No more flashlight beatings, only regular ones for LAPD.

Eduardo X · Post by **Eduardo X** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 6:03 pm

Aussie77 showed this one to me. Still has me laughing.
Flashlights are not to be used as weapons MUCH. Just in emergencies and really extrordinary beatings.

Fretmute · Post by **Fretmute** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 6:42 pm

The city's police commission unveiled a plan Tuesday aimed at discouraging officers from using flashlights as weapons, except in emergencies.

I'd like to think that an officer shouldn't strike anyone with anything unless he's in a situation that could be called an emergency.

Around here, the police are armed with 3 foot extendable steel beatsticks, so flashlight beatings have been sparse anyway.

Biyobi · Post by **Biyobi** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 8:40 pm

I read the article and was wondering if the flashlights were that much more damaging than their nightsticks. Is it the weight?

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 8:51 pm

Biyobi wrote:I read the article and was wondering if the flashlights were that much more damaging than their nightsticks. Is it the weight?

I have a flahslight that holds six "D" cell batteries. I would take that ANY DAY over a nightstick. Not only does it weigh more, but I believe it's longer. Plus you have the ability to carry it on your shoulder, blind someone with it, then swing it around and clock them (bouncer trick).

What are nightsticks good for? Beatings and sodomy. Whoopie doo.

Also, I am looking forward to seeing the memo that was circulated to these officers. I bet it's fantastic reading.

Eduardo X · Post by **Eduardo X** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 8:55 pm

"Dearest officers,
Your allowed beatings have gone a little over the line. Please only beat suspects with nightsticks and fists from now on. Use your flashlights to savage suspects only in extreme cases.
Thank you, Chief of Police, LAPD."

Mr. Fed · Post by **Mr. Fed** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 9:13 pm

I've never read such utterly stomach-twisting, chilling shit as when I reviewed materials on the Rampart investigation.

GuidoTKP · Post by **GuidoTKP** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 9:32 pm

Mr. Fed wrote:I've never read such utterly stomach-twisting, chilling shit as when I reviewed materials on the Rampart investigation.

In the end it was worth it though. Rampart was the inspiration for The Shield, and that show rocks ....

Eduardo X · Post by **Eduardo X** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 11:46 pm

Mr. Fed wrote:I've never read such utterly stomach-twisting, chilling shit as when I reviewed materials on the Rampart investigation.

I feel the same way.
My god, that is some frightening stuff.
The thing that stuck out the most for me was the man the officers handcuffed, forced to kneel, and then shot in the back of the head. It sounded like something out of Nazi Germany, even if that qualifies me for Goodwin's law.

Eightball · Post by **Eightball** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:05 am

I also saw that "only in emergencies" quote. You really could call ANYTHING an emergency, so....in other words, LAPD is doing nothing to curb flashlight beatings...

Eduardo X wrote: The thing that stuck out the most for me was the man the officers handcuffed, forced to kneel, and then shot in the back of the head. It sounded like something out of Nazi Germany, even if that qualifies me for Goodwin's law.

You can unfortunately find a nation we supported that was doing similar things in recent times.

CSL · Post by **CSL** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:41 am

Eightball wrote:I also saw that "only in emergencies" quote. You really could call ANYTHING an emergency, so....in other words, LAPD is doing nothing to curb flashlight beatings...

Eduardo X wrote: The thing that stuck out the most for me was the man the officers handcuffed, forced to kneel, and then shot in the back of the head. It sounded like something out of Nazi Germany, even if that qualifies me for Goodwin's law.
You can unfortunately find a nation we supported that was doing similar things in recent times.

Much more recently, continuing today America is still allied to Saudi Arabia who still decapitate criminals, cut off hands for theft and give lashes to men who drink alcohol. Too bad an eye for an eye is still in fashion some places, even worse that we would call them allies.

Mr. Fed · Post by **Mr. Fed** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:44 am

I think the worst of the materials I reviewed on Rampart was a cooperator description of a suicide. A team of the Rampart guys got a call of a guy who was threatening to shoot himself in his house. The team got there, talked to him a bit through the screen door, determined that they knew him and disliked him from the neighborhood, and then proceeded to taunt him and egg him on until he shot himself.

noxiousdog · Post by **noxiousdog** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 11:00 am

Remind me again why Abu Graib was a surprise?

Eduardo X · Post by **Eduardo X** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 12:20 pm

noxiousdog wrote:Remind me again why Abu Graib was a surprise?

Well, the only thing surprising to me about it was that it made the news.

But this thread got all serious! All horrible things aside, isn't that article read like something out of the Onion?