Normally I do not have a problem with the police. Normally I do not understand why anyone has a problem with the police.
Usually if someone “claims” the police are harassing them I assume it is because they, well…. deserve it.
I could never imagine an innocent person being harassed or abused by a police officer. (By innocent I mean no where near breaking the law).
For example, being young and in a small town, I drove to a dark place with a boy to do … stuff. When the police officer drove up, I expected to be harassed, I was in a car in the middle of no where. That’s “near breaking the law.” Lucky the cop just looked for beer or drugs, we had none, and he left.
But when a person is just well, walking down the street and the police officer attacks him, I just cannot believe that.
The root of my “I cannot believe the police will do harm” idea lays in the fact that I am a white middle class woman. Simply put, I am never a target for the police. My appearance is very normal and very “good.” My opinion of the police solely lies in my own luck of birth. (by luck I mean, I am lucky to be born white and middle class).
Anyways, what my point is, the police hurt someone senseless on one of our bike rides. I am going to attach the stories and you can decide for yourself.
Background, we had a group themed bike ride “Cops and Robbers.” I dressed as a cop, which I am no longer proud of. Approximately 204 people showed up and we rode around San Diego, one of our main destinations was the “Gaslamp” which is the touristy overpriced bar/restaurant scene in Downtown San Diego. This area is very crowded at 11 PM on a Friday night. As we were leaving the Gaslamp, a police officer ran across the street and pulled a bike rider off of his bike (as in threw him on the ground) and arrested him. The story is also that that officer took the person’s bike and slammed the trunk door onto it several times (as to purposely damage it).
For the record, I did not see what happened. As I rode past I saw the police officer carrying the bike and someone being handcuffed. I did hear people on the street say “Why did the cop do that? He wasn’t doing anything.” Even the drunken whores waiting to get into the club were in shock at what they saw.
As a group we decided to ride past the police for fear that we would also be a target for abuse.
The person abused by the police:
Date: 1/14/2007
i was arrested last night… soon after my roommate jacob picked me up from work, we went home. we then went on a bike ride-we noticed about 200 bikers around downtown s.d.
eventually, we were in the gaslamp area. after i crossed a GREEN light intersection, a poice officer tackled and arrested me!
jacob was there with me when i was arrested. he saw it all!
he was riding behind me when i went thru the intersection, so he too saw a green light!
i guess the rookie police officer jumped the gun?
i had to spend the evening in a ‘drunk tank’ paddywagon-despite the fact that i was sober-from the time i was arrested (11.30 p.m.) until 3 a.m.
i was sitting handcuffed in this wagon-with a tremendous need to urinate, mind you-for three hours, while we continued around the gaslamp to pick up other offenders…
i arrived at jail around 4 a.m.-and stayed there until 7.30 a.m.
jacob posted bail shortly after i arrived in jail, and i was out in 3-4 hours…
$5000 dollars bail was set-which jacob transferred from his account-this was the best way to do this-because if he had went to a bail bonds co.-they would have charged 10%-which would be $500 dollars out of our pockets!!!
so i got out VERY quickly-and i have to appear in court at the end of february-when the $5000 will be returned to jacob-and no further fees will follow.
i had only one charge-obstruction of police procedure, or however they word it…the way i see it-the police officer was obstructing my passage on that street. ironic that he could only charge me with the crime HE committed-regardless of his verbalised opinion of my demeanor as in his own words ‘a pretty nice guy’.
i have no worries about the outcome of my trial-i committed no crime! and did NOT resist arrest at all!
i just thought i should let you know what happened to me last night/this morning…
but i am fine now. just a little disgruntled, as i had never been in jail before.
A witness account:
As far as I know there was only one arrest, I believe the two photographs on this message are of it. I witnessed it personally and I am certain that the manner in which it was executed was unjust, inappropriate and downright dangerous for everyone. It went like this. There were three officers at the corner of fifth interviewing an unrelated individual when the group began to pass by. The officers turned and for a moment did nothing. Suddenly to my amazement the “biggest” cop yelled to one of the passers-by something to the effect of “You stop”, I am not certain of the words but the intent was clear. The young man pictured above was not aware that he was being targeted. I would testify to this under oath. He continued at unawares and the officer (disregarding his own safety) sprinted across traffic and tackled the young man football style. I was completely dismayed by his total lack of regard for another human. One or both of them could have been seriously hurt. I will make it very clear. This young man did not “do anything”. He was on the street the whole time. If there were people terrorizing the sidewalk It was unrelated to this. I hypothesize two things.
a) the bicyclist did not have a light on his bike, or a helmet on. Both of which are citable offenses. (note not wearing a helmet is not citable if you are over 18 in san diego)
b) the cyclist rode through a red light at the intersection, also a citable offense.
Does that justify the tackle. NO! It was wrong and brutal, if you had seen the look on the other two officers faces when he did this you would understand that they also were perplexed about this cops behavior. They were doing their duty to protect us themselves and the interests of the public in general and I commend them for that. They did not even become agressive towards the very verbal crowd I also commend them for that. However the gentleman with the heart of a rugby player should take his antics to the ring where he can fight people who consent to and enjoy being brutalized.
He does not deserve to represent authority and perform public service, This man is a bully, just think what he may have done in absense of a public audience.
—-
This unfortunately seems to parallel a few incidents that I and we have witnessed recently relating to bike rides around SD. Rogue cops taking matters into their own hands and acting out personal acts of aggression and machismo even to the disgust of their own partners and possibly the law. disgusting.
Some pictures:
-Ala
