We've probably all seen it by now, the cell phone video of an older man being shoved down by two tactical officers (nice euphemism). We get one small slice of events but the film appears to show one geezer facing a veritable army of officers who look they walked off the set of a Star Wars movie. The man tumbles over backward as he's pushed. He strikes his head and bleeds and the storm troopers pass on by. I suppose if you're dressed like for a riot you have to find one, even if it means beating up on an elderly civilian. At first the incident was denied, then spun, then the officers were suspended, now they have been charged.
The injured man does have a name -- Martin Gugino. The 75-year-old has been in hospital for several days but he is recovering from his injuries, thank God. It turns out that he's a Roman Catholic, a long-time peace activist and he's passionate about the environment. Or as the Emperor Trump would say, he's a thug.
Through the years I've met a lot of elders like Gugino, people who want a better world for their grandchildren. They are often motivated by their Christian faith and the bible -- the one you actually read to discover God's direction rather than "a bible" that gets shaken like an Etch a Sketch in a shameless photo op. They are often feisty and passionate and some have been arrested. But I can't think of a single one who has been violent or posed a threat to society.
We can pray that Gugino is well soon, hitting the streets for righteousness sake, rather than hitting the pavement.
Oh yes, nearly 60 tactical officers resigned from that role in Buffalo after their two confreres were charged. Buffalo has a population of 250,000. Isn't that a lot of riot cops for a city that size? Asking for our friend Martin...
Just to chime in....I am the first to jump all over bad cops. Believe me, good cops absolutely abhor the actions of those monsters from Minneapolis, as well as the thugs from Buffalo PD. Those idiots make it so much more difficult for the good cops - who are in the vast majority - to do their job.
ReplyDeleteI look back at my career, and I'm proud to say that I have worked with kind, empathetic officers throughout my postings. Conversely, I've also had to force myself to get out of bed at a couple of postings because there was a moron or two on my watch. If I could have thrown them out of the Force, I would have gladly done so. I would often cringe thinking how their actions in my community would make the rest of us appear.
It may appear that police are always ready to be aggressive and pushy, but I recall being part of a security force at a major political event in which leaders from around the world were gathering. I was right on the line, face to face with the protesters. They were yelling at me and calling me names, which was no big deal. But there were hundreds of them trying to surge forward. It got tense, but there were no physical altercations and aside from some minor vandalism, it went well.
I mention this because it was one of the proudest moments of my career. People exercising their right to protest - which I and most police strongly agree with - while police showed restraint. But things can change quickly and you need to be ready. That may be why BPD have such a strong contingent of tac officers.
Yes, they can look intimidating, but I'm pretty sure the families of those cops would like them wearing their protective gear so they can come home in one peace.
But I am sick and tired of hearing every day about yet another example of police brutality. It is completely unacceptable, and these jerks should never have been given a badge. And I point the finger at management of these police services, who ignored the warning signs of having bad cops in their force. When someone has numerous complaints against him/her for excessive force, there's a problem!