Originally Posted By: expat
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
I just don't think the young man deserves any money because he shares in the blame for what happened so why let him benefit from it.
Again, it is not the job of the cops to be a judge, jury etc.
The cop did not know 'at the time' exactly what the kid had or his motives.
He was a suspect and it was his duty to apprehend him. With the least amount of force necessary.
The kid had surrendered to the authorities, and should have expected reasonable treatment, when he did so.
The kicking does not go hand in hand with the crime that he may (at the time it was un-proven) have committed or as an acceptable result for running from the police before he surrenders.
1 - For about the millionth time no one is defending the Officer or saying what he did was right. These continued comments from you and others about him "not being judge and jury" or the continued attempt to repeat the obvious about what the Officer did being wrong seem to imply I somehow defend his actions. LISTEN CAREFULLY...the Officer was WRONG and he should NOT have stomped the young man. I do not dispute that at all and have not at any point in the thread. You don't have to tell me the Officer was wrong. I AGREE with you.
2 - The young man was not a "suspect" at any time in the entire thing. Not pre assault and not when it happened. Prior to the assault the Officer approached him to ask a question about a crime he may have known something about. He was approached as a witness, or maybe an informant, not a person of interest or a "suspect" in that crime. Once he ran at the Officer's approach, and failed to stop when told to, he became a criminal. He was never a suspect. He went from witness to criminal and completely bypassed "suspect".
Originally Posted By: ABC15News
The incident, in late December of last year, began when McGowan stopped D’Labik, who was walking near 38th Street and McDowell Rd. McGowan wanted to ask D’Labik if he had any information about a homicide suspect. D’Labik, who feared the officer would discover the marijuana in his pocket, ran.
3 - I realize the Officer didn't know he had drugs on him initially. I didn't say he did. I have said right along that the Officer kicked him as payback for running. The drugs were discovered later. However, they were why the young man ran from the Officer when he was approached. I bring up the drugs in my posts simply to point out why he ran( it is important to me to point out he was running because HE was guilty of something even if the Officer didn't know it and not because he was threatened or anything ) and that it was yet another bad choice, and criminal act, he committed that day that he needs to pay for.
4 - you refer to the drug possession as the crime and the running as just running. I don't get that? Running from the Police is a crime. He was chased because he ran and ultimately he was stomped for running. The illegal drugs were only discovered once he was in custody. The illegal drugs only come into play as far as the charges the young man should face. They do not play into the stomping at all. If it seemed I was saying they did then that is my mistake for poor wording. Again, they only apply to the charges he should face and also they do relate a bit though because they are why he ran to begin with.