Sigh...

[Zim]

I read a news post about an altercation between some cops in Pittsburgh and a suspect. I have no idea if they used excessive force or not but this depressed me.

"'My son tried to run thinking his life was in jeopardy," Terez Miles said. "He made three steps before he slipped and fell.' After that, she said, the police used a stun gun and beat him, pulling out a chunk of his hair."

Never run from the police, unless you live somewhere where they'd kill you for no reason. I can't speak for the rest of my country, but in my county running is never more dangerous than being arrested. If it ever were, I'd be in jail as well, as would my Sheriff.

As a question, should they have used the stun gun only, or beat him only?..

[Fragony]

Could have just dived on him, stupid to run from the police though

[Ser Clegane]

How about providing a link to the news post? Lack of background information does not really make a good discussion starter (neither does the thread title you chose).

[Skullheadhq]

Doesn't this belong in the police abuse thread?
Also, what did he do to run from them?

[Zim]

Sorry, the site I'm on that provided the story didn't post a link and I didn't want to give them away.

Here's one I found.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/22/...ispute/?hpt=T2

The title was descriptive of my reaction, but not very descriptive in general I suppose. I apologize for that, but being a long term member of the backroom I've seen far worse.

"My son tried to run thinking his life was in jeopardy," Terez Miles said. "He made three steps before he slipped and fell." After that, she said, the police used a stun gun and beat him, pulling out a chunk of his hair.

It sounds bad to me. If I were to hear such in my county I'd not wonder why they ran. But hear running is never less dangerous than not running, and if I ever caught someone I thought was innocent I'd say as much on the witness stand, and to hell with the effect on my job. If that isn't true elsewhere it's sad, if it is then the situation is also sad.

How about providing a link to the news post? Lack of background information does not really make a good discussion starter (neither does the thread title you chose).

[Skullheadhq]

He just walked with a bottle of Mountain Dew, three plaincloth detectives come out of a car, the boy feels threatened, flees and slips (banana peel maybe) and falls, after that they beat him and arrest him for escape?

But what did he do to deserve this, you can't arrest a man for running, I think.

[Ser Clegane]

This case has already been posted (and should therefore be discussed) here - see post #357.

closed

[Zim]

Possible, I do find it amusing the police were accused for using physical means to capture him, if they used a taser or pepper spray they'd face other accusations...

He just walked with a bottle of Mountain Dew, three plaincloth detectives come out of a car, the boy feels threatened, flees and slips (banana peel maybe) and falls, after that they beat him and arrest him for escape?

But what did he do to deserve this, you can't arrest a man for running, I think.