Denver officials clash over police discipline after brutal video released

Denver officials clash over police discipline after brutal video released

www.denverpost.com

Denver officials are deeply divided over the proper level of punishment for a police officer who was seen on video tackling and beating a 23-year-old man who was doing nothing but talking on a telephone outside a LoDo nightclub.

The video of Officer Devin Sparks repeatedly hitting Michael DeHerrera of Denver with a department-issued piece of metal wrapped in leather, picking him up roughly and slamming a car door on his ankle has prompted Independent Monitor Richard Rosenthal to push for the firing of Sparks and Corporal Randy Murr.

Rosenthal, who monitors police internal investigations,

(visit the link for the full news article)

wow so what a suprise more police brutality i didnt know being on your cell phone was a good enough excuse to knock you the heck out and then break your ankle in the police cruser door hope this faccist pig gets fired and has to be unemployed and watch his family starve we need to propose more laws that SEVERLY punnish any one who abuses there badge and pulls nonsense like this its sickening i hope the cival case RUINS this guy and makes him homelss and cold for the next denver winter when are we gonna say NO to maniacs with a BADGE

www.denverpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Why is it the worst thing this guy faces is to be fired?

How about criminal charges be filed?

yeah this crap is getting old we need to enact stricter punishments for cops who violate the law maby something like mandatory 30 year sentences and NO protection for them in jail put them in gen pop and see how those bullys like there new cell mates it just seems that the cops keep getting more and more brutal and NO one does anything of consequence against them its sickening i cant belive when i was young i used to wanna be a cop to make a diffrence now im glad i didnt i dont know if i could do that kinda job with this kinda flack and other cops just screwing it up for every one get rid of the thugs

I'm sort of curious as to how he was resisting arrest. It seems to me that he got beat up and that was it. Perhaps he flinched as the were smashing his face in or breaking a leg? It seems that unless you let yourself get beaten to pulp and then thank the officer for it, you are resisting arrest or assaulting a police officer. Nice work for the person who can't control their rage -- you get to let it out however you want and you get paid for it with no consequences. To serve and protect? How about to control and intimidate?

Disgusting.

WOW

A cop beats the # out of someone with a deadly weapon and then brutally picks them up just to slam the car door on their ankle is going to be fired!

Wow with brutal punishments like this for severe violent crimes why would any officer ever be willing to do anything like this ever again!

If a civilian did this to a police officer would they just get "maybe" fired from their job too?

Equal protection under the law, right?

Increasingly, criminals with badges have no consequences for attacks like this.

When crimes of the 'watchers' go unanswered in meaningful ways they continue. This is simple human nature to repeat that which offers reward. excitement / power-tripping action, etc.

I was at church today and , out in the hallway, listening to this young cop telling his young married counterparts / ("civilian" groupies) all about adventures with Law Enforcements latest life-saving 'tool' the taser... This guy appeared to be in his middle twenties and was carrying on the conversation in a way (you know the story-teller holding 'court' at social gatherings) that indicated he didn't mind the attention... he seemed to be checking me out as I passed by as if he guessed I was close enough to hear. looking for a reaction/ approval.. (IFF: Identification, Friend or Foe)

Again the man above seemed to be telling (what little I overheard) about experience and taser effects in general or the specific experience of some of his buddys and the youtube vids he was referencing... but I couldnt help thinking that he was little eager to get his next opportunity to give somebody a 'ride' with it...

The week or two prior this same cop was sharing 'war stories' of answering 'man-with-gun' scenarios... I actually couldnt tell if he was rehearsing what went down for real or if it was just one of those hypothetical fresh outta the academy 'what I wouldve done' episodes.

There is another cop in this same congregation (200-300 folk) that he is a 'youth leader' but to the "visiting stranger' (that would be me and my small family he seems to have this 'hard guy' I'm in control / protector complex...

I noticed him after service going right to the (above-mentioned) 'storyteller' ostensibly to catch each other up on goings on... to me they both seem like they live in a war zone in Bagdad and has a healthy dose of 'suspect' until proven 'cool' attitude... ya know?

Now at my church, services are quite formal this is also reflected in our dress and somewhat in decorum between meetings.... so it's not like I show up in bum rags... I am 50'ish and in reasonable shape with some grey temples.. and also wearing a tie, suit-pants (with a folder knife in my waistband)

Oh BTW last week or the week before, 'storyteller' (man-with-gun rehearsal?) was handing his biz card to one of his groupies and telling him how to use it to convey to a cop that might stop him to let him off with a warning... type thing... now that he was informally 'connected' to the ranks Thin Blue Line betwixt society and all of us domestic threat's

just pisses ya off....

But I also realize this may be the domestic result , coming home to roost- so ta say, of sending the military to occupy other folks society in foreign lands uh... protecting 'American Interests'. They then get out of the Military, come home and hire into the police force all-the while getting kudos for bringing all that "freedom" to the masses or whatever...




[edit on 16-8-2010 by AntiShyster]

You know.. many times Cops who are corrupt are hired by the Mob to do hits and make it look like the cop was in the right. After all.. who wouldn't believe the cops story?

Who Watches the Watchmen?

okay now that I aired all that out above... I was thinking as I reviewed my memory about this tape. Maybe the cops were called to a fight in the club and the bouncer came over and identified this guy on the phone as one of the participants... maybe the instigator?

And then I also remember that he closed the door, like an experienced sadist on the guys foot... knowing its could be there in the way... and then closed it again for good measure...

Did you guys notice how the street-cam panned away as soon as this cop began giving video-evidence of malfeasance? gee, ya dont think the street-cam operator has ever had a conversation with the PD about how to avoid supporting charges of unprovoked police brutality, do ya?

reply to post by sremmos


Sremmos said: "Who watches the Watchers?"

Banksters, or lawyers who work for banksters, I would imagine. Makes ya feel all warm and cozy inside don't it?

Hell! Watch them? they encourage gratuitous violence in the management of we serfs! Intimidation value, eh brah?

Or maybe theres another answer to who watches the Watchers: almost everyone these days... video phones everywhere... but recording violence is not an effective counter-measure in the that moment..

Witness anti-war and G-20 protesters pressed upon and picked-off one-by-one.

Bullies will be bullies until they reap the full karmic benefit of their actions



[edit on 16-8-2010 by AntiShyster]

[edit on 16-8-2010 by AntiShyster]

As a victim of Police negligence and taking side of my attackers. I get very very pissed off when I see videos like these, These punk asses think they above the law. If I could go back in time when I had that experience, I would love to attack a police myself, not just any cop but cops like that one in the video. It wasnt right what he did, the guy hit his head real hard on the ground, could have some little brain injury and by the way he was when they got him from the ground, seems like he was truly out of it.

This has to stop, its been going on for too long without any real punishment. When there's a mob of people on the streets revolting against the police with violence and getting into fights with these morons and whoever gets in the way even if the cop is a decent person just following orders, will get hurt. I know some of you disagree with violence but now violence will be the only way things will end. Blood for blood, a 2nd Civil War. They will come at us with everything they got so why cant we stand up and hit them with everything we got? Power for power, blow for blow and We could see who will be the last ones standing.

People need to come together and protest , not a few 100 people but more than 3000 people all at once out on the streets to show them we wont stand down, We will go all the way even if there's bodies counts by the end of the day. We the people out number those in uniforms. We would come out with Victory if that day ever comes and I would love to be on the front line when it happens. Not saying I'm a tough guy but I've been a victim of this BS and tired of seeing many other people go through it when they suppose to protect us... Join Or Die!!!.....

Did you guys even read the article?

It clearly states that he was outside of a nightclub. We all know that anyone who goes to a nightclub, at night, and talks on their cell phone is most likely a drug dealing, car stereo stealing rapist. Therefore we should applaud the actions of the heroic Denver Police department for keeping us safe from these dangerous night rambling criminals.

No one, I repeat no one should be allowed out of their house or apt at night.

If you are out at night, don't be surprised if the cops electrocute, beat, or just plain execute you. You deserve it.

This guy should be thanking the police for a couple of reasons.

1- They used professionalism and beat the crap out of him, and allowed him to live.

2- He learned a valuable lesson, that he can take home and think over, and correct his actions in the future to avoid such a display of public service.

If I were the cop, I would have had him kneel by the wall, and shot him directly in the brainstem with my service pistol.

At least over here we have a law that says that even accidentally killing an officer on duty is automatically seen as murder 1st degree.

This is ok IF it would also automatically assume much stricter penalties for officers on duty abusing their authority.

Currently an officer is almost superhuman, they can do whatever they please, and IF they get caught they face lesser punishment then civilians. Its totally backwards and i honestly think we the citizens should start to deal our own justice when the system has clearly failed.

WTF!?!

You know what part really, and I mean REALLY creeped me out the most?
I will tell you.

It was the part where the "camera man"(or the guy controlling the surveilence camera) INSTANTLY moved the camera OFF of the cop beating the suspect as best as he could to try to hide what the officer was doing. He had a close shot of him as he hit him then threw him to the ground, but as soon as he started pounding on him, he moves the view away as fast as he could, THEN, after the good beat down is done, he re-positioned the camera back to where it was, and then all you see is a limped body being cuffed and 'escorted' to the car.

DAMN these cops, damned them to hell for eternity. If ANY of his 'fellow policeman' had anymore honor and dignity then him, they would have stopped this cop, or at least try to stop him, or even better, arrested the cop for physically assaulting this man. An ARREST shouldhave been made on this officer right then and there, he shouldnt have been the one escorting the innocent man to the car, he should have been the one getting escorted to the car by the other policeman.
In cases like this, its hard to say "well, not all cops are bad".
Turning your head is just as bad as kicking the man in the head with a steal-toed boot.

These 'men', or 'police officers' should all be arrested for assisting in the assault on this man.

The man doing the assaulting, needs to get what he dished out.

...has prompted Independent Monitor Richard Rosenthal to push for the firing of Sparks and Corporal Randy Murr.

Well Jesus H Christ, let's not get too hasty here.. Calm down Richard Rosenthal, my word.

I imagine the "official word" from the representatives in the region is, "We are investigating this matter, and working on the next direction in legal proceedings."

Just once, just one time, I want to read a representative of a police department, or official, simply say:

"Yeah, you know what, he was a crazy psychopath bastard, who isn't going to be working for the police department anytime soon, let alone anywhere in the United States because we are charging him with a felony and placing him in Federal Prison following his expedited court hearings. All this to maintain the integrity of our police force in the pursuit of honorable justice."

Hah. Right. *Wakes up from his slumber.*




[edit on 16-8-2010 by SyphonX]

Quote,,
Assistant City Attorney Vince DiCroce moved to dismiss the charges after reviewing the video "because there is no likelihood of conviction." Unquote!

Who does this man think he is? an how does he come to that conclusion? you see thats a perfect example of how things just go away, that kids Dad should go after the assistant Attorney and get him out because hes not serving the people which is his job!

I just don't know what to say. Disgusting. I'm seeing more and more of this every day. It's become so common. Like it's standard operating procedure. And although videos of these vicious cops keep being uploaded to the web, shown on the MSM, talked about etc, it still keeps happening. WHY!!! Why do they think they can continue to get away with it? And they do continue to get away with it. For every one of these attacks that makes it to the public eye, there have to be hundreds of other incidents that we'll never know about. Meanwhile the victims of these cops fester away in jail or prision. Keep 'em quiet. Railroad em through the court system and ruin their lives. I just don't know what to say. Every day it seems there's a new video like this of someone being beaten, kicked, slammed, etc... Killed. And they just keep getting away with it. I am so angry right now.

And venting on ATS isn't going to change a damn thing.
What will change this? Or will it just keep going on and on. It will keep goig on and on, won't it.


[edit on 8/16/2010 by this_is_who_we_are]

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
Why is it the worst thing this guy faces is to be fired?

How about criminal charges be filed?

How about they lock the bastard up for 8 and a third to 25. After his victim gets to beat the crap out of him.

I have observed that when a leo starts a beat down on a cit people around are visibly scared and cowed some might shout out a hey what's going on like when that kid was shot and killed for horse play on a transit station, but that is it. This tells me there's nowt new in this state of affairs and the population is conditioned to know its scary but normal and the repercussions of more than a little shout of hey would be terrible involving a beating then charges that would stick because of other leo evidence and judges predilection for believing leo's.

In the past year, I live in a tough UK neighborhood, I have had two heated debates with leo's and one in yer face stand up shouting match, with me doing all the shouting, from what I have observed I could never behave like this in the US, in fact I wouldn't go to the US for fear of falling foul of a leo.

If your average Brit saw leo's acting like this they'd get right in there intervening physically, in the US you'd either die or end up a cripple, with your gun rights and availability, I'm hugely surprised that leo's aren't being shot left right and centre.