Trooper Cleared After Stomping on Innocent Man's Skull While Handcuffed

reply to post by thesaneone


That was from 2012, the incident in the article where he was a victim of brutish police brutality was 2009... he probably was never the same after the 2009 confrontation.

Regarding why the jury let him off (though I don't agree)...

The defense attorney asked the jury to disregard the testimony of township police who testified against his client, saying that their accounts of what happened inside Bare’s house were too inconsistent and contradictory to be believed.

Hoey suggested the West Whiteland police department was apprehensive about a civil lawsuit against them and had manufactured a story that would blame Cruz.

“They don’t want to admit that they made mistakes (during the raid), and they want to move him to the front,” Hoey said, pointing at his client, seated at the defense table.

Indeed, the case seemed to pit the officers from the West Whiteland department — including Chief Joseph Catov, Lt. Matthew Herkner, Sgt. Glenn Cockerham, and Officer Jeffrey McCloskey – against Cruz’s colleagues from the state police.

This is probably why the jury let him off the hook. If the witness testimony was inconsistent and possibly motivated by the other agency in a CYA move, I can see that causing some doubt. I would also think that there is even more to this incident.

In his closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney L.C. Wright, one of two prosecutors assigned to the case, said that while Bare may not be the most respectable of men or productive of citizens, he was nevertheless entitled to protection from unwarranted assault by police.

“He might have been a drunken nuisance, but that does not matter, because he is still protected by the civil rights laws,” Wright argued.

Sounds like the prosecutor was pretty worried about the case if he had to start talking about how everyone (even dirtbags) deserve equal protection (which I of course agree with but think is a pretty desperate argument).

Having a pretty hard time believing Cruz didn't kick the guy in the back of the head and was worried for his safety. I mean maybe, but I doubt it. The BS detector was going off the whole time I was reading this, but the line about not knowing the guy was cuffed was a little much. I'm betting he went to kick him in the head after getting irritated and did it too hard.

Link

Domo1
Regarding why the jury let him off (though I don't agree)...
...Having a pretty hard time believing Cruz didn't kick the guy in the back of the head and was worried for his safety. I mean maybe, but I doubt it. The BS detector was going off the whole time I was reading this, but the line about not knowing the guy was cuffed was a little much. I'm betting he went to kick him in the head after getting irritated and did it too hard.
...

Yeah - I don't know...
I'm just glad I'm not his (Cruz's) dog or cat.

reply to post by deadcalm



Officer said:...

I am taking care of me… I am afraid.

There's the problem right there.

hounddoghowlie
reply to post by deadcalm

 

what bothers me more than the cop is the jury. how could they let him off.especially with another cop telling them that he didn't need to do it. that doesn't say much for the people in that area.

Well, that's pretty obvious. The juries are instructed that the "he was coming right at me" defense is always valid, and that any thoughts that maybe his perceptions were so off as to render him criminally liable are to be tossed out, because as excathdra always says "you can't armchair quarterback". That's actually used in court. Not "this cop knew the guy was restrained and facedown and not any sort of threat" all the cop has to say is "despite being face down in cuffs, HE WAS COMING RIGHT AT ME" and a blue aura appears around him, and he is safe from any pesky questions about how in God's name he would think that, because if THAT comes up, all he has to say is "you're armchair quarterbacking" and a shiny silver aura shaped like a badge appears in front of him, repelling all common sense.

I'm actually surprised they didn't whup out their sidearms and kill the guy, his mom and any pets that were in the vicinity. After all, he was coming right for them.

WanDash

My question - Why is it okay to use excessive, &/or unjustifiable force & brutality...for LEOs in such a situation

"Look what you made me do" is an old standard of narcissistic personality disorder, which is common with cops. He probably tells his wife and kids that when he beats them as well.

This is just ridiculous... we are seriously living in a police state. All you nay-sayers, what do you say when a man HANDCUFFED ON THE GROUND can be STOMPED ON BY A POLICE OFFICER causing severe bodily injury and likely severe emotional distress as well, can be found NOT GUILTY, and not only that but allowed to stay on the force, and not only that, but PROMOTED!

Seriously, I'm done listening to the idiots going around saying "calm down we aren't in a police state" Bull. Seriously. You are delusional. You are horribly, horribly delusional and you are hurting yourself in the long run, and hurting everyone else as well when you defend these monsters. The only reason you don't realize you are in a police state is because you're probably just as twisted and depraved as those you defend. Some evidence of this is the jury who would let this man off, only people nearly as disturbed as the officer would dream of voting not guilty.

Blowback won't be pretty.

What people don't get is that a cop makes a CHOICE to become a police officer. When they make that CHOICE they know full well they are putting their life on the line. Citizens do not have a choice in their interaction with police. All the apologists say "well don't be a criminal then" but fail to realize the violent oppressive arm of the law slams down on innocent and guilty alike. Any time of day, anywhere you are, a force of heavily armed, roided up, low IQ thugs can come busting in and do WHATEVER they want to you, and they WILL get away with it. Whether you are guilty or not doesn't matter.

This country is twisted, really twisted. The rest of the "western" world has its problems just like the US, but few other places are as seriously disgusting when it comes to how the police abuse the citizens.

My already low opinion of police just became even lower. Something is seriously wrong with society if people accept this type of thuggish behavior. I feel sorry for good police because I assume there is almost no trust or respect left due to the actions of idiots with badges.

thesaneone
Here you go.

"Zachary W. Bare, of the 500 block of Heather Street in Exton, was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct Saturday, Jan .14. Police responded to a report of a disturbance on the 00 block of East Wood Street. Upon arrival, they reportedly heard arguing coming from the residence. Police said the victim appeared to be scared and did not want to give information, but also did not want police to leave. Bare reportedly was uncooperative with police and .... yada, yada, yada.

Uh-huh. Right.

Has the look-n-feel of creative writing 101 (aka the blue-line gang pulling "facts" out of their a**). With cops these days, either they have video/audio or the event simply did not happen.

Tell you the truth -- I'm kind of glad to see this extreme behavior from police. It's opening a *lot* of eyes and shining a lot of light on herds of ...... human cockroaches.

reply to post by deadcalm


Folks, please stop being shocked and surprised by events like this. We live in a Nazi Germanesque police state. The sooner you accept this as fact and quit referring to and relying on your fictitious "Constitutional Rights", the more in-tune with reality you're going to be. "How can stuff like this happen?" people ask? Because you're being lied to about how your civilization works and you're believing it. Snap out of it and smarten up.

i feel bad for any decent, honest cops (i hope there are some. there surely MUST be) lately, who must be all too aware of the seemingly endless examples of police brutality surfacing and their inevitable ramping up of the public's distrust of them. yet maybe they are unable to do anything about it short of quitting, and nobody's quitting their job in these times. i'm as appalled as anyone by each and every example of this kind of violent excess. a thug is a thug is a thug, whatever the uniform he or she may be wearing. some good cops need to prove that they are above the thuggery and speak out about these kind of incidents.

The folks in that town should make a citizens arrest and hold court as a community…screw the corrupt legal system let his neighbors and community decide. Oh and the punishment should most definitely public hanging…maybe a lamp post maybe you build gallows in the town square, but it should be a public punishment so the rest of the coward worms with badges can see where it gets em.

reply to post by RickyD


Yes, that is a good answer to situations like this. Screw the justice system, let's just lynch the man, hold a kangaroo court where the man's verdict is already determined then hang him. I'm sure that will go a long way to fixing the legal system in our country... /sarcasm

You know, our justice system may be corrupt and not doing its intended job, but that doesn't mean that we should be answering violence with more violence, especially without a fair trial (even if he is ultimately guilty)

deadcalm

He said he responded in the way he was trained. Now does anybody else find that little piece of info disturbing?

reply to post by tinner07

 

Thats what they all say. Something is obviously wrong...deeply wrong with the training these cops are receiving.

I was deeply disturbed by the whole story...not the least is how any judge in his/her right mind could find him not guilty, when he so clearly was.

There is just no way he couldn't have seen the man was in cuffs...they would have cuffed his hands BEHIND his back and he was laying on the floor on his face....what the hell did he have to fear?

The officer that testified...said that he told him to "shut the *%ck up" and then stomped him....does that sound like fear or anger to you?

the training is not wrong....it's a lack of consequences and knowing they can get away with it.....this type of violation (if true) is what makes citizens think LEO's are their enemy....and there are enough nuts out there that will take this to heart and start capping LEO's based on what happened somewhere else at some other time...for all LEO's out there...you need to clean up your own mess....it might save your life some day.

reply to post by jimmyx


Violence begets violence. Always has, always will. This is why you never believe any politicians that call for preemptive strikes (buzz word for aggression) against another country to promote peace.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
reply to post by RickyD

 

You know, our justice system may be corrupt and not doing its intended job...y

Then what good is it? Seriously.

Do you realize, by your own words, what you're talking about is a legalized form of thuggery?

I believe common law is more important than any law made by man, especially when those laws are one-sided & benefits them almost exclusively.

a reply to: schadenfreude

And I'm saying that we shouldn't throw civility out the window because we are upset with the system. What's wrong with giving them a fair trial? The way you act, they are already guilty and have determined their verdict. That's called a kangaroo court and while it will make us feel good (I will admit it would make me feel good too), it doesn't mean it is the right course of action. Or do you believe that the ends justify the means?

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: schadenfreude

And I'm saying that we shouldn't throw civility out the window because we are upset with the system. What's wrong with giving them a fair trial? The way you act, they are already guilty and have determined their verdict. That's called a kangaroo court and while it will make us feel good (I will admit it would make me feel good too), it doesn't mean it is the right course of action. Or do you believe that the ends justify the means?

I don't believe in kangaroo courts, no...

But I also understand there is a difference between the legality of a thing & the morality of a thing.

They're not mutually exclusive.

You know what they say about justice being denied...

What saddens me however, is if this ever "goes off", it'll only further TPTB agenda, and bring the other boot down on our neck.

So ultimately it'll be a pyric victory.

a reply to: deadcalm

The cauldron is bubbling and about to boil over. You aren't the only one who feels this way.

originally posted by: Visitor2012
reply to post by deadcalm

 

Officer said:...

I am taking care of me… I am afraid.

There's the problem right there.

I agree. His mind is not fit for this line of work.
I am not "afraid" of a handcuffed guy laying on the floor. I also dont kick people when they are down and unable to defend themselves either...