The Daniele Watts Incident

Started by Beorning, September 14, 2014, 09:36:36 AM

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gaggedLouise

#25
Quote from: Slywyn on September 15, 2014, 10:33:39 AM
Police didn't just walk up to her and be like "Hey, gimme your ID"

They were responding to a called in complaint.

Whatever racial motivation there may or may not have been rests on the caller, not the responding officer.

Called-in complaints to the police switchboard can be about essentially anything, including stuff that most people would not see as legally offensive if it happened right under their noses - and in this age of on-the-fly communication (sms messages, cell phone calls from a hidden number or e-mails coming from a cover e-mail that has no realation to your real id, therefore untraceable back to any r/l individual, etc) it is easier than ever to make an overstated complaint. or just for the police to pretend they have a real complaint at all to act on. I think what's really troubling about this incident is if it means the cops could effectively walk straight up to anyone, everyone and treat them as if they were criminal suspects on the scene without having to offer any premise at all on which they wanted her ID, without any expectation for the police to use their good sense (and yes, this might tie in with racial profiling, but it's wider than that).

The police could effectively cook up a complaint afterwards or act in collusion with someone they know (including journalists or real criminals). Even if they had to admit afterwards that the original complaint was inaccurate, that would not affect the right of the police to freely ask any John Blow for their ID papers and treat them as a suspected offender if the person/s didn't want to show their driving license or ID card - and there could be many reasons why one wouldn't want to show one's cards to a cop even if one is totally honest and law-abiding.

I know cops in most countries sometimes abuse their powers, and are then able to rely on a "no talking to outsiders" culture - but it's kind of worse if it's actually done within the bounds of legality, of police operational rules.


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consortium11

I hate to use TMZ as a source but, hey.

They allege that rather than kissing the report was that Watts and her boyfriend were having sex on the passenger street (her straddling him) with the door open.

They also appear to have audio of the entire incident; from what I've heard so far both Watts and the police officer are pretty confrontational with each other from the start.

gaggedLouise

Quote from: consortium11 on September 15, 2014, 11:12:33 AM
I hate to use TMZ as a source but, hey.

They allege that rather than kissing the report was that Watts and her boyfriend were having sex on the passenger street (her straddling him) with the door open.

They also appear to have audio of the entire incident; from what I've heard so far both Watts and the police officer are pretty confrontational with each other from the start.

Interesting, but after all it's only the previous witnesses (the couple of people who got in touch with the police) who are saying the two were actually having sex in the car. There was nothing of that kind happening by the time the cops got to the scene. And if a cop approached me , on the town, and said "Listen, there are people saying you and your partner were throwing yourselves about and shagging right here in the car (or by the enclosing wall of this fountain, in a park)  - I'd like to see your driving license!" and we had not been doing that kind of thing, I might turn a bit miffed and confrontational too. I wouldn't pull the same arguments ("do you know who I am?") as Ms Watts did, but I still might try to make it clear to the cops very soon that I thought they were overstepping their rights and intruding on my private life.

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Sometimes bound and cuntrolled, sometimes free and easy 

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Iniquitous

Quote from: gaggedLouise on September 15, 2014, 11:05:47 AM
Called-in complaints to the police switchboard can be about essentially anything, including stuff that most people would not see as legally offensive if it happened right under their noses - and in this age of on-the-fly communication (sms messages, cell phone calls from a hidden number or e-mails coming from a cover e-mail that has no realation to your real id, therefore untraceable back to any r/l individual, etc) it is easier than ever to make an overstated complaint. or just for the police to pretend they have a real complaint at all to act on. I think what's really troubling about this incident is if it means the cops could effectively walk straight up to anyone, everyone and treat them as if they were criminal suspects on the scene without having to offer any premise at all on which they wanted her ID, without any expectation for the police to use their good sense (and yes, this might tie in with racial profiling, but it's wider than that).

The police could effectively cook up a complaint afterwards or act in collusion with someone they know (including journalists or real criminals). Even if they had to admit afterwards that the original complaint was inaccurate, that would not affect the right of the police to freely ask any John Blow for their ID papers and treat them as a suspected offender if the person/s didn't want to show their driving license or ID card - and there could be many reasons why one wouldn't want to show one's cards to a cop even if one is totally honest and law-abiding.

I know cops in most countries sometimes abuse their powers, and are then able to rely on a "no talking to outsiders" culture - but it's kind of worse if it's actually done within the bounds of legality, of police operational rules.



Thing is, if complaints called in are not responded to because someone at the police station decided it was not necessary or legitimate then we, the citizens, have no way of knowing if the police would be there when they are needed. Cops HAVE to respond to every call that comes in - even the prank 911 calls. The situation here is a couple was having sex in a parked car, on the side of a street, in front of a business, with the door open for all the world to see. Someone from the business came up and made comment about it being distracting, they laughed it off, a call was then made to the police and the assumption of her being a hooker was made at that point. The person who called in had every right to call the cops - sex in public IS illegal. The cops had every right to show up, even if the act was done by the time they got there. The cops had every right to ask for her identification - it is standard procedure when responding to calls to ask anyone and everyone involved for their ID. Daniele's partner had no problem showing his ID, why did she? Showing ID is not an admission of guilt. It is letting the police officer know who you are - and (I haven't listened to the tape yet so I don't know who started the confrontational behavior) usually makes the whole encounter go much more smoothly.

The thing that gets me is this is NOT the first time these two have had this issue. They have had one other instance of PDA and cops being brought in. Either they really have issues about keeping the sex out of the public eye (in which case they should go into the porno industry) or they are seeking attention. But that's just my opinion.
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copper

They actually got reported by members of the directors guild that saw them from above and the cop was actually calm as was the bf. and as often happens here in LA she pulled the do you know who I am attitude/card.
Sadly this just hurts legitimate bad cop reports.
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lilhobbit37

Something else everyone needs to keep in mind. She was not arrested for not having id. She was detained until they could ascertain her identity.

Had she shown her id at any point, she would no longer have been detained.

She was simply put in the back of the police car because that was more comfortable than making her stand there out in the public eye until they could figure out who she was above and beyond "I am who I say I am."

If you were a traveler who didn't have your id on you, they would use other means to determine who you are. They have resources. It may take longer or less time depending on how helpful you are in giving them information to identify you.

The simple fact is she refused to give her id, so they made her wait until they knew who she was, then she was released to leave.

She was never arrested.

So all this is her just looking for attention, especially if it has happened before, in my opinion.

consortium11

TMZ (I know, I know...) have more photos up, seemingly from shortly before the arrest, showing Watts straddling her boyfriend with the car door open.

Clothes are on and the photos are somewhat unclear but the position match those described in earlier quotes which went on to say the pair were having sex.

consortium11

So now it appears Daniele Watts has been charged with "committing a lewd act in public"

The more information came out the more her "it was all about racism, just because they saw a white man and a black girl together they assumed I was a prostitute" position fell apart but considering she wasn't arrested at the time to charge her now strikes me as pretty vindictive.

Caehlim

So, the part I don't understand is why handcuffs were necessary. She was being accused of a sexual, not a violent crime.
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She was restrained (as I've heard) because she refused to identify herself to the police.  As such, they didn't know if there was a risk of her becoming violent.
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