Police beat a homeless schizophrenic to death

[Primarch]

Article

In my parts, you hear so much about the police doing bad things, delivering a punishment beating instead of arresting someone, harassing young drivers, stealing things, covering up for each other for the previously mentioned things and all sorts. But then I see articles where some police officer gave his or her life for the job, and I nod my head and think perhaps I should re-consider my opinion on police groups in general.

Then shit like this happens.

[Blitzy]

Police officers SHOULD be held to a higher standard than most other ordinary citizens. They know that going into the job. I work at a Police Department and I am very aware of all the policies and procedures that they are expected to abide to.

But officers are still people. There are still some bad people out there. Some people who get caught up in the moment and screw up. The police department does so many good things, and it's expected of them so much, that when the bad shit happens everyone wants to go "OMG HOW HORRIBLE ARE POLICE OFFICERS!".... forgetting about all the good.

The Department of those officers is not investigating them, but instead transferred the investigation to another department. They will face disciplinary action and if found to have used excessive force, they will be punished to the letter of the law.

No one is perfect, no person, though our officers have to be held to a higher standard than anyone else pretty much. Other departments will be disgusted with the actions of these officers, because it brings such a negative view to their own. It's not fair to say 'police do bad things' and lump all of them in together. PEOPLE do bad things all the time, just sometimes those people are officers.

[Primarch]

Police officers SHOULD be held to a higher standard than most other ordinary citizens. They know that going into the job. I work at a Police Department and I am very aware of all the policies and procedures that they are expected to abide to.

Oh of course, its not like every police officer is a corrupt power hungry tyrant ready to batter someone's head in at first chance. But like you say, police officers should be held to a higher standard, and when the police do a good job on something I'll tip my hat, but at the same time when something like this happens I'll call them up on it. This sort of thing shouldn't happen and although someone must be living in fantasy land to expect that it never will happen, when it does happen it should be brought up.

Yes police officers do good thing but as you said. Its their job to uphold the law and protect the peace. Murder isn't their job.  Its not that good events/deeds are forgotten. Its expected of them. They're police officers. Its not like we're trying to create a balance or tabs on good for bad. "Well they killed a man last night, but a week ago a drug dealer shot a cop so....we call it even?" Does that seem legit to you? They beat a man to death. Even look at the wording you've used, "if found to have used excessive force." One look at the photo attached to the article should be a clear indicator that excessive force was used, or perhaps the fact that he died. 

Quite frankly "No one is perfect" isn't good enough when this sort of thing happens. A man is dead at the hands of people who are supposed to be protectors, and sure its not fair to lump all police police into a bag and stamp "evil" on it, but when you put all the individual events together from minor to major you get a lot of events that shouldn't happen.

Now, I'm writing this after just reading the article, so ask me my opinions in a weeks time when its not at the forefront of my mind and we'll see what I say but right now I'd say that police force owes the family of that man and their area they "serve" a lot better then they've received. 

[Anjasa]

The Department of those officers is not investigating them, but instead transferred the investigation to another department. They will face disciplinary action and if found to have used excessive force, they will be punished to the letter of the law.

This works in principal, not in reality. There are plenty of cases where the 'I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine' is full in effect in police circles.

Ian Bush was shot in the back of the head in a holding cell after being arrested for being drunk in public and giving the police officer a fake name (he said his name was one of his buddies that he was with, much like what kids do for substitute teachers). The police officer said it was in self defence and he was found innocent by another department. That other department, by the way, was being investigated at the same time by that office for a similar offence. Both departments found the other departmental parties innocent.

In fact, police officers are now no longer able to be recorded doing their job (i.e. you're not allowed to film an arrest) in many states, often because when its recorded, you realize just how many officers are bending the rules and using force, or out right assaulting people and then lying about it.

http://gothamist.com/2008/07/28/cop_caught_on_video_assaulting_cycl.php for instance is a scenario where a cop maliciously singles out and attacks a man, and then charges HIM with assault, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. It was only after the video was released that the officer resigned, though he was cleared of the assault charge after the fact.

Cops are not being held accountable. The investigations they do are often shoddy, and lack transparency and input from outside agencies.

I know a wonderful man, an excellent officer, and he is just disgusted by the corruption of the system by people who are little more than bullies who want to push people around. I realize you'll hear about the bad cases more often than the good, in all things, but still. There are too many cases where police have used excessive force and gotten away with it because there was a lack of video evidence because they turned off the cameras before beating someone in a holding cell.

http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Beating-caught-on-police-video-1301303.php was a recorded beating of a 15 year old girl in a holding cell, for instance. Without that video, it's not likely that anyone would have trusted a 15 year old accused criminal over the word of a police officer.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100928/bc_kinloch_power_abuse_100928?hub=OttawaHome was a recorded tethering of a 15 year old girl in a cell in Toronto. Again, if this wasn't taped, it's not likely there'd be any repercussions for the officers. Who would believe a 15 year old that was drunk at the time over the word of an officer?

So while I believe that cops that are videotaped or photographed doing something criminal often to suffer repercussions, it seems that if there's no video evidence, they don't face charges. And they're working to make video taping or photographing police officers doing their job a crime. That's frightening, to me.