Police Brutality?

I am reminded of the story about the guy from California driving through the south, and while passing through one town he did the California roll at a stop sign. When the local sheriff pulled him over and asked if he knew that he ran the stop sign he responded that he did slow down. The officer proceeded to pull the guy from the car and began beating him about the head and shoulders with his billy club and asked "Do you want me to stop or just slow down?"



A common theme from the readers at Hullaballo, and summed up by digby.
" Police in the country are now allowed to torture speeders by the side of the highway in order to get them to comply. The only difference between this officer slugging the speeder in the stomach and putting 50,0000 volts of electricity in him is that the latter doesn't leave any marks. The intent, the pain and the goose-stepping authoritarian message are exactly the same."

The first time I viewed this I may have agreed. Then you really have to question what the gentleman in the SUV was thinking, he certainly was an ass from the initial encounter. He did not follow the officers orders and quite frankly the fact that he walked beyond the officers control with his hand in his pocket and then tried to return to his vehicle was enough to warrant the officers response. Sorry, I don't have much sympathy for people stuck on stupid. I do have sympathy and admiration for those that put thier life on the line dealing with the dregs of society while pulling down 40K a year.

It sucks getting a ticket, but take it from a person that used to get one every trip through Iowa and has had the experience of looking down the working end of an officer's 45 one dark night, if you keep your hands on the steering wheel and answer the officers questions respectfully, you will probably drive away with a warning instead of 50,ooo volts lighting up your day.