Loading ...This in from Hot Air….
Of course the anti-police folks are all up in arms, and it is certainly brutality. After a good chase, the suspect submits and spreads eagle on the ground. The police officer then gives the suspect a good swift kick in the head while he is lying on the ground in submission. Oh my, how stupid can you get with a news helicopter over the top of you in broad daylight.
Lets get something straight up front. I am NOT excusing the police officers actions, but I am going to put them into context. In 1985, the Supreme Court in Tennessee v. Garner, ruled that Tennessee’s fleeing felon law (you could shot them back then) was in violation of the 4th Amendment. I remember the decision well because I was doing the police thing at the time. Almost overnight, the bad guys started running from the police in mass. As a consequence, a new ‘street law’ was introduced. If you ran from the police, you got a ‘spanking’ on the way to jail. I’m sure that ‘law’ was introduced in every major city as fat and out-of-shape police officers scrambled to keep up. The days of ‘halt-or-I’ll-shoot’ were over.
After the Rodney King incident, police officers had to start taking video cameras into account. A wise officer and his partner’s usually had a plan to watch for and evade such exposure. Obviously, in this case, that plan failed. I am not making a right-or-wrong judgement here. Chases are very dangerous and police officers along with innocent bystanders are injured and/or killed almost daily from them. They are serious business.
Rodriguez is a known gang member, Carlson said. He was making hand signs during the pursuit forming an F, “as in the El Monte Flores gang sign.”
The pursuit began about 1:30 p.m. at an attempted traffic stop in El Monte, Calif., police said. Authorities tried to stop the motorist for a traffic violation, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jose Nunez.
Rodriguez opted to keep going, heading onto the eastbound San Bernardino (10) Freeway, then exited in Baldwin Park, police said.
The driver had two passengers in the car, but when the vehicle came to a stop in traffic, one of them jumped out and surrendered to police. The driver, however, sped off again, and unidentified objects were thrown out of the car.
The driver used a sidewalk to avoid traffic before getting back onto the eastbound San Bernardino (10) Freeway, where he was met by two patrol units.
Going about 85 mph, Rodriguez took the 10 to the southbound San Gabriel River (605) Freeway and exited on Whittier Boulevard, where the car immediately slammed into a sport utility vehicle.
One of the occupants was taken into custody almost immediately and Rodriguez ran to the back of a nearby apartment complex and was arrested there. – NBC Chicago
So lets keep this whole thing in context. This was not some little-ole lady out for a walk with her dog. I have seen a lot worse. Personally, I would have planted my knee full force into the back of his neck. It is easy to justify as a restraint method and induces extreme pain for extended periods of time. Just looks a lot better on camera.
