The Law Enforcement Officer Thread

Probably because they're unionized. Lock step and close ranks and all.

I mean, I get it when it's like, autoworkers or basket weavers or something, but it's just weird that emergency services personnel have unions. If some bad guy is trying to break into my house, and the cops are on strike for better dental and an espresso machine, how fucked am I right now?

Well, we have those, but the law still mandates them to be able to respond. So it's not the guys on duty at the time, but those who don't have any pressing issues at the moment.

Of note, Utah does seem to be treating the situation with the severity it deserves. Both the chief of police and the mayor have issued public apologies to the nurse in question, Alex Wubbels. According to the mayor, the officer in question has been suspended while IA investigates the matter, and their policy and protocols for the blood draw program have been revised to ensure that something like this never happens again.

Now, being put on paid leave is hardly a punishment, but it's standard protocol for the duration of an investigation. The investigation has to come to conclusion before any action will be taken, one way or the other. They aren't closing ranks and protecting him just yet.

Frankly, it will be difficult to do so. Salt Lake City's not one of our usual offenders when it comes to police committing terrible crimes and then skipping away without consequences. This unjust arrest has caught everybody's attention. City councilmen, state Congressional representatives, and even the governor have weighed in on it, all calling for consequences.

In stark contrast to what happens when a black kid gets shot by police in Confederate states, there's no major authority figures really stepping up and going, "It's fine, folks. It's cool. This happens. No big deal. It was the nurse's fault anyway."

Getting back to this because I don't really read this thread very often. Yeah, holy shit, they have done fucked up and the way the government handled the issue is pretty much the biggest fuck up to date of the current administration (didn't get to talk about it because I'm back to college so I have no time to comment on stuff, I'm going to sleep in a while).

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/world/americas/argentina-protests-santiago-maldonado.html?mcubz=3

It's now getting worse since they're now the prime target of the activists.

The University of Utah Hospital, where a nurse was manhandled and arrested by police as she protected the legal rights of a patient, has imposed new restrictions on law enforcement, including barring officers from patient-care areas and from direct contact with nurses.

... I think they borrowed something off Minnesota.

That's bureaucratic for "thank you, but fuck off".

Well the cops fucked themselves on that one.

Well, that department did at any rate. The one the injured reserve officer works at seemed pretty good.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/nhknewsline/womenofvision/reformingjapansexcrimelaws/

Japan's reforming the implementation of sex crimes committed in the country.

In the story that keeps on giving: Officer in Utah blood nurse arrest fired from medic job.

Turns out he had a second job as a paramedic. Weirdly enough, his employer didn't think it would be a good idea to pay him to be in contact with patients.

Man, this story really does just keep on giving. And it's awesome to see something handled... well, I can't say it's right until everything's ended, but people are taking it seriously and that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

I doubt that he's going to stay on the force. He exposed the department to lawsuits from the patient, the hospital and (potentially) the nurse. Plus and officer of the law should know the freakin' 4th Amendment.

He may wind up a "gypsy cop": bouncing from city to city and agency to agency.

How does that happen anyway? Do other departments hire guys like him because they agree with what he did? Do they not run background checks and find out that stuff like this happened?

It's the latter I think.

The NFL and NFL Players' Association have refused to investigate Michael Bennett, whose claims of having been abused by the Las Vegas Police are false, according to the Las Vegas police union.

edited 8th Sep '17 8:27:24 AM by SeptimusHeap

For context, Bennett is the guy who refused to stand for the national anthem as a form of protest against the direction of the government.

Bennett now claims that the police used excessive force and racial profiling against him in Vegas. He says police pointed guns at him being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time. In Bennett's account, one officer said he would "blow [his] f*cking head off" if he moved while another jammed a knee into his back and handcuffed him.

Undersherriff McMahill is saying that there was a threat of an active shooter at a nightclub and they thought it was Bennett. They spotted Bennett as one of many people fleeing from the club and chased him down. When asked why Bennett was singled out, Mc Mahill said he doesn't know, but he denies that race was ever a factor in the arrest. Because of course he does. This is pretty much the standard for this conversatoin.

• "Why was he arrested?"
• "I dunno. I'm looking into it."
• "Was it because he's black?"
• "Absolutely not! That is never the reason! Ever! There are no racist cops!"

Now the police union is pushing back against Bennett and claiming that he lied about being arrested for being black and basically they want the NFL to fire him.

Well, Bennett was one of by now quite a few players refusing to stand for the anthem.

Hey, more about Utah.

After Utah Nurse's Violent Arrest Local Prosecutors Ask FBI to Help Investigate Police

And apparently, the FBI has agreed to help.

edited 8th Sep '17 12:07:57 PM by CDRW

That cop's leadership right now.

paywalled

That's weird. I don't have a subscription.

I know it can be bypassed via incognito mode (that is if one has Chrome).

To paraphrase The Other Wiki, smaller departments may not have resources and find it easier to hire officers from other departments. Even if the officer is satan with a badge.

This a-hole may skate if they just fire his ass. He could resign in lieu of being shitcanned.

But if he's convicted, it's the end. A felony would sink his law enforcement career.

I'm curious as to why a felony would end a law enforcement career, if departments are so desperate that they will hire people who've clearly and publicly committed crimes, why does a conviction make such a big difference?