An interesting story caught my eye yesterday from the G-20 protests in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania where police from several surrounding departments have been accused by civil rights groups of being overly aggressive in putting down unapproved protests.
While there have been some disturbing reports of innocent bystanders being caught up in those police actions, one in particular occurred at a local campus where students who just came out to see what was going on during an anti-police brutality protest were corralled by police as they stood on the stairs to their dorm, it was this piece of video that got me thinking… how far can the police push people before they push back?
In this incident, police were ordering bicyclists to keep moving and a slight girl was complying but apparently not moving fast enough for the riot police who began to shove her. After the second shove from an officer three times her size she began to turn when another officer shoved her even more violently than the first…
At this point enough appeared to be enough and the young lady, Lauren Wasson, threw her bike down towards the first officer who shoved her. The bicycle didn’t appear to hit the officer, but that was apparently justification enough for the woman to get a face full of police baton and she was tossed to the ground by a third officer where she was dragged and zip-tied.
The woman’s coworkers indicated that the woman had only went to watch what was going on and wasn’t involved in the protest itself and officers claim that she was ignoring orders to clear the area which is what justified her being forcefully shoved, though in the video it’s clear that she was moving as ordered, as were other people who were being shoved by the cops…
Indeed, in the video it’s clear that she couldn’t have moved any faster than she was going since the group of bicyclists that were moving just ahead of her were blocking her in. Instead it appeared to be that she was just the easiest target there for cops to push around given should could be much more than 100lbs and cops could be seen shoving people around even in the middle of that group of people, none of which appeared to be protesters.
So, the girl is now facing a felony charge of aggravated assault against a police officer… but I have to wonder… how much bullying would you take before you finally got fed up and did what she did out of sheer frustration of being the target of unwarranted abuse by the police?
Very good question, Packratt. I think everyone has a point where they’re just not going to take it anymore. Sometimes that one person saying “no” can cause a dramatic change in society. Example, Rosa Parks.
The other thing to remember is that there are many more citizens than police officers. Even though police officers have weapons and the law on their side, that may not be enough to protect them. I’m not advocating violence but if you look back at history it’s situations like this that start revolutions.
Well, it’s possible that the lesson the police are trying to teach is that everyone should stay home and hide in the basement or suffer the consequences…
I think that people who pay attention to these issues would be less likely to do something since they realize how the deck is stacked against them. Regular people who actually believe in the justice system will probably snap like this girl did…and they’ll suffer for it.
Wouldn’t that be considered assault and battery? In return she was just defending herself.
I don’t think that the cop had justification for pushing that girl. It was a cowardly thing to do in the first place, and secondly what did he expect to accomplish?
As the public begins to sit up and take notice of this and many more things, they are becoming more vocal in asserting their rights as citizens of the USA.
I would hope that most cops are not like this, but when the good cops do not or won’t step up and “out” cowards like this then it makes them no better. What ever happened to “Serve and Protect”? I guess just buzz words like “Change we can believe in”.
I don’t see police here. I see thugs shoving people around knowing they can do whatever they want and get away with it.
When they act like this in the first place, I wouldn’t feel any sorrow whatsoever for them if the people actually got together and fought back.
Josh,
I don’t know… I look at that crowd with the girl and see people who would be more prone to run in terror if a full-fledged police riot broke out than holding their ground and defending themselves. After all, as I mentioned, the crowd pictured seemed to me to be just spectators, not professional protesters.
Invid,
I think you may be right. After all, as a person who covers these cases the thing that strikes me the most is the insult added to injury when officers succeed in getting away with using excessive force by claiming the person they assaulted had acted in some way to justify the response. To be sent to jail for being assaulted is realistic of a fear for me though, so I might not be a valid person to comment on that… however, with all that said, it’s hard to say since I also know that even if you do nothing police will still try to make a claim that you did, so the only hope you have when you choose not to at least cover up and defend yourself is that someone is recording the incident, and even then sometimes that’s not enough.
Lloyd,
Yes, it should be considered assault since the aggressive shoves did not appear justified in the least. But, of course, police officers are held to a different standard than the ordinary citizen… albeit usually a much lower one, as in this case.
Michael,
I agree. It’s not like a 100lb girl throwing a bike is going to put a scratch a riot cop in head-to-toe armor, let alone any guy without armor. This was nothing more than a case of unwarranted escalation put into effect by the officer’s initial shoves, he was goading her for a response, waiting for the excuse to release a bit of aggro on an unarmed and unprotected citizen… nothing more, nothing less.
One question I have is how do the police justify hitting some one in the face with a baton? A baton is not meant to be use anywhere about the head, regardless of the other questionable actions they took., they have some explaining to do about this
Donte,
You’re right, and you would think they would, but the press reports I’ve seen so far, including the one I linked to, are taking a pretty pro-police bias on this story… which means there won’t be any explaining or accountability for this one I’m afraid to say.
I would like it if you posted the names of these criminals..
mel – http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09269/1001005-486.stm
“Lauren Wasson, 23, of Garfield, was charged with obstruction of highways and aggravated assault after she “threw bicycle at Officer [Shawn] Dady, striking Officer Dady with it.” Her bond was set at $10,000, payable at 10 percent.”
Thanks dean, I appreciate it!
Hey Packratt,
I think we can all agree to agree that this police misconduct episode stands out and needs to be commented on until we puke. The other day it was an elderly man getting his teeth knocked out and today it’s a lil girl getting pushed to the point of no return.
(Calssic BULLY 101. Chapter One – Cause & Effect)
We should take our pent-up rage against the bully tactics to the next step. “Kick ‘em the nuts” That being to tell everyone we know to come check out the footage & then to call the Mayor, Police Chief and D.A demanding charges be dropped. Letting them know we saw the SHOVING & SHOVING.
The reporter even fails to mention the shoving while damn near laughing and they are all smiles at the end of the tape. The camerman acts like his feet are glued to the ground. But if it wasn’t for them we probably would not have seen it live. They probably want an award but need constructive critisim and or a verbal spanking.
I just witnessed a crime and I don’t think I can sit back and let it go under reported & un-noticed. Will I be the only one calling? I’m to the point, I might call twice!
Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace–but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
Next time you are asked to vote in support of raising taxes to pay for these thugs to keep their cushy jobs you can do your small part. Everyone is running on a tighter budget, but the government is trying to squeeze us whatever way they have to. Do not give in, do not give them more money.
I grew up believing that “policemen” were OUR protectors. Not any more. The word policeman is rapidly becoming synonymous with THUG. It is too bad that the good ones are being overshadowed by the punk ones. If you call for help, instead of sending the protect and serve guys, they send sissy weak little punk bullies eager to use their cute little tasers. They electrocute pregnant women, old ladies and children. It is sickening. Where are the strong, honorable protectors?
not that much, and it wouldn’t be over until I said it was over, hours, days, weeks, months or years, it wouldn’t be over until I achieved satisfaction. Knowing that severe punishment would be in the offing when I achieved satisfaction, the satisfaction itself would be very severe.
I cannot bring as much total power or force to bear as can the state, but I can bring just as high an intensity of it.
If that was my daughter the cops’ lives would be mine.
Something similar happened to my daughter nearly 20 years ago, to this day she will not tell me the officer’s name because she knows what will happen to him, then what will happen to me. But if she ever weakens and tells me, both will happen.
A point of clarification, my daughter was not arrested, but she was assaulted. Therefore there is no paper trail for me to find the name of the thug who threw her into a brick wall.
Straightarrow,
I’m sorry to hear about what happened to your daughter, and trust me, I really do understand the frustration that comes with being a victim of the unique brand of injustice that comes with being the victim of police abuse… really, nothing can make you feel more helpless and infuriated than this since there is often so little we can do about it and, in most cases, what happened never even makes the news.
I also know too well how it feels to be close to someone who has been harmed by the police… my wife tells me all the time of her frustration and anger about, not only what I went through as a victim of police abuse, but also what she and our children had to endure throughout that ordeal. Believe me, I understand the anger.
But, I really do feel that the best response is not to become like those who harm us but to rise above them by speaking truth against their power and convincing others that the “might makes right” ideology of many police officers is something that should be reprehensible to them, not worshiped as it is now.
Think of it this way, even if you were to get a hold of the officer in question, what would be the public response to the aftermath? Would the people who hear about it say “gee, that officer was a bad man and got what was coming to him.” or would they say “that crazy man attacked a police officer, we really have to support our police and ridicule those who speak out against them for agitating that guy into violence.”?
It doesn’t serve the battle against this kind of behavior to respond to it in kind, it only further justifies the hyper-aggressive behavior of law enforcement officers who would use that violent response as an excuse to abuse more people. It only perpetuates the problem, I’m sorry to say.
Thank you for commenting, and sharing your and your daughters story with us, I really do appreciate it.
Would have gone better had she used words. I hope she obtains a good defense attorney.
That said, there’s case law allowing citizens to defend themselves against cop assaults when it’s unjustified and illegal.
Sadly, that may not be what the jury decides in her case.
Bully fucking steroid copsters on a power trip.
These police officers appear to have been treated with steroids. They are pumped up monsters. Drug tests for cops!