Former officer now faces four years in prison for violating the teen’s constitutional rights.

[Hieronymus]

----never mind, sorry---------

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Anybody read the piece about this on The Intercept? The kid's dad is a cop and the kid had been getting harassed by the local cops, so the dad taught him his rights and how to act during a stop.

https://theintercept.com/2016/06/07...-8-minutes-now-facing-a-lifetime-of-recovery/

I did read that, however, if his dad taught him that "you don't have to get out of the car or open your door upon the officer's request", then his dad was in ignorance of the law (even though he, himself, is an officer).

Per the Supreme Court ruling I linked before:
Pennsylvania v. Mimms, 434 U.S. 106 (1977), is a United States Supreme Court criminal law decision holding that a police officer ordering a person out of a car following a traffic stop and conducting a pat-down to check for weapons did not violate the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

None of this excuses the officer's behavior, he crossed the line and job termination and federal prison time was certainly the appropriate ruling in this case. However, the kid wasn't "acting within his rights" or "innocent" by any stretch as is being portrayed by many media outlets. He was driving around with weed in his car, and was refusing to open the door or roll the window down (likely because he didn't want the officer to smell it)

 

[ThatRobGuy]

They need cops who can handle themselves, not go on an ego trip as soon as something doesn't go their way. There is no evidence this clown was in any danger, he was just mad and he could have killed the kid with those actions.

I would agree with everything you said...I just still think it's important to note that the kid wasn't innocent in all this...he was rolling around with drugs in the car, and was refusing lawful orders and being deliberately obstinate.

Obviously, police officers who are entrusted with power need to be able to elegantly handle situations like that without flying off the handle on them.

...but, the media shouldn't be distorting & ignoring certain facts of the case and using imagery to try to manipulate public opinion in these kinds of cases. This case, like all others, should be determined by the facts, not by how much the media can make people feel sorry for the kid.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

This is why I just follow directions and keep my mouth shut unless I'm asked a question. When cops can literally get away with murder, I think the trade off of a little bit of liberty for my life is a fair one.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

This is why I just follow directions and keep my mouth shut unless I'm asked a question. When cops can literally get away with murder, I think the trade off of a little bit of liberty for my life is a fair one.

I'm the kind of person who's all for knowing your rights in an encounter with police...but, if you're going to take that approach, you actually have to sort of, you know...know your rights. People get information from websites (that's often false or misleading) and they're using that to dictate their decisions when encountering police officers.

That's when you end up with people refusing to open the car door or roll the window down upon request.

...and use discretion when "flexing your rights". Some people do that just to "poke the bear" "because I can" just to be intentionally provocative. Like the guys who intentionally walk by wear cops are stationed carrying an assault rifle, knowing full well that the cops are going to have some questions, and then start being difficult with the officer when they request to see ID and act as if "i don't know why they're bothering me???"

This video is always pretty entertaining (even though it's for comedy), I actually know some people who try to pull this stuff anytime they get pulled over.

 

[Cearbhall]

The cop may have been a big guy but he had some little man syndrome.
Cops areally selected in part based on having an lower iq than a lot of the people they deal with.

I agree, though I think it also tends to be the overly-authoritative types who go into the industry...the other day, I accidentally put my parking lights on instead of my headlights, since they're on the same dial and the street was too illuminated for me to notice the lack of beams. When I turned a corner onto the busy main street, a cop was parked there (a no-parking zone for everyone else) and opened his door into traffic. Fine, whatever, he has that right. I stopped so I wouldn't hit his door and in case he needed to cross the street to get to a scene. He turned and saw me and shouted "Turn on your lights!" with the tone and volume that you would expect a cop to use when saying "GET ON THE GROUND!" I'm sorry, did I unknowingly join the military? Yes, it could have become a dangerous mistake, and the fault is all mine, but it's not like I was doing something malicious and needed to be controlled. No need to scare the daylights out of someone who has dangerously stopped her car in traffic for your own benefit. Just wave at me and mimic headlights with your hands like a normal person.

 

[Blondepudding]

Anybody read the piece about this on The Intercept? The kid's dad is a cop and the kid had been getting harassed by the local cops, so the dad taught him his rights and how to act during a stop.

https://theintercept.com/2016/06/07...-8-minutes-now-facing-a-lifetime-of-recovery/

The dad then is partly responsible for this boy's suffering this.

 

[Cearbhall]

The dad then is partly responsible for this boy's suffering this.

For teaching him his rights...?

 

[Blondepudding]

For teaching him his rights...?

For teaching him to not comply with a lawful order.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

For teaching him his rights...?

No, for teaching him things that aren't actual rights.

If his dad taught him that you don't have to exit the vehicle upon request of the officer, then his dad was teaching him something that was in complete defiance of a supreme court ruling.

Like I mentioned before, if people want to be a part of the "Flex Your Rights" club, then they need to made sure they're well educated on what their rights actually are (and more specifically, aren't) in certain situations.