Video captures Jasper, Texas, police officers beating woman

[damnedifIknow]

A southeast Texas town with a history of racial unrest on Monday fired two white police officers recently captured on video slamming a black woman’s head into a countertop and wrestling her to the ground.

“The amount of force used was abominable,” the woman's attorney, Cade Bernsen, told Yahoo News.

She got her hair pulled out, broke a tooth, braces got knocked off … it was brutal,” Bernsen said.

There’s nothing she said that could have justified what they did,” Scott said. “They are supposed to be trained professionals. They are supposed to be above that. It was inexcusable.”

After terminating the officers on Monday, the council requested that the pair be investigated for possible criminal charges. Bernsen said he hopes that probe is done by the FBI or state police.

“I don’t trust the Police Department as far as you can throw them,” he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/video-captures-jasper-texas-police-officers-beating-woman-204501776.html

[burnodo]

1. I'm amazed they were fired

that doesn't usually happen

[SkyDaddy7]

20. EXACTLY!!

I guarantee you they get their jobs back on appeal which is usually what happens...They will be reinstated, resign from this job & be hired on in another county or agency.

COPS DO NO WRONG!!!

[marble falls]

2. Welcome to Texas.

[KansDem]

3. And if you try to protect yourself from such brutal attacks...

...you're "resisting a peace officer."

[sulphurdunn]

5. More likely your dead.

[Laelth]

4. I am astounded that this video ever became public.

I am glad it did. I note, however, that our recent spate of police violence is nothing new. The principal difference is that now we have widespread video. It's much easier to capture proof of the violence. I suspect it has always been there.

-Laelth

[grahampuba]

6. surprise, another fat power weasel on camera..

ya know what,
fuck cops. (<--- period)

when we turn our focus back to dark periods of our society, its commonly held that silence has equaled complicity and inaction has enabled the worst to function unimpeded under our noses.

Until the 'good apples' start stepping over that line and condemning excessive force, corruption, disregard for human life and liberty, they are the enablers and complicit in silence. a selectively worded press release from the mayor or captain that hedges responsibility and blame for incidents such as this and the other few hundred that make it on here yearly does not count. want respect, give respect.

[erpowers]

7. That Is Just Sad

I saw the video yesterday and thought it was terrible how the police treated the woman. I thought the city needed to bring criminal charges against those police. I was happy when I saw that the mayor and the city council had asked the local prosecutors to bring criminal charges against the officers.

[Dustlawyer]

8. I travel through there several times a year and know they have had many problems.

A few years ago the story was how the Sherrif's son or dad, can't remember, was being chased by Game Wardens for poaching Deer. The cops were listening to the Game Warden's radio chatter and telling the Sherrif's relative where they were and where to go to avoid capture. They thought it was so funny!

[mikeysnot]

9. Is everyone overweight in that town?

[asjr]

10. "possible criminal charges"--If they are not

buried under their own jail more than that is wrong.

[Diclotican]

11. damnedifIknow

damnedifIknow

The two police officers who did this, should be put om charges, thats for true - but also the woman, who was in the back -and who kept the door open so the officers could put her in the cell, should be put up on charges - and also possible be fired... She was not exactly doing much to at least, check if the woman in the cell was okay - you know - first aid of sorts..

Interesting also, that this was getting out - and on camera -usually they are smart enough to "cut" the cable before they do this things -but I guess the system was to tight to them to "cut" it.. Or they was not aware the camera was on - and making it all true...

I hope the two "gentlemen" here, will be prosecuted - and if possible, (more than) get a prison time - they looks like they would love to be in a prison for some time - they have the look to scare even gang-bangers already inside a prison..

Diclotican

[damnedifIknow]

18. They were fired

What needs to be done is prosecution. As long as cops get by with a slap on the wrist this kind of senseless act will continue. I'm happy to see this woman survived the beating when some are not as fortunate.

[Diclotican]

19. damnedifIknow

damnedifIknow

They got fired thats correct - but can just leave for another PD, and continue the misuse there. What is needed, is prosecution - and if found guilty, also a time behind bars.. The law should be the same, for the pauper and the king.. And in this case it looks like the officers was in the wrong... Good know what the woman who was beaten would experience of fear down the road, next time she would have to have something with the PD to do... Even if the officers was polite as glas, she would even then maybe be afraid of what they could do to her...

And again - the woman who was helping the officers - what the hell was she thinking - she should have reported it asap...

Diclotican

[Sunlei]

12. that the small town jail? wonder how long they left that woman handcuffed in a dark cell.

All Gov offices, Federal, State, including local police should be required to have 24/7 cameras on their PUBLIC websites.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

13. But they are not all bad. . .and they have such a hard job.

Let's start hearing badge sniffer arguments defending these two assholes.

[proReality]

17. Well, they aren't all bad and they do have hard jobs, but

the ones who have tremendous anger issues like these two need to be tried and imprisoned. These people, deep down, hate their jobs and believe everyone they come in contact with is a hardened criminal. They're a danger to society and should not be anywhere near a job with the kind of power a police officer has.

Cops need to be analyzed once a year, and if they start exhibiting any signs that their behavior will deteriorate to this point they need to be put on desk duty or fired, depending on how far gone they are. And they should be given intensive psychiatric care so they don't begin doing this to their own families, if they haven't already.

[Diclotican]

21. proReality

proReality

In many european country's it is national police academies - where the potential officers are screened as part of the training to become a officer - and in most cases people who have signs to be violent are washed out long before they can be a danger to the public.. Sometimes they might goes true the cracks and become police officers - but then the different Police departments have tools to either migrate the issue - like give him a mental check now and then - and maybe even put in into a counselor who can help with the anger management - or if nothing works - be put on leave - or fired.. As the standard to become a police officer is very high in most cases - most of the Police officers I have experienced in my life, have been rather polite and professional in their habits... (Norway do not even have guns as part of the uniform) But then I have always been polite around police officers so I guess it goes both ways... Even if you do not like the person in the uniform - respect the uniform...

But then, I have not experienced police officers in the US, so I guess have not to much knowledge about it all... But I do have been stopped by the local PD sometimes - mostly because I'm little over the speed limit - not much but a couple of km over the limit - but then it have often been on a slow sunday evening with little traffic.. And the national police academy have also a school nearby, so I guess many students is getting to know the ropes then

Diclotican

[Renew Deal]

14. She was arranging payment for a fine

These guys deserve to be fired, though I'm surprised they were.

[mountain grammy]

15. Surprised they were fired. Progress.

[Iggo]

16. Yay, Cops!

They're the best!