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A TTAG reader writes: “The quick and dirty [via informationliberation.com]: cop says that teen was an aggressive youth who had swung at him and had reached for his gun, at which point he fired his gun at the youth in self defense. Enter into evidence: surveillance footage from a nearby store. Shows the cop running up behind the kid, smashing him in the head with pistol in hand, and the pistol goes off as a result of attempting to pistol-whip the kid. Is this an IGOTD candidate?  Corrupt cop?  Police tramping on basic individual liberties? All of the above? Sometimes the cameras work for the little guys. :)”

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70 COMMENTS

  1. I was shocked… Until I realized it’s Prince Georges county in Maryland.

    Do a little research, they’re known for corruption up there.

    • THIS. This agency is just serially screwed up.

      The courts invented a concept called “qualified immunity”, which basically says “you cannot sue a cop for making a mistake in good faith”. In other words, say a cop thinks that a tinted rear window is illegal and gives you a ticket for it except whoops, no, it’s not illegal. You can overturn the ticket but you can’t sue the cop for wrongful arrest.

      Stuff like that happens all the time. The concept of qualified immunity even comes up in cases where cops committed violent acts. It does NOT factor in when they flat-out lie like in this case, so there’s a possibility that this cop will face at least semi-serious consequence.

      But here’s the kicker: this particular department has screwed up by the numbers so often and under such breathtakingly ghastly circumstances, that the courts need to yank the concept of qualified immunity from them. Changing the rules for THIS AGENCY to “you screw up again, you will pay!” is just about the only possible reform step left that doesn’t involve really horrible means.

      There’s only a handful of agencies this bad across the country. Phoenix PD (AZ) is getting close. Portland OR is bad. Chicago and NYC…Rochester NY. A few agencies in Florida. Puerto Rico’s police agency is a train wreck (and yes, they still have to operate under the US Bill of Rights so they get a mention as a US police department).

      • http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/No-Charges-in-Ronnie-White-Death.html

        The state medical examiner ruled White’s death a homicide, but corrections officers said White committed suicide. White suffered two broken bones in his neck and died of asphyxiation caused by strangulation, according to the medical examiner.

        In December, a grand jury concluded its deliberation in the investigation without taking action. The grand jury did not hear enough evidence to bring down indictments in the case, sources said.

        “The thing that this grand jury said was that they were not given enough evidence to determine who committed the murder,” said Henry at the time.

        On Tuesday, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey said there’s no new information to change that grand jury’s decision not to return indictments, the Post reported. Ivey said he is not going against the medical examiner’s ruling but he does not have enough evidence to file charges in connection with White’s death.

    • The cop thought it was 1900 and he could get away with it.
      The Blue Wall of silence is not much good when cameras are around.

      • “The Blue Wall of silence is not much good when cameras are around.”

        Of course you mean surveillance cameras on buildings versus footage from police vehicle dash cameras that have a habit of vanishing.

    • That is part of the problem. Cop are held to a higher standard so the Cop have reacted but closing ranks and protecting even crappy Cop’s. We have seen this in other groups. The question is would it have been better to take the hit when it happen or what is going to happen to him now. In many respects the cover up will get you into more trouble then the actual act.

      Thanks
      Robert

  4. Unless something *really* funky happened before they came into the camera’s view, that police officer has some serious explaining to do. Even if something alarmed the officer off-camera, he still has some serious explaining to do. That was totally not necessary. A thug move if I’ve ever seen one.

    • …that police officer has some serious explaining to do

      Assuming he’s held to any degree of accountability.

      Few month suspension with pay in 3… 2…

    • This youth and a friend entered a convenience store for goodies. The friend was wearing a ski mask, which drew the attention of two plain clothes police officers. (Apparently it was cold. but still–I was raised in Chicago, and I remember lifting one’s ski mask when entering a place of business.) I have a suspicion that the cops were so focused on the friend they didn’t see this one leave the store, and, taken by surprise, one pursued with the result we see on the film. The deal sounds kinda fishy–but the fact remains that this officer attacj=ked an unarmed teenager from behind and without cause, and then lied about it in his report. The kid had apparently been in jail since this February incident until this film came to light and the charges against him dismissed.

  7. Do you people understand how dangerous being a police officer is? Thank God that this cop was able to go home to his family that night. Because that’s all that matters.

    While the tape looks damning, videos don’t always show the whole story, such as what happened in the few seconds before the incident. If the kid threw a punch at the cop or made some type of threatening gesture, that wouldn’t appear in the video.

    You weren’t there, so we have no right to violate this cop’s right to be “innocent until proven guilty” until all of the facts are out. The fact that I wasn’t there either won’t stop me from assuming that the cop is innocent, and praising him as a hero. And only a Communist Terrorist would suggest otherwise.

    Sometimes, I wonder why such fine men bother to selflessly serve such an ungrateful and undeserving population. Maybe when they finally “go John Galt”, you’ll finally appreciate the value of law enforcement officers, as you and your families are repeatedly victimized by the criminal scum that the cops you didn’t appreciate enough protected you from.

    • Being a cop is not dangerous. The majority of piglets who die at work die in traffic accidents, and the rate of such accidents among cops is commensurate to that of other workers who drive a lot.

      • I would suggest that, were safety a primary concern for those in service to The Empire, that perhaps they would have been better suited to a career in landscaping, or perhaps hairdressing.

        Still, grade-a trollwork right there.

        • @matt:

          Not defending cops in any way, but I think your method would be more honest if you would post the rate per 100000 employees. Just a thought.

        • The NLEOMF data is inconsistent, I looked thru their site more, and a more recent page said there were only 154 fatalities in 2010. I cant get a hard figure on the number of LEOs from them either.

          So by using solely BLSdata, they would fall under Protective Service Occupations, which the rate of incidence per 100k is 7.5, compared to Farming, Finish and Forestry at 27.0, Transportation at 14.8, Construction And Extraction at 11.8, and Installation Maintenance And Repair at 7.3. However not all Protective Service Occupations are cops, this would include private security, ski patrol, and even life guards and crossing guards.

          Based on this data, being a cop is still one of the safest jobs out there.

        • Interesting. I would still suspect that the rate is far greater than the sales reps and managers you mentioned in your previous post 😉

    • It doesn’t matter what the kid did.

      The fact the cop used his pistol as some sort of impact compliance tool means he should at the VERY least lose his certification forever, because he’s not a good cop, he’s a stupid pig.

      I think an ag assault charge may also be appropriate, maybe even with a firearm added to the charge so he does extra time.

      • I thought this is what Tasers, batons, and flashlights were for??? LOL
        “Son drop the bag. Lay down on the ground. Put your hands on top of your head. Stay there until we get the whole story.”
        JMHO!
        Guy22

    • It seems being a teenager in PGC Maryland isn’t so safe either. Luckily this kid finally got to go home to HIS family, long after the cop went home to his.

    • “You weren’t there, so we have no right to violate this cop’s right to be “innocent until proven guilty” until all of the facts are out.”

      That video camera was sure there, pal, and it shows a kid with his hands down and away getting damn near killed by that cop with his gun. A blatant assault and battery without cause. Nothing he did or said justified that hit.

      The DA can add perjury and falsifying statements to the assault charges. He can explain to the young black men in jail what his version of the facts are.

      • If only that would happen. If the cop goes to jail, he will be placed in protective custody/administrative segregation. Even when convicted of violent felonies they are still considered to be in a class above the rest of us.

    • Yes, it is dangerous being a cop. Entering gang-infested neighborhoods, dealing with crack and meth-heads, etc. I’ll agree also that a video may not show the whole story… but

      If I just took a swing at a LEO, I sure wouldn’t be nonchalantly walking away. I’d be haulin’. In the vid it’s clear the cop was haulin’ and not the kid. I seen no resistance, but it seemed that the kid turned around to see who was running up to him from behind, ya know wanting to know who was running up behind him, only to see a cop, who moments later slammed his pistol into the kids head and in the process, shoot the kid.

      His bud, wearing the ski mask? we don’t have info that it was raised off his face upon entering, or left down. IF it was left down, it was foolish as the clerk may have had a knee-jerk reaction that could have made both kids dead. What we see reported here, suggests there was no real trouble in the store though.

      Bad Cop… No Dough-nuts for you for 6 months until things quiet down!!! What a slap on the wrist.

    • “Thank God that this cop was able to go home to his family that night. Because that’s all that matters.”

      This is the problem with law enforcement in this country. While it is important that all officers are able to go home to their families at the end of their shifts, it is equally important that all officers NOT assault citizens, that all officers NOT falsify reports, and that all officers NOT deny citizens their civil rights.

      • “While it is important that all officers are able to go home to their families at the end of their shifts, it is equally important that all officers NOT (unlawfully) assault citizens, that all officers NOT falsify reports, and that all officers NOT deny citizens their civil rights.”

        I edited your quote for clarity, but overall, it gets a big +1 from this cop. I hate when incidents like this happen; it’s disgusting and reflects poorly on every cop in America.

    • “Do you people understand how dangerous being a police officer is?”

      It is actually more dangerous to be a farmer, construction worker, or clerk in a small store, or many other jobs. Every traffic stop is a risk for the officer. Every customer coming into a store is a risk for the employees in that store.

      Of course we need law enforcement and I respect they do sometimes need to go into situations where they can very much expect people to try to kill them. And it is true all evidence hasn’t been shown in this case. But it does look like at the least the officer lied in his report. The kid wasn’t going for the officer’s gun.

  8. Surprised the surveillance video hasn’t mysteriously disappeared yet. However, since this is Prince Georges County, the police are totally above the law, so they might not even bother with such mundane details.

  9. The phone lines are OPEN!Taking bets on whether he gets paid or unpaid leave, 10-1 current odds are a paid leave of absence. Get your tickets NOW!

    • He’s been on paid “administrative leave” for 6 months. I break the law, I go to jail. He breaks the law, he gets a paid vacation.

  10. The story is likely about a punk ass black guy getting hit by a punk ass white cop…and the cop lies about it. Surprise, surprise.

    • Why do you assume that an innocent kid who was nearly killed, who spent 4 months in jail on false charges, and who now has a permanent criminal record (the arrest and charges) that will follow him for the rest of his life is a “punk ass”? Is it because he’s black?

      • For starters, his body language…and how MANY, MANY, MANY young black guy’s I’ve personally encountered or witness act when out the streets (of course that is until they are on TV trying to pursue a law suit). Come on, don’t deny it. At that point they are just good, law-abiding, sweet kids. Huh?

        I’ve seen it like this WAAAY more times than not.

        I also said “likely”. I also called the cop a “punk ass”, now didn’t?

        Lastly there are few things that get (albeit bad) cops to react like that more than being a disrespectful punk ass that doesn’t heed “orders”.

        He didn’t deserve to be pistol whipped like that by a cop that took the oath, but my guess is he still likely acted in a way where he basically deserved an arrest or a beat down. It wasn’t that cops place to delve that out beating, I completely agree.

        I’m sure glad I didn’t take the oath, because I’d have a real hard time refraining from giving a punk a beat down after he did everything in his power to deserve one.

        • It’s a good thing you’re not a cop then. And…. bad cops don’t need a reason because they’ll invent one.

        • >I’ve seen it like this WAAAY more times than not.

          Really, that’s it? You’ve encountered black guys on the streets, and therefore that’s how all black guys act?

          >I also said “likely”. I also called the cop a “punk ass”, now didn’t?

          You did indeed. But what from the video, or any other source, even hints that *this* particular kid was a “punk ass”? The cop’s actions are very clear, and it’s also clear he lied so that an innocent man spent 4 months in jail, so he clearly deserves to be called a “punk ass”. Calling him that doesn’t somehow balance out judging an innocent kid, the victim here, as a “punk ass”.

          >Lastly there are few things that get (albeit bad) cops to react like that more than being a disrespectful punk ass that doesn’t heed “orders”.

          Ahh, you mean “contempt of cop”, right? So if a regular person on the streets doesn’t like my attitude, he’s free to leave and go pound sand. But if he’s a cop, he magically gets the right to beat me, frame me, and throw me in jail with the possibility I’ll be there for many years. For having a bad attitude? For maybe having a bad day?

          At least we agree on one thing. I’m also glad you didn’t take the oath. If you think a bad attitude deserves a beat down or these sorts of consequences, you may have a bright career with organized crime.

        • Yawn…well, you guy’s are also jumping to conclusions about this kid’s character. You know NOTHING about him other than he was pistol whipped by a bad cop and is now suing for 10m.

          No Peritas, I grew up around Oakland…around black people all day, every day. As I said, I have TWO cop buddies that are black. One who’s wedding in HI I just got back from. Yeah, they are friends with a closet racist, huh? LOL, not.

          They will tell you the same thing about the punk-ass black youth they see every day. There is difference between good black kids, good black men, and punk as N’s (you know what those guy’s call themselves). These cop friends draw the line between the two…and so can I without you all jumping all over me for it.

          Bottom line is you guy’s come across as cop haters, and want to take the kid’s side in a way that seems over the top anti-cop.

          Again, I think this cop deserves to lose his badge and get prosecuted – no denying that. I’m just again pointing out you know nothing about this kid or what happened before the video.

  12. Ow… you can see the muzzle flash in the video too.

    I guess they don’t teach pistol whipping with the finger off the trigger at the local academy…

    • eerie flashback. many years ago in wva a cop pistol whipped a young man he was chasing, the gun went off and the bullet hit an old man down the street. huge uproar at the time, it was before gore invented the interweb so it was a local issue.

    • Sorry, the correct answer is… 6 months paid administrative leave. Paid vacation would also have been an acceptable answer. And now a word from our sponsor, the Corrections Corporation of America.

    • Well he did take a bullet to the face, could easily have been killed, spent 4 months in jail on false charges, and will have a permanent record (the arrest and charges) that will follow him for life and could make it impossible for him to get a good job, education, loans, or housing. It affects his entire life. The plaintiff’s attorney can ask for essentially any amount, so why not start high and hope for the best?

      Besides, if he is awarded $10 million it will serve as a deterrent to other corrupt police officers. Ohh, wait. The officer has been on paid leave/vacation for six months now and any award will come from our pockets. Nevermind.

      • Ah, I must’ve missed the part about him being shot. Thought it was a ND that didn’t hit anybody. His face seems OK in the video.

    • Keep in mind this is just the asking price. The courts will decide the amount. I think it is common practice to sue for more than one would expect to win as they probably won’t get more than that amount.

  15. 4 MONTHS!!
    How many of us could be in jail for 4 months and not have our lives totally ruined? This guy is young, so it’s unlikely that he lost his job, house, etc, etc. But this happened before and the landlord tossed the guys stuff. He lost everything.

    The cop totally caught that kid of guard. Even if something did happen ‘off camera’ he could have taken that kid down a hundred other ways instead of pistol whipping him.

    That kid is damn lucky to be alive, a little different timing and he takes that round in the face. Oops! Then the cops totally gets off ‘defending’ himself.

    How the He// did they justify keeping him locked up for 4 MONTHS?

    • It gets worse. The police reviewed this exact footage only *2 days* later. They still stuck with the story that the cop was assaulted and shot him in self-defense, leaving him in jail for 4 months.

  16. You never know when you’re going to get head clubbed from behind by a gun in the hands of a government employee so eat some gourmet ice cream while you have the chance.

  17. I bet that poor, poor officer will be severely punished. Maybe even a FEW months of paid leave.

    The police state is out of hand.

  18. This cop is a hero. You don’t have any business walking down the street in America! This is why only the police should be able to carry guns. I support law enforcement!

  19. Where was this evidence during the kid’s trial? Did they get it ruled inadmissible because it lacked relevance to the charges, or something? Why is this being made public only after the kid got out and was able to file a civil suit (and by filing, was able to obtain a copy)?

    • Charges dropped by DA=no trial. The DA probably didn’t review the evidence until shortly before trial, saw the tape, and realized he had a hell of a problem. Up to that point in time, he was probably just going off the police report, which is extremely common in a busy office.

  20. While we castigate Cpl Taylor, let us not forget the second officer who stood by while Taylor assaulted someone, and didn’t say a word about the fabricated police report.

  21. You guys just don’t understand policespeak.

    Dropping like a stone when you’re pistol whipped is what cops call a “furtive movement.” Not getting up immediately because you’re stunned and bleeding is what cops call “resisting arrest.” Lying through their teeth is what cops call “proper police procedure.” Jacking up a kid for the crime of “walking while black” is what cops call “proactive police work.”

    Got it now?

  22. How can we ever expect minorities in this country to trust the majority? This is an all-too-classic example that gets brought to life only by modern media. Can you imagine all that we don’t see? All the innocent black men incarcerated for no reason whatsoever? Police corruption extends to an abyss. I can’t believe our society tolerates this. It’s utterly depressing.

    • I’m with you. The damage to race relations is probably the worst part of this, if that’s possible. The young man I saw in the video was not a thug, and believe me I work in an area infested with hardcore thugs, white and black. There must be accountability here. I’d rather deal with the Sopranos than these guys at least you know the Sopranos are thugs. This cop should be severally punished just for hitting the kid with a gun. That’s being a prick. And just where did that NEGLIGENT DISCHARGE round go, Mr. Professional? Whoops , am I cop bashing?

  23. Just one more reason the word of a cop is worthless and shouldn’t be admissible as anything more than another biased witness account.

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