... is the 26-year-old Orlando, Florida police officer who thought it necessary to slam an 84-year-old allegedly intoxicated man to the pavement, breaking his neck, all because the World War II veteran was highly upset and argumentative about having his car towed from a private parking lot.
Really, what kind of judy-boy cop can't handle a drunk octogenarian without resorting to such measures? That uniformed thug should be quite ashamed of himself.
The injured man (who is out of surgery and expected to survive his injury, which kills 90% of those who suffer it, according to the article) admittedly "put his hands on the cop" (whatever that means. Poked him in the chest? Brushed by him while pacing? We aren't given any more information than that, which leads us to reasonably conclude that there wasn't in fact a true assault on the officer) three times and threatened to punch the cop.
Disorderly conduct, drunk in public, threatening an law-enforcement officer? Sure. Absolutely. Lock the major pain in the rear up until he calms down and/or sobers up.
We highly doubt, though, that the motorist's no-question-about-it asinine behavior rose to the level of "a situation that could lead to death or great bodily harm" and thus required the cop to preemptively assault him in that sort of brutal manner.
"An Orlando police sergeant and spokesperson said this situation should qualify as imminent danger, but many residents don't think so."
Because they are fully aware that they could easily be the next victims of this, shall we say, overzealous officer, who might next decide to TASER an old lady for "threatening his personal safety" merely by parking in a fire lane or failing to display a handicapped parking permit.
UPDATE: More info on the incident:
"[Eyewitness Sean] Hill said Daley tapped the officer's shoulders a few times"
Yep, that's about how we thought things might've gone down.
"But [Officer Travis] Lamont has been investigated three times by the police internal-affairs division."
He's apparently been with the force for two whole years. That's an average of one IA investigation every eight months. Not a very good track record at all, to say the least.
"A second officer who arrived after Lamont, Natasha Endrina, said the elderly man looked as though he was going to choke her colleague, Jones said. Hill said Endrina remained inside a police car during the confrontation." [Emphasis ours]
Well, that was certainly being helpful. Thanks, Officer Endrina!
This whole incident stinks to high heaven, and it only looks worse every time new details are released.
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2 comments:
In some of the accounts I have read, the citizen lost his balance and put his hands on the "only one's" shoulders to steady himself. Not that it matters one way or the other. If a young cop can't handle an unarmed 84 yo,without sending the old guy to the hospital, then he has no business being on the street. Will Grigg did a good right up over on Rockwell's blog.
Maybe if it were Jack Palance or something....does Florida require dash videocameras like Minnesota does? If so, that would tell the story pretty well.
And personally, if I were on the force, I'd tend to suggest that even if Daley is guilty, a broken neck ought to be enough punishment. The approach of wanting to prosecute speaks volumes....
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