Wrongly arrested Black man sues a Georgia city and police officers for excessive force and injury

[Biff_Poindexter]

In civil suits like this, the liability should lie on the police department, which means the government (and yes taxpayers) -- and also means that police unions should also be liable for paying out the civil suits...

Once you have this mutual accountability -- maybe that will be the most effective way to change police culture -- when something affects your pockets, you put all bullshit aside -- you will definitely pay more attention to the cops you hire and how you train them

 

[Auld Phart]

You realize that police don't pay the man ... the city does.

They should have to pay out their own pockets..

Never be able to hire another cop if they did.

No one would want the job.

 

[Moonglow]

You realize that police don't pay the man ... the city does.

They should have to pay out their own pockets..

Never be able to hire another cop if they did.

No one would want the job.

Then they don't need a job as a cop if they have trouble controlling themselves.

 

[Auld Phart]

You realize that police don't pay the man ... the city does.

They should have to pay out their own pockets..

Never be able to hire another cop if they did.

No one would want the job.

Then they don't need a job as a cop if they have trouble controlling themselves.

bud, even if they control themselves, there are going to be assholes out there making false claims just for the payout.

 

[Polishprince]

In civil suits like this, the liability should lie on the police department, which means the government (and yes taxpayers) -- and also means that police unions should also be liable for paying out the civil suits...

Once you have this mutual accountability -- maybe that will be the most effective way to change police culture -- when something affects your pockets, you put all bullshit aside -- you will definitely pay more attention to the cops you hire and how you train them

The problem is that that police chiefs and especially the politicians that employ them, want the cops to crack down on the criminal element and that often means physical confrontations.

A high crime rate doesn't help politicians get reelected, so the result is that they turn a blind eye when police beat the suspects to the fullest extent of the law to discourage crime. Its really up to the politicians here. If they wanted the police to remain passive in the face of crime, they could do it.

 

[DGS49]

Is there any indication whatsoever that this mal-treatment was the result of the man's race? None that I can see. The only thing we have here is a reporter and indiscriminate readers concluding that it was "all about race," which says more about them them it does about the police officers.

Had the complaint been about a "white" man with the same characteristics, and two men meeting the description were in the area...?

Police don't fight fairly. Ever. If you put up resistance, they will respond with force that far outweighs your resistance. Police officer B seems to be the instigator here, and he should be disciplined significantly.

If you want to see a bright shining example of the Law of Unintended Consequences, take away the limited immunity of Police. Seriously.

 

[Polishprince]

You realize that police don't pay the man ... the city does.

They should have to pay out their own pockets..

Never be able to hire another cop if they did.

No one would want the job.

Then they don't need a job as a cop if they have trouble controlling themselves.

bud, even if they control themselves, there are going to be assholes out there making false claims just for the payout.

There are some assholes out there who will make false claims against the police to avoid paying a $5 parking tag. Make it big money, and the amount will increase exponentially.

 

[Grumblenuts]

"Hey, why don't you get 80 more cops?" - Jimmy Dore.

 

[Lysistrata]

The cops who did this should be the ones to pay him and apologize.

 

[Polishprince]

The cops who did this should be the ones to pay him and apologize.

Depends. If the politicians through the police chiefs told the officers to crack down on the nogoodniks as the crime rate is going up, up, up, why should a lowly worker bee like a police officer have to pay anything?

Besides, most cops don't have much money. If the rule was that citizens had to sue the police personally, they wouldn't get much money. You cannot squeeze blood from a turnip.

 

[JusticeHammer]

You realize that police don't pay the man ... the city does.

They should have to pay out their own pockets..

It doesn't work that way with civil litigation.

I am well aware of that. Yet in a more perfect world they would pay out of their own pockets.

In a perfect world idiots wouldn't fight the police.

 

[miketx]

CNN

Wrongly arrested Black man sues a Georgia city and police officers for excessive force and injury
By Tina Burnside, Pierre Meilhan and Hollie Silverman, CNN

June 25, 2020

Excerpt:
Famous people who've had COVID-19
A Black man who was slammed to the ground as he was wrongly arrested is suing the Georgia city of Valdosta and numerous Valdosta Police Department officers for excessive force and for violating his civil rights, according to court documents.

In a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court, Antonio Arnelo Smith, a Valdosta resident, also accused the police department of illegal arrest, false detention, assault as well as battery and is seeking $700,000 in a settlement.

LINK

=====

Not looking good for the Police, but the article is lacking solid linked sources, there is a body camera, not posted.

Fake news.

 

[pknopp]

Well, it's the "qualified immunity" that protects cops, and yes, even bad cops, and I think it should be easier to sue them.

If a doctor can't get malpractice insurance, they won't practice medicine. If a cop is put at risk for doing his job, he just won't do it.

Why arrest a crook when you're at risk for doing so?

Doctors can get malpractice insurance......unless they screw up a lot.

Nobody is at risk for simply arresting a criminal. It happens thousands of times a day. No risk.

 

[pknopp]

You realize that police don't pay the man ... the city does.

They should have to pay out their own pockets..

It doesn't work that way with civil litigation.

I am well aware of that. Yet in a more perfect world they would pay out of their own pockets.

In a perfect world idiots wouldn't fight the police.

In a perfect world the police wouldn't jump someone just because they are black like we see here. Courts have ruled that people have a legal right to protect themselves. The system will rule that this man deserves compensation for the violent actions of the cops.

 

[pknopp]

You realize that police don't pay the man ... the city does.

They should have to pay out their own pockets..

That would cut down on the number of cases, that's for sure for two reasons.

One, few police officers have a sufficient amount of money to make it worthwhile to sue them, so attorneys wouldn't bother taking the cases.

Two, police officers would avoid potentially ugly confrontations with African Americans so they could avoid possible future litigation costs.

The city will still be sued also. Being able to sue an officer doesn't preclude not suing the city.

 

[Lysistrata]

The cops who did this should be the ones to pay him and apologize.

Depends. If the politicians through the police chiefs told the officers to crack down on the nogoodniks as the crime rate is going up, up, up, why should a lowly worker bee like a police officer have to pay anything?

Besides, most cops don't have much money. If the rule was that citizens had to sue the police personally, they wouldn't get much money. You cannot squeeze blood from a turnip.

 

[Lysistrata]

Is the crime rate going up and up and up?

The cops who did this should be the ones to pay him and apologize.

Depends. If the politicians through the police chiefs told the officers to crack down on the nogoodniks as the crime rate is going up, up, up, why should a lowly worker bee like a police officer have to pay anything?

Besides, most cops don't have much money. If the rule was that citizens had to sue the police personally, they wouldn't get much money. You cannot squeeze blood from a turnip.

 

[Polishprince]

Is the crime rate going up and up and up?

In some places it certainly is. The murder rate went through the roof in Baltimore after the mayor attacked the police. The crime rate in New York is reaching new heights as well.

Further, the fact that many cities aren't charging all of the George Floyd Rioters doesn't mean the crimes aren't happening, even if they aren't fully counted in the official crime rates

If the police are afraid to confront a Sacred Cow- young black thugs- they aren't going to do it. Police officers usually don't have $200k sitting around the house to hire a lawyer to defend themselves against false charges. Remember , they got into the police racket to support their families by earning a paycheck.

 

[Polishprince]

Well, it's the "qualified immunity" that protects cops, and yes, even bad cops, and I think it should be easier to sue them.

If a doctor can't get malpractice insurance, they won't practice medicine. If a cop is put at risk for doing his job, he just won't do it.

Why arrest a crook when you're at risk for doing so?

Doctors can get malpractice insurance......unless they screw up a lot.

Nobody is at risk for simply arresting a criminal. It happens thousands of times a day. No risk.

Except if the criminals lie and say they were abused. Then even if the officer is exonerated, he is decimated financially with lawyers fees.

 

[pknopp]

Well, it's the "qualified immunity" that protects cops, and yes, even bad cops, and I think it should be easier to sue them.

If a doctor can't get malpractice insurance, they won't practice medicine. If a cop is put at risk for doing his job, he just won't do it.

Why arrest a crook when you're at risk for doing so?

Doctors can get malpractice insurance......unless they screw up a lot.

Nobody is at risk for simply arresting a criminal. It happens thousands of times a day. No risk.

Except if the criminals lie and say they were abused. Then even if the officer is exonerated, he is decimated financially with lawyers fees.

That's why I advocate for all police officers to have body cams. They protect everyone. If the officer decides to turn his off, well, it will be presumed he didn't want people to see what he was about to do.

Camera's protect both parties.