VA Police Tase, Mace Unresponsive Motorist During Medical Emergency 

Body-cam footage has emerged showing a Virginia police officer deploying a Taser and pepper spray on an unresponsive man having a medical emergency, accused of wrecking his vehicle earlier this month.

Police say 34-year-old David Washington was driving a silver Hyundai on Jefferson Davis Highway in Fredericksburg, where he ran over the median and struck a Jeep on May 4.

The Hyundai stopped at the intersection of Cowan Boulevard and Powhatan Street, police say, where the driver of the Jeep and a witness remained on scene until Fredericksburg police arrived.

The body-cam footage shows responding officers Corporal Matt Deschenes and Sergeant Crystal Hill hold Washington at gunpoint and order him to exit the vehicle.

Washington is unresponsive.

Moments later, Officer Shaun Jurgens arrives on the scene and deploys his taser on a still unresponsive Washington. One of the Taser prongs however, did not hit the man, police say, making it ineffective.

More http://bit.ly/1HoLkwP



'via Blog this'

NYPD Officers Attempt To Arrest 14-Year-Old Girl – Community Doesn’t Allow It 

New York, NY– On May 14, copwatcher Michael Barber of the Copwatch Patrol Unit was out doing a great public service in which he frequently engages – filming the police. As he was doing so, he captured something absolutely amazing.

The video, originally posted to Facebook early Friday morning, captured undercover officers grabbing at children while attempting to arrest a 14-year-old girl. This was reportedly over allegations that a child who was with her, who witnesses say appeared to be around 7-years-old, had pushed the button on a police call box.

More with Video http://bit.ly/1HoA9qv

'via Blog this'

Body Cams: A Win For Demilitarization, Or Another Pointless Police Reform? 

In the age of police brutality, there are constant calls for justice—from revamping the court system to ending the Drug War and demilitarizing local police departments. From Barack Obama, Congress, and the Department of Justice to protesters in the streets, many view body cameras as a quick and effective way to decrease misconduct. In spite of their effectiveness, however, recording tools will never fully resolve the issue of law enforcement abuse.

This isn’t to say that cameras aren’t effective in reducing police violence. In cities like San Diego and Rialto (both in California), instances of police violence have dropped by respective rates of 40% and 88%. The problem, however, is that unless the body cameras are always turned on, they are not going to be nearly as effective. In places like Denver and Albuquerque, body cams make little difference because officers have the option to turn off their recording devices. Some encounter “technical difficulties.”

More http://bit.ly/1KdXWNF



'via Blog this'