Minn. officers on leave after video shows suspect being kicked

[alp227]

Source: CNN

A second St. Paul, Minnesota, police officer was on leave Friday in the wake of an arrest video that showed an officer kicking a suspect who was lying on the ground.

The officer who kicked the suspect, identified by police as Jesse Zilge, had been put on leave earlier in the week.

The name of the second officer was not released; police did not specify what role he played in the incident.

An investigation continued into the Tuesday arrest of Eric Hightower, who police had been seeking for suspicion of making terroristic threats.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/31/justice/minnesota-police-video/index.html

[midnight]

1. The complaint states his ex-girlfriend was threatened... which makes this a terrorist threat?

I not sure at this time, but maybe all threats are considered tourists threats? I hope they can figure out why this suspect was roughed up before arrest?

[bitchkitty]

2. Tourist threats? LOL n/t

[cstanleytech]

3. Well the article also says

"According to the complaint against him, which cites comments from his ex-girlfriend, Hightower strangled and threatened to kill her." So unless I am misreading it (which is possible) it sounds like he did commit assault though even if he did commit assault it doesnt excuse a police officer from kicking a suspect.

[midnight]

20. So is assault or threat to kill now being defined as terrorism? And isn't someone innocent until

proven guilty? And like you, I feel this behavior is not excusable...

[cstanleytech]

23. I dont know if he did or if he didnt commit the alleged

I was just pointing out that its not just a claim of him making "terrorist threats".
Speaking of which if you want more details on that then maybe this link will help http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/making-a-terrorist-threat.html

[Webster Green]

26. Last time I was in the slammer there were a lot of guys in there for those charges.

They had threatened their wife or girlfriend, and the charges were making terrorist threats.

This was in CA in the mid '90s. I was surprised how many were in for that stuff. Drugs & terrorist threats seemed to be the majority of offenses.

[jerseyjack]

5. "--- why this suspect was roughed up before arrest?"

Because they think they can. They are still operating as if they are in the pre-video era.

You don't know how many arrested people showed up in court in Jersey City with bruises because "they fell down the stairs."

[UnrepentantLiberal]

18. As you know, many if the cops in Jersey City

are on steroids.

[midnight]

21. That's why video taping by the public needs to be protected too...

[KansDem]

4. Video here...

[1monster]

7. Disgusting. Just disgusting.

[xtraxritical]

6. Every day there's a story like this posted on the home page.

Cops are completely militarized and taught in training that the public is the "enemy". It's almost time people.

[SoapBox]

8. Police Militias...

They Serve to Protect...usually only their own.

[ZombieHorde]

9. Wow, what are the odds all 10+ police officers on the scene are corrupt?

Since the reputation of police is marred by just a few bad apples (right?), seems like an amazing coincidence that only the corrupt ones showed up to the scene.

[glacierbay]

10. Please, please, please

don't judge all of us by the actions of the few. I know that it seems as if all cops are brutal, corrupt assholes, but that's not the case.
I find the actions of these cops abhorrent and unacceptable. I can't see any reason for the, IMO, unwarranted use of force, the kick and then the subsequent slam on the hood.

Cops need to grow thick skin and ignore the taunts, name calling and gestures, if they can't then find another line of work.
When the uniform comes off, I'm just another Joe Citizen, I don't even carry an off duty gun.

[ZombieHorde]

11. Your rebuttal seems logical to me, but we keep seeing videos of police officers

abusing people, and the other officers on the scene don't do anything to stop it.

I have worked in a lot of violent group homes, and when one of our fellow employees starts to act agitated, we quickly relieve that person and take over. We don't stand idly by while another one of us starts to cross the line. We recognize that we all have off days, and we try to watch out for that for the protection of our clients and our fellow staff. It is as simple as "Go take a break, we got this."

Why wouldn't those other 9+ police officers do anything about it? I don't get it.

[glacierbay]

12. Unfortunetly

the videos of cops using unneccessory use of force makes it to youtube and other outlets far more than positive things we do.
You know, if it bleeds, it leads.
I agree that other cops on scene should, but often don't, intervene to stop the brutality and then try to cover it up to protect fellow officers. Let me assure you, I DO NOT DO THAT, which often put me at odds with my fellow officers.

It comes from the attitude of us vs them which, IMO, is what causes the general public to distrust us, and early on in my career, is the attitude I had, but I overcame it.
The only thing I'm saying is please don't judge all cops because of the actions of a few badge heavy assholes.

[ZombieHorde]

13. "please don't judge all cops because of the actions of a few badge heavy assholes"

You're most likely right. I can't honestly go against your logic.

They just piss me off. Sorry I threw you in the same lot as them.

[glacierbay]

14. I don't take offense at it at all

When I see what I saw in that video, I just shake my head and think, here we go again, some more badge heavy assholes and cops like me have to bear the brunt of what they do.

Believe me, they piss me off too.

[Sivafae]

24. A quick question for you.

Is hair pulling an acceptable means for subduing someone being arrested?

I remember seeing an officer pull a gal by the hair in some tape made from New York some time back and it has disturbed me then, just as seeing it in this video disturbs me now.

[glacierbay]

29. It depends on how much resistance the suspect is doing

if it's just minimal resistance, absolutely not, now if the officer is fighting for his life, then all bets are off. We are trained to use several pain compliance holds that will get a suspect to do just about anything we want them to do, my personal favorite is the arm bar or the wrist bend, with those two, I can get control of someone with minimum use of force and minimum pain.
Of course, it doesn't always work out that way and then either the tazer, asp, or pepper spray comes out.

[Mariana]

31. It "often" puts you at odds with your fellow officers

that you don't help them brutalize people? That statement gives me the impression that MOST of your colleagues either participate directly in, or approve of the brutality and the lies and cover-ups that inevitably follow.

When we encounter you when you're working, we have no way of knowing exactly which type of officer you are. You have the same job title and wear the same uniforms. How do we tell if you're one of the dangerous, brutal, criminal cops, and/or one of those that will stand by and refuse to stop brutality when you see it happen, and/or one of the lying bastards who covers these assaults up?

Unfortunately, it's only reasonable for us to assume that you are a threat until you demonstrate that you are not, and to teach our children to do the same. I hope you understand that.

[glacierbay]

32. I understand

and I don't take offense.
It puts me at odds because I don't tolerate it and will report it. The few officers who have, shall we say, an aggresive attitude problem, pretty much try to avoid me.

When I encounter a person, whether it's a citizen I've stopped for a traffic violation, a domestic dispute, or whatever, I approach them with extreme caution because I usually don't know them, so in a sense, we're in the same boat.
Believe me, I have stopped unnecessary use of force, or pure brutality more than once and reported it.
Because of me, one proby cop was terminated and prosecuted because I stepped in, stopped the action, wrote the report, went before IAD, testified in court.
I don't tolerate that kind of shit, especially now that I'm a supervisor.

I hope that answers your questions.

[Mariana]

33. I'm glad to hear it.

With everybody and his brother carrying around recording devices nowadays, I do believe we'll see blatant police brutality, and the accompanying conspiracies to cover it up, go away for the most part in the not too distant future - at least that done out in the open, in public. Officials are eventually going to realize that they just can't let it go on the way they have in the past, pretending it's not really a problem - not when video of every incident is likely to be plastered all over the internets.

[xtraxritical]

15. That's the real problem, so called "good" officers going along to get along.

[glacierbay]

17. You're right

but I'm not one of them which is why I was often at odds with fellow officers.

[Sivafae]

25. I think this is what angers me most when videos and stories like this come up.

The fact that there are officers out there trying their best to do what is right being lumped in with a group of people that abuse their power and by extension, people.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

27. "Not all cops"? To the extent that there is a difference it is that some cops will actively engage

illegal and unnecessary violence while other cops will ignore the illegal nature of their actions and deny, white-wash, minimize their actions.

Some cops should be immediately arrested when engaging in illegal violence. In some instances the evidence is overwhelming and incontrovertible. Videos have been taken showing cops kicking and otherwise assaulting persons with handcuffs behind their backs. That's just one type of example. Sometimes supervising officers are even on the scene.

How many over-sized cops are on steroids (illegal steroids) and working on the job with 'roid rage? How many supervising officers and others disregard what should be obvious to anyone?

In your experience, has any police officer who has overstepped the line and engaged in a obvious illegal assault ever been arrested at the scene? Has that ever happened? Even once? Even with a supervising officer on the scene? What are the odds that it will ever happen?

Even when there is overwhelming evidence of wrong doing, there are times when the cops aren't even removed from being on the street. Other times, such as when there are videos, the cops may be placed on desk duty or suspended with pay.

Not all cops? Maybe not when you consider Serpico, but there are enough police enablers for the rest of us to apply our common sense that there are plenty of bad cops. More than enough.

[glacierbay]

30. Yes I've been on scene where a cop or cops have gone way beyond, IMO, legal use of force.

I've intervened and then reported to the on scene supervisor and submitted my report.
But you are correct, there is way too much covering up of bad cops by other cops which, once again, makes them just as guilty as the bad cops.

I don't do that, I have always operated as if I'm always being filmed and I treat people like I want to be treated.

[bakpakr]

28. Not all officer are bad

But, If they are aware of crimes committed, excessive force used by other officers and they do nothing then they are just as guilty as the perpetrator. If not more so in the fact they are in a position to do something and choose not to.

All officer know of incidents that happened. You can't tell me that each officer works in a vacuum and does know know or is not aware of incidents that other officers commit. Therefore ALL officers are just as complicit as those doing the misdeeds.

[DeSwiss]

16. I'm not sure this is so much a ''breaking'' news story.....

...as it is a continuing news story.

- This pic says it all. These are the ones they ''protect and serve.''

K&R

[xtraxritical]

19. Very compelling DeSwiss.

[midnight]

22. I second that...