The Buck Stops with Nobody

1. Did this cop not carry a baton? Taser? Pepper spray? Any one of these can easily disarm a man with a small knife. Any cop that cant disarm a 50 yr old man with a 3 inch blade without killing him isn’t fit to be a cop. Different story, will be the same outcome. Cop will get a slap on the wrist, probably move to a different state & gun someone else down a few years down the road.

   Incidents like this make me want to get my concealed weapons permit so I can defend myself against the strong arm of the law

2. With all the other equipment they have: tasers, pepper spray, etc., they should be able to apply a lesser level of incapacitation to nonthreatening people like Mr. Williams. It seems like police training is to kill anyone who doesn’t obey orders, no matter what the reason or situation. I agree, the cop is a murderer and should be kicked off the force.

3. @Ken Mehlman:
   I don’t care if you came out, your still a total fucking douche, & a traitor!

4. “Ten feet away. A legal blade. A block of wood. A frail man.”

   Don’t forget failing to follow the order to drop said blade. Regardless of if it was of legal length, he was told to drop it repeatedly. Many people have said this is an “illegal” command, does that mean then that if you are told to exit your vehicle when pulled over you can say no?

5. @#37 – I will not try to justify the killing of this man. However, I too, have met Mr. Williams on many occasions, and he was anything but gentle and sweet. Not very long ago, he actually punched my shoulder and repeatedly called me “faggot” when I told him I didn’t have any money.

   I know from firsthand experience that he was very capable of making threats of violence toward others.

   That doesn’t excuse the cop’s actions. (I don’t believe that most cops should even be allowed to carry firearms.) It’s just dishonest for all of Seattle to be pretending as if this guy were some sort of gentle man completely incapable of appearing to be a threat.

6. I see people with knives in Seattle all the time. They are feet away from thousands of tourists. They sell fruit at Pike Place. Odds are they make minimum wage–unless they are the owner… They could be homeless, too. Are they at risk with SPD? Are the tourists in danger at the market from poor produce vendors sampling peaches? The native carver killed by SPD was a danger to his tourist client base? More so than intoxicated Seahawks or Mariners or Sounders fans after the stadium let’s out?

7. @52 and everyone else who thinks this is an assassination: Go read Graham v. Conner and Tennessee v. Garner. This is case law the cops get trained on in academies. The US Supreme Court has said that the police do not need to exhaust or use lesser options (batons, Tasers, or spray). And just because something is legal to possess doesn’t mean its not a weapon. A baseball bat is legal, but it can smash in someone’s head in single blow. It is awful that someone died here, mistakes were made, but I want to live in a society where someone walking down the street with a weapon in his hand is stopped and talked to by the police. i want a civil society.

8. 58 – so your idea of a “Civil Society” is one where a man can be deprived of his LIFE, with ZERO due process, for simply not hearing a command?
   My disdain for you and your kind of (non)thinkers knows no bounds. I hope you don’t have the gall to call yourself an American.

9. @DK 58 – to what lengths are you willing to go to guarantee your “civil society”? What rights and protections are you willing to give up?

   By your definition, all of us should be terrified of Little Leaguers (they do carry bats, you realize), and we should all expect to be accosted by the police when carrying anything that might possibly be construed as a weapon. Get a damn grip and stop letting fear rule your life.

10. “Get a damn grip and stop letting fear rule your life.”

    This statement applies to pretty much everyone on this thread.

11. “Many people have said this is an “illegal” command, does that mean then that if you are told to exit your vehicle when pulled over you can say no?”

    Yes, actually, you can. And there are certain circumstances, particularly if you’re a young woman being stopped in an isolated area by a single officer, where you should, at least until a second officer arrives. There’s such a thing as a ‘blue light bandit’, a person who impersonates a police officer to put themselves in a position of power over their victims, and there’s several cases of *actual* police officers taking advantage of traffic stops to assault, rape, and murder women. If you don’t feel safe, you stay in the car and you tell them exactly why. If the person stopping you is properly trained, and not a power-tripping asshole, they’ll follow procedure and call in backup.

12. @47: Nazi? Do you understand the theory of evolution and natural selection? This is not a statement of preference on my part. Natural selection simply states that the slow, weak, stupid, and inept will succumb to the fast, strong, cunning, and capable.

    Clearly this individual did not have the wherewithal to understand his situation (stupid), and did not act accordingly (inept). What exactly is so naziesque about this observation? I’m simply pointing out that it’s ridiculous to get up in arms when an individual that belongs to a minority gets fucked up by the cops without asking whether or not they could have handled themselves a little more sensibly while dealing with well armed individuals in a dangerous line of work that in some cases may even be suffering from PTSD or may simply be an asshole with a small dick. Where was all the outrage when the cops killed that drunk white guy in his car in a parking lot when all the witnesses said the officers weren’t in danger? Fucking nowhere, and that guy had a much stronger case for police brutality.

    And as for the legal blade, go to your kitchen and grab a paring knife and stab yourself, then come back and tell me if you wouldn’t be a little wary of a drunk guy that won’t put the fucking knife down.

13. What happened was a total tragedy, as both an actuality and a symbol for the deeper problems it represents. I saw John around pretty regularly – he never seemed capable of any harm, or at least no more than any other random person I pass on my walks. People running their mouths off about “crazy” homeless people acting “irresponsibly” or “brandishing knives” or whatever… please, don’t talk about a situation you clearly don’t know anything about. None of that information is true, so please don’t get your views and hopes set on it. (As if me asking you is actually going to do anything anyway, who am I kidding?)

    It’s also a tragedy, in some way, for the individual cop involved and what he represents in the situation. I don’t know anything about the guy, whether he’s an anger management case who turned to policing to get out his rage, or whether he’s just a nervous rookie who made the wrong decision in a snap second in light of the many recent cop killings. Either way – he clearly hadn’t been through enough training to handle himself in this situation. Who he is (nervous vs anger mgmt, etc) and why he pulled the trigger (two things I don’t know) could be the indicators of what sort of training he’s lacking. Is it sensitivity training? Is it more hands-on “real life” scenario training? Is it more effective training for alternative conflict resolutions? There should have been a test before he was handed a gun that showed that he could keep his cool and handle most situations relatively well, that he was sensitive, and that he indeed was ready for the solo car. Ultimately, he killed someone. He is responsible. But the blame can’t stop there, and we can’t accept the answer that he was simply a lone agent acting against protocol. That answer is too easy, and it defers too much of the blame.

    I hope that the citizens of Seattle (and the press – please, Stranger!) keep the city and SPD accountable for this. We can’t forget it happened, like we’ve forgotten so much they’ve sworn to investigate about their internal disfunction. We need to check up on them, we need to push them and remind them we care about honesty and reparations, we need to keep publishing articles in the months to come if they do not provide us with a game plan for better operations and then put them into real motion. It was a tragedy, but maybe it can be a launching pad for action, and that John’s untimely death can ignite some reform in the SPD.

14. This is part of the reason that made me, a native of Seattle, leave 15 years ago (and I am not talking about the cops). Back then, every person in town was trying to out-grunge each other. Now everybody is trying to out-hiptard each other. “I knew Johnny, man.” “Oh yeah, well I shared a bottle of MD 20/20 with Johnny in an alley off Pike.” I have tried to defend Seattle to my freinds from other parts, but the fact is we annoy the rest of the country.
    Don’t get me wrong, I agree with the person who said that the cop could have used a taser, pepper spray, etc. Let’s reflect a little though: if you walk down the street with a chunk of wood and a knife, you’re going to attract the attention of the police. Think the police are a bunch of trigger-happy thugs? Carve your wood somewhere better.

15. The shooting of John Williams was a senseless tragedy that should never have happened. However it sheds a light on a much bigger problem. The outcry for poor John Williams after he was shot is touching.

    However, were were all of you when he was so drunk and out of it that he would stand and point at a bird, a person, or the sidewalk and yell and swear at it? Where were you when he was walking around in clothes with feces running down the back of his legs? Where were you when he was walking the streets of Capitol Hill with no shoes or socks, unwashed? Where were you when he was dressed in a skirt going commando and flashing everyone? Where was your concern for Mr. WIlliams then?

    I dealt with John Williams on a daily basis, sometimes hourly. I was yelled at, sweared at, and physically threatened. I never was introduced to the sweet gentle soul that I keep hearing about. Mr. Williams was a man who needed help from the community. He was not making it on his own.

    His murder should be a catalyst for change on how the homeless and mentally unstable men and women are treated. Society needs to step up and fill the gaps that the government and city are unable or unwilling to fill. Your concern for one murdered homeless man is impressive but don’t sit in your comfy homes writing hate aimed at the SPD. Get involved and help those who are in need or keep your comments to yourself.

16. There have been a lot of abuses lately, and I’d venture to say that SPD culture is out of control. We need to fire them all and hire officers who are not ogres.

17. let’s start a beting pool now.

    1. odds that the officer will keep his job.

    2. odds that in theinevitable lawsuit, the plaintiff (heir of the decedent) will lose and the officer will win.

    3. odds that the judge will throw it out — did you know the law says an officer can violate the fourth amendment, yet still not be liable for that violation, if he or she reasonably acted unreasonably? In other words officers get a pass on many illegal uses of force.

    4. odds that the city will litigate this for more than four years.

    5. odds that in the end this person’s life will be valued at a settlement of less than $300,000. You see, since he didn’t have much in the way or earnings, the law says his life is worth less….assuming a jury finds the officer liable.

    6. odds that the officer will be 100
    % indemnified by the city — virtually certain. We certainly don’t want officers who violate rights and are found liable to actually have to suffer consequences, now do we?

18. The carver was simply incapable of harming anyone and always carried his carving knife. It just makes me very sad.

19. James Bible doesn’t know jack about the inquest process. A jury of your fellow citizens determines what happened and if families “aren’t represented” it is only because they did not send a lawyer to the inquest court. Lots of social justice minded lawyers out there if someone doesn’t have the money. Ball in their court.

20. Is anybody else going to open carry at the demonstration?

21. Stories like these seem to be cropping up more rapidly all over the country. The insane culture we’ve allowed to take hold of our police and our armed forces is the same culture that turns frat parties into gang rapes and a few racists into lynch mobs. These people are trained to believe that everyone but them is more than likely guilty of something and should be treated as a sub-human threat, which means using violence and domination at every opportunity. Where I live, the heads of the police force of ours and the two closest counties have all been indicted or accused of corruption, excessive force, cover-ups, etc. and innocent people have been killed here too. More and more I question why we have the police in society in the first place; historically, they only came to prominence after slavery ended and labor organization began – the wealthy elite bullied their towns and states to finance armed gangs to beat their employees into submission in the name of ‘private property’ and the priorities of ‘local and business leaders.’ Further, the courts have made clear that not only will the police be totally unaccountable for their actions, they are not even obligated to protect you from a crime, and cannot be held liable for refusing to protect or assist citizens. The real threat of crime (as in violent+property crime) is minuscule compared to the size of police forces most of our cities host today. And we know from the Kansas City studies that patrolling police have NO impact on rates of crime. How can someone believe they’re in an honorable profession when half their job is locking up harmless drug users, and the rest of their time is divided between issuing petty citations and disrupting legal assemblies (aka traffic and noise complaints)? Police seem to pointlessly ruin lives and cause suffering much more often than they actually help. All this would not be so bad if we had ever, EVER heard any sort of remorse, shame, or moral indignation from the rest of the police community. So-called “good cops” should be furious and loud about the horrors their co-workers are committing, and doing something to save the reputation of their ‘profession.’ Also, we have to confront the fact that judges and prosecutors have been swept up into the police culture and no longer see their obligation to the citizenry. Instead, they advance their careers at the expense of vulnerable people who virtually always either enjoy the wrong drug or made a desperate mistake; in either instance jail time, the justice system’s seemingly only tool, will only exacerbate the problem. We need to break this collusion between police and the justice system. But, since that’s wildly improbable, I think it’s fair to say that we’re past the point of reforming the police as an organization. We need a national dialogue about why we have the police, what purpose they actually serve, what danger they pose to democracy, and how we can protect ourselves in the most efficient, just, and safe way possible. Someone brilliant once said “the best deterrent of crime is not the severity of punishment but rather the certainty of it.” We need to accept that some things are unenforceable in a free society – drug laws, decency/transiency laws, legal obstacles to free assembly, etc. – and for everything else, an effective investigative force. Personally, I think we could get by beautifully with merely a Detective Corps, staffed only with highly-educated professionals well versed in law, investigation, etc. with plenty of tactical/intelligence training. We certainly need something better than a fleet of high school graduates with weaponized utility belts, mustaches, aviator glasses and terrible attitudes. Keeping these jerks in power is gradually saying goodbye to your rights to assemble, disagree, travel freely, and resist injustice from any ‘legitimate’ source. The cost of their continued existence will be more innocent lives.

22. Stories like these seem to be cropping up more rapidly all over the country. The insane culture we’ve allowed to take hold of our police and our armed forces is the same culture that turns frat parties into gang rapes and a few racists into lynch mobs. These people are trained to believe that everyone but them is more than likely guilty of something and should be treated as a sub-human threat, which means using violence and domination at every opportunity. Where I live, the heads of the police force of ours and the two closest counties have all been indicted or accused of corruption, excessive force, cover-ups, etc. and innocent people have been killed here too. More and more I question why we have the police in society in the first place; historically, they only came to prominence after slavery ended and labor organization began – the wealthy elite bullied their towns and states to finance armed gangs to beat their employees into submission in the name of ‘private property’ and the priorities of ‘local and business leaders.’ Further, the courts have made clear that not only will the police be totally unaccountable for their actions, they are not even obligated to protect you from a crime, and cannot be held liable for refusing to protect or assist citizens. The real threat of crime (as in violent+property crime) is minuscule compared to the size of police forces most of our cities host today. And we know from the Kansas City studies that patrolling police have NO impact on rates of crime. How can someone believe they’re in an honorable profession when half their job is locking up harmless drug users, and the rest of their time is divided between issuing petty citations and disrupting legal assemblies (aka traffic and noise complaints)? Police seem to pointlessly ruin lives and cause suffering much more often than they actually help. All this would not be so bad if we had ever, EVER heard any sort of remorse, shame, or moral indignation from the rest of the police community. So-called “good cops” should be furious and loud about the horrors their co-workers are committing, and doing something to save the reputation of their ‘profession.’ Also, we have to confront the fact that judges and prosecutors have been swept up into the police culture and no longer see their obligation to the citizenry. Instead, they advance their careers at the expense of vulnerable people who virtually always either enjoy the wrong drug or made a desperate mistake; in either instance jail time, the justice system’s seemingly only tool, will only exacerbate the problem. We need to break this collusion between police and the justice system. But, since that’s wildly improbable, I think it’s fair to say that we’re past the point of reforming the police as an organization. We need a national dialogue about why we have the police, what purpose they actually serve, what danger they pose to democracy, and how we can protect ourselves in the most efficient, just, and safe way possible. Someone brilliant once said “the best deterrent of crime is not the severity of punishment but rather the certainty of it.” We need to accept that some things are unenforceable in a free society – drug laws, decency/transiency laws, legal obstacles to free assembly, etc. – and for everything else, an effective investigative force. Personally, I think we could get by beautifully with merely a Detective Corps, staffed only with highly-educated professionals well versed in law, investigation, etc. with plenty of tactical/intelligence training. We certainly need something better than a fleet of high school graduates with weaponized utility belts, mustaches, aviator glasses and terrible attitudes. Keeping these jerks in power is gradually saying goodbye to your rights to assemble, disagree, travel freely, and resist injustice from any ‘legitimate’ source. The cost of their continued existence will be more innocent lives.

23. 056113 very well said !
    I highly recommend people to listen to “This American Life” that was broadcast on NPR this past Friday. There was a 40 minute segement about a NY city cop that recorded what his superiors were telling they were supposed to be doing on the street – They are nothing more than a gang of thugs. After listening to this program you will realize our civil rights are only at the pleasure of the police.

    I find it baffling when Seattle officials talk about getting more police – for what????? We need less police. They DO NOT prevent crimes. They might show up after a crime has been committed and write a few things down – then leave. With that – why do they need guns? They don’t. This is my suggestion – Any cop cruising the streets cannot have a gun, but back at the precinct sitting by a phone are some cops with guns, and if they get a 911 call that requires guns, they then go to the specific address. When done they are return to their pen. (I would consider that all cops on duty have to simply stay in their pen until a 911 call) Maybe there can be a few small stations scattered through the city to improve proximity but other wise this can be implemented tomorrow. John T Williams would be alive today if this was how police operated.

    I work on Lake City way for the past 20 years, and on 125th going down towards Lake City the cops did about 3 – 4 speed traps a year. Now they do about 3-4 a month to generate more revenue (on orders from the previous mayor) Why do they need guns? As city Officials look for more money to hire more cops – again the question is why? Are we overrun with crime? If yes, then why are we committing so much man power to speed traps instead of fighting this supposed crime?

24. i think this issue is pretty simple. everyone who has ever been helped by a seattle cop, please raise your hand. everyone who has ever been singled out, harassed, ignored, or worse, raise your hand. try this simple experiment in a group sometime. here’s an idea: the next time some gunhappy fucknut on the “force” murders a harmless citizen, FIRE THE ENTIRE FORCE. scorched earth. that’s what i want. and it’s what’s becoming more increasingly appropriate…
    spd: making the LAPD look like ganhdi since WTO!

25. Yeah, the cops here suck

    BUT

    at least now arts and crafts can have the ‘vibe of danger’ around them.

26. I’ve read the comments; I’ve written something out in response @1. I’m calm now and can type rationally.
    I knew John a long time and under a different name; always wandering Broadway where I worked. I was able to talk to him for a while when he wasn’t fucked up half the time, decent human sober, crappy person when drunk. I even offered to buy a carved staff from him but that fell through when the wood was sold; a loss all around.
    I’ve also been harassed by him as well and he’s been put in his place. Desite his screw-ups I was impressed with his answer on not returning home: ‘When I sober up I will return home.’ John didn’t want to embarrass his family anymore than he had but loved them dearly and always will.
    I’m here because I believe that many in SPD are getting out of hand with their actions; and, unfortunately, I believe it will get worse before it becomes better. My personal experiences with the police have been mixed. Some have been very helpful to my situations; others have been ludicrous.
    I can only hope that the citizens of Seattle can come up with a solution to this mess. Notice I’m saying citizen. The current government, if it listens to its constituents, will stand behind its citizens and demand that the police be completely overhauled.

27. I’ve confirmed at least a dozen or so individuals (friends of mine) will OPEN CARRY at the demonstration at the intersection of Boren Avenue and Howell Street. The event begins at 2:00pm on September 16th. OPEN CARRY with us if you possess a concealed weapons permit and a gun. If you want the police to think twice before assaulting citizens, OPEN CARRY.

28. Anyone who spends time downtown and had the misfortune to run into John when he was cranked can see how this happened. The whole situation was just an accident waiting to happen. I’d like to know where the tribe and all the do gooders were then?

    I’ve seen John lurch across traffic ignoring buses bearing down on him, missing being a traffic fatality by inches. The guy was deeply ill, often oblivious to his surroundings and needed help. He’s also the last person I’d trust with a knife given his behavior. Unfortunately now he won’t get the help that he desperately needed. RIP.

29. I, along with a dozen or so friends of mine, will OPEN CARRY at the rally on September 16 at 2:00 p.m., at the intersection of Boren Avenue and Howell Street. Join us if you’re registered gun owner with a concealed weapons permit. This will be a peaceful demonstration, and we are not interested in rallying with anyone who’s interested in causing trouble. Folks, the time is now to OPEN CARRY.

30. Oops. did not mean to repost- thought the comment was deleted for some reason.

31. “HORN” is an abbreviation of “dehorn,” an SPD equivalent for “wino.” I don’t know the origin. It was in common use in 1965.

32. @ 13 Ditidaht is Nuu-chal-nuth. Ditidaht is part of the “Aht tribes” on Vancouver Island Nu. Just like the Cowichan tribe is Salish. In fact the tribal name was changed by the tribe fro Nitaknaht.

33. “With great power comes great responsibility.” Marvel Comics had that much right.

    How do you respond to the abuse of power and the neglect of responsibility? More importantly, how do you maintain accountability?

    If an average Joe shoots someone, he’s committed a horrible crime and should be punished.

    When a uniform shoots someone, it’s a horrible crime AND it degrades the entire justice system AND it polarizes communities AND it reinforces a violent power dynamic.

    How do you hold someone accountable when they’re holding the gun?

34. @#66… Finally, the voice of reason! The fact that someone died at the hands of another is a serious tragedy. I wasn’t there to see the events unfold, so I won’t second guess the actions Police took that led to Mr. Williams’s death from my nice safe comfortable armchair. I continue to be amazed at how so many of you quickly wrap yourselves up in and recite passages from the US Constitution. Good for you! Finally a use for all those dollars wasted on a higher education. I’d really like to know how many of you actually fought for or risked your lives to defend that document that is supposed to protect the rule of law. The fact is, there are a lot more “bad” people out there then there are “bad” Cops. Don’t be so quick to judge the whole force because a mistake is made by an individual. Right or wrong, they will close ranks to protect each other because so many of you are out there just waiting for someone to fuck up so you can second guess their actions. These officers have one of the most difficult jobs out there, period! Are there failures in the system? Absolutely. Is there a lack of sensitivity on their part? Sadly, yes, at times there is. But how many of you can keep a positive cheery attitude when 90% of the people you deal with on a day to day basis, hate you or want to see you dead? And now a bunch of you want to go out there and PROVOKE them by “exercising your constitutional right” to carry a weapon. You get what you deserve. Be right, but don’t be an asshole and be DEAD right! Contrary to popular belief, when the investigation is concluded, the other officers in the department will shun Officer Birk if he acted with any malice or intentionally disregarded proper procedure in dealing with Mr. Williams. They will eventually police themselves and correct the pervasive poor attitude that runs in the undercurrents of every police department. Yes, sadly there are still some “bad” cops out there. But I am thankful that there are more “good” ones out there every day protecting us from ourselves, even if they occasionally do violate one of our constitutional rights.

    Flame ON!

35. And… Just before too many people state the obvious again… When someone (anyone) is pointing a gun at you telling you to stop, YOU STOP! Mr Williams may have been deaf in one ear but he wasn’t blind!

36. #1 (Seattle Sheep Fucker) Per your own advice, how about you scrawl a swastika on your forehead just incase we all can’t tell what a fucking bigot you are just by looking at you- but I’m absolutely sure you look just like a fucking idiot.

37. @Cienna Madrid, thank you for this EXCELLENT article, if there were a competition between the articles following this horrendous killing, I think this one would win.

    To all of the people out there who are still unconvinced that this was a murder, John Williams was deaf (there’s no such thing as being deaf in one ear and still having perfect hearing) and HE HAD HIS BACK TURNED. Wake up people, Christ, you can’t even smell injustice when it grinds its smelly boot in your face.

    If anyone wants to read about the comments and questions that were directed at police at the Native American Advisory Council meeting on September 8, please visit http://ajob4chaim.blogspot.com/2010/09/j…

    Thanks!

38. just ANOTHER example of whitey beating down indians. this whole world is built on blood and bullshit. i’m bummed that i have to work my slave job on thursday.

39. Stupid-ass, trigger-happy, rook cop who should’ve known better. John was a fixture in that neighborhood. So much for community-fucking-policing.

    His TO and command should bear some consequences, but he’s gotta be permanently relieved of duty with a dishonorable discharge whether criminal charges are filed or not. There are some people who just shouldn’t be cops. Makes me sad.

    But the girl who got punched, that was the appropriate level of force. Even she (along with the Urban League) admitted as much. Lumping that incident in with John’s shooting or the Westlake beating is just stupid, and dilutes how terribly unjust those breaches of the public trust really were. There’s plenty of actual problems without wasting time on bullshit.

40. Damn…@66 and @78 are some powerful shit. I appreciate your posts — they made me think. Thank you, junebug90 and white queen B.

41. This angers and saddens me deeply. I just heard about this, and it sickens me. I first met John years ago while working on Broadway when 3 homeless junkies were beating him up and trying to rob him. He had his knife then too, and never fought back. Just tried to get away. After chasing them off, and setting him right, I talked with him a bit. He had a beautiful nearly-finished totem carving under his arm which I commented on and he offered to sell to me when it was done the next day.

    I didn’t actually expect that he would show up, but he did. Before I bought it from him, with a smile on his face he went from top to bottom and told me the meaning and story behind every carved aspect. He said he was happy to be selling it to someone who would listen. There were tears in his eyes as he explained that there are not many left of his nation that know the old stories, and maintain the old arts such as woodcarving like he did.

    I always bought one of his carvings whenever we’d see each other, and he had one ready.

    He always had a smile ready when he met you. He was always kind and polite. He was a good man, who’s only apparent wish was to maintain what dignity was left to him and his people by plying an ancient trade that was all he knew. John was someone to be protected, not protected against.

    How DARE the Brown Shirts….Oops…I mean the Boys In Blue, do this? AGAIN?

    And then they wonder why they are hated by all…Amazing.

42. #66 Well said. It goes both ways. SPD and our local homeless community both needs some changes. We need to rise up to taking care of our community and protecting them from mistreatment by people acting ‘above the law’.

43. #66 Well said. It goes both ways. SPD and our local homeless community both needs some changes. We need to rise up to taking care of our community and protecting them from mistreatment by people acting ‘above the law’.

44. @#31 (detersbb):

    You are right on my friend. I was active duty for 7+ years and I agree 100% I’m sick of defending my position against this police state, yet support of the military.

45. If you are wearing a government uniform, you can get away with murder.

    The ‘Just Us’ system at work.

46. I know this is a bit old, but I just found this story on YouTube. What a tragedy.

    After seeing the video, it’s my strong opinion that this “cop” shouldn’t just be punished, but killed. Possibly even tortured first, beaten, whatever… so long as before he dies he TRULY regrets what he did.

    The man “should have put his knife down”? Please. Putting aside all the minute details – such as the woodcarver being deaf, etc. – the cop SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT HIS VEHICLE.

    What prompted the cop to get out? Was the man behaving strangely? Was he jaywalking? Was he yelling or saying profound things? NO. The man didn’t do a damn thing except WALK ACROSS THE STREET during HIS TURN where HE SHOULD BE WALKING, like anyone else would have. Nothing wrong with that. So what he was carrying a knife, he was flashing it or holding it like he was ready to stab someone. I bet you 2 out of 5 random men his age probably carry a pocket knife. And guess what? IT’S LEGAL.

    This started off as pure harassment. The cop got out with the mere intention of harassing a citizen and it soon escalated. Again, this is a tragedy.

47. “Lawful command” What are you talking about! It was not a lawful command. There is nothing illegal walking around with a 3″ knife in a non-threatening mannor. This is simply cold blooded murder. The Murderer needs to go to jail for a long time

48. This is asinine. How can anyone even begin to argue in favor of that hot head cop, who practically shit his pants with joy as he jumped out of the car to fuck with the innocent man walking across the street with his head down? This cop made himself jumpy and nervous on purpose. He needs to lay off the steroids.

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