American cops are the law enforcement version of American women: grossly inflated egos, completely unreasonable, and fat/out of shape. And you should do your best to avoid them at any cost, just as you would with these women.
Staten Island man dies after NYPD cop puts him on chokehold
- Thread starter MidWest
- Start date
Cunnilinguist said:
That's a gross generalization that typically doesn't ring true unless you're being a dick to them in the first place. There are going to be bad people in any group but the majority of the ones I know are interested in protecting their community and are actually cordial to you.
I've gotten hooked up for scary shit in the past (no I didn't do it and I was released) but there aren't too many times you confront your own mortality than when you have seven officers with 9mm handguns pointed at your chest.
The fact of the matter was, though, after their initial show of force and me being completely nice to them and following all their orders they showed me the exact same amount of respect. Hell, the arresting officer and I were even cracking jokes and telling stories to each other about our life experiences by the squad car while I was standing there in cuffs. I de-escalated everything nicely and all of us got along well. It was pretty much all smiles and laughter the entire way through since I knew I hadn't done anything and once it was all said-and-done there were no hard feelings.
^^
You seem to be suggesting that being all buddy buddy and talking to cops is a good thing, like that's going to help you. Sure, being polite will stop them curb stomping you even if they're arresting you for some heinous shit, but running your yap just gives them rope to hang you with. A cop is acting like your friend to make you comfortable so you'll talk. If a cop is talking to you, it's because he suspects you of something, and your best bet is to comply with his legal demands and STFU until your lawyer is present. You think they're going to let you go if you seem like a cool enough guy or something? Serial killers are often very charming.
People don't like cops because cops can ruin your life on a whim, abuse of power is usually swept under the rug, and they take a very "us vs them" attitude toward "civilians". That sort of combative/dehumanizing attitude is extremely dangerous. Us vs them, our tribe vs their tribe, is one of the things that makes it very easy for soldiers to kill in combat. First hand experience here. Personally, I'm not that comfortable with our peace officers holding the same mindset as soldiers embroiled in war.
So, of course I'm very uncomfortable being around someone who has the power to completely fuck up my world just because I didn't grovel enough for his taste and I don't have my own badge. Even if a particular cop doesn't engage in corruption or abuse of power himself, but he sees it around him and does nothing, he's giving his tacit approval of corruption and abuse. Hardly the mark of a good cop. The people best suited to hold power are those who do not seek it. It doesn't matter what sort of power it is, that is always true.
And yes, I've been arrested several times too. Once I was mistaken for an active shooter, when I was also carrying a gun. Good times.
You seem to be suggesting that being all buddy buddy and talking to cops is a good thing, like that's going to help you. Sure, being polite will stop them curb stomping you even if they're arresting you for some heinous shit, but running your yap just gives them rope to hang you with. A cop is acting like your friend to make you comfortable so you'll talk. If a cop is talking to you, it's because he suspects you of something, and your best bet is to comply with his legal demands and STFU until your lawyer is present. You think they're going to let you go if you seem like a cool enough guy or something? Serial killers are often very charming.
People don't like cops because cops can ruin your life on a whim, abuse of power is usually swept under the rug, and they take a very "us vs them" attitude toward "civilians". That sort of combative/dehumanizing attitude is extremely dangerous. Us vs them, our tribe vs their tribe, is one of the things that makes it very easy for soldiers to kill in combat. First hand experience here. Personally, I'm not that comfortable with our peace officers holding the same mindset as soldiers embroiled in war.
So, of course I'm very uncomfortable being around someone who has the power to completely fuck up my world just because I didn't grovel enough for his taste and I don't have my own badge. Even if a particular cop doesn't engage in corruption or abuse of power himself, but he sees it around him and does nothing, he's giving his tacit approval of corruption and abuse. Hardly the mark of a good cop. The people best suited to hold power are those who do not seek it. It doesn't matter what sort of power it is, that is always true.
And yes, I've been arrested several times too. Once I was mistaken for an active shooter, when I was also carrying a gun. Good times.
weambulance said:
If you have absolutely for which to be guilty, you have no reason not to be buddy-buddy. My accusation was active shooter as well and I kept things light. I didn't grovel or beg but rather kept my composure and explained my situation. I was still hooked up but once I got to the squad car outside I was treated with nothing but respect. It sounds to me like you just got a cop that was a dick; I'm not doubting that they exist. I'm just doubting that they're the majority.
It's not true at all. As long as you're not a dick and don't display any qualities of being such you should be fine.
HawkWrites said:
Bolded is incorrect. If you want to be buddy-buddy about a traffic violation, that's your call. Once you get into misdemeanor land and above, STFU and ask for a lawyer.
For just one example of how talking could be bad:
Let's say that you are falsely accused of rape. You know it's bullshit, so you freely talk and are "buddy-buddy" with the arresting and interrogating officers. They show you a picture of a girl. She's a complete cracked out ugly whore. You've never seen this woman in your life. So you tell the police this.
The problem is, the picture is of a woman you actually had sex with a week before. The picture shows her without makeup on and after a long night of drug/alcohol abuse: not how you remember her at all. When the police officer goes on the stand, do you know what he tells the jury?
Exactly what you told him. Mr. So-and-so said that he never saw this woman and he signed a statement saying so before we took a DNA sample from the pepsi bottle he was drinking from (we him pepsi, because we're buddies and all) and let him go.
Whoops! Why did you lie about knowing her? The DNA matches, so you obviously did see her...
At that point, you almost have to take the stand. As far as the jury is concerned, you are now a liar. Go ahead, get up on the stand and melt in front of the Court and the Jury in your own defense explaining why you couldn't identify her in the pictures, and then go on to explain how you didn't rape her. Do you think you would make a good witness in your own defense? I don't. It's nothing personal, but 99.9% of people are bad witnesses and crumble under the pressure. Even with preparation it's bad.
Not something I'd like to risk. If you want to be buddy-buddy, be buddy-buddy when you are on the stand with no statements to be offered against you.
tarquin said:
Failed example. If you're accused of rape you have very little recourse regardless of the system that supposed to protect you. You're pretty much fucked no matter what you do.
My example deals with the fact that you may have options within terrible opposition.
Samseau said:
That's not true. You underestimate people. If you really think that, the balls on some guys would surprise the hell out of you.
Not me though. A gun will shut me right the fuck up, as long as I'm sober. lol
tarquin said:
Exactly. Plenty of people talk themselves right into jail. If they would've just shut the hell up, even if they were 100% guilty and they knew it, they would've walked. And how many innocent men have been imprisoned because they tried to talk their way out of a charge and the prosecutor "just knew" they were guilty, and did everything he could to get them convicted? The cops, the DA, the judge, none of these people are your friends. Shut up, don't give them anything to pick apart, don't give them any words to twist. It's all risk, no reward.
HawkWrites said:
Do what ya want, man.
HawkWrites said:
Not true. With a jury, you always have a shot. There are a lot of acquittals in rape cases, as I have said before.
The scary thing is that even if you shut up (which you should do) the cops can put words in your mouth if they're unethical enough.
Which is why defense lawyers demanding audio/video of any interviews is now a feature of any defense of a case with alleged "admissions." With the technology nowadays, really no excuse, even with expedient interviews on the street. London cops will soon have a video camera attached and activated while on duty.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...earable-video-cameras-in-public-interactions/
Of course they're not so excited, takes away the opportunity to expertly lie.
^^^^ yeah I mean this kind of stuff happens all the time. I'm shocked about how the Trayvon Martin case got so much coverage. There are many cases where cops kill people all the time (fair or unfair).
Man shot in the back while being handcuffed.
Warning: Graphic footage: This guy had a knife, or didn't the video is not clear but regardless was shot 11 times.
Beating for standing in a corner. He didn't die but badly injured.
Man shot in the back while being handcuffed.
Warning: Graphic footage: This guy had a knife, or didn't the video is not clear but regardless was shot 11 times.
Beating for standing in a corner. He didn't die but badly injured.
NYC police are definitely a lot rougher than other parts of the country. Staten Island in particular is full of a lot of beefy macho Italian/Irish guys who
aren't very fond of blacks, to say the least.
aren't very fond of blacks, to say the least.
No charges in his death. Whereas, in the Ferguson matter we had no video evidence, there was video evidence in this one. I think in the Ferguson matter I tried to be fair and objectively look at it. In this one, it is hard not think some crime, or at least excessive force was used. Yes, he was huge, but he wasn't swinging his arms or charging anyone. I don't think he needed to die.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/nypd-officer-indicted-eric-garner-choke-hold-death/story?id=27341079
http://abcnews.go.com/US/nypd-officer-indicted-eric-garner-choke-hold-death/story?id=27341079