Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Put Your Hands On The Police During Their Lawful Duties, And You May Just Catch A Right Hook

Kudos to the APD officer!

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

What bothers me is that most of the people in that restaraunt just stood there...Back in the day citizens got involved, someone resisted the Police everyone took action. Our nation has become a bunch of P^$$%'s everyone is sue crazy whatever happened to standing up for what is right and just? Remember folks the Liberal and Democratic way is, Lets make the people depend on the gov't well Dekalb you got it....a bunch of corrupt people in office, people who hate the police, the majority of your people on welfare/EBT, Dekalb County wake up!! If you work for Dekalb get out while you still can, and quit being the butt of the metro Atlanta area's jokes.

Anonymous said...

"Police brutality," really? Never mind the fact that she punched him. Never mind the fact that she obstructed him in his duties. Good for the Officer. I'd do the same thing if I was in that incident.

Anonymous said...

I guess she should of never obstruted the officer from performing his duties. Good job by the APD officer.

Anonymous said...

Looks like somebody needs to lay off the cheeseburgers and fries.

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAHAHAHA listen to that moron filming..."dude shut up I'm getting this on camera...police brutality..." Maybe it wouldn't have gotten to that point if the woman didn't try to strike out at the APD officers for trying to remove her from the place. I guess people just like doing things the hard way.

Anonymous said...

Well, first of all, say what you want to, that woman certainly had her hand on the officer's arm/shoulder, but the officer's response to that looked a little over the top when he struck her in the head first. No doubt he had the PC to arrest her, but to strike her in the head with a punch? I dunno about that! Secondly, you gotta give it to her; she was game for the fight and came right back didn't she??? Somebody sign her up for a foot patrol on Stewart Ave.....

Anonymous said...

She's lucky he missed! Go old school police work. You put your hands on us, and you take a chance.
Good for him1

Anonymous said...

She did not "have her hands on the officer". She was pushing the officer away from her friend. That's felony obstruction. His arm closest to the violent female is being pushed by her. So he used his free arm to push her away in the face. Then she hit him like 4 times before he hit her in the head, then she continued to fight and resist. Anon 12:44pm, you need to get your eyes checked and a reality check. She hit him twice as much as he hit her. She was man enough to dish it out she was man enough to take it. Don't write checks your ass can't cash.

Anonymous said...

A woman perp is just another perp until she is in the custody of a jail matron.

Anonymous said...

Geez...what trailer trash. Where is this restaurant? As for the Officer...I'm with him...you DO NOT touch an officer in uniform while he/she is trying to do their job. Thanks to the idiot who filmed this (police brutality my rearend)...they'll use it for the Officer's defense. I do agree with one statement - that officer needs to lose some weight...

Anonymous said...

Why do the most liberal areas (DeKalb and Atlanta) has the highest crime rate?

There was a time, if you just touched us, you were enroute to Grady. Ah, the good old days...

Anonymous said...

Go read the liberal AJC article. Its totally one sided and makes it seem like the women were enjoying their afternoon tea and having a civilized conversation.
In fact they were asked to leave by police for cursing, yelling, and being drunk. They claim they had no idea they men were police officer...despite the full APD uniform, badge, etc.
The women refused to leave, at which point a crime has been committed (criminal tresspass). The officer told them they were under arrest, they refused to submit. Then it gets physical.

GA law states an officer can use physical force to make an arrest. If you swing at an officer that officer is legally allows to use force not only to defend himself but also to force a person to submit to an arrest.
Using pepper spray would have been a poor choice in a crowded room.
Bottom line is a couple of loud mouth curing drunks got locked up. Big deal.

Murtadhy Abdul-Shakur Handal said...

The way it looks to me, she got what she deserved!!

Anonymous said...

I like the end... after the punch to the face she was told to roll over she did so and placed her hand behind her back. I think training should use this it gets results

Anonymous said...

That chick who was interviewed at teh end of the AJC clip? The reporter forgot to tell her that she can't qualify for an Academy Award from an appearance in a local tv story. Guess you'll have to save that routine for your boss and your boyfriend honey. (But don't try it with your boss if your boss is a chick - because us chicks can see right through that bs). In other words, don't plan on testifying in court because you just aren't a very credible witness.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:54 - Which "good old days" are you referring to? The good old days when local police hunted down slaves for plantation owners. The good old days when factory owners had law enforcement make sure their workers stayed in line. The good old days when cops could beat down or even kill members of groups in society who didn't have thier civil rights.

Alas, you are probably just referring to when cameras were less prevelent and you could more easily get away with the occasional beatdown when were having a bad day or some "civilian" didn't bow immidiately to your authority.

Do you also lament the good old days of the Nazi SS and the Russian Secret Police. Yep, you didn't mess with them or you got the serious treatment. Role models indeed.

Relax, I'm sure APD OPS will sweep this under the carpet like they always do once the media attention goes away.

dpgroupie said...

1:44 am: I'm a citizen. You're an idiot. It's clear you have some sort of grudge - your emotions are obscuring your common sense, unless you didn't have any to begin with. If that's the case, to you I say "Bless your heart".
(Count your blessings - I'm not EVEN going to go at you on the (lack of) intelligence in your argument.)

Anonymous said...

I love how the AJC portrays these women as "victims" saying they didn't know he was an officer. Unless their beer goggles were really off, he was dressed in uniform. I've only watched a few clips because I'm sure only part of the ordeal was on camera. Did anyone catch the part where she was yelling and asked to leave??? People hate cops plain and simple. Follow the law and there won't be any trouble. I know this and I'm not even a cop.

Anonymous said...

Based on this story and the news footage of this event, I have comments and a few questions:

DeKalb used to be the 2nd weathiest county in the eastern half of the United States. It was a wonderful place to grow up and live. There were always jobs here and the schools were great. Crime always existed but we had the most highly motivated, best equiped, best trained, and most effective police department in the eastern half of the United States. If you were a DeKalb County Police Officer then you were not your run of the mill cop. You were special. You knew it and the public knew it. You had a career and you were a professional. There were always drunks raising hell in restaurants and the police were called to handle it. Its been going on for decades.
What has changed between now and then is folks are more likely to assault a police officer and smart enough to have others there who will videotape you doing your job; And, since they also dislike the police, or any other form of authority, will tape it in such a way as to use it against you. The news media, who used to be objective in thier reporting, now act like bloodthirsty wolves in search of a story to "expose" any possibly perceived wrongdoing by law enforcement. You can thank the likes of Don Frank, and other crooked officers who were shown special treatment by elected officials for years for most of this. You can also thank crooked elected officials who fostered this environment of distrust to weaken law enforcement so they could pursue thier own criminal enterprises. Think of vernon jones when you consider this. Why else would he pick a fool like TeBo to be the Chief of Police here. Along that same vein, who would elect someone like vernon jones to be the top elected official in the county? Who would elect incompetent, alcoholic Magistrate Judge's? Who would intenionally inject the criminal element into a our police department, and when exposed, keep it there, and then promote the criminals to postions of authority? Who would intentionally foster an element of criminal activity in our neighborhoods making the streets less safe and our children public victims of murder and hayhem on the nightly news? Who would do such a thing and why? Surely they understand it is thier homes being broken into and thier children becoming victims and thier older relatives who live in fear and cant leave thier homes because its too dangerous to go outside. Surely they understand that it is thier jobs that have fled Dekalb in droves due to uncontrolable armed robberies and burglaries. Surely they understand that it is thier taxes on the rise and thier public services being cut due to budget shortfalls. Surely they see thier sons and daughters trying to become public servants as firemen only to see even that vital thing ruined and given away to others after paying huge sums for training.
Ask yourself who "they" are. "They" are the voters of DeKalb who have intentionally allowed this to happen. For, without thier vote, none of this would have. "They" were duped into believing that the likes of vernon jones and and our current CEO were the answer. Until the voters of this county decide "they" do not want to live in a war zone then things will continue the same and get much worse.

My final question:

How do you take the 2nd wealthiest county in the eastern half of the United States with the absolute best police department, best quality of life, most convienient resturants and other services, best parks, best roads, best trash pickup system, best schools and teachers, even the best dog pound, and most up to date infrastructure and, in a short span of about 25 years, turn it into what DeKalb has become today? Explain this to me some one will you...... IF you have the guts to do it.

Sgt Friendly(Ret)

Anonymous said...

Thank youAnon April 29, 2011 for your gracious comment. I wish all citizens were as respectful and cooperative as you.

A DeKalb Officer

Exceptional Radio said...

Normally, we are the first to get in APD's asses when they fuck up but this time, there is no case. It seemed that some unruly patrons felt they could just ignore the officer's request and thought because they were women, they could do what they wanted. Even the gentleman who filmed the ordeal defended the officers actions. Ms. Lovell, the woman in the black dress, had no business getting involved. She wasn't even an acquaintance of the other women. Yeah, the officer does need to lose a little weight.

I remember when folks were outraged when DKPD were shooting criminals who refused to comply with others and felt the need to point weapons at the police. Let the police do their jobs and get the criminals off the streets. Stop coddling these thugs and making excuses for them.

APD had it right this time. You were asked to leave, you refused, got violent and then got arrested. If you felt violated, a mature person would have got the badge number of the officer, name of the general manager and manager on duty at the restaurant and took it up with upper brass and upper management of the establishment.

Stop calling this our "Seattle".

Anonymous said...

Looks like the APD is going to try and intimidate these women into not bringing a civil action by elevating their criminal charges.

So very typical.

Does anyone recall what the former commanding officer of APD OPS was terminated for recently?

biga$$bada$$ said...

@Anonymous 1:44 You know full well what "good old days" he was referring to, are you really that ignorant? Naw, you're just a trouble maker trying to pull that race card sheeot. He's talking about the "good old days" when you got you ass beat if you swung at a cop, regardless if someone had a camera or not. I worked through those good old days and I NEVER saw anybody brutalized or get an ass whipping that didn't deserve it. Today's society has created liberal, race-crutch, blame it on sone else pu$$ie$ like you!

Anonymous said...

To Anon 638 p.m. You rock sister now lets roll!

Anonymous said...

To Sgt. Friendly at 10:02 on 4/29..
I refer you to the comments from ANONs at 1:41 on the 27th, 6:38 on the 29th and 7:17 on 4/30... If these comments are any indication of the mindset of officers at DKPD today, then you know how the PD has become what it appears to be based on this blog. It appears from your comments that you either lived or worked (probably both), in DeKalb County during the 70s and 80s.I did too. I also know that we were more professional that what is portrayed by some of the folks on this blog. Yes, there were occasions when folks went to Grady back then, but we never relished the incident like some here have done and we certainly did not call each other names like some do here. I read this blog to try to stay current with what is going on at DKPD. Sometimes I am embarrassed by the postings I read. I wish the blogmaster would incorporate some rules about language on the blog so that those who cannot communicate without resorting to name-calling and profanity don't show the world what DKPD has become.

Anonymous said...

To Anon 5:12 PM May 1,

You are very perceptive! I did in fact grow up in DeKalb and my memories of that give a true persepective on how bad things really are there now.

I will give you a few more hints as to this perspective:

1. I am old enough to remember going shopping at Moreland Plaza when it was new!

2. I am old enough to remember going to the Starlight Drive-in when I was a boy and remember looking over the rail at the old cemetery and seeing a DeKalb Police Sgt checking another officer's paperwork!

3. I am old enough to remember real 1960's type hippies getting "spanked" em masse and hauled off to the jail in the rear parking lot of Belevedere Shopping Center while I watched from the back lot of the Lionel Leisure City. I knew I wanted to be a DeKalb County Police Officer right then and there!

4. I am old enough to vividly remember a very bad plane crash at Moreland Ave & I-285, and where they took the remenants of the plane - where we used to eat before it caught fire and burned years before.

5. I remember target practice with handguns of various types in the field in front of the large carving on Stone Mountain and then a lunch of KFC on the rocks!

6. I remember a black bear in a cage on the side of Moreland Ave in front of a BBQ place!

7. I remember fishing at nearly ALL of the small ponds and lakes in south DeKalb and all you had to do as ask permission from the owner to be able too!

8. I remember my father being pulled over by DeKalb Police on Glenwood Ave, and turning around and seeing a young Bobby Burgess in the front seat of the police car!

And finally -

9. I rememeber being pulled over by a Dekalb County Police Officer who told me that I should consider a career with DKPD because, as he put it, "I would rather you join us than for me to keep chasing you and loosing you - we need you on OUR team". A quote from CCY badge #465 that literally saved my life and pointed me in the right direction. <-----Gather from this that, back then, Dekalb Officers were the BEST recruiters. These types of officers are long gone now and are one of the many reasons the department has gone downhill.

Still no one answers my question....

Anonymous said...

But, Sgt. Friendly, you have seen the changes in the demographics of the county and have asked a question that you know the answer to already. The demographics changed!!! Draw what conclusions you must from that change. The fact is that in the days that you recall, DeKalb was upper middle class (hence the wealthiest county)and predominately white. As that demographic changed, so did the crime rate (up) and the quality of life (down). The politicians also changed; from the Bob Guhls' to the Vernon Jones'. Along with that change came agendas not based on the best needs of the county. Jones and others had an agenda and pursued it quite agressively. But he was not alone, and it started before him in a wave that started on the south side of the county and went northward. As each agenda was pursued, demographics changed more and more and the problem self perpetuated until we find the situaton as it stands today.
You are right, I am very perceptive. And I have seen what you have seen. Demographics have changed! Draw what conclusions you must from that change

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:12, why don't you be a little more specific because I read all of those posts you complained about and they are 100% true. What's your problem? She attacked an officer and got hit twice and put in cuffs? Was the officer supposed to stand there and let her beat on him and just beg and plead, "Stop ma'am, stop ma'am." Or maybe he should have just prayed for her to stop. You've got so much to say about the officer's response and the way officers here have responded to that response, but nothing about the drunk girl's attack on the officer. You were never a cop, that much is obvious.

Anonymous said...

There was no "relishing" going on. Don't use words you don't understand. When you try to sound more intelligent than you are, you end up sounding even more stupid than you are.

The officers posting on here were "justifying" the use of force. If they were "relishing" they would have been saying "Yay! We got to beat up someone." No one said anything like that. Everyone here defending the APD officers simply pointed out the actions taken against the female were justified and deserved.

Like I said, stick to words you know! You won't embarass yourself as much!

Anonymous said...

To Anon 11:55 AM:

You wrote:


Draw what conclusions you must from that change. The fact is that in the days that you recall, DeKalb was upper middle class (hence the wealthiest county)and predominately white. As that demographic changed, so did the crime rate (up) and the quality of life (down). The politicians also changed; from the Bob Guhls' to the Vernon Jones'. Along with that change came agendas not based on the best needs of the county. Jones and others had an agenda and pursued it quite agressively.

I am well aware of the demographics of the county changing over the years. However, when the demographics change, should the quality of life go down and the crime rate go up as an automatic response? Your not talking about some subdivision or neighborhood where the young people moved in, had children and they grew up and left and now you have a neighborhood of older residents who are dying off and leaving a neighborhood in decline. Your talking about an entire county. Are you implying that DeKalb died and has been reborn into this monster? Or, are you saying that hoodlums moved in and took over and elected other hoodlums to run the place for thier beneifit?
We both know that race has nothing to do with wealth and nothing to do with crime. It is the mindset of the voters. What voters would willingly and knowingly elect someone who had an adgenda that wasnt in the best interests of the county? A simple demographic change response isnt enough of an answer to my quesiton and we both know it. As you turn onto what used to be Memorial Drive (now cynthia mckinney road or whatever it is called), notice the vacant businesses. Thats not just some "urban blight" that caused this. Not too many years ago this was a thriving retail area that went on for miles and provided thousands of jobs.
Based on my observations for the last 50 years or so, what happened to DeKalb appears more of a social experiment gone horribly wrong and it is we little pawns who are still paying the price for this. I am curious who's grand scheme, and vision of utopia this was and where they got the idea.

Also, your intelligent responses are a refreshing break from the usual banter on this site. I feel that until meaningful, openminded discussion is held about what happend to Dekalb we are all just wasting our time.

More intelligent and thoughtful responses to my question are very welcome.

Sgt Friendly

Anonymous said...

To Anon @ 1203 on the 3rd...
I have made 2 observations about the incident. I first stated that I felt his response was little over the top. I never said he was wrong in arresting her, or that he should not have arrested her; I never said that. In fact I said he certainly had the PC to arrest her but I felt his response was "a bit over the top". What happened to the Use of Force Continuum? I presume he gave verbal commands but given the circumstances, I don't really care if he skipped them altogether to go to soft hand compliance techniques, but he skipped that too, along with other compliance techniques and went straight to what appears to be the first punch thrown... Now there may be something I am missing, but why did he not attempt to use the compliance techniques he was taught to subdue and remove her? That was my first observation. The second point I made was about the way some people communicate on this blog, particularly the name callers and those who spout vulgarity and profanity. I have no problem with the opinions expressed, just the manner of communication by some. Look back at the posts I pointed out to Sgt. Friendly. One post refers to someone as a dummy twice. Another post calls someone an idiot, then there is my favorite, the one from a female office who says she would have beat her "F"ing ass. I can only hope they don't present themselves the same in person as they do on this blog. As for your allegation that the officer was attacked, well I will review the clip again, but what I saw was the woman pushing the officer away from her friend (hence the PC to arrest). I did not see her strike him before he threw the first punch so there wasn't a serious threat in my view. I just think his first srike was a little over the top. And I reviewed that video with my current Chief, Capt and a felllow Lt, all of whom agreed with me. I guess we shall wait for the outcome of the investigation by APD to see what the rest of the story is and the outcome. As I learned early in my career, there is always at least 2 sides of every story. Oh, and yes, I spent 30 yrs at DKPD and am glad to be gone.

Anonymous said...

To Anon @ 1203 on the 3rd...
I have made 2 observations about the incident. I first stated that I felt his response was little over the top. I never said he was wrong in arresting her, or that he should not have arrested her; I never said that. In fact I said he certainly had the PC to arrest her but I felt his response was "a bit over the top". What happened to the Use of Force Continuum? I presume he gave verbal commands but given the circumstances, I don't really care if he skipped them altogether to go to soft hand compliance techniques, but he skipped that too, along with other compliance techniques and went straight to what appears to be the first punch thrown... Now there may be something I am missing, but why did he not attempt to use the compliance techniques he was taught to subdue and remove her? That was my first observation. The second point I made was about the way some people communicate on this blog, particularly the name callers and those who spout vulgarity and profanity. I have no problem with the opinions expressed, just the manner of communication by some. Look back at the posts I pointed out to Sgt. Friendly. One post refers to someone as a dummy twice. Another post calls someone an idiot, then there is my favorite, the one from a female office who says she would have beat her "F"ing ass. I can only hope they don't present themselves the same in person as they do on this blog. As for your allegation that the officer was attacked, well I will review the clip again, but what I saw was the woman pushing the officer away from her friend (hence the PC to arrest). I did not see her strike him before he threw the first punch so there wasn't a serious threat in my view. I just think his first srike was a little over the top. And I reviewed that video with my current Chief, Capt and a felllow Lt, all of whom agreed with me. I guess we shall wait for the outcome of the investigation by APD to see what the rest of the story is and the outcome. As I learned early in my career, there is always at least 2 sides of every story. Oh, and yes, I spent 30 yrs at DKPD and am glad to be gone.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:45, you're full of crap. You were never an officer. Saying you're an officer when you're not is an arrestable offense. Keep that in mind! If you had "30 years on the job" you wouldn't be telling us about how you showed it to your current chain of command. Perhaps we need to trace your ip address and see who is impersonating an officer!

She was shoving the officer, therefore, the officer was justified in pushing her in the face like he did. She attacked him with a flurry of punches, which justified him punching her in the face. You're wrong, you're not a cop, you never were, stop lying!

Anonymous said...

"As I learned early in my career, there is always at least 2 sides of every story"

^---Most likely Garrett or Farley :)

....Or numerous others hired and retained far ahead of thier ability to converse in the english language.

Anonymous said...

A wise man once said, "never argue with a fool. People looking on can't tell which is the fool and which is not."
I think he just thought better of continuing the conversation!

Anonymous said...

Anyone with a badge and half a brain could tell the "Lt" outraged by the video wasn't really a cop.

Anonymous said...

I am not sure I understand...

Are you saying that the reason that you don't believe he was a cop is because you have a badge and a half a brain?????

That would certainly explain a lot!!! Just remember, you said it...

I also don't recall any outrage voiced by him.

Anonymous said...

Let's see... According to you,
you know that he was not a cop since you have a gun and half a brain.

That certainly explains a lot!