"In March, 32 officers flooded an Omaha, Neb., home in an attempt to recover video evidence of police misconduct and brutality, a new lawsuit claims.
The suit filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union seeks damages suffered during the incident, which allegedly started over a parking ticket.
From an ACLU press release:
On Mar. 21, 2013, two officers responded to a request from a tow-truck driver who was removing unregistered vehicles. The lawsuit alleges that when Octavius Johnson walked up to try to determine what was happening to the family's cars, Octavius was placed in a chokehold, thrown to the ground and beaten. In the video, it appears as if the officer who struck Octavius looks around to ensure he is alone and then begins to hit Octavius.
Brothers Juaquez and Demetrius Johnson filmed the altercation. More than 20 officers arrived, including a commanding officer, and "chased Juaquez into his home and conducted a search without a warrant," the release said.
"Inside the home, Sharon Johnson, aunt to the Johnson brothers, was thrown from her wheelchair while Juaquez was thrown to the floor and repeatedly struck," the release said. "Officers did not help Sharon back into her wheelchair and instead placed her in handcuffs.""
Family Sues Omaha Police Department After Parking Ticket Home Raid
A second video, taken by a neighbor watching from his home, can be seen below, which captures the both the initial abuse of the police officer levied against a person who doesn't want his car towed (does not engage in any physical resisting, and is clearly assaulted by the officer while his back is to the officer at 7 seconds into the video), as well as the response of the Omaha police department to his brother filming the incident. His brother who was "guilty" of filming his brother being assaulted (not a crime), is pursued into his house by over 20 police officers, who storm the house (without any sort of warrant) in pursuit of the brother. These officers then not only storm the house and conduct an illegal search, but also illegally confiscate and destroy the video evidence. During this illegal activity by the police, they seriously injure their aunt who was in the house in a wheelchair (threw her from her chair and repeatedly struck her).
This isn't "one bad cop". It is a clearly corrupt precinct, in which over 20 officers were involved in not only committing violence against citizens, but a cover up. The ramifications? 6 police officers lost their jobs. This bears repeating - at least 20 officers (one article cites 32 officers on the scene) were complicit in illegal entering and confiscation of evidence, some assaulted citizens, to boot, and 6 - six - of them face repercussions (none of the repercussions being criminal charges).
If it wasn't for the additional video of a neighbor across the street, there would have been no consequence for the police, the 3 brothers would have been found guilty of the charges against them (false charges), and the aunt would still be injured (lawsuit pending to have compensation for the injuries she sustained).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg5T4AZb7o4
Former Omaha police officer James Kinsella was sentenced Thursday to 12 months probation for removing and destroying a memory card from a cell phone camera used to record a 2013 arrest in which officers were accused of using excessive force during a towing dispute.
He had pleaded no contest to two counts of obstructing government operations. Judge Peter Bataillon found Kinsella guilty of the misdemeanor charges. Kinsella agreed not to contest to the revocation of his law enforcement certification. Without the certification, Kinsella can no longer serve as a police officer in Nebraska.
Kinsella didn't comment in court or leaving court. His attorney told the judge that loss of his career and pension was punishment enough in asking for probation.
Former Officer Gets Probation In Excessive Force Case
"Officer Dyea Rowland, who was fired Wednesday, was the first on the scene to handle a parking complaint in March in Omaha, and is visible in a video taken by a neighbor. The video shows another early responder, Officer Bradley Canterbury, one of four officers fired in April, throwing Octavious Johnson to the ground, handcuffing him and later appearing to strike him several times.
Another fired officer, James Kinsella, was charged with felony evidence tampering and misdemeanor obstruction and theft. He was accused of destroying a camera memory card used by Juaquez Johnson, Octavious Johnson's brother, used to record police officers' actions at the scene.
...
Kinsella's supervisor, Sgt. Aaron Von Behren, faces misdemeanor charges for orchestrating a cover-up.
"
Omaha, Neb., police investigation ends, sixth officer fired - UPI.com
Let sum this up. 20 cops engage in illegal activity. At least 4 of those twenty additionally tried to cover up the crime and destroy evidence. For these crimes, loss of career and pension is enough, no need to have criminal charges. The sergeant who assisted the cover up? Misdemeanor.
Bad cops covering for bad cops, multiple criminal acts caught on tape and none of them facing any criminal consequences.
This is the problem with the police. Even in instances in which they are clearly guilty of criminal acts - not just "spur of the moment, bad decision", but cover-up, illegal destruction of evidence, and assault of family members because they were family members of someone they were targeting (not even because of a crime, but because that person had evidence of the police officer's crime), and justice is not served.
But let's hear from the conservatives on this board how this isn't so clear cut, and how the poor officers have such a tough job. I'm waiting.
The suit filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union seeks damages suffered during the incident, which allegedly started over a parking ticket.
From an ACLU press release:
On Mar. 21, 2013, two officers responded to a request from a tow-truck driver who was removing unregistered vehicles. The lawsuit alleges that when Octavius Johnson walked up to try to determine what was happening to the family's cars, Octavius was placed in a chokehold, thrown to the ground and beaten. In the video, it appears as if the officer who struck Octavius looks around to ensure he is alone and then begins to hit Octavius.
Brothers Juaquez and Demetrius Johnson filmed the altercation. More than 20 officers arrived, including a commanding officer, and "chased Juaquez into his home and conducted a search without a warrant," the release said.
"Inside the home, Sharon Johnson, aunt to the Johnson brothers, was thrown from her wheelchair while Juaquez was thrown to the floor and repeatedly struck," the release said. "Officers did not help Sharon back into her wheelchair and instead placed her in handcuffs.""
Family Sues Omaha Police Department After Parking Ticket Home Raid
A second video, taken by a neighbor watching from his home, can be seen below, which captures the both the initial abuse of the police officer levied against a person who doesn't want his car towed (does not engage in any physical resisting, and is clearly assaulted by the officer while his back is to the officer at 7 seconds into the video), as well as the response of the Omaha police department to his brother filming the incident. His brother who was "guilty" of filming his brother being assaulted (not a crime), is pursued into his house by over 20 police officers, who storm the house (without any sort of warrant) in pursuit of the brother. These officers then not only storm the house and conduct an illegal search, but also illegally confiscate and destroy the video evidence. During this illegal activity by the police, they seriously injure their aunt who was in the house in a wheelchair (threw her from her chair and repeatedly struck her).
This isn't "one bad cop". It is a clearly corrupt precinct, in which over 20 officers were involved in not only committing violence against citizens, but a cover up. The ramifications? 6 police officers lost their jobs. This bears repeating - at least 20 officers (one article cites 32 officers on the scene) were complicit in illegal entering and confiscation of evidence, some assaulted citizens, to boot, and 6 - six - of them face repercussions (none of the repercussions being criminal charges).
If it wasn't for the additional video of a neighbor across the street, there would have been no consequence for the police, the 3 brothers would have been found guilty of the charges against them (false charges), and the aunt would still be injured (lawsuit pending to have compensation for the injuries she sustained).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg5T4AZb7o4
Former Omaha police officer James Kinsella was sentenced Thursday to 12 months probation for removing and destroying a memory card from a cell phone camera used to record a 2013 arrest in which officers were accused of using excessive force during a towing dispute.
He had pleaded no contest to two counts of obstructing government operations. Judge Peter Bataillon found Kinsella guilty of the misdemeanor charges. Kinsella agreed not to contest to the revocation of his law enforcement certification. Without the certification, Kinsella can no longer serve as a police officer in Nebraska.
Kinsella didn't comment in court or leaving court. His attorney told the judge that loss of his career and pension was punishment enough in asking for probation.
Former Officer Gets Probation In Excessive Force Case
"Officer Dyea Rowland, who was fired Wednesday, was the first on the scene to handle a parking complaint in March in Omaha, and is visible in a video taken by a neighbor. The video shows another early responder, Officer Bradley Canterbury, one of four officers fired in April, throwing Octavious Johnson to the ground, handcuffing him and later appearing to strike him several times.
Another fired officer, James Kinsella, was charged with felony evidence tampering and misdemeanor obstruction and theft. He was accused of destroying a camera memory card used by Juaquez Johnson, Octavious Johnson's brother, used to record police officers' actions at the scene.
...
Kinsella's supervisor, Sgt. Aaron Von Behren, faces misdemeanor charges for orchestrating a cover-up.
"
Omaha, Neb., police investigation ends, sixth officer fired - UPI.com
Let sum this up. 20 cops engage in illegal activity. At least 4 of those twenty additionally tried to cover up the crime and destroy evidence. For these crimes, loss of career and pension is enough, no need to have criminal charges. The sergeant who assisted the cover up? Misdemeanor.
Bad cops covering for bad cops, multiple criminal acts caught on tape and none of them facing any criminal consequences.
This is the problem with the police. Even in instances in which they are clearly guilty of criminal acts - not just "spur of the moment, bad decision", but cover-up, illegal destruction of evidence, and assault of family members because they were family members of someone they were targeting (not even because of a crime, but because that person had evidence of the police officer's crime), and justice is not served.
But let's hear from the conservatives on this board how this isn't so clear cut, and how the poor officers have such a tough job. I'm waiting.
