Baltimore cops seem like a friendly bunch
 

Video

Gets interesting around 30 seconds in.

Probably has a lot to do with the wonderful, upstanding citizens.

edit: ok, watched the video - I don't see the problem.

:+1

Bunk

I too see no problem... I saw this clip last night on the news. I think the policeman was just suspended as of yesterday, but they're looking for the filmographer and there was no incident report.

I see a problem in the way he handled it. Northeastern big mouth attitude. Regardless of how the "suspects" are acting, it's the officer's job to remain cool and collected. And he's not going to win over any affection from the general public if he conducts himself that way. You want the people you're protecting to be on your side, not against you.

Yeah, you might be right - it should be ok for kids to ignore the Police. :rolleyes:

See, this is just your Northeaster big-mouth attitude showing through.

The cop has been suspended pending an Internal Affairs investigation. Link

While the video may not show the complete confrontation, that isn't the sort of police behavior I'd want to see. Let's hope the officer involved was either having a really bad day, or gets the counseling / anger management that he seems to need.

While some may dismiss this as just opening a can of whoop-ass on some skateboarder punks, how would this officer have handled a convenience store robbery?

The cop lost his cool.

That's not cool.

I see no problem with the officer yelling at him for being an irrespectful little punk. That said, he didn't have to go yank the skateboard without asking for it nor shove the kid.

But the kid coud have avoided all that by just being respectful of authority.

Hell, he knew he wasn't supposed to be there. You see a cop talking to you, what do you think he's there for? And you still give him an attitude and call him dude? You're an idiot. But like I said, there was no need to get physical nor say anything about getting killed, etc.

I can see a slight beef, but not a big freakin deal.

I didn't say that. What I said is that it's the officer's job to be calm and collected. You handle it the way he did, and you get in trouble.

:+1

You guys who think this officer acted appropriately and "don't see the problem" have me worried.

He was way, way over the line, perhaps officer RIV-I-ERA has seen too many episodes of Dog The Bounty Hunter, or just felt ridiculous wearing those shorts, but it's clear he has a lot of issues and taking one's anger issues out on a bunch of kids is inappropriate.

Thankfully there's a video and rightfully, he was suspended.

Geeze....

Ed

You have got to be kidding me. What was over the line?

There are signs posted EVERYWHERE that say "no skateboarding" and kids are constantly being chased away from that area. They knew they were in the wrong. The kid can be heard continuing to ride the skateboard in the background after the other 2 stopped having understood/followed the officers directions.

The officer clearly asks the kid for the board and the kid turns away and tries to prevent the officer from confiscating it - how is this justifiable? The officer had to grab the kid at that point as it was the only way he was getting the board.

Oh, and (as a Baltimore county resident) the part where the officer asks the kid if he's from the county is hilarious.

I think Terry put it best:

If you don't see it, you don't see it......

Ed

I'm curious how many skateboards he collects each weekend in the back of his golf cart pick-up. I highly doubt it was the first or second time the kid was warned. The push MIGHT have been a LITTLE excessive, but this is only a clip of what happened and he needed to confiscate the board.

And as bren said, there are signs ALL OVER the Inner Harbor that clearly say "No Skateboarding."

The cop is in trouble. He should be. You guys that don't see anything wrong with his behavior scare me as well. What would he have done if the kid had run? Shot him?

And when did they pass a law saying you can't call a cop "dude?" Or that you have to show some fat slob "respect" when he starts screaming in your face? Ignore him while he's pursuing his duty? Of course not, but if I want to call that dude "dude," there isn't really a lot he can do about it.

I loved the end whene he came over and asked it the camera was on and said "I better not see myse- as the kid turned it off.

It's natural to have the feeling like you want to give the kid a swift backhand across the face. But cops know that they can't react that way.

If you want to help keep kids from skateboarding in the area, then install those little metal brackets every few feet on the curbs/concrete structures. They are very effective.

Or put up a sign that says that the police will confiscate the skateboard if they're caught skating in the area. Simply walk up to the kid, take his board without saying a word, and leave. The cop putting on a show with his mouth and pushing the kid down will only get him in trouble. Then the kid wins. That's a "Fail".

Please enlighten me to what I'm missing. I hope the officer treats every punk kid he meets with the same "enthusiasm" no matter what the crime.

The kid was breaking the law and ordered to stop by a police officer. He chose not to listen (even his friends were telling him to keep his mouth shut.) That makes him fair game for the cop.

Now if the cop would have started pummeling him with his revolver, or a nearby trash can, then maybe you'd have a case. I just don't see where he did any harm to this kid other than scare him.

I don't think anyone has claimed the kid has any kind of "case" against the cop. (please - what are the damages? His self esteem was hurt?)

The issue is the cops behavior and his ability to handle himself while performing the obligations of his job. He should have been able to find a better, less confrontational way to deal with a punk skateboarder that didn't "respect" his badge. Oh, and I hope the law provides for the confiscation of skate boards or the kid will have a case.

:+1

dude

It is ok for cops to get physical, even when questionable, the benefit of the doubt should go to our boys and girls in blue.

Oversight, vetting, and training is the key.

Agree with Bren on this. The inner harbor needs more of that guy. And this all could have been avoided so easily.

Having outrun many many security guards and policemen as a 14 year old skater, I know that you scram and giggle uncontrollably for an hour, stfu and ride out officer riviera's tirade, or end up on the receiving end like this kid did, which could've been a lot worse.

I mean, what kind of idiot skater doesn't bail when the police show up? All you need is one slower friend! And Federal Hill's right there. Is officer riviera going to abandon his hooptie and catch me running up there?! Now THAT would be some good footage.

"I'll call my mom"? WTF are skaters made of these days?

That's true. Trust me, I'm no tough guy, but that dude's a pussy. I thought he was 12. 14yo and "I'll call my mom"? :rolleyes:

That dude won't eat lunch in HS.

+1

Maybe a slight beef, but damn kids these days seem so disrespectful.

I fail to see how this got escalated to the point where he was suspended. That's B.S.

Dudes work on a ranch, mbr.

Quick update in today's Baltimore Sun

LINK

Hmmm...
No kidding...
Shocker...
Looks like the officer's tact worked...

Habitually f'ing with the police. Genious.

Let's say, just for example, one of you guys gets stopped for speeding.

You know what the speed limit is, yet you ignore it.

It's not the first time you've been stopped, perhaps not even the first time in a particular neighborhood.

What would be appropriate behavior from a police officer?

Should he write you a ticket - or should he pull you from the car and beat the shit out of you while he vents angrily over your presumed poor upbringing?

Ed

If I continued to drive away from him, and then lipped off once I was stopped, I'd expect bad things... because by my actions, I'd earned them.

Here's another hypothetical. Kid travels to fabulous Arbutus where there's plenty of concrete, and no skating signs, and locals who have a rep' for not liking outsiders. When told to get lost, Kid lips off to local and then threatens to call his mom. His phone, money, anything else worth taking, along with a large chunk of relative health are gonna be bye bye.

If the kid was worth touching at all, he was worth arresting. I think that was the mistake.

wait Ed,

first you have to ignore the police officer when he is telling you to stop (or pull over, I think they call it "fleeing and eluding") Then you have to repeatedly disrespect his authority by calling him "dude"

Then, yeah, I think you are going to be in big trouble

Also, from what I heard on TV, this officer has (had) a spottless record in his 11(?) years of service.

It's not like he was already some kind of phyco cop.

I think the camera was turned on too late. We really don't know what happened first

So then it's not at all about the repeatedly breaking the law part (skateboarding where it says not to, speeding where it says not to) - it's all about a 14 year old kid who doesn't respond the way this officer wanted him to.

My guess is this officer had just about had enough of the skateboarding culture - its vernacular, its dress, its skinny kids in baggy clothes.

He'd had it and unfortunately for him, there was a video camera to record it.

Ed

OMG, *disrespect his authority*? What are we? In the middle ages or in some police state-istan?

I'm waiting for the US to wake up from its quasi-fascistic tendencies and become the paragon of freedom that it *theoretically* is.

Being pushed to the ground while resisting an officer is hardly "beating the shit out of you." :rolleyes:

The officer's response was inappropriate and potentially dangerous - these were just dumb kids. As I stated earlier, I think he'd reached his boiling point with this situation being merely a catalyst.

He needs anger-management and Zoloft - for his own long-term health.

Ed

:+1

I'm in no way defending the kids. By all accounts they're little shits. However, I expect a certain decorum and self control from people and especially from authority. There are numerous ways the officer could have handled the situation with more class and self-respect and done his job. I've run into too many LEO's that act like asshat's and think that everyone should lick their boots. Why? Because their LEO's and obviously way smarter/better/more important than you. Is that really what we need from our police officers? Do we really need to send the message that they have the right to blow up and treat people like shit? That they have the right to go off half-cocked if they don't feel they are being respected? Should we be forced to bow and kiss they're badge when in their presence for fear of angering them?

If you want me to "respect" the badge, then earn it. Act like an adult and do your job with class and humility.