this post was submitted on 24 May 2024
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THE POLICE PROBLEM

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    The police problem is that police are policed by the police. Cops are accountable only to other cops, which is no accountability at all.

    99.9999% of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct is never investigated, never punished, never makes the news, so it's not on this page.

    When cops are caught breaking the law, they're investigated by other cops. Details are kept quiet, the officers' names are withheld from public knowledge, and what info is eventually released is only what police choose to release — often nothing at all.

    When police are fired — which is all too rare — they leave with 'law enforcement experience' and can easily find work in another police department nearby. It's called "Wandering Cops."

    When police testify under oath, they lie so frequently that cops themselves have a joking term for it: "testilying." Yet it's almost unheard of for police to be punished or prosecuted for perjury.

    Cops can and do get away with lawlessness, because cops protect other cops. If they don't, they aren't cops for long.

    The legal doctrine of "qualified immunity" renders police officers invulnerable to lawsuits for almost anything they do. In practice, getting past 'qualified immunity' is so unlikely, it makes headlines when it happens.

    All this is a path to a police state.

    In a free society, police must always be under serious and skeptical public oversight, with non-cops and non-cronies in charge, issuing genuine punishment when warranted.

    Police who break the law must be prosecuted like anyone else, promptly fired if guilty, and barred from ever working in law-enforcement again.

    That's the solution.

♦ ♦ ♦

Our definition of ‘cops’ is broad, and includes prison guards, probation officers, shitty DAs and judges, etc — anyone who has the authority to fuck over people’s lives, with minimal or no oversight.

♦ ♦ ♦

RULES

Real-life decorum is expected. Please don't say things only a child or a jackass would say in person.

If you're here to support the police, you're trolling. Please exercise your right to remain silent.

Saying ~~cops~~ ANYONE should be killed lowers the IQ in any conversation. They're about killing people; we're not.

Please don't dox or post calls for harassment, vigilantism, tar & feather attacks, etc.

Please also abide by the instance rules.

It you've been banned but don't know why, check the moderator's log. If you feel you didn't deserve it, hey, I'm new at this and maybe you're right. Send a cordial PM, for a second chance.

♦ ♦ ♦

ALLIES

[email protected]

[email protected]

r/ACAB

r/BadCopNoDonut/

Randy Balko

The Civil Rights Lawyer

The Honest Courtesan

Identity Project

MirandaWarning.org

♦ ♦ ♦

INFO

A demonstrator's guide to understanding riot munitions

Adultification

Cops aren't supposed to be smart

Don't talk to the police.

Killings by law enforcement in Canada

Killings by law enforcement in the United Kingdom

Killings by law enforcement in the United States

Know your rights: Filming the police

Three words. 70 cases. The tragic history of 'I can’t breathe' (as of 2020)

Police aren't primarily about helping you or solving crimes.

Police lie under oath, a lot

Police spin: An object lesson in Copspeak

Police unions and arbitrators keep abusive cops on the street

Shielded from Justice: Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States

So you wanna be a cop?

When the police knock on your door

♦ ♦ ♦

ORGANIZATIONS

Black Lives Matter

Campaign Zero

Innocence Project

The Marshall Project

Movement Law Lab

NAACP

National Police Accountability Project

Say Their Names

Vera: Ending Mass Incarceration

 

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MODERATORS
 

At one point during the interrogation, the investigators even threatened to have his pet Labrador Retriever, Margosha, euthanized as a stray, and brought the dog into the room so he could say goodbye. “OK? Your dog’s now gone, forget about it,” said an investigator.

Finally, after curling up with the dog on the floor, Perez broke down and confessed. He said he had stabbed his father multiple times with a pair of scissors during an altercation in which his father hit Perez over the head with a beer bottle.

Perez’s father wasn’t dead — or even missing. Thomas Sr. was at Los Angeles International Airport waiting for a flight to see his daughter in Northern California. But police didn’t immediately tell Perez.

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[–] [email protected] 369 points 7 months ago (12 children)

The tax payer pays up almost $1M and these scumbags remain employed. How predictable.

Also, just in case anyone isn't aware: rule number one if you're in the US and police ever bring you in and try to interrogate you is to shut down and demand a lawyer. Legally, the interview has to stop immediately until you have one present. If the officers don't comply, then you know they're corrupt and there's no reason to believe anything they say from that point onwards.

[–] [email protected] 156 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Unfortunately, there has been precedent for the argument that the right to remain silent is one that needs to be continuously and positively invoked.
So if they keep interrogating you and you choose to start talking, that can be interpreted as you waiving your right to remain silent.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/questioning-after-claiming-miranda.html

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/when-how-invoke-your-right-silence.html

Remaining silent is not enough, you have to articulate that you want to invoke your right to remain silent, unambiguously request a lawyer (no "I think I should have a lawyer for this"), and request a lawyer generally (no "I want a lawyer before I answer any questions about where I was").

"I am invoking my right to remain silent and I want a lawyer" is basically all you should say.

The ACLU remains an excellent resource for being aware of your rights.

https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/stopped-by-police

[–] [email protected] 95 points 7 months ago (1 children)

My father-in-law is a defense attorney for juveniles, he always said that the best thing to say is " I understand you guys are just doing your jobs, and I really would like to cooperate, but to do so I need a lawyer present".

Otherwise they can basically classify you as a combative witness, or claim that you are interfering with an ongoing investigation.

By saying that you really want to help, it puts the imperative of wasting time on their end. If you guys need the information that bad, you should be rushing to get some representation here as fast as possible.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Its kinda bullshit that to get proper treatment people need to know a bunch of little phrases to throw out like a secret password. Fuck cops for real

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[–] [email protected] 38 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I watched this video a few years ago. You can tell its age, but I found it very enlighting. In it a lawyer explains why you should never talk to the police even if you’re innocent:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It's fun to mock sovcit whackos, but this is the sort of thing that gives them the idea that there are magic words they can invoke that let them wallhack through the legal system. The judicial system has spent literally hundreds of years working hand-in-glove with police and prosecutors to make it as difficult as possible for the everyday citizen to exercise the legal rights that protect you from them, and only by knowing exactly how to navigate the legal labyrinth set up between you and those rights can you actually use them.

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[–] [email protected] 92 points 7 months ago (6 children)

Also noteworthy for visitors to the U.S.: The police are allowed to lie to you.

[–] [email protected] 70 points 7 months ago

The police are trained to lie to you.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 7 months ago

The police are allowed to lie to you.

They're also allowed to just be flat-out wrong about stuff. Like, for example, the law. You'd think as enforcers of the law they would be legally required to actually know the law, but that's a big nope.

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 7 months ago

"Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law,"

Used AGAINST you, not FOR you. No attorney has ever said, "I'm so glad my client spoke to the police."

Never speak to the cops without an attorney.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Full stop. Never ever talk to the police under any circumstances.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 7 months ago (4 children)

The money should come from police department retirement money

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Am I under arrest?

No -> goodbye

Yes -> lawyer -> STFU

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[–] [email protected] 227 points 7 months ago (11 children)

There wasn't even a crime and they got a confession.

This should make every confession they've ever received inadmissible.

[–] [email protected] 58 points 7 months ago (3 children)

These cops will never testify in a case again without being asked about this.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Which cops? Do we have their names?

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 7 months ago

Anyone who works for that police department should get asked about it when testifying. That kind of behaviour doesn't come out of thin air. It'll be a product of organisational culture and will be systemic.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 7 months ago

The idea that they may continue being cops is insane. They should be locked up in a cell with no doors. I don't trust them in any position in society, much even less one where they have authority over others.

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[–] [email protected] 172 points 7 months ago (1 children)

They don't publish the names of the bad officers in this story or any others because of fear of retribution. But it wasnt always this way. Police unions put pressure on media to remove the names because the officers felt threatened. Imagine being a bully and then demanding protection for it? That's the police. They are cowards and should be exposed to the public as a matter of safety. It will keep the police polite.

[–] [email protected] 72 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Until the police union releases the names of the officers who did this, their community should treat the entire department like they were all collectively responsible, and act accordingly

[–] [email protected] 162 points 7 months ago (11 children)

How are these cops not under arrest by the FBI and why aren't they on trial??

[–] [email protected] 50 points 7 months ago

How is it they're not treated like the criminals they are?!

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[–] [email protected] 111 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

When I see this, I don't only see this man, I see every man, woman, and child who interacted with this police precinct.

How many current prisoners were put in prison by this type of psychological torture?

How many of those prisoners weren't as lucky as this man to have undeniable evidence of innocence?

How many citizens going about their day pull off the road when they spot a police car in their rear view mirror due to terrifying encounters shared by neighbors?

Fascist morons. Morons seem particularly useful to fascists, they love being the boot and they are too stupid to look up and see an even larger boot ready to crush them when they step out of line.

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[–] [email protected] 106 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The attorney is the hero of this story, suing the cops for 40 years 💪❤️

[–] [email protected] 59 points 7 months ago

The sad part of this is that the tax payers have been the one funding this without any improvements in police behavior.

[–] [email protected] 103 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Didnt see one thing about cops being charged or the chief being fired. FUCK THE POLICE!

[–] [email protected] 40 points 7 months ago

Fascists take care of their jackboots what can we say

[–] [email protected] 102 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

You wanna know how to make me a murderer? Make me believe you've killed my dog and make me say goodbye.

Its cunts like this that make me want to bring back public punishment's, let's see how fun it is yo be a psychotic prick when you gotta face actual public repercussions.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I hope some shred of humanity sparks in the person's mind who had that idea, of bringing in this poor guy's dog... Maybe on his deathbed, maybe in the middle of the night ten years from now for no reason, just the full fucking impact of realization that they're the bad guy of the story, that they're evil, that they did evil things that hurt people very badly and they cannot undo the harm they caused unfairly.

I don't think I'll hold my breath that humans are particularly inclined to self-reflect nowadays or especially as time goes, but I can dream.

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[–] [email protected] 99 points 7 months ago (2 children)

None of those cops received any punishment and the taxpayers covered the bill. God bless America.

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[–] [email protected] 97 points 7 months ago (8 children)

Sadism. The pigs enjoyed watching him suffer. It's the simplest and most obvious explanation, and all that bullshit about smelling blood is a lie designed to cover their tracks.

In a slightly more just society, that $900,000 would have come out of the bastards' malpractice insurance, their careers would be destroyed, and they would face investigation by an independent civilian oversight committee & face harassment / abuse charges.

A society that was slightly better still would see them afraid to show their fucking faces in that town ever again.

Perez was not released until after the end of the three-day psychological observation period. He then retrieved his dog from Riverside County Animal Services, tracking her down through an implanted chip, Steering said.

They didn't even give his fucking dog back!!!

[–] [email protected] 42 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

As a responsible pet owner, that makes me unbelievably angry. Bad decisions would follow. I would likely go to jail for my actions and argue that I can't be held fully responsible on account of my reasonable and extreme rage.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 7 months ago

To be honest, were I in that guy's position and they threatened to euthanize my dog and brought him to me to say goodbye, that likely would have been the ultimate end of my stint in free society right there. Zero chance I don't try to kill them with my bare hands when my sanity is already hanging by a thread. In my opinion this fully qualifies as psychological torture, and no person has any duty to suffer it quietly or otherwise.

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[–] [email protected] 95 points 7 months ago (9 children)

This should have got people fucking rioting in the streets or protesting like George Floyd.

The fuck os wrong with Americans.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 7 months ago

Americans don't have meaningful protests like other countries because they're so indoctrinated into thinking they're bad

[–] [email protected] 33 points 7 months ago

Tbh, I think a big part of the 2020 protests was Covid acting as a pressure cooker. All we had was time and anger. Much harder to get gatherings like that when folks are busy working. Healthcare being tied to jobs makes all my friends raising kids pretty shit for the protest scene too. Much harder to be a revolutionary when you have something to lose.

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[–] [email protected] 86 points 7 months ago

Fuck the police.

[–] [email protected] 77 points 7 months ago
[–] [email protected] 59 points 7 months ago

So taxpayers are paying this right?

The cops responsible should be forced to give every penny they have to their name. Cash, property, investments, 401k, the clothes on their fucking back. Then they can go work in those prison chain gangs for 8 dollars a day picking up trash on the streets to pay off the remaining debt. Unironically.

[–] [email protected] 58 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Tbh, I don't consider these officers to be human. They don't really deserve human rights.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 7 months ago

I mean it sounds like they tortured this man for fun. Absolutely harrowing. ACAB holds true.

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 7 months ago (7 children)

Hey. Political campaign managers. Mandatory malpractice liability insurance for police officers in the United States would be a salient piece of legislation or executive order to advertise.

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[–] [email protected] 55 points 7 months ago (17 children)

When shit like this happens, we need an armed mob outside the department the next day.

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[–] sarmale 42 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Soo fucked up, and not alone. In 2006 they interrogated a man that they suspected for murder of his girlfriend while he was visibly SHOT IN THE HEAD, and denied him medical care even tho he has a victim. He died 10y later from brain damage. Ryan Waller.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Absolutely horrifying. I'm sure this has already been said here, but it bears repeating over and over and over again: If the police bring you into an interrogation room and read you your Miranda rights IMMEDIATELY REQUEST A LAWYER. This is true even if (ESPECIALLY IF) you have done nothing wrong. Don't give them any of this "should I have a lawyer?" or "I think I might need a lawyer" bullshit... they have and will twist that; continue to question/manipulate you. You need to state it EMPHATICALLY "I will not talk without a lawyer present, I want my lawyer present." Legally, the police are allowed to lie to you, deceive you, and a limited amount of bashing you around verbally. There are no police badges that say "this is a good cop who is not trying to manipulate you" and never for a moment think you're smarter than an investigator... you might be smarter than some people at some things, but these folks whole job is to manipulate people. You need a legal expert on your side.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Disgusting.

Almost as disgusting as the fact that they'll likely keep doing this with no repercussions.

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