Video & Multimedia
Related: About this forumWATCH: Cop Pepper-Sprays Teacher Who Was Talking On A Cell Phone
by Ahiza GarciaPublishedJanuary 29, 2015, 4:23 PM EST 35878 views
A Seattle teacher is suing the city after a police officer allegedly pepper-sprayed him while he was walking by and talking to his mother on the phone, KOMO reported on Thursday.
Teacher and activist Jesse Hagopian said he was leaving a peaceful Martin Luther King Jr. Day protest on Jan. 19 when he was pepper-sprayed by a police officer who screamed for passersby to "get back."
"I felt the piercing pain shoot through my eye, my ear drum and my nostril, all over my cheek and face," Hagopian told the television station. "I yelled out. My mom was in distress as she heard me yell."
Video of the police officer who allegedly pepper-sprayed Hagopian was uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday by Hagopian's attorney, James Bible, who filed a suit against the city on the same day.
" Jesse) was pepper-sprayed irrationally by a police officer -- no provocation and no reason," Bible said. "We view this as a challenge to free speech."
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jesse-hagopian-seattle-police-pepper-spray
zebonaut
(3,688 posts)because otherwise they'd be a few inches closer
OilBurnerBob
(14 posts)That bitch is crazy!
FailureToCommunicate
(13,988 posts)to take a long leave from the Force.
Johnny Rash
(227 posts)But since you will probably climb all over my face for mentioning the obvious fact here, I will just let everybody use their own imagination.
The Video clip pretty much speaks for itself, anyway!
wolfie001
(2,131 posts)Someone acting like this should not be a police officer.
shawn703
(2,702 posts)No sense of right and wrong amongst them.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)They don't react at all as the female officer is literally having a meltdown. It's not obvious what provoked her other than people casually walking across the street. She needs some counseling and a desk job as dealing with the public is too stressful for her.
And is that bear spray? It's got so much range and so much liquid coming out, she could have sprayed the whole block if she wanted to.
F4lconF16
(3,747 posts)The other officers next to her said nothing as she incited panic in protestors. We were sprinting to the sidewalk, trying to get past her, and the whole situation was being escalated needlessly. Yet none of them made any attempt to restrain her, verbally or otherwise.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)There were a few people who got it very badly in that video. They should join together for a class action suit. And all the officers there should be named. The woman spraying is obviously incompetent and dangerous, but her partners are just as bad.
F4lconF16
(3,747 posts)Just a bit of the mist hit the side of my face. If the wind was going the other way, it would have been a lot worse. A couple people next to me got nailed.
The officers definitely need to be named. They shouldn't even be allowed to be on duty without a prominent name badge.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)Class actions are very strong in producing pressure on officials to change. You are also an eye witness. Glad you weren't hurt. That spray looks like it could blind someone if it hit them straight on.
Taitertots
(7,745 posts)We really haven't gone that far have we?
dsteve01
(312 posts)It looks like she's obviously using force, but she won't have to paperwork on it because it's not deadly force. It's absolutely offensive that they employee these stark raving dogs to 'police'. Also, where is the leadership to keep this lady professional? It's obvious she's instigating a fight here rather then maintaining the peace.
packman
(16,296 posts)BUT-she sure is small in stature to be a cop. I do believe she would be feeling intimidated by almost anyone around her, including her fellow officers.