Police officers everywhere have been under fire lately because civilians are now able to create high quality videos with their phones. In the last few days I've seen a clip of an unarmed drunken man being shot 4 times at close range, because he wouldn't stop walking away from officers. I've seen a guy who fell asleep on the subway after work get tackled by officers. The guy was clearly startled by the policemen, became unruly and kept saying, 'Why are you arresting me?" Of course this was resisting but there were 6 officers involved.
Earlier this month, there was the homeless grandmother who was not only tackled but punched in the face 16 times on the side of a freeway by a California Highway Patrol Officer. The video shot by a passing driver shows Marlene Pinnock, being repeatedly punched as she’s straddled by the officer. He was punching her with such force that her clothes ripped and you can see pieces of the material flying in the air. The CHP said the woman was walking on an interstate highway, endangering herself and others, and the officer was trying to restrain her. This officer was clearly having a bad day.
There was more recently, the gentleman that was accused of selling cigarettes and tackled by 5 NYPD officers. Eric Garner was placed in a chokehold by one of the officers, which is not allowed in New York. Unfortunately the man had a heart attack during the arrest and died on camera on the sidewalk. You can clearly hear him repeatedly yelling, "I can't breathe". What’s even more interesting is, police have confronted him before regarding the same alleged crime. The young man who filmed this, Ramsey Orta says, Garner helped break up a fight just before NYPD officers on the scene accused him of selling untaxed cigarettes and attempted to arrest him. The incident captured on his phone has helped turn the fatal encounter from a local tragedy into a national debate over the use of force by police. To make matters worse, they assumed he was faking and let him lie on the ground motionless with no medical attention for at least 5 minutes.
So what can be done about this? The police department in Rialto, California has already implemented a new feature that could help. All on duty police officers are required to wear a video camera on their chests. The program started a year ago and requires the department of about 70 officers to keep the device functional while on duty. What’s fascinating is, complaints have dropped a staggering 80% and use of force is down 60%......hmmmm. Sounds like something all cities need to adopt. Unfortunately, it is getting criticism from both sides. Officers are required to let civilians know that they are being recorded. Some civilians feel that their civil rights are being violated. Many officers frown on the device because it has the , ‘boss looking over my shoulder’ feel. I personally think that if you are not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about and a video clip proves it. Good job Rialto! I hope others like Los Angeles and New York follow suit.
