"The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion, but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact, non-Westerners never do.”" ~~~~Samuel P. Huntington
Showing posts with label Abuse of Authority. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abuse of Authority. Show all posts

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Non-Violent Protests: "And they are met with fear..." - The Atlantic Senior Political Editor On #Occupy-Related Police Violence

Too Much Violence and Pepper Spray at the OWS Protests
By Garance Franke-Ruta
Senior Politics editor
The Atlantic

Nov 19 2011, 6:58 PM ET


The dousing of seated, non-violent students with a chemical agent at U.C. Davis should provoke a call for restraint. These images show their experience is not unique.

#OccupySeattle
[Pepper Spray in use @ #OccupySeattle]


Police dressed in riot gear at U.C. Davis on Friday afternoon used pepper spray to clear seated protesters from the university quad where they had set up a small Occupy encampment, pro-actively and repeatedly dousing the passively-resisting students with a chemical agent designed to cause pain and suffering in order to make it easier to remove them.

#OccupyCal
[UC Davis Police Lt. John Pike from the RECORDS DEPARTMENT gets his chance to 'kill commies']


It is hard to look at this kind of attack and think this is how we do things in America.

And yet it is all too American.

America has a very long history of protests that meet with excessive or violent response, most vividly recorded in the second half of the 20th century. It is a common fantasy among people born in the years since the great protests movements -- and even some not so great ones -- that they would have stood on the bold side of history had they been alive at the time and been called to make a choice. But the truth is that American protest movements in real time -- and especially in their early days -- often appear controversial, politically difficult, out-of-the-mainstream, and dangerous. And they are met with fear...

In Full @ The Atlantic


A profile of one of the perpetrators here:
D0Xing the Abusers: Introducing Lt. John Pike, UC Davis Pepper Spraying "officer"


«o» Pertinent California Codes & Rulings in re the official use of Pepper Spray:
United States Court of Appeals,Ninth Circuit
HEADWATERS FOREST DEFENSE v. COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT
o
o
o
"Viewing the facts in the light most favorable to the protestors, we conclude that Philip and Lewis are not entitled to qualified immunity because the use of pepper spray on the protestors' eyes and faces was plainly in excess of the force necessary under the circumstances, and no reasonable officer could have concluded otherwise." (source)
California Penal Code Section 12403.7(a)(8)(g):

"Any person who uses tear gas or tear gas weapons except in self-defense is guilty of a public offense and is punishable by imprisonment in a state prison for 16 months, or two or three years or in a county jail not to exceed one year or by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment,"
The code goes on to add further sanctions if, lets say someone knowingly pepper sprays a police officer etc, but the above, based on the 9th Circuit Court's ruling in a civil case ought to go a long way towards convicting ANY official in California who commits, or perhaps even authorizes such an act.

To show us how out of touch with law the average police officer is (and to add to the extensive list of why one should NEVER ask a law enforcement official for legal advice), simply read the words of UC police Capt. Margo Bennett who said:

"The individuals who linked arms and actively resisted, that in itself is an act of violence,"

Coward


Saturday, November 19, 2011

D0Xing the Abusers: Introducing Lt. John Pike, UC Davis Pepper Spraying "officer"

«o» Update: Note this ruling in U.S. Appeals Court, which seems to make it illegal to use pepper spray against peaceful protesters:

United States Court of Appeals,Ninth Circuit

HEADWATERS FOREST DEFENSE v. COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT

HEADWATERS FOREST DEFENSE, Plaintiff, Molly Burton; Vernell “Spring” M. Lundberg; Michael McCurdy; Eric Samuel Neuwirth; Maya Portugal; Lisa Marie Sanderson-Fox; Jennifer Schneider; Terri Slanetz; Noel Tendick, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. The COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT, a political subdivision of the State of California; Humboldt County Sheriff's Department; Dennis Lewis, Sheriff; Gary Philip, Chief Deputy; Marvin Kirkpatrick, Deputy; John Sylvia, Deputy; Ciarbellini, Sgt.; City of Eureka, a political division of the State of California; Eureka Police Dept; Bill Honsal, Captain; James Manos, Sgt., Defendants-Appellees.

No. 98-17250.
-- January 11, 2002
o
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o
Moreover, in requiring that the law put a government officer “on notice that his conduct would be clearly unlawful” before he could be held liable for violating the Constitution, the Supreme Court emphasized that it was not insisting that “courts must have agreed upon the precise formulation of the standard.” Id. As we recently noted, a law can be violated “notwithstanding the absence of direct precedent . [o]therwise, officers would escape responsibility for the most egregious forms of conduct simply because there was no case on all fours prohibiting that particular manifestation of unconstitutional conduct.” Deorle v. Rutherford, 272 F.3d 1272, 1274-75 (9th Cir.2001) (citation omitted).

Viewing the facts in the light most favorable to the protestors, we conclude that Philip and Lewis are not entitled to qualified immunity because the use of pepper spray on the protestors' eyes and faces was plainly in excess of the force necessary under the circumstances, and no reasonable officer could have concluded otherwise.

[Source, Findlaw Cases & Codes]


Lt. John PikeCalifornia Penal Code Section 12403.7(a)(8)(g): Any person who uses tear gas or tear gas weapons except in self-defense is guilty of a public offense and is punishable by imprisonment in a state prison for 16 months, or two or three years or in a county jail not to exceed one year or by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, except that, if the use is against a peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2, engaged in the performance of his or her official duties and the person committing the offense knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a peace officer...

Source: D0X: UC Davis Pepper Spraying officer, Lt. John Pike

D0X: UC Davis Pepper Spraying officer, Lt. John Pike.

Please be respectful in your condemnation of this act of brutality.

Lieutenant John Pike
Records Unit Manager
Phone: 530-752-3989
Cell: 530-979-0184
japikeiii@ucdavis.edu
Address: 4005 Cowell Blvd, Apt 616. Davis, CA 95618-6017
Skype: japike3
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/john-pike/18/a76/879
Pike has received 2  Meritorious Service Awards from UC Davis

File formal complaint against UC Davis police officer here: (pdf)

UC Davis Support Services Division
Contact Information:
Captain Joyce Souza
530-752-6202
Monday - Friday
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
jxsouza@ucdavis.edu

Reporting a Crime or Accident
UC Davis Police Non-Emergency Service
(530) 752-1727

UC Office of the President
Mark G. Yudof
University of California
1111 Franklin St., 12th Floor
Oakland, CA 94607
Email: president@ucop.edu

Professor at the university, Nathan Brown, wrote an “open letter” calling on Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi to resign. The entire letter boldly condemns the Chancellor for permitting riot police to handle students as police did. (source)

UC Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi
Her response to the brutality
Offices of the Chancellor and Provost
Fifth floor, Mrak Hall
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 752-2065
Contact form: http://chancellor.ucdavis.edu/contact.php
Katehi’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Linda-PB-Katehi/147754228574654

UC Davis FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/UCDavis

His boss, UCD Police Chief Annette Spicuzza, told the Davis Enterprise that she’s “very proud” of her officers. “I don’t believe any of our officers were hurt,” she says, “and I hope none of the students were injured.” (source)

UCD Police Chief Annette Spicuzza
(530) 752-3113
Salary: $125,000/yr
Linked in: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/annette-spicuzza/18/435/772

UC Davis Police Department
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA  95616 
(530) 752-6823 
FAX: (530) 752-3216 

John Pike’s Education
California State University-Hayward (BS)
Activities and Societies: Theta Chi Fraternity

Submit a story to Theta Chi Fraternity
International Headquarters: 317-824-1881
http://www.thetachi.org
Theta Chi UC Davis Chapter: Zeta XI

California Penal Code Section 12403.7 (a) (8)
(g) Any person who uses tear gas or tear gas weapons except in self-defense is guilty of a public offense and is punishable by imprisonment in a state prison for 16 months, or two or three years or in a county jail not to exceed one year or by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, except that, if the use is against a peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2, engaged in the performance of his or her official duties and the person committing the offense knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a peace officer, the offense is punishable by imprisonment in a state prison for 16 months or two or three years or by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.

--30--


Monday, October 31, 2011

#Occupy PSA - $5,000 Reward Offered For Identification Of The Police Officer Who Assaulted USMC Veteran Scott Olsen

Tear Gas canister... fired at point-blank range.... Make that charge "Attempted Murder".

Due to difficulties identifying the police officer who shot USMC Marine Veteran Scott Olsen in the face at point blank range with a tear gas canister at the #OccupyOakland Police Riot last week there is a $5,000 dollar reward being offered to anyone who can identify the assailant.

Some of Scott's 'brothers' want to speak with the 'gentleman'


[Disclaimer: It is unknown whether the Brother above is one of the people making that offer.]


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

In The "No Food For You, Fascist" Department:: Seattle-Area Restaurant Refuses To Serve TSA Agents

In the "No Food For You, Fascist" department:
TSA GropePointSeattle-Area Restaurant Refuses To Serve TSA Agents

By Chris Morran
February 22, 2011


Fed up with what he views as crappy treatment from the TSA, the owner of a restaurant near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has decided to put all TSA agents on his No-Eat List.

"We have posted signs on our doors basically saying that they aren't allowed to come into our business," one employee tells travel journalist Christopher Elliott. "We have the right to refuse service to anyone."

She says that whenever a TSA agent attempts to dine at the restaurant, "we turn our backs and completely ignore them, and tell them to leave... Their kind aren't welcomed in our establishment."

The restaurant claims that 90% of its patrons are in agreement with their stance and that the local police have actually helped escort TSA workers of the premises... [Source]
And since we're on the topic of abuse of authority by various police state apparatchik:
New York Judge Orders City to Release Reports on Shots Fired by Police at Civilians Since 1997

Separately, the civil liberties group has requested statistical information about the disciplining of officers involved in civilian shootings. Mr. Dunn said the police had said they would respond by the end of this month.

By AL BAKER
February 22, 2011


A Manhattan judge has moved to shine more light on New York Police Department shootings, ruling that departmental reports generated whenever an officer fired at a civilian in the last 13 years be turned over to the New York Civil Liberties Union.

The decision, by Justice Emily Jane Goodman of State Supreme Court, means that a trove of internal police documents could soon be thrust into public view. The decision, dated Feb. 14, gives police officials 60 days to turn over two sets of the documents for each shooting dating back to 1997 — a period covering roughly 850 shootings. The city has not decided whether to appeal.

One of the documents Justice Goodman ordered to be released is an investigatory report done within 24 hours of each shooting. The other report, completed within 90 days, is more extensive.

The ruling, affecting about 1,700 reports and thousands of pages, could provide the public new details about such recent police scandals as the 2006 shooting death of Sean Bell in Queens and the 1999 killing of Amadou Diallo in the Bronx.

“There are going to be a lot of big cases in these reports,” said Christopher T. Dunn, the associate legal director of the civil liberties group, who said he would make the reports public. “There will also be a lot of cases nobody ever heard of.”

Asked about the decision at a news conference on Tuesday, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said... [More @ The NY Times]


Sunday, February 28, 2010

"Imagine if she had been doodling something dark and disturbing." - 12 Year Old Handcuffed & Arrested For Writing On Desk

"Imagine if she had been doodling something dark and disturbing."

Perhaps she will now...

More dialog on this, and other incidents of mass institutional child abuse below the Youtube blurb

"A 12-year-old Queens girl was hauled out of school in handcuffs for an artless offense -doodling her name on her desk in erasable marker, the Daily News has learned Alexa Gonzalez was scribbling a few words on her desk Monday while waiting for her Spanish teacher to pass out homework at Junior High School 190 in Forest Hills she said."I love my friends Abby and Faith," the girl wrote, adding the phrases "Lex was here. 2/1/10" and a smiley face."
H/t: TroubleTown

Arrested for Doodling on a Desk?
"Zero Tolerance" at Schools Is Going Way Too Far


Saturday 27 February 2010
by: Liliana Segura
AlterNet


School=Gulag, CrimthIncHow much longer can we tolerate abuses of power by teachers and school officials in the name of 'zero tolerance' policies?

This week, the FBI announced it was launching an investigation into a surveillance scandal out of Lower Merion County, Pennsylvania, where it was recently discovered that school officials had used Web cams on school-issued laptops to spy on a student, 15-year-old Blake Robbins.


Robbins was falsely accused of possessing illicit drugs after the vice principal at his high school, Lindy Matskhis, called him into a meeting where she revealed that she had seen images of him at home through his laptop. According to Robbins' attorney, Mark Haltzman, "She called him into the office and told him, basically, 'I've been watching what was on the Web cam and saw what was in your hands. I've been reading what you've been typing, and I'm afraid you are involved in drugs and trying to sell pills.'"

Matskhis, it turned out, was grievously mistaken. What looked like pills turned out to be Mike and Ike candies.

Robbins' parents sued. Now the case has prompted a debate about student privacy and the threat of technological overreach.

The Robbins case may seem to be uniquely bad in some ways. But it comes at a time when there's no shortage of disturbing stories in the news about the intrusive and repressive measures taken by public schools against students, in districts across the country. Last year the Supreme Court finally ruled in favor of Savana Redding (now an adult, who, at the age of 13, was strip-searched by school staff in search of prescription ibuprofen); yet from violations of privacy to wrongful arrests by school "peace" officers, the story seems to be expanding.

On February 1, in Forest Hills, Queens, 12-year-old Alexa Gonzalez was arrested after she was caught doodling on her desk. Profanity? Threats against her teacher? No, the middle school student had written, with an erasable marker, "I love my friends Abby and Faith," along with "Lex was here. 2/1/10" and a smiley face... More @ Alternet

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