Freedom Hating Brit Beaten up by US Cops for Crossing Road

[Redleg]

I'm sure you've seen T.J. Hooker. Why do you think he always yelled "Freeze! Police!" before busting a cap in some lowlife drugdealer's a$$?

You watch to much TV if your quoting T.J. Hooker, that and when one is quoting cop shows one must quote Police Academy above all others.

[Don Corleone]

Of course I'll admit that if the cop was in plain-clothes and didn't bother to identify himself, he was acting well beyond his authority.

I didn't say the BBC was the founders of an international conspriacy (to which you belong) to make American police look stupid. I'm merely suggesting that the story might be a little more complicated than the Beeb, and you, are portraying it. Why wouldn't the BBC talk to the Atlanta police department about it? Isn't it common practice in journalism to question all parties involved in a dispute?

[Goofball]

You watch to much TV if your quoting T.J. Hooker, that and when one is quoting cop shows one must quote Police Academy above all others.

I'm Canadian. We're only allowed to watch shows starring Bill Shatner.

[yesdachi]

Isn't it common practice in journalism to question all parties involved in a dispute?

That is so 1901, get with the times.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Felipe Fernandez-Armesto was stopped by a plainclothes police officer after crossing a street in downtown Atlanta.

English assassin already provided the link.

Why wouldn't the BBC talk to the Atlanta police department about it?

Because the APD made a mess and are unsurprisingly not commenting on the case, not even to the American press?

Police confirmed the professor was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, said Officer Steve Coleman of the Atlanta Police Department. But Coleman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that more details of the arrest were not available Monday night and police would not be able to comment.

[BigTex]

This guy is an elitist idiot. His nose must have been stuck to high in the air to notice the big POLICE sign on their bomber jackets. If yall will notice the wonderful picture that accompanies the article of the moment of arrest, all but one of the cops is fully uniformed. The one that isnt has a pistol to his side and his badge in full view on his chest. This genius was trying to start something, and he obviously got what he wanted. Next time I would advise him to listen to the uniformed police officer and not continue walking along your way. They generally wont swipe your legs out from under you if you stop walking.....

I do wish to note the following: Many of you hold the BBC up as a highly respectable, objective newspaper (bullocks, I say) . Yet, they didn't even make an effort to contact the Atlanta police department regarding the story. Biased, much?

The BBC has already admitted to being biased, anti-American, bible burning, koran loving lefties. So it's no suprise at all they didn't even ask the Atlanta PD or even attempt to look at the other side of this arrest. Instead they went for what would sell, sensationalized a simple arrest screaming police brutality.

[Hosakawa Tito]

The BBC should have used Idaho's thread headliner too....

[Don Corleone]

Now, Louis, you raise an interesting point. EA's article does indeed include addtional details. But do they know that the officer was plain-clothed? If so, then I'm about to switch sides and favor the professor. If a plain-clothed detective just walked up to somebody and demanded their identification without identifying his own self, he's very much in the wrong.

Or, is the Boston paper making the same assumption that Goofball is?

As for the no-statement, that doesn't look good for the Atlanta PD, granted. But again, why wouldn't the BBC even bother to contact them?

[Major Robert Dump]

Saying "I'm a cop" as you simeltaneously whack the guy in the nose and pepper spray him is, in police terms, 'identifying yourself." Kind of like yelling "police" from under a ninja mask as you ram a door down

[Pannonian]

Now, Louis, you raise an interesting point. EA's article does indeed include addtional details. But do they know that the officer was plain-clothed? If so, then I'm about to switch sides and favor the professor. If a plain-clothed detective just walked up to somebody and demanded their identification without identifying his own self, he's very much in the wrong.

Or, is the Boston paper making the same assumption that Goofball is?

As for the no-statement, that doesn't look good for the Atlanta PD, granted. But again, why wouldn't the BBC even bother to contact them?

Unvote: Professor
Vote: APD

[GoreBag]

This guy is an elitist idiot. His nose must have been stuck to high in the air to notice the big POLICE sign on their bomber jackets. If yall will notice the wonderful picture that accompanies the article of the moment of arrest, all but one of the cops is fully uniformed. The one that isnt has a pistol to his side and his badge in full view on his chest. This genius was trying to start something, and he obviously got what he wanted. Next time I would advise him to listen to the uniformed police officer and not continue walking along your way. They generally wont swipe your legs out from under you if you stop walking.....

I find it hard to believe that they had a photographer at the scene.

The point is that jaywalking isn't such a big deal as everyone here would have it. The guy's a fully-grown man, would he have crossed if he had seen cars coming? I jaywalk all the time. All the cool kids do it. The cop who arrested him is a tool, plain and simple.

[Slyspy]

I'm not sure where the "BBC didn't bother to contact...." comes from. But then this story is of no real importance - just amusing website filler.

"confiscated his box of peppermints."

LOL.

In many European countries I would request the ID and note the number of a uniformed police officer if challenged, let alone a plainclothes man. On the spot fines equal scammers on the prowl.

[Idaho]

What makes me laugh is that all you yanks love to go on about Socialist Europe and our nanny state - but you aren't even allowed to cross the road without the man clubbing the shed out of you ~:D

[lancelot]

This guy is an elitist idiot. His nose must have been stuck to high in the air to notice the big POLICE sign on their bomber jackets.

The cop who stopped him was PLAIN CLOTHED according to sources quoted in this thread.

And why exactly is he elitist?

Cops keep a guy in jail for 8 hours for crossing the road...sounds like brutality to me.

Apprently its too difficult to realise the guy was foreign and politely inform him of the local laws regarding crossing the road...

[Don Corleone]

Apprently its too difficult to realise the guy was foreign and politely inform him of the local laws regarding crossing the road...

Yank in Britain.... why don't those damn Yanks learn our laws before coming here.

Limey in USA.... why can't those damn Yanks bend the rules for us? We don't have those laws on the books.

Limeys anywhere.... those damn Yanks. They just see things from anybody's viewpoint but their own...

Hmmm, sounds fair to me...

[Slyspy]

Bend the rules? You mean everytime someone steps onto the road in Atlanta they get wrestled to the ground and surrounded by half a dozen cops? Still, I suppose cops everywhere have targets to meet, and a crime dealt with is one for the Solved list!

[Vladimir]

Cops keep a guy in jail for 8 hours for crossing the road...sounds like brutality to me.

European definition of brutality. He should have been put in a gibbet!

[Xiahou]

So, I'm looking at the picture- where's the plainclothes cop wearing a bomber jacket? The only plainclothes officer is see is the portly guy wearing a suit jacket. Everyone else is clearly a uniformed officer. Yes, the photo is obviously taken after the alleged incident- but it can't be long after because the professor is still sitting on the ground.

Did this plainclothes bully just walk up and beat the snot out of the guy and then finish his shift and go home? Something tells me that he'd be obligated to stay on the scene after such an incident. I still don't think we're getting the whole story here- and we may never get it....

Edit: Here's something new I found...

Leonpacher, in his incident report, maintains he was in his police uniform when told Fernandez-Armesto to use a crosswalk to cross from the Marriott Marquis to the Hilton. Leonpacher said Fernandez-Armesto ignored his warning and that he approached Fernandez-Armesto after the professor had crossed.

link

[Vladimir]

Fernandez-Armesto was taken into custody, where he spent the next eight hours along with "extremely unfortunate members of the underclass."

There are no whores in England, just a great deal of unfortunate women--"From Hell"

"It was the most violence I've ever experienced in my life," said Fernandez-Armesto. "And I was mugged once while at Oxford."

Well, at least it shows that England has some polite criminals.

[Xiahou]

"It was the most violence I've ever experienced in my life," said Fernandez-Armesto. "And I was mugged once while at Oxford."

Well, at least it shows that England has some polite criminals.

"Pardon me old chap, may I have your wallet?"
"Oh, are you mugging me?"
"Indeed I am, good sir."
"Ah, very well, here you are."
"Thank you very kindly, have a nice day!"

[BigTex]

Apprently its too difficult to realise the guy was foreign and politely inform him of the local laws regarding crossing the road...

He was politely informed of the law, to which he ignored the cop and went along his way. He also noted that the "plain clothes" officer was wearing a blue bomber jacket. Those are police issued uniforms for cold weather, like you see in the picture there, the jackets also have the word POLICE in bold white lettering on the police blue jacket. If he doesnt even respect the law when he's informed of it then he should recieve the punishment for breaking it.

The Jaywalking law's are there for a good reason. If a car swerves to miss a idiot running across the middle of the road they can hit other people, killing them. Crosswalks are never to far appart.

[drone]

Fernandez-Armesto was taken into custody, where he spent the next eight hours along with "extremely unfortunate members of the underclass."

There are no whores in England, just a great deal of unfortunate women--"From Hell"

I wonder if he had a chance to meet some of the male hookers Atlanta is infamous for.

[Del Arroyo]

First of all-- YAY JAYWALKERS!! The only way to cross the street. Anyone who disagrees is most clearly a freedom-hating nanny-stater. This means you, Don Corleone.

Second of all-- Atlanta sucks. Period. They also have the worst Greyhound station in the country (followed closely by Dallas).

[Tribesman]

From Xiahous link...

Leonpacher was working an extra job at the Hilton Hotel on Courtland Street at the time of the incident.

So what are the rules on police officers moonlighting , and what are the rules concerning wearing a police uniform (if in the unlikely event he was wearing one ) to do a job that isn't policework ?

So, I'm looking at the picture- where's the plainclothes cop wearing a bomber jacket?

He probably had to rush off back to work , the hotel would take a dim view of one of its staff harrasing tourists instead of opening doors for them and carrying their bags .
He should have stuck to the "have a nice day" routine instead of the "show me your ID" line .

[Xiahou]

I think "extra job" means something different from what you're taking it me mean. I usually see it referred to as an extra duty/shift that's outside of their normal hours. Like a cop who takes an "extra job" directing traffic outside a concert venue. The best way to find an answer would be to ask an American cop... if there's any here.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

From Xiahous link...

So what are the rules on police officers moonlighting , and what are the rules concerning wearing a police uniform (if in the unlikely event he was wearing one ) to do a job that isn't policework ?

They get hired to do security on their off time and wear their uniforms while doing it.

[Tribesman]

They get hired to do security on their off time and wear their uniforms while doing it.

So if he was working as a security guard at a hotel then does he have any right to demand someones ID in the street ?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

So if he was working as a security guard at a hotel then does he have any right to demand someones ID in the street ?

He would be expected to.

[Goofball]

They get hired to do security on their off time and wear their uniforms while doing it.

My mind is boggling here. Are you saying that any American business or individual with enough $$ can hire a cop to do his bidding while the cop is still acting in his capacity and exercising his authority as a police officer?

That does not sound right.

I can understand hiring a cop to work security for you while he is off duty, but it seems, well, corrupt, for lack of a better word, to have a police officer trading on the authority granted to him by virtue of his uniform.

[Dave1984]

He would be expected to.

How come? I could see it if they were acting suspiciously on trying to enter the premises, but not actually with regard to an offence they commited not directly connected to the hotel.