Wisconsin State Capitol Police Officer assaults videographer

[Lefta Dissenter]

http://wcmcoop.com/2013/08/05/capitol-cop-throws-videographer-to-the-ground/

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that this officer has manhandled people. I was right there when this happened, and it was totally out of the blue - no warning given, whatsoever. This comes just days after a 70-year-old man, handcuffed behind his back, fell down the stairs while in the custody of the Capitol Police.

Walker and the Department of Administration need to call off the dogs. Tensions are getting too high, and people are getting hurt.

[Scuba]

1. Squatty Wanker must be so proud.

[janlyn]

2. Without a doubt Wisconsin republicans

are the biggest bunch of jack booted suit and tie wearing republican thugs. However I did not see a cop throw a videographer to the ground. What I did see was a videographer,rightfully startled by the cop grabbing his arm and pulling back,who sprang back and in doing so overcorrected and lost his footing.

[Lefta Dissenter]

4. Well, if that's what you see from the video,

so be it. I was standing right next to them, and he definitely was thrown to the ground. His body hit the marble floor hard.

[TroglodyteScholar]

5. You've never slipped and hit the ground hard?

The cop clearly grabbed the guy, startling him. But that was no takedown. There are better ways to do that.

I bet the sound was shocking , though, huh?

[janlyn]

15. That's what I see.

Certainly the officer was wrong to grab the guy without making his presence known. The man was rightfully startled but,I have fallen and knocked myself unconscious. Someone can fall and make a large sounding impact in an accidental fall. Doesn't have to be someone thrown to the ground.
I have been leery lately to disagree with DU members, given the meanness I have seen recently. I want to first thank you for being so kind in your response.
I said that to say this, I believe that you are sincere when you say you think he was thrown to the ground. But my fear is that it will appear we stoop to the
level of the republicans, who over exaggerate or outright lie.

[TroglodyteScholar]

3. I hate to side with the cop

This looks at worst as though the cop surprised this guy by grabbing him (maybe crossing a line), then maaaybe the guy slipped. But the way it looks from every angle, there's no way this cop threw that guy to the ground. He didn't even grab with much force.

It's also telling what the videographer's first question was. He wasn't hurt or traumatized or anything, he just wanted a "gotcha."

Edit: clarification

[niyad]

6. please explain why that officer even touched the man in the first place

[TroglodyteScholar]

7. Unfortunately, I don't see much in the way of context in any of the videos.

Believe me, I'm not the type to blindly side the the authorities. Hell, I've been punched in the temple by a cop (about 8" taller and 100 lb heavier than I) who I had not threatened physically nor verbally. So I'm not exactly a member of the Fraternal Order of Police.

But it's very unfortunate that there's no video that shows what this videographer was doing in the minutes leading up to the encounter, nor do I see any of the police officer. We don't know if they have had previous interactions. We know very little.

All we see is this guy rushing to set a camera up, the cop coming up and taking hold of him, and the guy having a startled reaction that ends with him on the ground. My point was and is that this thing wasn't some kind of thug conducting a vicious beatdown. I can't say any more about it, though, than what my eyes tell me.

[Downwinder]

8. Restores my faith in the police state.

If I so much as touched a cop's sleeve, i would be cuffed and charged with assault.

[midnight]

9. Why did that cop pull the videographer to the ground? There doesn't seem to be a reason for this....

[newcriminal]

10. Lord, it sickens me to side with a cop butt

that videographer threw himself down.

[pacalo]

11. The cop had no business putting his hands on him

whether he meant to throw him down gently or rough enough to cause him serious injuries.

The cop caught him off guard; perhaps the guy's footing wasn't balanced enough to keep him from falling to the hard marble floor. His instinct told him to fall gently?

[newcriminal]

13. Putting your hands on someone and

throwing them to the ground are two different things.

[pacalo]

14. Yes, & both were unjustified & over the top. n/t

[burnodo]

12. with respect to the media cooperative, lying is not a good thing

the officer did NOT throw the videographer to the ground...lying about it makes you just as bad as the corporate media liars

[Bjorn Against]

16. There is video at the link which clearly shows the cop throwing the cameraman to the ground

My eyes don't lie, the video is clear as day. Make excuses for this shit all you want, but don't accuse others of lying for reporting what they saw and have video of.

[burnodo]

17. I saw the same video

He pulled the guy by his arm and the guy tripped. He did not throw him to the ground. That is CLEAR! That's why I had problems with the headline. Now, I'm not saying that cop had any business touching that guy, but he did NOT throw him to the ground.

[Bjorn Against]

18. Well I think the headline is accurate, the officer clearly pushed him

You can disagree on what the definition of throwdown is, but don't accuse others of lying because they don't split hairs like you do. The fact is that the cameraman would not have been on the ground if the officer had not pushed him.

[Lefta Dissenter]

19. He jerked him backwards

I was standing RIGHT THERE.

But frankly, we're on to today, with the new tactic of going after ANYONE who is videoing. Two credentialed press people pushed and threatened with arrest, MANY other people, including a legislator, threatened with arrest simply for observing the sing along.