32 thoughts on “The Truncheons are Out

  1. It’s worth noting that the officer swinging the baton in the video above, as well as the one who pepper sprayed the defenseless women a couple of weeks ago, are
    ” white shirts”, that is, commanders, lieutenants or inspectors.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/nyregion/nypds-white-shirts-take-on-enforcer-role.html

    That these guys are the ones using unnecessary force is an extra outrage. It sends a message to rank and file cops that it’s just fine to indulge in police brutality.

    Where the hell is Mayor Bloomberg and what is he going to do to stop this?

      1. Thanks so much for the non-answer.

        I guess it’s too much to ask for people to actually follow up their opinions with some sort of reason or facts.

  2. 4.5 million dollars buys a lot of strikes.
    Whiteshirts are management, overseers, line bosses, important people wannabes

  3. Anon, are you saying cops with billy clubs hitting citizens on public property is good police policy?

    Remember Kent State and Jackson State?

    1. Yes, I am. When the situation becomes a danger to the welfare of the police, as this one did.

      I love how these “protesters” are using up all the taxpayers’ money in police OT just because they can’t behave like civilized people.

  4. The police have a responsibility to protect the public and keep order, no matter their opinion of the issue at hand. The protestors can not follow simple rules of decorum, put the police on the defensive, and then want to claim mistreatment when they get pepper sprayed or clubbed for being an unruly mob?
    Remember that the average police officer makes about the same as a teacher is a card carrying member of one of your sacred unions.
    This is not about the police, stick to the real issue of corporate greed and our government’s involvement (both Bush and Obama) in keeping the fat cats fat at the expense of the tax paying public.
    Lashing out at police for doing their job defeats the goal of the protest.

    1. Tbag,

      The police have options open to them other than clubs and pepper spray, such as calmly arresting anyone who trespasses on private property. Force should be reserved for handling assaultive protesters.

      I’d bet a chunk of money that there are lawyers in the NYPD right now chewing someone’s ass for what happened last night. The conduct of the cops to date is a public safety and potential liability nightmare.

      The 1st amendment doesn’t say you need a permit to peacably assemble. If this was a case of cops assaulting Tea Partiers you’d be on your way to New York ready to rumble

      You people must have hypocrisy for dinner every day. Maybe lunch and breakfast too?

      1. Steve, you’re a goofball. The mob/”protesters” in the video are anything but peaceful. “Calmly arresting…”….LOL!

        1. The mob/”protesters” in the video are anything but peaceful. “

          Anon, you are 100% correct…the police are totally out of control in this video.

              1. Ed…”videos”? I see only one video in this post and my question was about the one video in this post. You made my point when you admitted to Rich, “this video isn’t conclusive”.

    2. First off that baton swinging whiteshirt was inside the barricade and swinging full range of motion.
      Second, cameras don’t do physical har

  5. Here’s the problem I have with YouTube journalism. We start the video with a cop swinging a baton around, and we condemn the entire NYPD, nay the police forces of the entire nation, as being a bunch of undisciplined barbarians. We make a huge allegation while knowing almost none of the facts. Where is the full context here? What instigated his actions? How can you possibly conclude anything from 41 seconds of shaky video?

    Yes, I know there have been other incidents. There may have been misconduct. On the other hand, there may not have been misconduct. The police have a difficult job to do. They know they’re being watched. There procedures are very specific. And no matter how much the Occupy folks pledge their non-violence, the police cannot assume that every single person that is in front of them is zero risk. If you don’t think Mayor Bloomberg is watching this with his full attention, then we need to talk.

    1. I’m guessing the courts will sort this one out.

      Amy Goodman and Democracy Now just won a large cash settlement for their unjust arrest and roughing up at the 2008 Republican National convention.

      As Mick Jagger once famously sang, ” time is on my side”.

    2. Rich, I agree that this short video isn’t conclusive…but there is now enough video out there that covers longer time spans and enough incidents to say the some police officers are indeed out of control. And from the videos I’ve seen, very few of the officers assaulting protesters are regular uniformed patrol officers.

      I think the protests are dangerous at this point other than being disruptive by the number of people involved. But police have to start wondering if they want to continue to be peace officers or ‘pigs’. I would hate to go back to the late 60s and 70s of the civil rights protests and anti-war protests…

    3. ‘The police have a difficult job to do. They know they’re being watched.’
      More like bought and paid for by Goldman Sachs.

    1. Jan, thanks again for adding to the discussion. I’m assuming since you only showed up to diss me you are unable to make a valid argument about why the actions of the police in this video were wrong. I’m sure the reason for that is because it’s impossible to see what is happening in front of the police officer who is using his baton.

      1. I’m sure you’re a douchebag, Anon. I don’t waste valid arguments with douchebags.

        1. Wow, Jan, you sure are a hostile person.

          The reason why you haven’t given a valid argument or counter point is not because of who you think I am. The reason is…you are unable to do so.

          Am I the only one who thinks Jan should be renamed Fredricka? Yikes!

  6. Don’t you just love it when hostile people accuse other people of being hostile? It’s pure entertainment.

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