Here we go again

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Virginia police officer fired after Black Army lieutenant is pepper-sprayed and handcuffed during traffic stop

 

[trophy33]

What is Black Army?

 

[Desk trauma]

What is Black Army?

Awkward phrasing. He's a US Army officer who is black.

 

[trophy33]

Awkward phrasing. He's a US Army officer who is black.

Ah, the capital B confused me.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Ah, the capital B confused me.

What capital B?

 

[trophy33]

What capital B?

"Black Army"

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

"Black Army"

Oh, you are referring to the headline. Gotcha.

 

[Aldebaran]

Virginia police officer fired after Black Army lieutenant is pepper-sprayed and handcuffed during traffic stop

Once again, we don't see what transpired before the suspect's car was stopped. Did he keep driving and try to evade police when they tried to pull him over? We don't even know that. But it would explain why the police were hyped up like that.
Meanwhile, we get the "black man assaulted by white cops" narrative from the media. A local TV station by me aired the story as "an illegal traffic stop". How do police "illegally" pull someone over?

 

[trunks2k]

Once again, we don't see what transpired before the suspect's car was stopped

According to the stories I've read, when the police lit up their lights, he immediately slowed down well below the speed and put on his blinker indicating his intent to pull over until he got to a well lit spot.

And it's being called an "illegal" traffic stop because as far as anyone can tell, there's nothing about the car was illegal and no actual reason to pull him over. He was supposedly pulled over for missing a rear license plate, but his temporary tags are visible in the rear window of the car. He was also let go without any ticket or charges - just a threat to not report the incident.

 

[Aldebaran]

According to the stories I've read, when the police lit up their lights, he immediately slowed down well below the speed and put on his blinker indicating his intent to pull over until he got to a well lit spot.

And it's being called an "illegal" traffic stop because as far as anyone can tell, there's nothing about the car was illegal and no actual reason to pull him over. He was supposedly pulled over for missing a rear license plate, but his temporary tags are visible in the rear window of the car. He was also let go without any ticket or charges - just a threat to not report the incident.

The body cameras were on at the time. It would be nice to find out what they show.
Is it assumed that they pulled him over for being black? They wouldn't know that if he was driving an SUV which wouldn't let people in back see the driver, and he didn't have a rear license plate, so they couldn't run a check on who owned the vehicle.

 

[mkgal1]

Once again, we don't see what transpired before the suspect's car was stopped.

Does it really matter what happened prior? The officer is close enough to see the driver had his hands visible and had his hands up.....the driver was seat belted in his car and the officer flooded his face with spray. For what reason would that be necessary?

 

[Aldebaran]

Does it really matter what happened prior? The officer is close enough to see the driver had his hands visible and had his hands up.....the driver was seat belted in his car and the officer flooded his face with spray. For what reason would that be necessary?

He told the guy about 20 times to get out of the vehicle, and he refused. For what reason would that be necessary?

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

Once again, we don't see what transpired before the suspect's car was stopped. Did he keep driving and try to evade police when they tried to pull him over? We don't even know that. But it would explain why the police were hyped up like that.
Meanwhile, we get the "black man assaulted by white cops" narrative from the media. A local TV station by me aired the story as "an illegal traffic stop". How do police "illegally" pull someone over?

He was released from the scene without charges and a warning that if he lodged a complaint they would charge him with obstruction and resisting arrest after the fact. Obviously, after all that the cops themselves didn't think he actually did anything wrong and wanted him to keep quiet about the whole thing.

 

[trunks2k]

He told the guy about 20 times to get out of the vehicle, and he refused. For what reason would that be necessary?

He didn't get out because he was, rightfully, scared of them. They're literally screaming at him while pointing their guns at him and telling him to keep his hands visible and get out of the car. He can't do the latter without not doing the former. He has every reason at that point to be worried that they are going to interpret him reaching to undo his seatbelt and open the door as a threat and open fire. He said he was afraid to get out of the car (a completely reasonable feeling given how the police were acting) their response is "you should be". I wouldn't want to risk getting myself out of the car either.

His best course of action is arguably just keeping his hands visible and remaining calm.

Their actions are entirely unreasonable. At no time was he ever a threat to them. At no time did he act in a hint of a threatening manner. At no time did he act unreasonably. The entire situation could have been avoided if the police didn't immediately jump into an uncalled for hyper aggression mode. All they did was escalate the danger of the situation to everyone involved.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

He was released from the scene without charges and a warning that if he lodged a complaint they would charge him with obstruction and resisting arrest after the fact. Obviously, after all that the cops themselves didn't think he actually did anything wrong and wanted him to keep quiet about the whole thing.

They said let me see your hands, then get out of the car. You can't do both at the same time. He was buckled into his seat belt. Had he reached inside to unbuckle himself, these officers could have shot/killed him and felt justified saying they feared for their lives. It is obvious he feared for his.

 

[Nithavela]

My heart goes out to the officers who had no chance to use justifiable lethal force.

Maybe next time.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

My heart goes out to the officers who had no chance to use justifiable lethal force.

Maybe next time.

I think they may have wished they had seeing they are getting sued.

 

[Kenny'sID]

Did he keep driving and try to evade police when they tried to pull him over?

Yes, as mentioned, that was the problem. He supposedly evaded when, IMO, he rightfully didn't stop till he got to a well lighted area. Took about 2 minutes for him find a place to stop.

These police need to be trained if they aren't already, that sometimes, anyone, but especially blacks, need to be given the benifit of the doubt when it is clear they don't stop right away because they fear for their lives.

The police caused that problem so they now need to learn to deal with it instead of taking it as blatant evasion.

 

[trunks2k]

Yes, as mentioned, that was the problem. He supposedly evaded when, IMO, he rightfully didn't stop till he got to a well lighted area.

You'd think being in a well lit area is safer for the cops too.

These police need to be trained if they aren't already, that sometimes, anyone, but especially blacks, need to be given the benifit of the doubt when it it is clear they don't stop right away because they fear for their lives.

IIRC, one of the officers admitted that when Nazario didn't pull over immediately, he figured it was so he could get to a well lit area.

 

[Kenny'sID]

IIRC, one of the officers admitted that when Nazario didn't pull over immediately, he figured it was so he could get to a well lit area.

I would hope so, yet thy didnt seem to cut him any slack.

You'd think being in a well lit area is safer for the cops too.

Agree, especially if they thought they were in a dangerous situation...or maybe they didnt really think it was all that dangerous after all?