Calgary Cops caught using excessive force?

[pseudoreality]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I bet it will happen all the time. Because CPS is known for this type of corruption. Like the NYPD from a low budget movie.

Canadian cops destroy video evidence on a routine. There was an RCMP case a few years back where a prisoner spat on a cop, so the cop threw him on the floor and kicked his head in. Both were charged. The video surveillance clearly showed the guy spitting at the cop, but the video showing the cops action was deleted. The official line was it was routine and they had to make room on the tape. Don't kid yourself, cops tamper with video evidence all the time. All recordings should be kept by a 3rd party.

[REDVAN]

Oh man I want to comment on this thread so bad...

[sun]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Oh man I want to comment on this thread so bad...

Well then it's your lucky day, because you just did!

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I assume it's possible to make the body cameras effectively foolproof unless you're actively trying to disrupt their operation. That is, they can be made to be very firmly attached to the uniform, very sturdy so as not to easily break, and very difficult to tamper with electronically. Altogether, a camera that is going to work unless you deliberately and intentionally break it (or someone hits you in the chest with a baseball bat).

If so, and if that sort of camera is implemented, failure of a body camera will be very difficult to explain - with the consequence that we can implement severe penalties for having footage "go missing" or having the camera "suddenly not work" when it needs to, without too much concern about accusing innocent cops of destroying evidence. I can see the argument for saying that unless you come up with a damned good explanation, having your camera malfunction in that way should be a firing offence. Period. With cause.

I'm much less sympathetic to destroying evidence than I am to poor exercise of an officer's judgment that leads to using more force than ideal in an intense, emotionally charged and potentially highly dangerous situation.

[BurningSteel]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

I've seen these guys at bars and they are all big men. I'd guess the average weight and height for these cops is 250 and 6'3 and they always go out in groups. You can't tell me you need to punch a small man in the head and knee him in the face and body to subdue him. If so I'd hate to see them against actual gangsters.

So big people and more numbers will always win? Tell that to the parents and their son who were butchered by their 12 year old daughter and her bf. Or the grandparents in the O'Brian matter.

[monkeyman]

Originally Posted by BurningSteel

So big people and more numbers will always win? Tell that to the parents and their son who were butchered by their 12 year old daughter and her bf. Or the grandparents in the O'Brian matter.

WTF? please tell me you're joking.

[BurningSteel]

Originally Posted by jayswin

That was ridiculous when Edmonton and Calgary Police both chose to go with the black and white, intimidating looking police car set ups, taking after the push back to it in the States to push fear and intimidation.

Canadian police forces are generally good at separating themselves from the militarization and intimidating nature of American police, but they still follow them to a certain extent.

You sure about that?



http://www.calgarysun.com/2013/09/10...erceptor-fleet

“It really came back to going back to our heritage — back in the ‘50s, the pictures that we have ...they were black and white,” he said.


Changing the colour scheme is also more economical, report police, and help with visibility and public recognition, he added.


God forbid they go retro! I guess that's only for Jerseys.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by pseudoreality

Canadian cops destroy video evidence on a routine. There was an RCMP case a few years back where a prisoner spat on a cop, so the cop threw him on the floor and kicked his head in. Both were charged. The video surveillance clearly showed the guy spitting at the cop, but the video showing the cops action was deleted. The official line was it was routine and they had to make room on the tape. Don't kid yourself, cops tamper with video evidence all the time. All recordings should be kept by a 3rd party.

I follow a lot of trials on Twitter in real time, and it is amazing how often officers are caught recording the wrong information in their notes (or neglect to take notes all). Or how often chains of custody are messed up.

And you always hear the same excuses about it being a hard job. I think a lot of them are just in the wrong professions.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by BurningSteel

Changing the colour scheme is also more economical, report police, and help with visibility and public recognition, he added.

If they wanted to increase visibility, is black really the best choice? Going with a battenburg livery would increase visibility, black and white is more about recognition.

[MBates]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I bet it will happen all the time. Because CPS is known for this type of corruption. Like the NYPD from a low budget movie.

I dug up this old article just for you. I wrote on the topic of the disconnect between what CPS officers sometimes do and what the public knows:

http://calgarycriminallawyer.blogspo...1_archive.html

It's as low budget movie script as it gets...and its 100% real CPS.

[Patek23]

Now a second incident

http://calgaryherald.com/news/crime/...me-at-stampede

[peter12]

Yeah, he tried to grab a cop's gun.

[jayswin]

Yeah, no. You don't grab an officer's gun.

[Jason14h]

Can't we all just use our words with the drunks and hope they don't stab us or open fire in public!

Come on, it's much more important we risk the lives of people then offend or injure someone who is being a threat to the public!

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by peter12

Yeah, he tried to grab a cop's gun.

Not his gun but his taser. Either way, he deserved the beating he got.

[WhiteTiger]

On the CPS FB page, in the comments, someone asked "Why didn't they just tazer him?"

Someone quite amusingly replied "Did you not see all the puddles and water?"

[MBates]

There is little question that if you reach for an officer's weapons on his or her duty belt you are opening yourself to significant and legitimate use of force.

There is also little question in my mind looking at this video this guy is actively fighting against the officers during the arrest.

But, alas, I am left with one kinda big question.

The police say:

As CPS officers were attempting to escort the man off the premises, he pulled away and grabbed hold of one of the officer’s duty belts and on to the handle of the member’s conducted energy weapon.

and they have charged him with:

resisting arrest and obstruction of justice under the Criminal Code. He is also charged under the Gaming and Liquor Act with failure to leave a licensed premises and causing a disturbance in a licensed premises.

so the question I need answered is why is the only offence he is NOT charged with the offence they say he committed to justify the use of force in the first place?!

Disarming a peace officer

270.1 (1) Every one commits an offence who, without the consent of a peace officer, takes or attempts to take a weapon that is in the possession of the peace officer when the peace officer is engaged in the execution of his or her duty.

Definition of “weapon”

(2) For the purpose of subsection (1), weapon means any thing that is designed to be used to cause injury or death to, or to temporarily incapacitate, a person.

Punishment

(3) Every one who commits an offence under subsection (1) is guilty of

(a) an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years; or

(b) an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than eighteen months.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by MBates

so the question I need answered is why is the only offence he is NOT charged with the offence they say he committed to justify the use of force in the first place?!

Is it possible that the officers are being nice and using some discretion? Hitting him with a couple lesser charges or a fine or two as a lesson not to come visiting to Canada and overimbibe? Maybe they are feeling that since he didn't actually draw the weapon that they'll cut him a smidgen of slack?

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

Is it possible that the officers are being nice and using some discretion? Hitting him with a couple lesser charges or a fine or two as a lesson not to come visiting to Canada and overimbibe? Maybe they are feeling that since he didn't actually draw the weapon that they'll cut him a smidgen of slack?

The cops don't serve themselves. Not charging him with the appropriate charges is bad for society, the people the police serve.

Hopefully it just wasn't reported right away and the appropriate charges are laid.

Going for a cops weapon is a big no-no and a message needs to be sent.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Flaming Homer

Now a second incident

http://calgaryherald.com/news/crime/...me-at-stampede

This one is legit because the guy is British. Fair game Mr. Never been on a horse.