Police bashers let free.

**pevergreen** · 03-14-2009, 00:56

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...9-7583,00.html

Acquittal leaves police force demoralised

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

A YOUNG police officer is called to a brawl involving drunken patrons outside a suburban tavern at the end of a hot February day last year. It's run-of-the-mill stuff, nuts and bolts policing as one copper would later describe it.

When Constable Matthew Butcher, 32, arrives with four other officers to find a group swapping punches and wrestling outside Joondalup's Old Baily Tavern, it's about 8pm, still light and chaotic.

Video captured on a mobile phone shows spot-fire punch-ups breaking out all over the road.

Then, out of nowhere, you see Barry McLeod, 29 -- who with his brother Scott, 35, and father Robert, 56, were drinking at the pub when the fracas began -- running full belt at Butcher's back. The officer had just stunned the older McLeod with his Taser gun after he was set upon by the father of the two younger men. Barry McLeod launches himself and headbutts the struggling, unsuspecting officer in the back of the head. Like a falling tree, Constable Butcher goes face first into the concrete, where he remains motionless.

Minutes later and after the video ends, the older McLeod, who has a heart condition, then makes the calamity complete by having a heart attack, no doubt brought on by the fight and Taser stun gun. Other officers, while being abused and threatened by the aggressive, gesticulating brothers, perform CPR on the dying man and save his life. The ambulance called for Constable Butcher leaves the crime scene carrying a revived Robert McLeod. A second later, an ambulance takes the injured officer to hospital, where he fights for his life for weeks. He is now paralysed down the left side of his body, confined to a wheelchair and has serious issues with his sight.

Late on Thursday, a jury acquits the McLeods of all charges except one, saying it was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the officers were acting lawfully. In other words, the jury found that the police were overzealous in their actions. So who was on trial here? The police, apparently.

The reaction to the decision has been rabid. Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan has appealed for calm among his angry and shocked troops, and admits there have been at least two resignations in the past 24 hours. The police union says it is outraged and the verdict will demoralise the force and kill recruiting.

Others urge the Butcher camp to pursue the McLeods in the civil courts. The McLeods engaged high-priced Melbourne silks at about $8000 a day for a six-week trial. Some suggest their legal bill may nudge $500,000.

Yesterday, Scott McLeod was fined $4000 after being found guilty of threatening to kill bystander Jason Winchip. Winchip took the incriminating video. McLeod told Winchip he would "f..king kill you if you do not delete the f..king video".

His lawyer, Richard Utting, told the court that his client also wished to thank the two officers who saved his father's life. No doubt Constable Butcher and his colleagues will be chuffed by McLeod's kind words.

A second later, an ambulance takes the injured officer to hospital, where he fights for his life for weeks. He is now paralysed down the left side of his body, confined to a wheelchair and has serious issues with his sight.

The tv also said (i guess its just assumed here) that he has suffered pernament brain damage...

This is disgusting.

edit: video here: http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...13-948,00.html

**Rhyfelwyr** · 03-14-2009, 00:59

Originally Posted by pevergreen

This is disgusting.

What more could be said.

**Alexander the Pretty Good** · 03-14-2009, 01:30

Originally Posted by the article

Then, out of nowhere, you see Barry McLeod, 29 -- who with his brother Scott, 35, and father Robert, 56, were drinking at the pub when the fracas began -- running full belt at Butcher's back. The officer had just stunned the older McLeod with his Taser gun after he was set upon by the father of the two younger men. Barry McLeod launches himself and headbutts the struggling, unsuspecting officer in the back of the head. Like a falling tree, Constable Butcher goes face first into the concrete, where he remains motionless.

This paragraph seems particularly tortuous - was the elder McLeod Tasered before or after his son rushed the copper?

I wonder if the general public become demoralized when the cops beat up someone...

Also, in before Crazed. :D

**CountArach** · 03-14-2009, 02:09

Minutes later and after the video ends, the older McLeod, who has a heart condition, then makes the calamity complete by having a heart attack, no doubt brought on by the fight and Taser stun gun.[...]He is now paralysed down the left side of his body, confined to a wheelchair and has serious issues with his sight.

God damn I hate tasers.

**naut** · 03-14-2009, 02:30

The sensationalism in that article is laughable. Tony Barrass your a journo not a bloody novelist. He's trying to educe pity and quite frankly I have none for Policemen, it's their job too bad, get better health cover next time. And a jury decided what they believed should have been the verdict, should we make them change there verdict just because some people don't like it? No, too bad.

Maybe next time they should just shoot everyone, that'll solve the problem.

**pevergreen** · 03-14-2009, 02:33

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...13-948,00.html

There is video of it on that link.

**naut** · 03-14-2009, 02:49

I have no pity/empathy. They were doing their job and if they were good at it they would never have got into that situation anyway. Anyone who uses a taser should get what they deserve.

**Husar** · 03-14-2009, 03:23

Originally Posted by CountArach

God damn I hate tasers.

Eh, you cut that out nicely because the one who is paralyzed is the officer who was headbutted and not the old man who got tazered....please read that again, the video also shows the officer in a wheelchair.

I also think this is absolutely disgusting, this guy causes serious head damage to a police officer and then walks away free?!?!?!
That's absolutely not just in any way you take it.

I'd have given him about 10 years, and that is considering he was drunk and noone died.

**CountArach** · 03-14-2009, 03:25

Originally Posted by Husar

Eh, you cut that out nicely because the one who is paralyzed is the officer who was headbutted and not the old man who got tazered....please read that again, the video also shows the officer in a wheelchair.

Yeah I just re-read it. Anyway I still think Tasing was what caused this whole problem to escalate to the level that it did.

**Husar** · 03-14-2009, 21:52

Originally Posted by CountArach

Yeah I just re-read it. Anyway I still think Tasing was what caused this whole problem to escalate to the level that it did.

And I still think that drunken idiot would have headbutted the officer anyway, they just tazed the wrong guy.

**Strike For The South** · 03-17-2009, 09:19

The officer was in the right here. Some drunk nancy boy with a heart condition thought it was cool to start something with the cop and his boy struck him in the back.

Nothing but trash these people. Some of you hate tasers? Well I hate drunk-

who think they are unbreakable. Some people need to get a job.

As soon as the guy came toward him looking for a fight the cop should've tasered him. The cops job is not to go toe to toe with him it's to take a violent man down with as little harm as possible.

The old geezer will remember his failed heart the next time he has a surge of testosterone. What a tool.

EDIT: And for the recored my experinice with the cops has been good maybe its because I look them in the eye and show them respect and not pretend like my rights are being violated every two seconds

**Husar** · 03-17-2009, 15:22

Pretty much, i just watched the video again and it looks like the drunkards all tried to resist their arrest, also not how the guy who gets tasered is beating a policeman beforehand and doesn't want to let go, he isn't a fragile old man, he is a fat drunkard who beats police officers.
The correct way to "save" his son would be to let the policemen do, maybe try to sway them with words only and then use legal means to get his son out of custody if necessary. AFAIK most drunkards just get dropped into a cell until they are sober and then they're released, definitely worth crippling a police officer over.