Five deputy sheriffs are suspended without pay for failing to arrest the Trump activist who sucker-punched a protester.
I imagine they felt like the protester got what he deserved. However, those charged with enforcing the law on others are the ones it is most important to hold to legal standards. This is a dangerous year already; to fail to enforce these standards would be to court disaster.
This has to do , with who punched who.
ReplyDeleteIf the shoe was on the other foot they would have been suspended without pay?
Oh yes- please note they are censured not for what they have done, but what they failed to do.
ReplyDeleteCan we apply this to enforcing other laws?
Probably not to both questions. I still think it would be throwing fuel on the fire to allow the police to choose to back one side of this political fight in terms of their enforcement of the laws against violence. Violence is likely enough in the face of a threat of arrest. How likely does it become if it is clear that the police will wink at it from one side of the conflict?
ReplyDeleteBS Come on, who would imaging a 78 year old guy sucker punching that guy, The cops could not of stopped that in those close quarters of the stairs, The old guy moved surprisingly fast. Never underestimate angry old people. Watch the video close.
ReplyDeleteThis is simply unjust to the Cops. All five of the deputies have been reprimanded and placed in a probationary status for the next 12 months!! Three deputies were demoted in rank? This unjust penalty will do nothing but increase the resentment of the trump supporters. This is a very bad thing to do. Yes disapline must be maintained, but this is not the way to do it. Way to severe to the cops. The penalty was dragged out far too long. You need to give the cops elbow room and the benefit of the doubt to do there jobs. Time for Sheriff Earl "Moose" Butler to meet the wrath of the voters for this bad call.
I don't fault anyone for failing to realize the 78 year old was going to sucker punch the other guy. I also don't blame them for the further gasoline poured on the fire by the 78 year old's later remarks about killing the protester, because they couldn't know he would make such stupid statements on camera.
ReplyDeleteThe response to the attack was to handcuff and arrest the guy who got punched, however, leaving the assailant free to continue enjoying the rally. Their duty is to uphold the common peace and lawful order. Their choices here undermine both. I'm afraid I can't view a suspension as an overly harsh punishment.
It seems way out of proportion to me. We hear constantly of police involved in far more serious situations being gently slapped on the wrist- for actions, not the lack thereof.
ReplyDeleteI think what you fear, that of police choosing sides, has happened in this case. The officers may or may not have chosen a side, but their command authority certainly has. Union influence here is unknown, but there must have been some real competing views.
BS yourself, Anonymous. The deputies were suspended for not arresting the old guy, not for not stopping him from his punching.
ReplyDeleteAs to the suspension, I'm also concerned that in more and more jurisdictions, the police are not allowed to exercise their own judgment in maintaining the peace--too much zero tolerance ruling. I'd have to see actual evidence before I form a hard opinion on the suspension (the videos seem to indicate the punchee already was under restraint when he was punched; although whether the restraint was handcuffs or just hands-on is unclear).
There is a broad gray area between judgment and gotta act; these five's apparent behavior, though, seems on the wrong side of that gray area, and it's not supportive of the argument favoring judgment.
Eric Hines
oh, i missed that part "The deputies were suspended for not arresting the old guy,,,,"
ReplyDeleteoh, he should of been arrested........never mind. sorry about that
Suspension without pay is quite serious. Not even the DC or Waco 2 executioners got that.
ReplyDeleteThe unions control the police hierarchy, mostly. The police officers merely obey orders. In this sense, they failed to obey orders to protect Code Pink and Leftist agent provocateurs.
You forgot the Lawyers........ never leave out the Lawyers......... Make sure the police are all Lawyered up!
ReplyDeleteRemember USA is " No Lawyer left behind!
http://news.yahoo.com/more-u-police-officers-buying-insurance-case-lawsuits-191924426--finance.html