Another battle in the War On Cameras^TM

Oh, that Sting!

Re-repeated...

that said, looks like Sgt. Ramirez did a lot to dislodge that image of the power hungry cop from the minds of Americans... or not.

granted, it's the bad cops that end up on the news...but the system in place seems to protect and only encourage asinine behavior from the bad ones. so when they eventually end up on camera - and they all do eventually seem to end up on camera - what we're seeing is the result of years of systemic neglect and contempt for rules, laws and procedure.

Weaver95: granted, it's the bad cops that end up on the news...but the system in place seems to protect and only encourage asinine behavior from the bad ones. so when they eventually end up on camera - and they all do eventually seem to end up on camera - what we're seeing is the result of years of systemic neglect and contempt for rules, laws and procedure.

Are you sure it's the fault of the department and their policy/procedure or, could it be the fact that the police union won't let departments get rid of bad cops?

/I'm sure the departments don't help but their's plenty of blame to go around...
//Oh, and the "us vs. them" mentality police (and reciprocated by the public) are showing so often nowadays doesn't help either.

Two cases of assault on top of false arrest, plain and simple. I hope the prosecutor does the right thing. Don't just fire that asshole, put him in jail before someone gets hurt.

SpeshilEdjukashin: Two cases of assault on top of false arrest, plain and simple. I hope the prosecutor does the right thing. Don't just fire that asshole, put him in jail before someone gets hurt.

Yeah, but how much do you want to bet he gets a suspension with pay instead?

According to CNN, this cop was suspended last year for violating procedure & neglecting duties. Also given a written reprimand for unprofessional conduct. He's had 12 complaints of varying degrees over his 18 years on the EPPD. However, he's also got numerous commendations on his record. Sounds like the guy's got a temper.

The cop did ask them to leave & they wouldn't. Cop had a valid reason to ask them to move their car--they're parked on the left-hand shoulder along with a bunch of other idiots. However, once the reporter FINALLY agreed to leave, the cop should have just let him. All the reporter had to do was move the car & walk over to the scene. But arresting the two of them was asinine.

If the cops aren't doing anything wrong, then they should have nothing to hide.

This is the type of cop who caries a spare hand gun with serial numbers filed off to put in the dead hand of a "perp".

The El Paso Police Department has launched an investigation.

The results of which, if reported at all (personnel issues are private, don't chya know) will be "the El Paso Police Department found no wrongdoing in the conduct of Sgt. Raul Ramirez let's go get a beer Cousin Raul or the El Paso Police Department now go away or we'll arrest YOU!"
This will continue until ALL police departments are subject to CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARDS or people get mad enough to fight back.

/Get the radio FIRST
//They aren't all that brave without backup

Remember the ALAMO!1!

this is yet another reason Fark should have a TEXAS tag....

of course...they will soon secede, and we can just build a wall across the border and shoot any of them that try and leave.

I am only semi-sympathetic with the media on this one. The cop probably just wanted them to leave because their presence (and that of all the other lookie loos) was screwing up traffic. If there were a real story to report then I would side with the reporters. Thats not the case here though. Its not watergate or something, just another silly sensationalist accident video.

Cop hater douchebag thread...engage.

"waaah I was speeding and this cop gave me a ticket so I hate all cops waaaah"

So my senile grandma was right after all!

This is from April 20th...
In terms of the internet, that's like 1980 in internet-dog years.

crab66: Cop hater douchebag thread...engage.

"waaah I was speeding and this cop gave me a ticket so I hate all cops waaaah"

This isn't about a speeding ticket. It's about an asshole, with a badge, encroaching on someone's rights without the authority to do so. Bit of a difference there, badge-licker.

JSieverts: this is yet another reason Fark should have a TEXAS tag....

of course...they will soon secede, and we can just build a wall across the border and shoot any of them that try and leave.

:( i resent that comment. it's a pretty big state; we're not all crazy.

/don't shoot me when i climb that wall!

Old news is old.

phenn: crab66: Cop hater douchebag thread...engage.

"waaah I was speeding and this cop gave me a ticket so I hate all cops waaaah"

This isn't about a speeding ticket. It's about an asshole, with a badge, encroaching on someone's rights without the authority to do so. Bit of a difference there, badge-licker.

WAAAH!

My daddy didn't love me WAAAH!

Douchebag

He would be less resistant if he just did what they told him to do. I admit I too would have questioned authority, but once they start putting the cuffs on your wrists, you kind of have to make a decision on whether you want it passive or aggressive. He's lucky he's in the news media and the cops didn't confiscate the tape. If it was one of us, you think they'd be so quick to apologize?

lajimi: This will continue until ALL police departments are subject to CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARDS or people get mad enough to fight back.

I'm all for civilian review, but NEVER fight back. EVER. If you attempt to fight back, they will use it against you. Even if you are right and the cop is wrong, there are all kinds of laws that say if a cop gets caught hitting you he could face a small fine but probably won't, but if you hit a cop, you could end up in prison for years, and probably will.

The reporter did the right thing. He didn't resist, he told the officer he wouldn't resist, and when the officer decided to abuse him anyway, he took his blows and went downtown. That's the best thing to do. Abusive cops WANT you to try to hit them back, or try to run. It's the natural thing to do when being bullied, but they use it as an excuse for their actions. Don't take the bait.

lajimi: The El Paso Police Department has launched an investigation.

The results of which, if reported at all (personnel issues are private, don't chya know) will be "the El Paso Police Department found no wrongdoing in the conduct of Sgt. Raul Ramirez let's go get a beer Cousin Raul or the El Paso Police Department now go away or we'll arrest YOU!"
This will continue until ALL police departments are subject to CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARDS or people get mad enough to fight back.

/Get the radio FIRST
//They aren't all that brave without backup

What exactly are you trying to say?

I don't see the problem.

If a cop tells you half a dozen times to move your truck (which is stopped on the highway near an accident) and you just stand there and tell him you have some sort of "right" to be there, expect him to take action.

There was no reason that they needed to leave other than this cop is a dick.

climbin_metal: He would be less resistant if he just did what they told him to do. I admit I too would have questioned authority, but once they start putting the cuffs on your wrists, you kind of have to make a decision on whether you want it passive or aggressive. He's lucky he's in the news media and the cops didn't confiscate the tape. If it was one of us, you think they'd be so quick to apologize?


So your solution to authoritarian overreaching from the police is roll over and take it, and maybe it wont be as bad?

Repost but yes the cop was a douchenozzle as most are.

people are really reaching for outrage with this one. It makes legit complaints against police seem less valid. I am also unaware for your right to stand in the road, screwing up traffic.

phenn: crab66: Cop hater douchebag thread...engage.

"waaah I was speeding and this cop gave me a ticket so I hate all cops waaaah"

This isn't about a speeding ticket. It's about an asshole, with a badge, encroaching on someone's rights without the authority to do so. Bit of a difference there, badge-licker.
Word.>

JSieverts: this is yet another reason Fark should have a TEXAS tag....

of course...they will soon secede, and we can just build a wall across the border and shoot any of them that try and leave.

I think Fark needs a 'pigs' tag. It can double for cops, bacon and swine flu, thus covering 97.82% of all threads.

climbin_metal: He would be less resistant if he just did what they told him to do. I admit I too would have questioned authority, but once they start putting the cuffs on your wrists, you kind of have to make a decision on whether you want it passive or aggressive. He's lucky he's in the news media and the cops didn't confiscate the tape. If it was one of us, you think they'd be so quick to apologize?

What do YOU mean, "one of us"?

phenn: crab66: Cop hater douchebag thread...engage.

"waaah I was speeding and this cop gave me a ticket so I hate all cops waaaah"

This isn't about a speeding ticket. It's about an asshole, with a badge, encroaching on someone's rights without the authority to do so. Bit of a difference there, badge-licker.

OK, we can agree that the cop's an ass and handled it poorly and these men never should've been arrested, mmkay? But what "right" did the cop encroach upon? If they determine that the presence of the press is constituting a safety hazard and may contribute to further danger, they are completely within their power to make them leave. No one, not even the press, is allowed to volutnarily park their vehicle on the shoulder of a busy highway simply to view an accident. It's dangerous and it escalates an already highly stressful situation. If the cops weren't such asshats this could've been dealt with properly and swiftly, but instead the press gets let off the hook for thinking they can place a story above public welfare.

/the cops were absolutely in the wrong for how they handled this, so don't call me a sympathizer.

crab66: Cop hater douchebag thread...engage.

"waaah I was speeding and this cop gave me a ticket so I hate all cops waaaah"

I'm having trouble mustering sympathy for the vultures in question. There was a pretty bad traffic accident that left one guy trapped in his rig and one woman just sitting on the road crying. Some people were stopping to help, some were rubbernecking, and this douchenozzle was just getting in the way trying to get a few glamor shots of the crying woman. It doesn't help that the reporter looked like the 26 minutes guy, and had a smug grin on his face whenever he knew the camera was pointing at it. All the time that cop had to waste on him, justified or not, was time that he could have been using to stabilize the situation, get a perimeter set up, and move traffic along again.

stevie1der: phenn: crab66: Cop hater douchebag thread...engage.

"waaah I was speeding and this cop gave me a ticket so I hate all cops waaaah"

This isn't about a speeding ticket. It's about an asshole, with a badge, encroaching on someone's rights without the authority to do so. Bit of a difference there, badge-licker.

OK, we can agree that the cop's an ass and handled it poorly and these men never should've been arrested, mmkay? But what "right" did the cop encroach upon? If they determine that the presence of the press is constituting a safety hazard and may contribute to further danger, they are completely within their power to make them leave. No one, not even the press, is allowed to volutnarily park their vehicle on the shoulder of a busy highway simply to view an accident. It's dangerous and it escalates an already highly stressful situation. If the cops weren't such asshats this could've been dealt with properly and swiftly, but instead the press gets let off the hook for thinking they can place a story above public welfare.

/the cops were absolutely in the wrong for how they handled this, so don't call me a sympathizer.

I won't. Your response is entirely sensible. Still, they did indeed have the right to be where they were and the right to record the event. They were not disrupting the police or emergency workers nor were they blocking traffic.

tacos813: people are really reaching for outrage with this one. It makes legit complaints against police seem less valid. I am also unaware for your right to stand in the road, screwing up traffic.

From TFA: "...They parked on the left shoulder..."

Not obstructing traffic after all.

The most likely reason that they were being asked to move away is because the Fire department hadn't yet determined the cargo of the trucks (what if they were hauling explosives?).

That said, this could have been easily avoided with a quick explanation from the officer. Why he didn't do that? I don't know but it was probably one of the following...

A) He didn't think of it for whatever reason.
B) He was trained to not explain his actions.
C) He felt that having to explain his actions to a citizen would diminish his authority

/This is Fark. You know which one it is...

Just after 1:30 p.m., the two arrived to report on a flipped semi-truck on I-10 West near the Sunland Park exit. They parked on the left shoulder of the eastbound lanes of I-10 as witnesses ran toward victims to offer help.


I think the cops overreacted, but I don't think the news crew parking on the side of an interstate just to shoot some footage is entirely defensible either.

The corollary to the media's "if it bleeds, it leads" stance is that if you go chase the flashy story, and park on the shoulder of an interstate, don't be surprised if the cops want you gone.

LoneVVolf: I'm having trouble mustering sympathy for the vultures in question. There was a pretty bad traffic accident that left one guy trapped in his rig and one woman just sitting on the road crying. Some people were stopping to help, some were rubbernecking, and this douchenozzle was just getting in the way trying to get a few glamor shots of the crying woman. It doesn't help that the reporter looked like the 26 minutes guy, and had a smug grin on his face whenever he knew the camera was pointing at it. All the time that cop had to waste on him, justified or not, was time that he could have been using to stabilize the situation, get a perimeter set up, and move traffic along again.


No the media totally have the right to exploit a gory accident for ratings. It's the American way.

stevie1der: But what "right" did the cop encroach upon?

Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...

If they determine that the presence of the press is constituting a safety hazard and may contribute to further danger, they are completely within their power to make them leave.

Nope, it's a fundamental right that's being infringed, so the cop needs a compelling reason, more than just "may be a safety hazard". You need an actual "is a safety hazard".

phenn: Still, they did indeed have the right to be where they were and the right to record the event. They were not disrupting the police or emergency workers nor were they blocking traffic.


my understanding of the shoulders of interstates is parking is for "emergency only". i don't think "hey, there's an overturned semi, people are crying, witnesses are sprinting towards the scene to help out" qualifies as an emergency.

i mean, it is an interstate. we aren't talking the 1 lane road to grandma's house.

Oh jeez a cop and a reporter. I'm not sure who's the bigger douchebag. But at least the reporter was just trying to do his job.

/and, no, the power-tripping douchebag cop was not just doing his job.

rickythepenguin: i don't think "hey, there's an overturned semi, people are crying, witnesses are sprinting towards the scene to help out" qualifies as an emergency.

Sounds like a pretty apt description of an emergency, actually.

;-)

rickythepenguin: phenn: Still, they did indeed have the right to be where they were and the right to record the event. They were not disrupting the police or emergency workers nor were they blocking traffic.


my understanding of the shoulders of interstates is parking is for "emergency only". i don't think "hey, there's an overturned semi, people are crying, witnesses are sprinting towards the scene to help out" qualifies as an emergency.

i mean, it is an interstate. we aren't talking the 1 lane road to grandma's house.

No you don't understand, cops are always abusing power and taking away peoples rights this has nothing to do with what actually happened.

The article obviously is complete with details and everyone in this thread was obviously there so they can make sound judgments and accusations based on fact instead of assumptions from the comfort of the internet.

Cops never do anything positive and society would not fall apart without them. They never save anyone's ass or get the bad guy. All they do is rape grandmothers and shoot dogs all day.

phenn: Sounds like a pretty apt description of an emergency, actually.



well, for the people in it, but not the camera crew, is my point. the cops don't want you there unless you're trying to help.

Strange how the people who want to put up cameras everywhere (for our protection) get pissed when there turned on them

Joce678: I don't see the problem. If a cop tells you half a dozen times to move your truck (which is stopped on the highway near an accident) and you just stand there and tell him you have some sort of "right" to be there, expect him to take action.

Being from Spain (EU) you might not understand how things work here. An amateur might have to stop trying to report news if a cop complains, but a professional television crew with a valid press credential DOES have a right to be there. A free press is one of our top rights here in America.

I might have a little sympathy if the cop politely asked them to move to a safer spot, but it's clear here that the cop was just looking for a fight. "I'm a cop, so GTFO" is *NOT* a valid excuse to physically assault someone, at least not here in America.

/There's a reason we left Europe. ;)

chicagogasman: phenn: crab66: Cop hater douchebag thread...engage.

"waaah I was speeding and this cop gave me a ticket so I hate all cops waaaah"

This isn't about a speeding ticket. It's about an asshole, with a badge, encroaching on someone's rights without the authority to do so. Bit of a difference there, badge-licker.
Word.>

Someone's right to create a traffic hazard? Someone's right to block the way for emergency vehicles?

Theaetetus: Nope, it's a fundamental right that's being infringed, so the cop needs a compelling reason, more than just "may be a safety hazard". You need an actual "is a safety hazard".

This!

The correct response from the officer would have been to point them to a location he felt was "safe" but yet still allow them access to film the scene and not simply try and force them to leave.