SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Latest Incidents Show Police Brutality Persists Despite Elevated Awareness
'This is clearly excessive force,' public defender says of police beating in San Francisco
Nov 17, 2015
Separate incidents in two U.S. cities over recent days reveal that tensions remain elevated over police brutality and use of excessive force in the United States.
Captured last week on tape, the beating of a man in San Francisco has been likened to the infamous assault on Rodney King by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1991. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the video shows two still-unidentified Alameda County sheriff's deputies knocking 29-year-old Stanislav Petrov to the ground before "punching him and clubbing him with their batons, even after he appeared to surrender with his hands on his head."
"The surveillance video footage is disgusting and reminds me of Rodney King," Alameda County Public Defender Brandon Woods said in a statement. "Those deputies viciously attacked a man who appeared to be surrendering. They beat him with their batons even though he was not resisting. This is clearly excessive force."
Woods told KQED that Petrov had suffered multiple cuts to the back of his head and that his arms were "crushed."
The two deputies are reportedly facing an internal investigation. The department is also seeking additional video of the incident. Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly confirmed to KQED that Alameda County sheriff's deputies are equipped with body cameras, "but he was unsure if the arrest was recorded by the devices. The department's policy does not require deputies to turn them on."
"I guess you'd call it discretionary on behalf of the officer," he said, "discretionary but highly encouraged."
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, protests continued into Monday evening over the early Sunday police shooting of 24-year-old Jamar Clark, who reportedly has been taken off life-support.
After gathering in front of the police department's Fourth Precinct headquarters and the block where Clark was shot, protesters shut down a highway demanding justice and answers. Activists have said Clark, who is black, was unarmed and handcuffed when shot, and they want any possible footage of the incident to be released as well as the names of the officers involved.
Police have refuted the claim that Clark was handcuffed when the shooting took place, while refusing to release any footage that might exist or release the name of the officers.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports:
By 6:45 p.m. Monday, about 100 protesters had moved across Interstate 94 south of Broadway, where they linked arms and blocked traffic lanes for more than two hours before State Patrol officers moved in and arrested 43 adults and eight juveniles.
According to the Star-Tribune, "Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds could be seen kneeling on the road, hands up and willing to be the first to be arrested."
On Tuesday, Levy-Pounds posted on Facebook after she was let out of jail, explaining that forcing arrests was not part of their plan originally: "We did it for Jamar and all of those whose lives have been senselessly lost to police violence. The time for justice is now. The time for freedom is now. The time for equality is now."
On Monday, Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and Police Chief Janee Harteau said that a federal investigation would be completed alongside a separate investigation by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Separate incidents in two U.S. cities over recent days reveal that tensions remain elevated over police brutality and use of excessive force in the United States.
Captured last week on tape, the beating of a man in San Francisco has been likened to the infamous assault on Rodney King by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1991. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the video shows two still-unidentified Alameda County sheriff's deputies knocking 29-year-old Stanislav Petrov to the ground before "punching him and clubbing him with their batons, even after he appeared to surrender with his hands on his head."
"The surveillance video footage is disgusting and reminds me of Rodney King," Alameda County Public Defender Brandon Woods said in a statement. "Those deputies viciously attacked a man who appeared to be surrendering. They beat him with their batons even though he was not resisting. This is clearly excessive force."
Woods told KQED that Petrov had suffered multiple cuts to the back of his head and that his arms were "crushed."
The two deputies are reportedly facing an internal investigation. The department is also seeking additional video of the incident. Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly confirmed to KQED that Alameda County sheriff's deputies are equipped with body cameras, "but he was unsure if the arrest was recorded by the devices. The department's policy does not require deputies to turn them on."
"I guess you'd call it discretionary on behalf of the officer," he said, "discretionary but highly encouraged."
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, protests continued into Monday evening over the early Sunday police shooting of 24-year-old Jamar Clark, who reportedly has been taken off life-support.
After gathering in front of the police department's Fourth Precinct headquarters and the block where Clark was shot, protesters shut down a highway demanding justice and answers. Activists have said Clark, who is black, was unarmed and handcuffed when shot, and they want any possible footage of the incident to be released as well as the names of the officers involved.
Police have refuted the claim that Clark was handcuffed when the shooting took place, while refusing to release any footage that might exist or release the name of the officers.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports:
By 6:45 p.m. Monday, about 100 protesters had moved across Interstate 94 south of Broadway, where they linked arms and blocked traffic lanes for more than two hours before State Patrol officers moved in and arrested 43 adults and eight juveniles.
According to the Star-Tribune, "Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds could be seen kneeling on the road, hands up and willing to be the first to be arrested."
On Tuesday, Levy-Pounds posted on Facebook after she was let out of jail, explaining that forcing arrests was not part of their plan originally: "We did it for Jamar and all of those whose lives have been senselessly lost to police violence. The time for justice is now. The time for freedom is now. The time for equality is now."
On Monday, Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and Police Chief Janee Harteau said that a federal investigation would be completed alongside a separate investigation by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Separate incidents in two U.S. cities over recent days reveal that tensions remain elevated over police brutality and use of excessive force in the United States.
Captured last week on tape, the beating of a man in San Francisco has been likened to the infamous assault on Rodney King by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1991. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the video shows two still-unidentified Alameda County sheriff's deputies knocking 29-year-old Stanislav Petrov to the ground before "punching him and clubbing him with their batons, even after he appeared to surrender with his hands on his head."
"The surveillance video footage is disgusting and reminds me of Rodney King," Alameda County Public Defender Brandon Woods said in a statement. "Those deputies viciously attacked a man who appeared to be surrendering. They beat him with their batons even though he was not resisting. This is clearly excessive force."
Woods told KQED that Petrov had suffered multiple cuts to the back of his head and that his arms were "crushed."
The two deputies are reportedly facing an internal investigation. The department is also seeking additional video of the incident. Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly confirmed to KQED that Alameda County sheriff's deputies are equipped with body cameras, "but he was unsure if the arrest was recorded by the devices. The department's policy does not require deputies to turn them on."
"I guess you'd call it discretionary on behalf of the officer," he said, "discretionary but highly encouraged."
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, protests continued into Monday evening over the early Sunday police shooting of 24-year-old Jamar Clark, who reportedly has been taken off life-support.
After gathering in front of the police department's Fourth Precinct headquarters and the block where Clark was shot, protesters shut down a highway demanding justice and answers. Activists have said Clark, who is black, was unarmed and handcuffed when shot, and they want any possible footage of the incident to be released as well as the names of the officers involved.
Police have refuted the claim that Clark was handcuffed when the shooting took place, while refusing to release any footage that might exist or release the name of the officers.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports:
By 6:45 p.m. Monday, about 100 protesters had moved across Interstate 94 south of Broadway, where they linked arms and blocked traffic lanes for more than two hours before State Patrol officers moved in and arrested 43 adults and eight juveniles.
According to the Star-Tribune, "Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds could be seen kneeling on the road, hands up and willing to be the first to be arrested."
On Tuesday, Levy-Pounds posted on Facebook after she was let out of jail, explaining that forcing arrests was not part of their plan originally: "We did it for Jamar and all of those whose lives have been senselessly lost to police violence. The time for justice is now. The time for freedom is now. The time for equality is now."
On Monday, Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and Police Chief Janee Harteau said that a federal investigation would be completed alongside a separate investigation by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy