Did this cop go too far?

[Mrs Behavin]

Yeah I didnt think this would make national news! This happened in my hometown.....Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (July 3) - A police officer who appeared to choke a skateboarder in a video posted online has been cleared of any wrongdoing by an internal review board.

The Hot Springs Police Department Internal Affairs Board found the use of force was within the police department's policy on non-deadly force and recommended "no changes to this policy." The decision was released Monday.

Officer Joey Williams stopped a group of skateboarders June 21 on a downtown city sidewalk. Skateboarding is banned in the area.

The video shows Williams apparently choking one of the skateboarders after forcing him to the ground, then later chasing and wrestling two others while holding them in a headlock.

"This was a minimal force issue," Police Chief Bobby Southard told The Sentinel-Record. "He didn't resort to anything above hand control techniques and handcuffing."

Southard said Williams, who had been put on administrative leave, will return to bike patrol downtown Thursday. Six skateboarders - two adults and four juveniles - have court dates pending.

There's a video you can watch right here so you can decide for yourself Story - Officer Cleared of Choking Skateboarder - AOL News

 

[GraceAbounds]

Punk kids that can't seem to read the city ordinances posted, disrespect for laws posted as they disobey them, disrespect for officers of the law, and they apparently think it is all a big joke. I don't blame it on the kids though, I blame it on the parents.

The cops did their job. The kid's disrespect and resistance added a heightened level of awareness to the situation that had to be dealt with and to the kid's arrogant surprise --- it was.

The kids were wrong. The cop was doing his job.

 

[All Else Failed]

Police brutality. He overstepped his bounds totally. I bet he feelt big taking down a teenage girl.

 

[Charmer]

Punk kids! The cop was right, the kids were wrong 100%.

All those kids are smart asses, including the so-called "innocent" girl yelling, "Go, Go!". They all need a good face slapping and ass-kicking the way they flaunt their disobedience of the law. They thought, "Oh, no one's going to stop us; we'll never be caught. No one enforces this law!" Today it's skateboards, tomorrow it's ________?

I blame both the parents AND the kids. The parents for not enforcing the importance of laws and the kids for doing something they knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was against the city ordinances.

I was trying to slap them through my monitor, but I don't have one of those interactive monitors yet...

 

[All Else Failed]

Punk kids! The cop was right, the kids were wrong 100%.

All those kids are smart asses, including the so-called "innocent" girl yelling, "Go, Go!". They all need a good face slapping and ass-kicking the way they flaunt their disobedience of the law. They thought, "Oh, no one's going to stop us; we'll never be caught. No one enforces this law!" Today it's skateboards, tomorrow it's ________?

I blame both the parents AND the kids. The parents for not enforcing the importance of laws and the kids for doing something they knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was against the city ordinances.

I was trying to slap them through my monitor, but I don't have one of those interactive monitors yet...

Yeah its so productive to beat kids who were hurting no one. He should used a billy club and maybe a cattle prod next time, right?

 

[GraceAbounds]

I blame both the parents AND the kids. The parents for not enforcing the importance of laws and the kids for doing something they knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was against the city ordinances.

I agree with you. The only reason I said I blamed the parents more so is because I see many parents these days act just like these kids - total lack of respect for authority and laws. The kids grow up seeing this their whole life - this is their example - and it is then exactly what they imitate.

Really sad.

 

[Charmer]

Yeah its so productive to beat kids who were hurting no one. He should used a billy club and maybe a cattle prod next time, right?

You don't get it, do you? Their being kids doesn't factor into the situation. There is a law/ordinance; the kids blatantly disobeyed it; the cop saw them doing this, they gave him shit as they're staring in disbelief that they actually got busted for disobeying a law. Funny how their laughingly, law-breaking good time turned to seriousness when they realized that a law would actually be enforced.

I guess you don't see teenagers, who can be as strong as adults, acting up in this manner and worse and then crying like little bitches to their parents as the reality of REAL LIFE AND LAWS kicks in.

 

[Charmer]

I agree with you. The only reason I said I blamed the parents more so is because I see many parents these days act just like these kids - total lack of respect for authority and laws. The kids grow up seeing this their whole life - this is their example - and it is then exactly what they imitate.

Really sad.

And, in the past 15 years or so, I see more parents, like my oblivious sister, for example, go after the authorities and the offended party or victim with threats of lawsuits and how their child is so innocent and, and"...but there were other kids there, too, doing the same thing; how do you know my kid was doing something wrong and/or how do you know my kid was the responsible party for the vandelism of property or the injuries on a person?!"

 

[Dodge_Sniper]

But choking a goddamn teenager for skateboarding way out of line. That's ignorant. I'm with AEF on this one. They were not hurting anybody, law or not, and that cop stepped over his boundaries.

 

[All Else Failed]

You don't get it, do you? Their being kids doesn't factor into the situation. There is a law/ordinance; the kids blatantly disobeyed it; the cop saw them doing this, they gave him shit as they're staring in disbelief that they actually got busted for disobeying a law. Funny how their laughingly, law-breaking good time turned to seriousness when they realized that a law would actually be enforced.

I guess you don't see teenagers, who can be as strong as adults, acting up in this manner and worse and then crying like little bitches to their parents as the reality of REAL LIFE AND LAWS kicks in.

No no, I do get it. Yes, they broke a law and they should pay for it, but not by some overweight cop who probably has fantasies about being John Wayne and overreacting to a couple of 16 year olds. He didn't have to tackle them at all. He could have either wrote them a summons or simple radio for back up to escort them out of the area. The worst those kids did was laugh at him, and he probably just got pissed off at that and overreacted.

But choking a goddamn teenager for skateboarding way out of line. That's ignorant. I'm with AEF on this one. They were not hurting anybody, law or not, and that cop stepped over his boundaries.

Dude, do you even KNOW how dangerous 16 year old girls can be!? I mean, forget that cop outweighing her by at least 180 lbs, she probably had sharp nails that could have left a mark on him! He was right in throwing her to the ground, she needs to know her place as a woman in society!

 

[sexy.time]

i cant make a honest opinion on this. i am a skateboarder and i have received hostility a number of times, just because im skateboarding. if i were to witness the encounter then i could say who was in the right and who was in the wrong. you never know, the cop could have been the agressor or the kids could have.
either way i dont think CHOKING is a maneuver they teach cops for restraint.

 

[Dodge_Sniper]

No no, I do get it. Yes, they broke a law and they should pay for it, but not by some overweight cop who probably has fantasies about being John Wayne and overreacting to a couple of 16 year olds. He didn't have to tackle them at all. He could have either wrote them a summons or simple radio for back up to escort them out of the area. The worst those kids did was laugh at him, and he probably just got pissed off at that and overreacted.






Dude, do you even KNOW how dangerous 16 year old girls can be!? I mean, forget that cop outweighing her by at least 180 lbs, she probably had sharp nails that could have left a mark on him! He was right in throwing her to the ground, she needs to know her place as a woman in society!

^^ Agreed. That girl could have scratched his eyes out! Psh, go ahead and tackle the girl, I was just saying it was wrong to choke the guy. Of course I know how dangerous 16 year old girls can be, I know some! Scary stuff

 

[All Else Failed]

They are like little 125 lb wolverines when they're on the rag. Seriously.

 

[Dodge_Sniper]

Oh very. Say one wrong thing, they swoop in and BLAM! You're a pile of bloody scraps on the floor

 

[Sneakiecat]

They broke a law and ran from the cop. They did not listen to his instructions and seem to outnumber him most of the time. Sure, he grabbed the girl but she could have easily hit him with that skateboard. It wasn't like she was completely defenseless. Or innocent for that matter.

 

[TheOriginalJames]

I agree with Amber.

 

[Dodge_Sniper]

And if she hit him with a skateboard, that wouldn't be considered self defense, they'd call it assaulting an officer.

 

[Sneakiecat]

The officer didn't "attack" her, he was trying to arrest her and she resisted.

 

[AUDRAA]

Im going to move this to debate gang

 

[GuesSAngel]

And if she hit him with a skateboard, that wouldn't be considered self defense, they'd call it assaulting an officer.

it would be assaulting an officer