LA Police Caught on Body Cam Planting Drugs in Black Suspect's Wallet

originally posted by: Britguy
Something I have not seen brought up in so many similar cases like this over the years, is the issue of the police actually having baggies at the ready.
Imagine the pre-patrol cheeks; gun...check. Backup gun...check. Taser, pepper spray and baton....check, check and check. Drug baggies for planting on suspects...check!

Shouldn’t those officers also be jailed for possession with intent to supply?

I mean, regardless if they didn't have them, it would still happen. When a cop pulls a person over, if they have an empty coke bag, and are otherwise extremely nice and look educated and don't have a criminal history -- it's very in the realm of possibility for the cop to let this person go and take that baggie for use later in the day, when he pulls over someone with nothing in the car, but they have a long rap sheet and are extremely rude and abrasive.

So, does this mean the officer should also be charged with felony drug possession if found guilty of planting this evidence?

a reply to: bgerbger

Do you feel the same way where the numbers of LEOs doing the right thing as it pertains to their jobs far outweigh the ones that you're spotlighting?

I absolutely agree that we need to expose and indict the bad cops for what they do, but let's not pretend like these guys are the standard in most LEO's departments in all cities across the U.S.

I'm more shocked at how small most of those cops are.

originally posted by: EternalShadow

originally posted by: bgerbger
a reply to: EternalShadow

You are correct, but there are so many incidents of police abusing their power and doing the wrong thing that one wonders how systemic problems like this are.

www.nytimes.com...

www.vox.com...

www.smithsonianmag.com...

www.theguardian.com...

www.telegraph.co.uk...

Again....the actions of an individual officer does not define an ENTIRE police force, city level or nationwide!!

People stereotype officer's because they share a similar uniform...

Military members f#ck up too...quite frequently to be honest. Do those who f#ck up define an ENTIRE military force!!!!???

No.

Relax.

Hold them to their oaths or stfu..

Do you judge a chain by it's strongest links or it's weakest links?

a reply to: EternalShadow

SO CAL native.
Actually he is correct. The LAPD is as corrupt as all get out and only care if you are rich enough to make a stink with the Mayor.

a reply to: bgerbger

I've watched the video about 6 times now, and I can't see the proof the lawyer is using to justify this case.
I see the officer in question talk on his radio, then around the time the lawyer says he switches the baggie from one had to the other he is actually putting his radio back in its belt holder. He does seem to be looking towards the ground in the general direction of his left side which (and I'll admit this is a bit of speculation on my part as we don't have a wide enough shot or the right angle to prove this) happens to be in the general direction of where the baggie and wallet were located on the ground.
As for putting the baggie in the wallet, it may have been a convenient location. It does look like he is asking something of the officer conducting the search when he first has it, then activates his camera. Possibly asking that officer if he saw this come out of a pocket (because that baggie could have been just laying on the ground prior to this stop).
And for the bragging..... that seems to be the weakest argument in this case. He is simply telling other officers that the baggie is located in the wallet.

Why he stuck it in the wallet? I don't know. But it does seem that it was in the area where they were dumping the other contents of the mans pockets before it was picked up.

originally posted by: Taggart
I'm more shocked at how small most of those cops are.

Not only that the last pic in the hound dogs post, that cop looks pregnant. Someone needs to get him treadmill or similar.

originally posted by: EternalShadow
Before this thread goes nuclear...I will say one officer's actions doesn't define an ENTIRE police force city or nationwide.

So take a deep breath..

It does not matter. Police nationwide have the ability to ruin your reputation, get you fired, and if you protest, they are authorized to kill you for "resisting".

If it happens with one, it happens with others. Which is the epitome of "reasonable doubt" for me in any court case I serve as a juror on.

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: bgerbger

Do you feel the same way where the numbers of LEOs doing the right thing as it pertains to their jobs far outweigh the ones that you're spotlighting?

I absolutely agree that we need to expose and indict the bad cops for what they do, but let's not pretend like these guys are the standard in most LEO's departments in all cities across the U.S.

Until we see more public hangings like they did to the Utah "nurse arresting" cop, I disagree. If these things can be swept under the rug, that indicates the entire system is rotten from the inside. Since administrative positions shuffle from city to city, there's no reason to expect that every major city has a rotten, corrupt department.

The evidence for the corrupt system is splashed across the news daily.

GOOD cops aren't "good" if they cover up for BAD cops.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
If these things can be swept under the rug, that indicates the entire system is rotten from the inside.

...

The evidence for the corrupt system is splashed across the news daily.

That's because bad cops make for good TV--it catalyzes emotional responses and generalizations because it's easy for people to get mad at authority figures who act emotionally, uncontrollably, unethically, and possibly illegally.

What doesn't get splashed across the news everyday is the myriad of LEOs doing their jobs correctly and professionally, day in and day out, because it's boring news and note even "news" at all--it's the average. If it did, though, it would overwhelmingly drown out the bad cops.

So, while I have never seen anyone deny that there are rotten LEOs scattered all over the place, including every position from the rookie patrolman all the way up the chain to the top, this is not a reflection on the average cop doing the right things during their careers.

a reply to: DanteGaland

Is your implication that all cops know exactly what other cops do illegally in their precincts?

originally posted by: SlapMonkey

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
If these things can be swept under the rug, that indicates the entire system is rotten from the inside.

...

The evidence for the corrupt system is splashed across the news daily.

That's because bad cops make for good TV--it catalyzes emotional responses and generalizations because it's easy for people to get mad at authority figures who act emotionally, uncontrollably, unethically, and possibly illegally.

What doesn't get splashed across the news everyday is the myriad of LEOs doing their jobs correctly and professionally, day in and day out, because it's boring news and note even "news" at all--it's the average. If it did, though, it would overwhelmingly drown out the bad cops.

So, while I have never seen anyone deny that there are rotten LEOs scattered all over the place, including every position from the rookie patrolman all the way up the chain to the top, this is not a reflection on the average cop doing the right things during their careers.

My comments here are not personal, about individual police. They are general, about LEO in general.

If im being honest, the "good cop" stories are irrelevant and moot. That is what they are expected to do....so i cannot congratulate them for doing the bare minimum: be polite, professional, and civil. Its the very least I should expect for the money I pay into the service.

The simple fact is, cops are "more equal" than you and I. Their testimony in court is automatically more credible than mine. They are able to kill me for the most minor infraction and get away with it. Sell single cigarettes, I can be strangled to death on the sidewalk in front of other cops and citizens and my murderer not even be punished for killing me.

Cops get discounts on rent, free services in the community like food and beverage...they are just more equal than you and I.

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: DanteGaland

Is your implication that all cops know exactly what other cops do illegally in their precincts?

I think his implication is that when a cop is allowed to murder a man on the sidewalk, in front of a camera and other citizens, over "loosies", and not even lose their job over it (let alone go to prison for murder), there is no justice. That entire department is corrupt.

Its not like there is any question as to what happened. Its on camera for us all to witness. His gurgling pleas for air as he was suffocating. His arms falling limp....it was all right there for us to see, caught on camera in broad daylight, right on the sidewalk in NYC.

SPIT

ETA a pertinent King quote:

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I'm not going to rehash the Garner discussion from years ago--you can call it murder all that you want to.

What I will say is that I think that the laws of NYC that prohibits selling loosies absurd, and never should have been a thing. That law is what led to the encounter with Eric Garner and the NYPD. If we can nullify and abolish ridiculous laws and limit the laws that need enforced (by definition) by law enforcement officers, we would see a dramatic drop in instances like this.

Suffice it to say, though--I train in martial arts. I know the difference between a carotid (blood) choke and a tracheal (air) choke, and how to properly do them and when both are appropriate. In my opinion, this officer should not have used a tracheal choke, and the combination of the height difference between Garner and the LEO, along with Garner's weight and size, is what led to his trachea being crushed (the amount of force used to bring Garner to the ground), not an intention to kill him over selling loosies.

This is not murder, no matter what way that you want to define it. Wrongful death, probably, and involuntary manslaughter, possibly, but not murder. In any event, I wish that both Garner wouldn't have resisted arrest and that the LEO wouldn't have used a tracheal choke to take a guy that much larger than himself down, because of the obvious worst-case scenario that happened.

But again, this doesn't need to be a rehashing of these cases that have been argued ad nauseam before. But, if you want to cherry pick instances of bad/deadly law enforcement in order to bolster your claim, that's up to you. Personally, though, I refuse to use the relatively few instances of abuse of authority or poor law enforcement to perpetuate a narrative that stereotypes all officers on the poor actions of a statistical few.

Just my two cents. Regardless, I'm not really in the mood to continue going down this road--just understand that I know that there are legit cases of abuse of authority by LEOs, some to the point of flat out murder. Let's just agree to agree on that, if that works for you.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

I agree....contact creates friction, and we create far too much friction between LEO and the public. I believe that 600,000 laws are a hell of a friction creator. And of those laws, it is fairly obvious that some folks will be touched more frequently. This is the basis of the "laws are racist" movement, and they are right. The laws do have an adverse impact on minorities. Our stats prove this out. Side note: it seems obvious that our government is aware of this, as they prefer to call latinos "caucasian" when referring to race crime stats so that it makes it look like there are just as many white folks in prison as black folks.

RE: garner...would either of us gone to prison were it us that applied the (unlawful...its not approved for use by NYC officers) choke hold?

Like i quoted from MLK above: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." I don't care if most cops are good folks. The fact remains that they have a monopoly in violence, and are granted greater credibility when testifying. Had Eric Garner defended himself and instead killed his attacker, he would be in prison right now. Yet his attacker is not. That isn't justice. That is LEO being just a little bit more equal than you and I.

a reply to: bgerbger


Don't you mean allegedly abusing their power? No officers have been convicted

There are a few bad officers out there, but the vast majority do their jobs with honor and dignity. No one gives the LEOs in officer involved shootings a fair shake, though. Regardless of what the video evidence shows (thugs beating officers, shooting at officers, trying to run over officers, pulling a knife/gun/bomb on officers, etc) there is a certain chunk of our population that automatically assumes they're guilty of wrongdoing.

There are certainly shortcomings with professional law enforcement. But a vast majority of officers are good people, very dedicated to serving their communities and building trust with local residents they serve. The ones who don't believe in protecting or serving their communities usually don't last very long.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan


Texan, I must respectfully disagree with laying the blame squarely on LEOs however. Like you said, there are a ridiculous number of laws that LE is expected to enforce, but LEOs have broad discretion in how they will use the limited time and resources they have. The officers develop policing strategies, while law makers (usually low information law makers) pass laws that criminalize virtually every action one can take. I don't disagree that we have too many laws, and I also agree many of those laws disproportionately affect minorities, which clearly indicates something needs changed - but that change must start with lawmakers.

LEOs have an impossible job - they are expected to enforce every law on the books, with an extremely high rate of accuracy. That being said, when officers intentionally violate the law they should be punished. But it seems there is almost a presumption of guilt on behalf of the general public's opinion when an OIS or other incident occurs.

Professional policing may not be ideal, but it is likely more ideal than the way LE was conducted for many years in this country: largely by private Citizens, with minimal Constitutional safeguards (although the common law wording provides penalties for false detention/arrest).

No doubt Eric Garner's situation is unique - this did after all start over selling cigarettes, something the officers could've easily exercised discretion and frankly ignored, in favor of ferretting out more serious criminal activity with their minimal time allotment.

Just my two cents, no disrespect to anyone intended!

a reply to: JBurns

It isn't squarely on LEO's....but when you are being poked by a fork, its the business end of the fork you are concerned with.

I think a lot of the outcry you see regarding LEO derives from people who have had their own unjust interactions. I have had mine. I have seen how i was treated. I have seen how other officers in the area treated others. I have seen how my mother, a true living saint on this planet, was treated (both in middle age and as an obviously disabled, elderly woman). My distrust, and to some extent disdain, derives from personal experience.

So long as no one is arrested for violating sodomy laws, its hard for me to understand any claims of "im just doing my job", or that "justice is blind". The entire system is undermined by the fact that there are unenforced laws sitting right next to laws that everyone agrees are unjust, but are still enforced.

I think relying on legislative action to "fix" the issue is proven to not work. I think that the fact that most of our prisoners are minorities speaks to the fact that the laws affect minorities the most. How do minorities change laws that seem to target them when voting is the method being suggested? They have the smallest voice, and are least capable of changing the laws to quit targeting them. How does that work in practice?