Video: Cop pepper-sprays handcuffed teens in holding cell

A public service announcement to our Law Enforcement Community: Always assume your actions are on network TV and stop acting like unprofessional children striking out when you have "been angered". You are giving the profession a bad name.

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Video has emerged showing an Alton, Illinois police officer pepper-spraying two teenagers who are handcuffed in a holding cell. Illinois state authorities are investigating the January incident.

a reply to: infolurker

He should be arrested for assault !!

Funny how when a citizen does wrong, they're subjected to whatever the cop deems approriate,
but when a cop does wrong, "it will be investigated".

The video clearly shows the cop shooting them both in the face with pepper spray. (While they were handcuffed.)
But it's OK...the chief is going to "investigate".

a reply to: infolurker

Wait a second , they appear to be white teenagers?

I'm shocked , its almost like their are problems within the LEO community and it might not even be racial motivated?

/sarcasm

Hopefully people start to see that the issue within the LEO community is beyond racism so we can start to fix it.

Don't get arrested and this won't happen duh.

Wonder what the reasoning will be pushed on us as to why this needed to happen.

There is no audio.

Cannot be heard what is happening. The cop is clearly backing out of the door which is the opposite of confrontation. For all we know the arrested kid threatened the cop and told him he eats pepper spray for breakfast.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

No...They are handcuffed. Vocal threat? Whats he going to do? Go Black Night on the LEO and "bite his ankles off?"

It doesn't appear like any threat was going on.

originally posted by: TinfoilTP
There is no audio.

Cannot be heard what is happening. The cop is clearly backing out of the door which is the opposite of confrontation. For all we know the arrested kid threatened the cop and told him he eats pepper spray for breakfast.

What the h*** difference does it make what the kid said? HE'S HANDCUFFED!

It obviously wasn't a necessary defensive measure; he didn't even spray it in the second kid's face--just squirted it in his general direction and then closed the door. Obviously he had to be aware what that was going to do to them in an enclosed space.

People do get arrested or detained when they are not guilty of a crime. Being in police custody isn't a reason to be abused.

The police keep digging the hole deeper and deeper.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

They can say all they want, pepper spray is a deterrent for physical attacks not words.
If they threatened him, then charge them not abuse them.



This happened 5 months about and the reported was just finished on may 6th...
I see a big problem with that.
Are we saying no one gave these guys any sort of medical attention after they were sprayed?

a reply to: interupt42

Not sure the first one is white btw, but still I would agree they are equal opportunist to do their dirty work.

I don't think it is beyond racism, to say it doesn't happen cause of that is wrong imo, but would agree it is not anchored in it.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

So what? If the kid is threatening him then he should charge him with the corresponding crime, not take matters into his own hands by pepper spraying him. It never ceases to amaze me what people will try and justify.

Having a badge doesn't make you the judge and jury.

ETA: Really doesn't matter their age. I'm guessing they added the teenager part to evoke certain emotions. This was wrong regardless of the age of the victims.

originally posted by: Pimpish
a reply to: TinfoilTP

So what? If the kid is threatening him then he should charge him with the corresponding crime, not take matters into his own hands by pepper spraying him. It never ceases to amaze me what people will try and justify.

Having a badge doesn't make you the judge and jury.

ETA: Really doesn't matter their age. I'm guessing they added the teenager part to evoke certain emotions. This was wrong regardless of the age of the victims.

I seen him spray them while he backed out of a partially opened door. One right in the face the other just in his general direction all the while exiting. It probably saved one of their record sheets from having assault and resisting added to the charges. People are acting like he pulled out his service pistol and let em have it, over the top reactions.

What's really infuriating about this is that it really should have been a "suspend first, sort out what happened later" situation just as if he had shot someone under questionable circumstances.

How else does law enforcement expect us to give them the benefit of the doubt in other extreme situations they face?

That could have been my kid in there who was once mistakenly arrested and detained as a teen. Hell, under the wrong circumstances that could be any of us.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

It probably saved one of their record sheets from having assault and resisting added to the charges.

Seriously?!

Them sitting there handcuffed means they are about to assault him?
No one is acting like he pulled out his service pistol, we are acting like he pulled out his pepper spray and sprayed two defenseless kids.

Can you catch a resisting charge when you are already in custody?

a reply to: TinfoilTP

I hope this is satire or something because that's just ridiculous. If anyone should be charged with assault here it's the officer.

originally posted by: Pimpish
a reply to: TinfoilTP

I hope this is satire or something because that's just ridiculous. If anyone should be charged with assault here it's the officer.

Why? He was backing out the door and pepper spray is a deterrent not an offensive weapon.

If he sprayed them then moved forward and assaulted them in any way I could see the outrage justified.

originally posted by: TinfoilTP

originally posted by: Pimpish
a reply to: TinfoilTP

I hope this is satire or something because that's just ridiculous. If anyone should be charged with assault here it's the officer.

Why? He was backing out the door and pepper spray is a deterrent not an offensive weapon.

When it's used on a detained, handcuffed kid, I think that it's being used as a punishing and offensive weapon. What was the leo detering the kid from doing?

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: TinfoilTP

originally posted by: Pimpish
a reply to: TinfoilTP

I hope this is satire or something because that's just ridiculous. If anyone should be charged with assault here it's the officer.

Why? He was backing out the door and pepper spray is a deterrent not an offensive weapon.

When it's used on a detained, handcuffed kid, I think that it's being used as a punishing and offensive weapon.

The cop probably stopped that one kid from lunging and getting serious felony assault charges. The cop will just have to explain why he felt he needed to spray in order to exit the room safely.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

So you're saying if you go up to someone in the street and spray them with pepper spray you won't get charged with assault because it's a deterrent?

I'm not particularly outraged over this really, it's not that bad on a scale of police abuse, but it's still wrong. I've pepper sprayed myself before and it sucked but it wasn't all that horrible. Still...no reason for him to spray them. He could have just backed out as he was doing anyway as he sprayed them.

I'm quite sure if a regular civilian did that to someone who was not even handcuffed they would get charged with assault. Why does the officer get to get away with it just because he has a badge on? Police officers should be held to a higher standard than civilians, not lower, due to the power that they have.

I still can't believe you continue to try and justify the actions of that officer.

ETA:

The cop probably stopped that one kid from lunging and getting serious felony assault charges.

Totally. The next time you have an interaction with a police officer maybe they'll pepper spray you because you were "probably" going to deserve it at some point.