Speak Your Piece: Police at war with citizens?
6:00 PM, Jul 31, 2014
6:13 PM, Jul 31, 2014
This police overreach and militarization amounts to a declared war on American citizens. In the Redding Police Department’s defense then, if you want to call it that, these type incidences, many that end in criminal actions themselves, are happening nationwide. It doesn’t mean we should turn our backs to it here locally.
As far as misuse of police power, I can think of no better example than watching, actually nearly ending up in, a police chase, heading toward the Millville Plains on Highway 44, and watching the police units, many of them RPD, motorcycles, helicopter and sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol leaving town at breakneck, unsafe, speeds. With today’s technology, air power and cellphones it hardly seems necessary that 30-plus units needed to risk the lives of every citizen on the road that afternoon, only to hear later, “sorry wrong guy.” Actually I don’t think anyone apologized for anything.
That is why I propose before we attempt to fill the new Redding police station with bodies, we use that big budget to add proper personal camera technology to the existing force. In my opinion, based on past actual experience, Redding is close to becoming the next Fullerton, California, police force, where six officers beat to death a 100-pound mentally ill, homeless man while he begged for mercy, called out to his dad and apologized to them 31 times for breathing air, on the same planet.
Like Redding, where one police force investigates the other, the court results were also questionable and the officers did not serve prison time, but I’d like to remind everyone that, for one of the first times in California history, they did face prison time.
The good officers on our own police force know exactly who they are, and the already know what officers need to be making pizzas instead.
The Fullerton officers did face a jury and prison time, the two main killers were kicked off the force. One now manages a Little League team and one delivers mail. One of the officers was asked to leave a restaurant as his presence there and the memory of what he did spoiled everyone’s meal.
The police chief was fired and much of he city council was retired. The civil suit starts in December. The pay out will help get this city’s attention and I believe further changes will be made.
One interesting side note, Kelly Thomas (the young man killed by police) was right to call for his dad, a retired, ex-Orange County sheriff’s deputy who holds black belts and taught proper apprehension techniques to his fellow officers. Ron Thomas has become the toughest force
Remembers seeing the highway patrolman straddling a woman and brutality beating her with both closed fists recently? Ron Thomas has been in contact with CHP and state officials in Sacramento. Has our police chief also called? How about any one on Redding’s police force or Shasta County sheriff’s office? Until you feel the outrage the citizens feel and actually take action yourselves, you officers will remain part of the problem.
These officers who committed this Thomas beating death did not have personal cameras on. Fullerton city cameras and several citizens caught the truth of what happened that night on camera. I know for a fact, there are officers who would have vomited watching this miscarriage of “Just-Us,” but if they did not join with Fullerton citizens and the city and other civic leaders who have complained about police abuse for three years now, then they all remain part of the problem, not part of the solution. Sadly.
Earl Allen Boek lives in Redding.
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