Man with Downs Syndrome Dies Due to Police Actions

[festive1]

Perusing today's newspaper, and I see this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ques...story.html

I can't imagine... The guy wouldn't leave his seat at a movie theater... So the moonlighting cops/security guards arrest him and forcibly attempt to remove him from the theater... He falls, gets smooshed by the cops landing on top of him... And dies...

Given our recent discussions on police brutality, I'm interested in everyone's opinion. The cops were "doing their job" getting him out of the theater... But he was obviously mentally handicapped and his aide asked for 5 minutes for his mother to get to the theater to help diffuse the situation... What is right in this situation? I think it's obvious no one was trying to kill the guy, but he died nonetheless... His death wasn't worth a $10 movie ticket...
Oh... and the theater gave the people whose movie was disrupted by this incident free passes... The whole thing is just disturbing.

[Something completely different]

I am trying to find statistics on police violence now, because we hardly ever have such things occuring here.
Is police misconduct in the US higher than in European countries?

[festive1]

I have no idea what police misconduct stats are in Europe... If you find some, please link!

[Faith No More]

I think this is indicative of the fact that cops don't get proper training to deal with people like the mentally disabled and the mentally ill. They clearly treated this man as if he was just some average Joe, when all they would have had to do is wait for the mother, and she would have most likely been able to diffuse the situation.

I don't really blame these cops for this incident. I blame the flawed police system that forces cops to deal with situations without the proper training.

[Something completely different]

I read a German report some time ago which stated that there were still alot of problems throughout Europe with the procedere undertaken in such cases.
Police officers in Britain, France and Italy who are accused of misconduct often avoid punishment and suspention by going into early retirement.
And from the statistics I remember that Southern European countries such as Spain, Greece and Italy have almoust notorious police forces.
Especialy Spain and Greece where the police was used as a brutal instrument of power by the fascist regimes that ruled Greece and Spain until 1975 and where after the collapse of the regime the police forces weren`t cleansed of such elements which then continued to work in the new democracy.
France also is supposed to have a brutal Police force especialy in the socalled "Banlieues". In Germany I can only confirm the extrem brutality of the police in the east who have been revealed to be greatly influenced by right wing radical politics and where statistics have shown that from 10 police officers 1 used to work for the Stasi - generaly one can say that the "spirit" of the brutal police force of the east german communist regime still partialy lives on and has a negative effect n the east german police.
And where I currently live, in Austria, there is simply a saying that says all that needs to be known:

"Wirst du vergewaltigt rufe nicht die Polizei, denn die ist schon dabei."

"If you are being raped, dont call the police, because they are already here"

They generaly have a reputation of being sleizy, violent, unprofessional, corrupt, desinterested, right wing and only doing the job for the option of going into early retirement with 40.

Sorry I didn`t have any statistics, but stuff I pulled out of my memory from reports.
Should I find some I will post them.

Now how bout the US?

[FlyingNarwhal]

Seems like it was an unfortunate accident. The first officer that arrived tried to calmly ask him to leave several times. It doesn't look like there was any kind of brutality here, and I don't think the cops did anything wrong.

[festive1]

Seems like it was an unfortunate accident. The first officer that arrived tried to calmly ask him to leave several times. It doesn't look like there was any kind of brutality here, and I don't think the cops did anything wrong.

I kind of agree, but not totally. Is it really necessary to arrest, handcuff, and forcibly remove a mentally disabled person from a movie theater who is doing nothing more than occupying a $10 seat he didn't pay for? I don't think the cops should be fired or disciplined, but is this a good policy to have in the first place? I think the aide should have simply bought another ticket while waiting for the mom to show up.
Side issue: Moonlighting cops who work as security guards. Do they overstep the bounds of their security work because they have a badge?

[kılıç_mehmet]

Perusing today's newspaper, and I see this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ques...story.html

I can't imagine... The guy wouldn't leave his seat at a movie theater... So the moonlighting cops/security guards arrest him and forcibly attempt to remove him from the theater... He falls, gets smooshed by the cops landing on top of him... And dies...

Given our recent discussions on police brutality, I'm interested in everyone's opinion. The cops were "doing their job" getting him out of the theater... But he was obviously mentally handicapped and his aide asked for 5 minutes for his mother to get to the theater to help diffuse the situation... What is right in this situation? I think it's obvious no one was trying to kill the guy, but he died nonetheless... His death wasn't worth a $10 movie ticket...
Oh... and the theater gave the people whose movie was disrupted by this incident free passes... The whole thing is just disturbing.

Well, nothing more than a tragedy. It happens.

[Faith No More]

Well, nothing more than a tragedy. It happens.

Yes, but this was preventable. Had the police been properly trained to deal with the mentally disabled, I assure you this man would still be alive.

[Minimalist]

Yet another example of the cop mentality which is to "go nuclear" whenever someone, for any reason, resists their "authority." The fact that criminal charges against these thugs were not considered is a prime example of what is wrong with this country.