DNC cop brutality

[SoupyGeorge]

I went to the DNC to protest with a friend to day. (Democratic National Convention, for those that don't know) It's more a rally than a protest. It's just a bunch of kids waking around, with signs, mics, and singing songs about peace.

Today my friend got elbowed in the face and kicked onto the ground by a cop, while they held me back. I watched a lot of this going on today. They detained my friend, and tried to detain me, but then found out I was 16 and just shoved me into the grass. I watched an OLD MAN get hit in the face with a night-stick. There were other things too.

There are videos up on youtube, a lot.

THE POINT: Have you ever experienced cop brutality, seen it, etc? What are your opinions on how easy it must be to become a cop, other such questions.

edit: if these seems too off topic or vague, feel free to delete it.

[medusa]

I can't comment on the situation you faced, since I wasn't there to experience the conditions first hand. I'm sorry it happened to you, though! My only question is this - what led up to the violence displayed by the officers? Not that people deserve that sort of treatment, of course. I'm just wondering what led the officers to feel the need to be physical with your friend.

I can comment on the 'how easy it must be to become a cop' thing. I am a cop. And it's not easy in the least bit, at least not in Wisconsin. I've had a LOT of training, a lot of tests, and I've spent a LOT of time trying to achieve this. I still have more training to go before I'm a full, armed officer, but I do work for a police department as an officer, right now. It's a fun, but stressful job.

Of course, not every place has such high training standards. And there are some serious a-holes in the field, that's for sure. It seems like you ran into a few of the a-holes, and I'm sorry for that. I hope it doesn't color your opinion of law enforcement, though. We're not all jerks.

[SoupyGeorge]

lol, YAY! A good cop!

My friend is an artist, and decided to bring her art supplies and a canvas, and was having people paint on it and stuff in the middle of this crowd. They just came in and grabbed her and some other people and I went running after them. If you watch the movies, it's not like people are charging or anything. It's just people walking around singing and chanting things like, "This is what a police state looks like"(no offense) and "Who are you protecting?" and stuff like that.

This is most accurate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8s9OKTyw2E
And one girl is talking about the old man getting hit with the night stick.

heres another:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNS2NlqQrOU

[Paradisco]

Damn, thats messed up. There are a few good cops out there, but a lot more bad than good, like sadistic control freaks. There must be ridiculously high security over there. But politics in general is just BS, its such a circus.

I was going to go to the convention since I've been in CO the past two months. Did you see the giant silk Islamic temple with pictures of Iranian people all over it? I mostly just wanted to go to see that.

[medusa]

OMG, yikes. Sounds like the officers got irritated, and couldn't handle their emotions like mature, responsible individuals. What jerks. I'm so sorry that you guys had to experience that. Not only is it horrible for you, but it also gives cops like myself a bad name. Totally lame.

[absolutebrutal]

OMG, yikes. Sounds like the officers got irritated, and couldn't handle their emotions like mature, responsible individuals. What jerks. I'm so sorry that you guys had to experience that. Not only is it horrible for you, but it also gives cops like myself a bad name. Totally lame.

i feel for you. it must be so frustrating to be doing your job properly and going through all the training to get there, only to have a select bunch of idiots behave that way. nobody ever sees hundreds of videos and news reports of good police work, it's mostly bad press. which must make it very difficult and more dangerous for the rest of you.

i've never experienced any problems but i guess it's different over here. our police force make a good balls up of things in other ways really.

[LittlePinkFaery]

just a warning to be careful with this thread. Keep it open minded and factual and not knee jerk reaction without proof, experience or evidence.

So far- all okay

[medusa]

absolutebrutal- it's difficult sometimes, but I try to deal. I understand that not everyone is gonna love what I do (I mean, a lot of my job consists of ruining people's nights because they were doing something they weren't supposed to be...no one likes getting caught!).

It's a bit heartbreaking to see my fellow officers behaving so badly, though. I wish there was better training, and a better selection process in some areas. Cops are supposed to be heros, not villians, and it just disgusts me when they behave as such.

But then it goes to make me even more proud to work for the dept. that I do. I work with a bunch of amazing people, and I'm confident nothing like that would happen here. I just wish it wouldn't happen anywhere.

Okay, I'm done rambling.

[deadteddys]

Ive never really seen any police brutality over here. They all seem to be pretty placid nice people. Esp the ones that walked around download, they were up for a laugh and everything

[Paradisco]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say something so crude as that and generalize all police officers, I guess I am just pretty biased because I have had too much negative experience. When I was a little girl I watched my mother get violently assaulted by a sheriff, which scarred me for life. Yet, I have met some wonderful officers in my time,I guess that there is just that general negative stigma that is hard to shake off. It must be a pain in the A to have people judge you right off the bat like that, I'm sure its a very hard job and it truly is a very noble profession. I am genuinely sorry for my ignorant comment.

[medusa]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say something so crude as that and generalize all police officers, I guess I am just pretty biased because I have had too much negative experience. When I was a little girl I watched my mother get violently assaulted by a sheriff, which scarred me for life. Yet, I have met some wonderful officers in my time,I guess that there is just that general negative stigma that is hard to shake off. It must be a pain in the A to have people judge you right off the bat like that, I'm sure its a very hard job and it truly is a very noble profession. I am genuinely sorry for my ignorant comment.

I didn't think that you had said anything offensive. I appreciate your concern about it, though! I understand why you would carry a distaste for law enforcement, I don't blame you a bit. Thank you!