The following is interesting not so much because the Heroes video’d beating a clearly not “resisting” man who had gotten on his knees and then on the ground as ordered are being charged with assault but because the other Heroes at the scene stood around doing nothing about the actions of their fellow Heroes. A serious crime – physical assault – was committed right in front of their eyes. And did the “good cops” move in to arrest the “bad cops”?
No, of course they didn’t.
And probably the only reason the two “bad apples” are being held accountable at all is because of the video.
…
Two state troopers have been charged with assault for actions caught on video during a New Hampshire arrest of a surrendering motorist earlier this year.
On May 11, police in Holden, Massachusetts attempted to pull over a pick-up truck driven by 50-year-old Richard Simone, who was wanted on warrants for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, larceny and failure to stop for officers.
The cops said they tried to stop Simone’s vehicle because it was wanted in connection with an advisory issued by another department. When Simone refused to pull over however, the chase was on.
Holden police were joined by Massachusetts state troopers in the pursuit, and then by local New Hampshire cops and state troopers after Simone lead the way across the state line into Hudson, New Hampshire.
Aerial footage from the scene shows Simone eventually come to a stop while around a dozen officers approach the vehicle with a police dog. Simone is seen surrendering after he exists the truck and then gets down on his knees before lying down in the street.
At least two of the officers are then seen repeatedly punching and brutalizing Simone as some of the other officers stand by with their firearms drawn. He is then taken into custody.
Watch the raw footage:
Following the incident, New Hampshire attorney general Joseph Foster launched a criminal investigation and New Hampshire state police and Massachusetts state police each removed a trooper from duty while the investigation was conducted.
On Tuesday, Foster revealed that the two troopers – Joseph Flynn, 32, of the Massachusetts State Police, and Andrew Monaco, 31, of the New Hampshire State Police – were charged and arrested with simple assault for punching Simone during the arrest.
Foster’s office said that because the troopers were on-duty during the incident, their charges could see an enhanced penalty. According to the Massachusetts state police, Flynn remains suspended without pay, and an internal affairs investigation into what occurred is still ongoing.According to Forster, Flynn was charged with two counts of simple assault, and Monaco was charged with three counts of simple assault. Both were released on their own recognizance and are scheduled to be arraigned in September in Nashua.
“I want to ensure that the public knows that this will be fully investigated and we recognize the importance of the public trust,” New Hampshire state police Col. Robert L. Quinn said. “And the unnecessary, unjustified use of force will not be tolerated.”
And people wonder why cops are being shot. These are good cops, they didn’t do the crime. There is no such thing as a good cop.
I’m NOT saying cops should be shot, just that there is no such thing as a good one.
I agree, Todd –
The nature of the “work” is such that it either requires a good man to act contrary to what he knows is right (and wrong) irrespective of “the law” or – he has no problem with the rightness or wrongness of the “work” and so is a moral cretin (or nihilist) who only cares what “the law” is.
Either way, it’s not good.
I tell people if the cops are going to play occupier nobody should be surprised when a few people decide to play insurgent. It’s basic observation of human behavior.
And BTW, the free state project handing Weare NH it’s a$$ about abusive cops that don’t know the law and getting almost the entire force fired multiple times doesn’t hurt to make it so that cops in NH are afraid of trying to cover stuff up.
But that doesn’t stop the AG’s office from whitewashing endlessly because if they don’t the police stop cooperating with them and convictions go down.
Thus the second thing that needs to happen in every state is a paid on commission tribunal that can’t have anyone involved directly or indirectly with law enforcement on it and it’s own prosecutor that is paid by the conviction and judges that can’t have any direct or indirect relationship to police that do nothing but convict cops.
Until then even if qualified immunity went away you’d still have a double standard in the AG’s office choosing not to prosecute or prosecuting low intentionally.
That’s not accountable. That’s a slap on the wrist that will get them their jobs back no problem.
This won’t stop happening until and unless qualified immunity is repealed and all of the laws apply equally to cops and us mundanes. If they want cops to have more power they have to grant it to everyone.
Until then qualified immunity guarantees the distrust and hatred of cops and their double standards will continue and so will the abuse by the police.
I can guarantee this, lawsuit after lawsuit in the 7 digit range will stop it quickly. You can break a town easily and you can break the state also. It’s the old money talks and bullshit walks and it will apply to those lawsuits that are appealed to a high court with $800/hr lawyers going after them when some group decides to back a suit backed up by multiple videos that leave absolutely no doubt what happened. it’s getting closer every day. Just wait till they fuck up and do it to someone with big money….and contacts. It won’t be that cut and dried let em go bs we always see.
The cops have such invincible egos they will make that mistake soon. I can’t wait.
Morning, Eight!
I may rant about this. About two simple, obviously fair reforms that would make a huge difference even given all the other problems. One, hold cops to the same legal standards that apply to us with regard to criminal/reckless actions. Two, personal liability – just like we face – in civil suits arising from negligent/criminal actions.