UPDATE: Jackinthebox convicted on lesser charge in police abuse case

We have all seen the many examples of police brutality over the years. Now it seems we are seeing more and more cases of it, without any meaningful accountability, or changes to prevent these abuses by authorities in the future. The police, once rightfully respected as the protectors of our communities, have now become our abusers, and even the murderers of people they are sworn to serve.

I do not envy the officers who truly believe in what they are doing, and have a genuine desire to help people. For I believe they have now become the minority, and have been swept up in the group mentality of a fascist force which is bringing down upon the people a thuggish police-state, where the rights of the people are no longer honored or respected. In the past, I have made many excuses for the police, in my respect for them and the difficult job they do each day. Always siding with the reasoning that the crimes by those in uniform were isolated cases, and that no force can be immune from corruption now matter how very necessary it is to strive for that goal. But I am drawing the line now. What I have seen and experienced in the last year has led me to believe that what is happening in this country is no longer excusable.

The main purpose of my writing today, is to provide an update to a case where I became the victim of a violent assault by two police officers. The original thread can be found here…

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I faced charges stemming from my alleged resistance to arrest and assault of the police officers, as well as a minor property crime. A finding of guilt on those charges would have likely resulted in a sentence of considerable jail time. Today, I was in court for the last time, and judgment was passed under the terms of a plea-bargain agreement. I feel somewhat vindicated. Though I had serious reservations about pleading guilty to anything at all, I was not willing to risk losing my freedom with a long jail sentence, had a jury been swayed by the testimony of two police officers over that of my civilian neighbors who witnessed the incident in disgust of the officers’ actions. Therefore, I chose to plead guilty to the non-criminal violation of Disorderly Conduct, and to pay ten dollars in restitution for a broken window.

In reading the other thread, you will find that I was evasive about the issue of the broken window which had been the initial cause for the police to be called to the neighborhood. Now that the case is over, I can reveal the specifics regarding the window. I did in fact break the window, but no crime was committed, as I had not done so intentionally. I had knocked at my neighbor’s door to complain for the third time about their cats leaving feces all over the lawn and driveway. This time, after two guests had stepped in it coming to my apartment. The neighbors did not answer.

It was dark out, and there is absolutely no light on the property. They had their porch light turned off. When I turned to leave, and stepped down off of the porch, I tripped over a cement statue, and my hand went through the window. If the police had bothered to properly investigate, they would have been able to quickly ascertain the facts of the matter. Instead, they chose to be belligerent, and ultimately, violent with someone who had no reason whatsoever to not be fully cooperative. So much so, that I had actually stepped onto my front porch and called to them, to offer my willingness to have the matter resolved in whatever reasonable way they saw fit.

Here is a picture of the scene...



In the end, I elected to plead guilty to the violation for two reasons. I had been drinking alcohol that evening, and may not have stumbled so hard, had I not been. Legally speaking, I probably could have sued over the lack of lighting on the property, and the obstacles in an area where people might reasonably be expected to walk, but then there is the second point to consider as well. Though my neighbor was often up late, and would often come knocking at my door for various reasons at such an hour, it was rather late at night to be knocking on someone’s door.

As I said, I am not completely comfortable with the outcome, but it is certainly better than gambling with my freedom.

The real point to all of this though, is that I DID NOT, do anything to warrant the violent abuse at the hands of these officers. And for that to be known publicly, leaves me feeling some sense of justice served. Though the officers in question will not be penalized in this matter, I can only hope that one day someone will be on more solid ground to bring a case against them when they violate the public trust once again. Apparently the judge felt the need to render justice in my favor as well, electing to impose no fine and waiving all court fees.

This whole situation is still a bummer, but, could be worse! The goonsquad could've elected to stomp. Stay strong bro, and don't let it get to you too much. Might get hurt more from thinking about it y'know, stress and all.

Sigh so what did the sentence you to or has that been done?

reply to post by depth om

The goonsquad could've elected to stomp.

Well, technically, they did. They stomped me in the head and hit me with the stun gun ten times. But I see what you mean. All in all, this was just an everyday sort of case. I was not sent to the hospital (though I should have been and denied the request), and I am still alive. The same cannot be said of Sean Bell.

My real point to bringing my own story to everyone's attention, was to highlight the sorts of things that happen ever single day, probably in every single town, that never makes it to the newpaper or the airwaves. This is the reality now. No one is immune from being the victim of such violations.

I can only imagine how traumatic this might have been from someone who would never imagine that such a thing was possible, or someone who did not have the level of "street smarts" and experience that I have.

reply to post by mybigunit


Sentence: Ten dollar restitution for the broken window.

Originally posted by jackinthebox
reply to post by mybigunit

 

Sentence: Ten dollar restitution for the broken window.

OH that works well done then...chalk one up for the common man even though you probably shouldnt of been in that position in the first place.

If I'd been you, I'd taken pictures whenever I saw their cat dumping on my lawn (for evidence)...Then call Animal Control. Pretty much every city has ordinances for not "curbing" their pets (also for not restraining them while outside the domicile). So they'd wind up charged, fined & cat taken away forever.

For every offense, the laws provide for remedy & recourse...

reply to post by MidnightDStroyer


I did not realize at the time, that my neighbors were living in such squalor, that the police would not even enter the residence. It seems this is the reason that their cats took to defecating around the property, instead of indoors as they had done before for some time.

EDIT to add: No action was ever taken by health officials to my knowledge.


[edit on 5/20/0808 by jackinthebox]

Originally posted by jackinthebox
I did not realize at the time, that my neighbors were living in such squalor...

Ya' know...A "civic-minded" person would report them to the local Board of Health (if the house itself is in structurally bad shape, maybe throw in some Building Code violations) & refer them to the Police Report so that the Police themselves could help provide "witness accounts"...

See? The average Citizen can push pretty hard without even confronting idiot neighbors face-to-face at all. This is a Nation of Laws, ya' know (admittedly, too many Laws), but that can easily be used to avoid getting on the wrong side of that law...


[edit on 20-5-2008 by MidnightDStroyer]

reply to post by MidnightDStroyer

Ya' know...A "civic-minded" person would report them to the local Board of Health (if the house itself is in structurally bad shape, maybe throw in some Building Code violations) & refer them to the Police Report so that the Police themselves could help provide "witness accounts"...

Well, I don't live there anymore. The landlord wanted me out after paying the rent a month ahead of time for ten years. So I told him, "Fine, if you want to choose the child molsting scumbag who's turing the property into a #box, I'm outta here!" And that was pretty much that.

The neighbor actually lived in the same building as me by the way.

How come you never stated that you tripped and broke their windows in the first post of your original thread?

I wonder what other information you chose not to share.

Originally posted by MidnightDStroyer
If I'd been you, I'd taken pictures whenever I saw their cat dumping on my lawn (for evidence)...Then call Animal Control. Pretty much every city has ordinances for not "curbing" their pets (also for not restraining them while outside the domicile). So they'd wind up charged, fined & cat taken away forever.

For every offense, the laws provide for remedy & recourse...

Oh yeah that's right bring in an innocent animal into human problems.....

Not good man.

reply to post by Alxandro

How come you never stated that you tripped and broke their windows in the first post of your original thread?

Because, as I clearly stated in the original thread, the case was still pending, and there would be certain information about the case that I could not share until the the matter was concluded. Hence, the "UPDATE."

Glad it worked out.

I still would have sued the police department, but that's just me. Either way, I'm glad you didn't get hit with an overly serious charge in the end.

reply to post by Sublime620

Glad it worked out.

I thank you sir.

I still would have sued the police department, but that's just me.

If I had been on a bit more solid ground, I think I might have. But hey, there's always next time. And I hate to say it, but the way things are going in this country, there probably WILL be a next time.

EDIT to add: I'm still not scared of them, so I they will not find me cowering in my home, afraid to go out, when they come knocking again...





[edit on 5/22/0808 by jackinthebox]

reply to post by jackinthebox


Question: If you had a chance to re-live the entire ordeal all over again, minute by minute, would you:

A) Crap in the neighbors yard as payback for what their cat did in your yard?
B) Kill the freakin' cat?
C) Keep your mouth shut when dealing with the cops?
D) Choose once again give the cops an attitude?

reply to post by Alxandro

A) Crap in the neighbors yard as payback for what their cat did in your yard?

Well, if I had been inclined to be vengeful, I probably would have just left a hot steamy loaf right on their step in the first place.

B) Kill the freakin' cat?

It's not the cat's fault. In fact, it was because the cat was so disgusted by its owner, that it started #ting all over the place outside.

C) Keep your mouth shut when dealing with the cops?

Actually, I had shut my mouth, once I saw that they were acting unprofessionally. That only provoked them further. So next time, I won't bother to offer anything. And the police wonder why people never talk to them and they can never solve and crimes because of it. I've made a lot of meaningful contributions to law-enforcement over the years, including undercover work and testifying at trials. You can bet those days are over now.

I actually got my jaw broken saving a cops life one night, when he was getting romped on by an escapee. Won't catch me doing something like that anymore.

D) Choose once again give the cops an attitude?

# 'em. They can kiss my entire ass as far as I'm concerned now. If being overly cooperative is now considered "giving attitude" then I might as well earn the next beat down for real. Double # 'em.

"Look, I'm not afraid of the ____ ____ Police. If you want to arrest me, then let's not waste eachother's time," is what I said to them. So if you think that's some big attitude deserving of a violent beat down, then you're just as much of an asshole as them.

EDIT to add: And NO, I will not cower to them the next time.

[edit on 5/23/0808 by jackinthebox]

So you would choose to do the deja vu thing all over again?
Why? ... and once again plead guilty.

That makes no sense.

It has nothing to do with cowering to them, it's about not giving them the impression that your intent is to escalate the situation.

Their job should have been to investigate and as questions.
Why divulge additional information and make unwarranted comments?

They pushed your buttons and you let them.

Anyway, it's over so nothing else matters, but if you still feel you were right all along, why did you plead guilty?

I guess your convictions are not as strong as you thought they were.

I pled guilty because I shouldn't have been knocking at the neighbors door that late at night after I had been drinking. Something I was willing to take responsibility for from the start. Not to mention that I was not willing to risk going to jail for a long time just to make a point. As I have already explained in this thread.

Why divulge additional information and make unwarranted comments?

Maybe Jesus should have just kept his mouth shut too. :shk:

[edit on 5/23/0808 by jackinthebox]

Originally posted by _Phoenix_
Oh yeah that's right bring in an innocent animal into human problems.....
Not good man.

Is it any better to leave the innocent cat with an owner that can't even take care of it? At least the cat could get away from an idiot owner & would have a decent chance of getting adopted by a better family.

Originally posted by jackinthebox
It seems this is the reason that their cats took to defecating around the property, instead of indoors as they had done before for some time.

At least the cat shows more intelligence than its owner. After all, what self-respecting cat would actually like to live in his own litterbox?
The only animal (that I know of) that actually dumps its wastes around the area it lives in is humanity. Even the Dung Beetle uses that kind of...material...only as a "wedding gift" for its mate to lay eggs.