The Video Tapes on You Tube Filming the Incident in Anaheim Involving an Off-Duty LAPD Officer and a 13 Year Old Child/Teenager, Makes Both the Anaheim Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department Look Very, Very Bad! By Barry Levinson
https://youtu.be/CTabRBFG5fM
First, we did not witness the beginning of this incident. What we did see raises grave questions as to the objectivity of the Anaheim Police Department, both the officers on the scene and the police chief who has stated that he will not be bringing charges against the off-duty LAPD officer.
First I saw nothing on those tapes that justified the officer pulling out his service revolver yet alone discharging it in the direction of the crowd.
Second, I did not see anything that warranted him from grabbing and continuing to hold a 13 year-old against his will.
Third, based on the overall behavior of the officer I believe the 13 year-old who said he was going to sue the officer not shoot the officer. Police are trained to deflect responsibility for their actions by claiming their lives were in danger. Yet I saw no gun other then the one the officer pulled out of his pants. I saw no weapon, i.e. knife, baseball bat, etc. except the lethal weapon of the off-duty officer.
Fourth, the very disparate treatment of the kids vs. the officer by the Anaheim Police Officers on the scene was extremely disturbing. Immediately, The AP handcuffed and had the 13 year-old laying on the ground. At the same time a group of 6 to 8 other kids were sat down on the curb with an AP Officer watching over them. What did the AP do concerning the off-duty police officer. At first they had him put his hands behind his back. But a few seconds later an AP officer and the adult suspect were walking side by side and then talking like associates not a detained suspect. This disparate treatment showed to me the built in bias of the Anaheim officers at the scene.
Fifth, that after the APD had the opportunity to view the video tapes and canvass witnesses that they arrested the 13 year-old and a 15 year old but did not see fit to arrest the off-duty LAPD officer was yet another piece of evidence showing a real bias in favor of the officer.
I am not here to state that the officer should be found guilty of a criminal assault, although the video certainly seemed to support that conclusion. Instead I am here that based on everything the public knows to arrest two of the teenagers and not the officer is indeed a miscarriage of justice way before we know whether the OC District Attorney will follow through on those arrests with filing of charges against the two teenagers.
P.S. Two of my biggest heroes are my late dad and his older brother, both NYC Police Officers. I know they were great officers who always had the best interests of the public first. I only have problems with bad officers who abuse the badge and the people they swore to serve and protect.
#1 by Anonymous on March 4, 2017 - 9:11 pm
Joe, you are right on the money. Sad but true the guy will walk. We all know how the story goes. These cops need to be treated like they treat us. At least this SOB moved out of the house and will probably be in fear for his life for some time. Paybacks a bitch.