I expect simple behaviours here. Friendship, and love. Any advice should be from the perspective of the person asking, not the person giving! We have had to make new membership moderated to combat the huge number of spammers who register
Location: US/Canada
Registered: September 2009
Messages: 733
SPECIAL TO IOMFATS-By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) July 30 | Ten days ago a Baltimore City Police Officer was cleared of the most serious administrative charges, involving berating and pushing a 14-year-old skateboarder at the Inner Harbor three years ago which was not only caught on tape but was uploaded to YouTube and went viral.
According to City Desk beat reporter Peter Hermann writing for The Baltimore Sun newspaper:
"A three-member police panel called a trial board held a hearing last week and found Officer Salvatore Rivieri guilty of failing to issue the youth a citizen contact receipt and file a report but not guilty on charges of using excessive and unnecessary force and uttering a discourtesy
Hermann also reported that:
"The video, which was posted online by one of the skateboarder's friends, became an Internet sensation in part because of Rivieri's rant on the ever-contentious topic of whether teens pay enough deference to authority. Rivieri became enraged when Eric Bush, listening to an iPod, appeared to ignore him and later repeatedly referred to the officer as "dude" and "man."
At one point, Rivieri told Bush: "Don't get defensive with me, son, or you'll spend some time in juvenile. You aren't allowed to ride your skateboards down here, nowhere."
Then, Rivieri went on his now-famous rant:
"Obviously your parents don't put a foot in your butt quite enough because you don't understand the meaning of respect," the officer screamed at Bush. "First of all, you better learn how to speak. I'm not 'man.' I'm not 'dude.' I am Officer Rivieri, and the sooner you learn that the longer you're going to live in this world. You go around doing this kind of stuff, somebody's going to kill you."
Hermann writes:
"The officer's lawyer, Michael Davey, confirmed the trial board's decision but refused to comment further, noting that "the case is not concluded until the commissioner signs the final order." He said that the police commissioner does have the right to fire his client.
But William P. Blackford, the attorney for the now 17-year-old skateboarder, said the department has yet to take the simple step to say it's sorry.
"I never thought Officer Rivieri was an evil man," the lawyer said. "He overreacted. They should just apologize." He said that dragging the case out over three years only shows the public that police have unique rights and "re-enforces the insidious perception that the police play by different rules.""
[Video below.] The most obvious aspect to the video is that it serves to illustrate how American law enforcement pushes the limits of acceptable practises and unless confronted in a very public fashion, will continually abuse the authority it is granted.
In many instances during otherwise peaceful protests, there have been American police officers who have behaved just as badly as this one towards persons exercising their freedom of speech & expression.
During a recent LGBT Pride event in the American deep south, the prevailing attitude of the law enforcement contingent was not too dissimilar to that expressed by this Baltimore Officer towards the participants.
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
We also have police who can molest ordinary citizens and are cleared of offences.
There is something nasty about brutality in uniform. This does not extend, here, to gay marches and the like, but any protest or demonstration is likely to encounter this type of reaction. And the officer is always found to have acted reasonably.
Location: England
Registered: November 2003
Messages: 1756
There is an ethos of legal thuggery in these police riot squads.
I know one or two policemen, but lots of ex-coppers and the stories that they come out with are appalling, from provocation on the one hand to the silly tricks they play such as taking the keys out of another police car and handing them to the sergeant.
These are all upright, honourable, reasonable individuals, but when they get together they metamorphose.
Hugs
Nigel
I dream of boys with big bulges in their trousers,
Never of girls with big bulges in their blouses.
Location: U.S.A.
Registered: April 2007
Messages: 907
Nigel says:
>These are all upright, honourable, reasonable individuals, but when they get together they metamorphose.
I think you are 'spot on' here Nigel. I don't suppose they are any less subject to the dynamics of mob mentality than anyone else. People in in groups can do things that they would never consider doing as individuals.
But, I think what was being presented here, and needs to be addressed, is how inexcusable practices by some in authority can be absolved by higher ups. It is as though we are being told that police officers are above common courtesy, above common decency and, in some instances, above the law. The lesson learned here by other police officers is that they can do and say what they want without regard to possible consequences. Doesn't that sort of define a 'police state'?
Youth crisis hot-line 866-488-7386, 24 hr (U.S.A.)
There are people who want to help you cope with being you.
Location: U.S.
Registered: November 2009
Messages: 630
I have to reply with a residents view of Baltimore City, having lived there for five years some time ago.
From that point of view anyone not in uniform might be a criminal, but those in uniform are. The police scandals there rival Los Angeles, and every new city administration has failed to clean up the mess.
The officer in question, seen in the video, looks fed up. He had a bad day, the kids were disrespectful, and his wife probably hates him too. Having a bad job in a bad town is no excuse, a lot of city employees there are about the same. They are civil servants, they feel invincible.
My co-worker and I stopped for a sandwich one night after work and the store was filled, not a table in sight. So we went back to the vehicle to eat our sandwiches. A police car drove by and stopped, turned on it's lights and the officers came over.
We were asked to get out of the car and were frisked. I was asked what we were doing and I replied we were eating our late dinner. I was told we could not do that here.
The attitude started when I asked if we were doing something illegal on a public street. I was told not to question his authority. I chose tact and we left, driving over to my apartment and finishing our meal.
At 32 I was quite pissed off, my co-worker was a 19 year old who lived on the bad side of town. He said what had happened was common around his place where everyone dealt drugs. Needless to say Baltimore has its good people and its bad, I tend to take the POV that the uniforms are in that latter category. Assholes.
Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read. (Sir Francis Bacon 1561-1626)
Location: the burning former USofA
Registered: July 2010
Messages: 399
The term "public servant" has been replaced by "civil authority", much to the dismay of peace and civility.
"Obviously your parents don't put a foot in your butt quite enough because you don't understand the meaning of respect," the officer screamed at Bush. "First of all, you better learn how to speak. I'm not 'man.' I'm not 'dude.' I am Officer Rivieri, and the sooner you learn that the longer you're going to live in this world. You go around doing this kind of stuff, somebody's going to kill you."
Kill him for using 'dude' or 'man'? And just where is this officer's respect? All he did was teach this kid that cops can be asses. Sure something he should know in our modern world.
Location: USA
Registered: April 2009
Messages: 430
I never argue with a man with a gun. I'm scared shitless of guns. Sometimes, I look in my rearview mirror after passing a police patrol car or motorcycle to see if they might turn about and trail me. It is unreasonable I admit but really, I am not wanting to get tangled with a police officer who could be looking for a fight.
Location: US/Canada
Registered: September 2009
Messages: 733
WASHINGTON DC AUG 26 | Dude's Not a Baltimore Cop Anymore; From WRC NBC4 News Washington: Baltimore police Officer Salvatore Rivieri was fired Wednesday morning for a rant that worked its way to YouTube, where it has been seen in various iterations thousands of times.
Rivieri confronted some teen skateboarders at Inner Harbor in 2007. Apparently sensing some disrespect, he began shouting at the boys, one of whom was taping the incident.
The video shows Rivieri, in tones suited to a Marine Corps drill sergeant, ordering the boys not to get defensive. Next he grabs then-14-year-old Eric Bush in a headlock, pushes him to the ground and roundly scolds the boy for addressing him as “dude.”
Last month, a three-member police panel conducted a trial board and cleared Rivieri of the most serious administrative charges. The panel recommended several days of suspension.
Apparently that wasn’t severe enough for Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III.
Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Rivieri was fired Wednesday morning after meeting with the commissioner.
Guglielmi said the department will not comment further because it is a personnel matter.
I have never been arrested or involved with law enforcement other than a traffic accident. The accident was not my fault, in fact, the other party left the scene, which is illegal. Even though I was respectful and polite, the officer was arrogant, rude and treated me as if I was a criminal. By the time I was allowed to leave, even though I was a victim, I felt angry, abused and pissed off at the world. I really hate having to deal with cops. I'm sure there are a few good ones out there, but I think most of them dislike and disrespect the people they are hired to serve and protect.
] 
A Place of Safety
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
Baltimore Police Officer Cleared On Abuse Of Authority 
Re: Baltimore Police Officer Cleared On Abuse Of Authority 
Re: Baltimore Police Officer Cleared: UPDATE..COP FIRED 
