Cont: The behaviour of US police officers - part 2

[bluesjnr]

It's easy to say that when you look at select events rather than statistics. You know that most police officers never draw their gun in the course of their careers? And that the US isn't the only country in the world?

You will note that the post you are responding to doesn't argue for or against any of what you have written.

 

[TurkeysGhost]

Another incident of a man asphyxiated to death by police restraint.

A Hidden Death
Last year a Eugene man was arrested during a mental health crisis. He died two days after deputies knelt on his back at the Lane County Jail.

The unnecessary arrest flipped Payne from panic into delirium. The EPD officers refused to take Payne to a hospital and insisted he be booked in the Lane County Jail. At the jail, sheriff’s deputies pinned Payne face down on a concrete floor in order to control him. At least two deputies placed their knees on Payne’s back, according to documents and a video of the incident reviewed by EW.

At one point, a gasping Payne told deputies, “I can’t breathe.”

Payne’s heart stopped 63 seconds after that. Deputies and emergency medical technicians applied CPR for nearly 20 minutes before restarting his heart. But the damage was done. Payne died at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend two days later.

http://eugeneweekly.com/2021/07/22/a-hidden-death/

The killing of George Floyd was only unusual in that it was captured on camera and occurred in an especially cruel, publicly performative manner. Police routinely use these dangerous, prolonged restraints on people occasionally resulting in death.

 

[bluesjnr]

I suspect that there is somewhat a sample bias in this. The headline "Nice cop gives motorist warning and wishes them a pleasant day." just doesn't sell papers.

It's like suspecting all teachers of being pedophiles because of the many headlines about the ones that are.

The post you are responding to doesn't go into how many bad cops there are versus how many good cops there are. It states that "so many" transgress at the slightest opportunity to do so.

The amount of "bad" as percentage of "good" is irrelevant to my point.

 

[ponderingturtle]

It's easy to say that when you look at select events rather than statistics. You know that most police officers never draw their gun in the course of their careers? And that the US isn't the only country in the world?

I know that is stated as a fact, but I also know how often cops draw their guns as habit when there is no clear need for it. So I question how accurate that is and what the source of this so called statistic is.

 

[ponderingturtle]

But that's not what I was addressing. I was initially responding to Thermal's claim that all people who become cops want to control people through violence. That's simply not true.

It certainly is true for some percentage of the police population. Then there is the percentage who did not seek that out but become accustomed to using force.

Where are the studies that go in depth on how much this is someone's motivation for joining the police, or are you simply making an assumption?

 

[Belz...]

You will note that the post you are responding to doesn't argue for or against any of what you have written.

If you're agreeing, why did you say "and yet"? For funsies?

 

[ponderingturtle]

It's untrue that most police officers never need to use their guns?

That is a change though, before it was draw their guns and now it is fire their guns. Then of course there is the whole issue of cops drawing and firing their guns when it is not actually needed.

 

[Belz...]

I was agreeing with you. Does that change your interpretation of what I wrote?

No it doesn't. If you're agreeing with only to say something that says the opposite, you're not agreeing with me. My point is that there can be a problem with police culture in the US without every cop being a tyrannical monster who enrolled in order to beat people up.

 

[bluesjnr]

If you're agreeing, why did you say "and yet"? For funsies?

No, I said "and yet" because, despite the fact many never or seldom resort to violence, "so many" do. It's a simple statement of fact.

"Yet" was being used conjunctively.

 

[bluesjnr]

No it doesn't. If you're agreeing with only to say something that says the opposite, you're not agreeing with me. My point is that there can be a problem with police culture in the US without every cop being a tyrannical monster who enrolled in order to beat people up.

.... and yet so many are and did.

 

[ponderingturtle]

No it doesn't. If you're agreeing with only to say something that says the opposite, you're not agreeing with me. My point is that there can be a problem with police culture in the US without every cop being a tyrannical monster who enrolled in order to beat people up.

Yea they just cover up for them, that is of course fine and acceptable behavior one expects.

 

[Babbylonian]

No it doesn't. If you're agreeing with only to say something that says the opposite, you're not agreeing with me. My point is that there can be a problem with police culture in the US without every cop being a tyrannical monster who enrolled in order to beat people up.

You wildly misinterpreted what I said. I've learned my lesson, though.

 

[dudalb]

No it doesn't. If you're agreeing with only to say something that says the opposite, you're not agreeing with me. My point is that there can be a problem with police culture in the US without every cop being a tyrannical monster who enrolled in order to beat people up.

THIS.THIS.THIS.

 

[Belz...]

You wildly misinterpreted what I said.

Then explain it to me because I have no idea why you thought that answer was in any way in agreement with me except with the very first part, which I indeed misinterpreted.

 

[Bogative]

Another incident of a man asphyxiated to death by police restraint.

Nobody cares, he was white.

 

[Belz...]

Nobody cares, he was white.

You're not supposed to say the quiet part out loud.

 

[TurkeysGhost]

Nobody cares, he was white.

Nothing says "nobody cares" like a long form piece of investigative journalism.

 

[Bogative]

Nothing says "nobody cares" like a long form piece of investigative journalism.

They care about the "**** the police" angle, not him.

 

[jimbob]

They care about the "**** the police" angle, not him.

Well the police are the problem not the victims. It's systemic and affects whites as well as other races, but racism adds to the mix and means that blacks are affected worse.

 

[TomB]

Seems there's a lot of begging the question when it comes to the idea that flooding the streets with cops will actually prevent violent crime. Driving away from an active shooting is probably not a good PR move for these departments desperately trying to justify their bloated budgets.

link?