Assault

Barron Barnett's picture

SSCC #253–Milwaukee

By far this is the worst instance I have seen.  The story is down right disturbing.

A young woman in Milwaukee called the cops when someone threw a brick through her window. One of the cops who came to help raped her.

As if that alone wasn’t bad enough.

She took her story to the Milwaukee District Attorney’s office. A prosecutor subsequently wrote, “While I did find the victim’s version of events credible, I did not believe that her testimony would be strong enough to successfully prosecute Officer Cates.”

Eventually the victim got the feds involved.  The federal prosecutor immediately found enough to prosecute. 

As the case headed for trial, Gina Barton of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Cates had been investigated for illegal behavior on five previous occasions, three of them involving sexual misconduct. Two of those were with prisoners. The third was with a 16 year-old and that case had been referred to the Milwaukee district attorney’s office, which declined to prosecute. The priors came as no surprise to the 19-year-old who was now accusing him of raping her while he somehow remained employed as a cop.

Especially since there was a history with this officer as well.  Except that history couldn’t be used in the trial.  This is by no means hearsay or dragging a good man’s name through the gutter because a jury of his peers convicted him. 

A jury on Wednesday found fired Milwaukee police officer Ladmarald Cates guilty of violating a woman's civil rights by raping her after he responded to her 911 call in July 2010.

Anything less than life in prison is too dang short.  This predator went into law enforcement to seek out victims.  Local law enforcement protected him and did their best to stop victims from pursuing action against this monster.  I’m not one to wish ill or harm to others, but that’s one individual I wouldn’t mind seeing get some serious special treatment in the shower.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 253:  Lamarald Cates

Because when a woman calls for help what’s she’s really doing is asking you to rape her, at least according to Milwaukee PD.

h/t Uncle, and Jennifer says something about it here.

*I may take a few days off the criminal count.  This one made me unbelievably angry, upset, and even physically ill.  That such a monster like that could 1) serve, 2) be protected by his fellow officers, and 3) be protected by the local prosecutorial authorities is down right sickening.  Every last one of them shares responsibility.

Barron Barnett's picture

SSCC #248 - Barling PD

"Plaintiff by backing away or beginning to leave was not evading or resisting an arrest at that point, because there was no evidence of a crime or other basis for any arrest of plaintiff to be made," Chief US Magistrate Judge James R. Marschewski ruled. "At most the evidence established that the severity of plaintiff's conduct was the failure to comply with a command of an officer. While this may be a crime, defendants offered no proof of any such crime or its severity, and plaintiff was never charged with any such crime."

The judge condoned this action though by not holding the officers or department liable for their actions.  Instead of providing a punishment that would instill fear in those who would abuse the public while wearing a shield he issued the following judgement.

The judge found payment in full of Kirby's $167 in medical bills covered his actual damages. The judge also ordered the city of Barling to revise its unconstitutional taser policy that allowed use of tasers against individuals passively resisting officer commands. On the question of pain and suffering, the judge found Kirby was only entitled to $1 in compensation.

Someone hit that judge with a taser please because he obviously has no concept of how badly that hurts.  Screw him and the horse he rode in on.  He's nothing but a petty tyrant that wants to enable other tyrants to work without fear of serious fiscal penalties.  This statement from the judge proves it:

"Although I concluded excessive force was used on plaintiff, I do not believe the evidence elicited shows the conduct was motivated by evil motive or intent or involved reckless or callous indifference to plaintiff's federally protected rights," Marschewski wrote. "At most, the evidence established that the defendants, in reacting to plaintiff's desire to leave the scene and failure to submit to their commands, failed to meet the situation at hand with an appropriate degree of force."

Uhh, dumbass he was a passenger in a car, he wasn't being detained or under arrest, and he was walking to his mother who was going to give him a ride home.  Under those circumstances he had no reason to submit to a pat down, which he verbally refused to.  You're tyrant ass thinks that him being assaulted over that isn't a violation of his rights.

There is no question the judge in this instance helped enable the environment where the police department would be so willing to exercise less lethal force when no force is required.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 248: James R. Marschewski

Because when you don't act like a good sheep the cops can do whatever the hell they want.  They just want you to comply, there's no malice in that intent right?!  Just surrender your rights like a good little bitch.

via Uncle, with whom I agree, Tar + Feathers and apply liberally. 

Barron Barnett's picture

TSA Employees…

They’re not hired because they’re bright, intelligent, or honest.

TSA air marshal Adam Marshall was arrested by the Boston police department at 3:50 a.m. on Dec. 10 after he allegedly argued with members of Occupy, called some of them prostitutes, struck one of Occupy’s organizers and main tweeters in the face, grabbed her iPhone and then fled.

You know, I dislike the Occupy movement more than just about anyone.  That said, I’m not going to support anyone who goes in there, assaults people, and steals private property, even if I dislike the victim group.

He did it because, “I’m a TSA agent and work for the DHS, I’m invincible.”  Yeah, the TSA better fire his ass, and they better prosecute him to the full extent of the law.  If not I’m moving this one to the count.

*I do find it funny that all these people who bitch about how poor they are have 600 dollar phones with expensive service plans.

**It’s not in the count because he wasn’t on duty and currently he does not appear to be benefiting from his job.

Barron Barnett's picture

SSCC #236–Lincoln RI

Officer Edward Krawetz is on trial for allegedly kicking Donna Levesque as she sits handcuffed on the ground.  The kick was caught on video but the defense is arguing that Krawetz was defending himself from further attacks after Levesque kicked him first.

So he’s on trial so is this really an SSCC?

The Lincoln police officer standing trial for allegedly kicking a handcuffed woman at Twin River in 2009 was convicted of assault in 2001.

How nice of the department to hire someone with a prior criminal history of assault into a position where they get qualified immunity a license to beat people.

State Sponsored Criminal Count #236: Edward Krawetz

Because if you like beating the crap out of defenseless people, become a cop, that way you’re immune from punishment.

Barron Barnett's picture

The Myth of Giving them What They Want

Often we hear the anti-rights cultists tout how you should just give an attacker what they want.  We hear them claim, "Nothing is worth taking someone's life over."  While most could sympathize with that statement it ignores a couple very basic fundamental things with regard to someone attacking someone else.

It is also known that the blogosphere is one big circlejerk or a reverberation chamber.  Consider this a reverberation in F# to the tune of:

Let's dissect the assumptions made by the anti-rights cultists shall we?
  • The attacker is looking to steal only property. 

Property has a monetary value and you can easily make that comparison except for one serious flaw.  The attacker has ruled your life worth less than the monetary value of the object they're stealing.  You have worked a portion of your life to purchase that object and they are stealing that part of your life.  Not only are they stealing your life, but in attacking you they are willing to take the rest of your life to obtain it.  What if the attacker stealing your property also has a rule of leaving no witnesses.  

  • The attacker is only seeking monetary gain for his personal benefit.

If this were true the following stories would have never occurred.

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials in southwest Florida say a clerk at a 24-hour food store shot and killed a man who tried to rob her and take her 1-year-old daughter.

Store owner Del Ackerman told the Naples Daily News (http://bit.ly/rnKaJe ) his granddaughter shot the man after he stormed into the store Tuesday afternoon and demanded money and grabbed the stroller that held her baby.

This woman reacted in defense of her children.  The man wanted not just something of monetary value, but the woman's child as well.  What would the anti-rights cultists suggest she do?  Let her child be kidnapped by someone of such high and impeccable moral character as a man who would rob a convenient store and steal a child?  Odds would greatly weigh against the safe recovery of the child at that point, but I guess the criminal's life is worth more than the child right!?  Just let the cops do their job and your child will be fine.

Or this story, where again the subject of the attack was nothing of monetary value but that of a woman's virtue.

A Cape Girardeau woman shot and fatally wounded Ronnie W. Preyer, 47, a registered sex offender who had broken into her home early this morning with the intention of raping her a second time, Cape Girardeau Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said today.

There's the numerous methods from the antis about how a woman can defend herself against rape.  My personal favorite was telling women to vomit on themselves.  There is a much better solution and it results in a safety improvement for women everywhere.  Shoot the bastard.  A cops response averages about 88fps(60 MPH) at best from a distance measure in miles.  A .45 ACP will be there at 850fps from a distance measured in yards at most.  Guess which will reach the attacker first.  It will also make for damn sure he can never do it to another woman ever again.  Many times though the mere presence of force will cause the attacker to seek a new victim.  Attackers want easy prey that is safe for them, the are out to inflict pain on others, not to have their victim fight back.

Which brings me to my third story that seems right out of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange.

AN 84-YEAR-OLD ex-university official savagely attacked by four young punks during a walk in Wissahickon Valley Park earlier this week theorizes that the beating he endured was a cruel game of "get the old geezer."

These kids went out and assaulted and beat an old man because they knew him to be an easy victim, unable to defend himself unarmed against people a 1/4 his age.  Their victim selection in this case was lucky because when the elderly man is armed, all the sudden the field is leveled .

All three of those cases there was nothing to give the attacker but the life of their child, their virtue, or lastly their own life.  When one attempts to execute harm to another unprovoked, the attacker has stated that their victim's worth is 0.  They have no value on your life, so why are you attempting to provide a value to theirs?  The lives of your family, your virtue, and your life should be weighted as priceless.  A person attacking you is not worth more than your own life.

These cases illustrate the absurdity of the assumptions and their complete lack of understanding.  They are attempting to take a very large complex subject and provide a black and white lens to view it through.  Not only that though they are trying to state there is no black in their world, only white.

In all three of those incidents our criminal occupational hazard reduction organizations would wish that the attacker succeeded with their attacks.  The victim has less rights than the criminal in their world view.  The problem is, a criminal has surrendered all his rights in attempting to violate the sovereignty of another human being.  A citizen has the right to defend themselves from attack using any means of force possible.  If the criminal would rather remain unventilated, I invite him to stay his ass home and leave people alone.  If he continues to prey upon the citizenry, may he one day make a victim selection failure and pay the permanent irrevocable costs for his sins and transgressions against his fellow man.

The myth that giving an attacker what they want will be safe for you is totally false as people have died doing just that.  The myth that it's not just worth killing someone over is false, your attacker feels you're worth killing for it.  So remember, when someone tells you to just give them what they want and you'll be fine, they're lying.  Not only are they lying, but the care more about the criminal than they do you.  That's a really friendly thing to do right there, side with the person who wishes you and your family harm.  

Barron Barnett's picture

SSCC #135 - Spokane PD

This one's right out of my own back yard.

Spokane police officer Karl F. Thompson Jr. responded on March 18, 2006, to an ultimately false report that Otto Zehm stole money from an ATM. After confronting Zehm in a convenience store, a struggle ensued, and Thompson beat Zehm with a baton and Tasered him repeatedly. Other officers then rushed in, tied up Zehm, placed a plastic mask over his face and sat on him until he stopped breathing, according to court documents. Zehm died a few days later.

     The Spokane County medical examiner ruled Zem's death a homicide, but local prosecutors refused to file charges against Thompson. The FBI eventually investigated the case and filed charges against Thompson for using unreasonable force and making a false statement.

No matter how you cut this, this was a despicable act that resulted in the death of an innocent person.

Zehm fell to the ground, where he was hogtied while on his stomach. A plastic mask that was not connected to an oxygen bottle was placed over his nose and mouth. Officers sat on him.

No place could that be considered reasonable force. It is doubly despicable the actions the department took to protect their officer. Including throwing out other witness testimony that was unfavorable to the officer.  There is no question that the officer is guilty of at minimum negligent homicide.  His actions were taken without a thought or care to the rights of the victim.  His actions immediately after the assault guaranteed his death.  Even if this man was guilty the actions taken after illustrate the belief he was judge jury and executioner.

While he his now facing a trial, it was brought about by a federal investigation since local law enforcement refused to act and punish him.  For that, he's still a state sponsored criminal.  

State Sponsored Criminal Count: #135 -  Karl F. Thompson

Because after assaulting someone they should be restrained in such a way as to guarantee their death.

Barron Barnett's picture

SSCC #132 - New Jersey State Police

While some would say he didn't escape the wrath of punishment, many would say he certainly isn't getting nearly enough.

A State Police trooper has been suspended for six months without pay for using pepper spray on a suspect who was already handcuffed in the back seat of a patrol car.

The trooper, Kevin Husband, tried to cover up his actions by saying in State Police reports and again in an appeal hearing that the spraying took place outside the car during a scuffle, according to documents detailing the 2008 incident.

Nice, falsifying documents, assaulting someone while under arrest, and he's left employed.  While he may get a suspension, the fact is these types of incidents should not be tolerated under any circumstances.

The evidence indicated that the officer ultimately didn't need to use the pepper spray in any case.  The fact that he attemped to cover up his actions indicates he knew it was wrong, and the cover up is worse than the act itself.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 132 - Kevin Husband

Because when you get bored on shift, pepper spray someone in cuffs contained in a car.  It will provide hours of laughter.

Janelle Barnett's picture

It Can't Happen Here - Memphis, TN

I'm a bit behind on this, but I haven't forgotten about it.  Beale Street in Memphis, TN decided that it is going to ban guns on the entire street after restaurant carry was passed.  So based on that, nothing should happen right?  Cause guns are banned.  Well, tell that to the 6 people injured from a shooting in none other than the Beale Street district.

Later this month, Beale Street will break out the hand-held metal detectors at the entrance points and use other security measures to keep guns out of the three-block area day and night.

Based on the fact that there are metal detectors, how did someone get through with a gun?  Honestly, the detectors are just another form of security theater.

No matter what type of safe guards are in place, if a criminal wants to do something, laws are not going to stop them.

But, but, it can't happen here, we have metal detectors to keep us safe.

H/T WizardPC

Janelle Barnett's picture

It Can’t Happen Here–Lakeland, FL

In September, a former Deacon of Lakeland Church in Florida killed his wife then shot a couple clergymen at the church.  Parishioners tackled the man after he started shooting and subdued him until the authorities arrived.  What makes this an It Can’t Happen Here type of story is the following:

“I’ve never heard of any problems there,” said Bryan Neely, who owns a motorcycle shop about two blocks away.

Just because you haven’t heard of problems doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

"We're trying to find out exactly what forced him to go into this killing rage on a Sunday morning," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. "It's sad because of all the places you should be safe, you should be safe in your house of worship. And you should be safe in your house of worship on a Sunday morning."

[…]

"If we can't feel safe in the church, where can we feel safe?" Johnson asked.

One should be able to feel safe in their own home too.  Doesn’t mean that is going to be the case all the time. 

Crime does not discriminate.  Just because it is a place of worship does not mean it is exempt.

Barron Barnett's picture

SSCC Honorable Mention–Gardner Police

A Gardner police officer already facing charges of child rape, and another man who was his roommate, are facing charges of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman who was their roommate.

Larry J. Landry, 35, and Tyler Hartley, 20, have been charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over age 14. They were arraigned Sept. 27, and pretrial hearings are scheduled for Oct. 18.

That right there has all the signatures of upright and honest all over it doesn’t it?  The guy looks like the guys I saw dealing drugs in high school tats and all.  There’s some questionable items in the article.  Such as why she remained in the living arrangement after the first incident.  However I do know that sometimes people end up in a tight spot and don’t think they have any other option.  Especially when you see the following:

She said she was afraid to turn them in because she worked for Mr. Landry and his father doing security and did not want to lose her job.

In this economic environment loosing your job can easily mean loosing your ability to eat.  Fear for her was well placed and is certainly understandable.  Hopefully bubba on cell block D makes this former cop feel the same discomfort he put this woman through.  Not to mention how much child molesters are loved in prison.

Because being a cop and the son of a woman’s boss means you’re free to do whatever you want.

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