming irritable the officer told her step out of the vehicle. During this critical time, it seemed the 72 year old grandmother became too hot to handle for the deputy where he then proceeded to tazer her to the ground in a fiery 50,000 volts of glory.
Granted, the women did not sign the ticket and became quite irritable, but do YOU think the actions of the officer is justified?
Footage:

Source:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/31202935/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8094023.stm

Law Enforcement Series: Michael Mineo

John Russell — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:02:58 +0000

Who: A 24-year-old man named Michael Mineo
What: The New York Police Department is being sued by Michael because officers are being accused of sexually assaulting him with a night stick after he fled the scene for smoking marijuana.
Where: Prospect Park Subway Station
When: October 15, 2008 is when the incident occurred. Filed a lawsuit for $220M on May 27, 2009

What resulted: Michale Mineo was sent to the hospital with a ruptured anus. Police are saying that his lawsuit “[is] not surprising,” said Richard Murray, Morales’ lawyer. “He hopes they’ll prevail and he’ll get a lot of money. But I’m confident that after trial, Officer Morales will be found not guilty of any criminal misconduct, and my belief is that there was no misconduct on behalf of any of the officers.” It should be noted that Mineo’s DNA was found on the officer’s night stick, and witnesses state seeing police officers pulling his pants down.
Do YOU think this was justified? If not, do you feel $200M+ in punitive damages is justified?
Source:

http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-nymineo2912815976may28,0,150782.story

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/05/28/2009-05-28_alleged_nypd_sodomy_victim_michael_mineo_unleashes_tirade_over_implications_laws.html