Baton-wielding "bitch"-shouter removed from duty at any more protests....

[moriah]

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/27/codepink-optomist-after-release-jail/

Around noon Tuesday, an officer allegedly forced Forrest to the ground with a baton and later pulled her away from interviews with reporters.

The Rocky Mountain News captured the exchange on video.

CodePink said in the statement that the officer has since been pulled from the protest lines and can no longer interact with demonstrators.

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Very happy to hear that.

Cops are people too. I am very well aware of this. They are people who are given very great power in our nation -- and they need that power to protect themselves and the rest of us. With that power, however, they were also given a responsibility and a duty to control themselves and not let their emotions get in the way of their judgment. If they can't keep their emotions in check under pressure, they're not suited for the job.

Knocking a protester to the ground while calling her a "bitch" was an obvious demonstration that the officer involved was not able to keep his emotions under control.

There is no such charge as "contempt of cop" -- taunting a police officer, while not a very intelligent thing to do, is not illegal. Police officers are supposed to be trained to not lose control when they are being taunted. And his demeanor and language, not just his actions, show that he was not in control of himself.

Glad that Denver PD has acknowledged this and is no longer having him work in such a stressful assignment.