New Orleans Cops Taped Beating 64-Year-Old Monday, October 10, 2005
NEW ORLEANS"”Two New Orleans (search) police officers repeatedly punched a 64-year-old man accused of public intoxication, and another city officer assaulted an Associated Press Television News producer as a cameraman taped the confrontations.
After being questioned, the three patrolmen were arrested late Sunday and charged with battery. They were released and ordered to appear in court at a later date, Capt. Marlon Defillo (search) said. The officers also were suspended without pay, he added.
"We have great concern with what we saw this morning," Defillo said after he and about a dozen other high-ranking police department officials watched the APTN footage Sunday. "It's a troubling tape, no doubt about it. ... This department will take immediate action."
The assaults come as the department, long plagued by allegations of brutality and corruption, struggles with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the resignation last month of Police Superintendent Eddie Compass.
The APTN tape shows an officer hitting the man at least four times in the head Saturday night as he stood outside a bar near Bourbon Street (search). The suspect, Robert Davis, appeared to resist, twisting and flailing as he was dragged to the ground by four officers. Another of the four officers then kneed Davis and punched him twice. Davis was face-down on the sidewalk with blood streaming down his arm and into the gutter.
Meanwhile, a fifth officer ordered APTN producer Rich Matthews and the cameraman to stop recording. When Matthews held up his credentials and explained he was working, the officer grabbed the producer, leaned him backward over a car, jabbed him in the stomach and unleashed a profanity-laced tirade.
"I've been here for six weeks trying to keep ... alive. ... Go home!" shouted the officer, who later identified himself as S.M. Smith.
When I read articles like this that include phrases such as "...the department, long-plagued by allegations of brutality and corruption," I have to wonder about the men at the top since most of that rolls downhill.
Can't say I'm surprised, the only thing that does surprise me is that this is the first time it has happened. The cops in N.O. are so stressed out at this point it amazes me they arefunctional at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending their actions and the department did the right thing in suspending them as they did. VC, is correct in wondering about just how far up the chain this goes, at this point the entire structure of N.O. government and quite possibly the state government in LA is suspect and should likely be removed and replaced.
Did y'all see the video? They were beatin' the heck out of that guy. Then another officer got up on a media guy. Looked like a bad judgement call there.
I saw the video and unless there is some thing real unusal that occurredprior to the begining of the taping, these guys are way out of line.
Stress is no excuse nor is it an acceptable reason.
Poor management certainly contributes to the problem being "on going" but it boils down to poor screening, hiring and standards to allow suchundisciplined personsto be LEOs.
Milwaukee just recently woke up and realized that the administration under our former chief was made up of "yes men and women, political cronies. People more intersted in their own advancement than being the best LEOs they can be. Some bailed out retiring or got other jobsbut thank God the Feds have come in to investigate things.One main incidentjust boils down to a cover up by our IAD for a fatal shooting that was written off as justified.
I find these things not surprising knowing these people but very distrubing. Principal, morals and strict ethics are the foundation of any law enforcement agency. If a member lacks any of those traits they are not fit to wear the badge.
NOPD better get thier act together.
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Now you have to picture a combination of PeeWEE Herman and Wally Cox but with less muscle tone, trying to be intimidating None of this is funny! Message edited by Cougar Mag -- 1/7/2005 1:16:42 AM >/b]
I have seen many bad cops. kids in school that stold crap or worse became cops.I do know there is lots of good cops out there.It seems like cops cover for cops,way befor they will do the right thing.
Our cops today are no longer there to protect and serve.There are now there to ticket and accuse.There is no room for comon sense in law.To me it seems like if a streetcop has any comon sense they are sent to a difrant part of law.
I have never been trouble or to many tickets.But it sure seems like half the time I get stoped the cops treat me like crap.All becouse I hunt fox/dogs at night.I gess any one with a gun out after dark must be a bad guy.
Nuthin' better than a good cop and nuthin' worse than a bad one!
I doubt that the beating is an extremely rare occurence. Like someone said, this one just happened to be caught on camera.
It's hard to get all the facts, but when one views the tape, I sure can't see any need nor justification for pummeling the guy. I just heard the victim say in an interview that he hasn't had a drink it 25 years, yet he was booked on public intoxication. Haven't read of him being given a drunk test. Just as I'm getting all sympathetic toward the guy, I hear on another broadcast that he is a recovering drug addict.
No question that NO PD has major problems. Sewell Cadillac is claiming that officers took 150 cars off their lot, including 51 new Caddies. Haven't read anything in a week about the FBI investigation of ghost police officers.
New Orleans In News Again for "Beating"
