What can Catholics do to stand up against police brutality?

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Proof or evidence of this?

You say more than a couple cases of this, meaning not very many. Then you say common practice. So if we are going to accuse a group of people of a crime what is it more than a couple or common practice?

Edit: Ok I see you posted a couple of links. I still dont think this makes it common and i dont lnow if these sources are trustworthy. Unfourtuently a lot of news sources today are so far to the left or right of center it is hard to get the actual facts.

This is coming from a Constitutional Conservative.
 
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Yeah, I remember that incident. Philip Brailsford is no longer a Police Officer. He was acquitted of 2nd Degree Murder. However, as another officer pointed out, nothing was preventing him from cuffing Mr. Shaver.
 
Why dont you do your own research. Plenty of cops have abused their authority. Plenty of cops did their jobs honorably. But to say there werent abuses in most major police departments, then you are being willfully blind. Just look at the LAPD from the late 1940s to the 2000s. Lots of abuses alleged, some proved.
 
There are many biased news sites, but these articles are talking about actual real trials of police that abused their powers. And these are recent. It is a lot less common nowadays, partly because almost everyone has a camera with them in their phone now to document an abuse.
 
TheAmazingGrace said:
So people deserve to be assaulted anytime an officer takes umbrage at something they say?
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No, but the best thing to do is to keep one’s mouth shut because as you’re not carrying the weapon, you have zero control of the situation. Don’t surrender your right to say nothing. It won’t work out well.

That doesn’t change situations like Castile’s (if the accounts are accurate, that was poor response by the officer and I too question the dispensation of that case), of course, and I know that.

But you just comply and keep your mouth shut except to answer direct questions - and you can always opt to not answer them. Don’t surrender anything to them without a warrant, not even your cell phone. It’s not your place to attempt to de-escalate the situation or anything of that nature.

I really don’t care how guilty a cop thinks I am or am not, but I want an attorney and I want a warrant. I know my rights. He or she can be the best cop in the world, and I have no reason to think they’re not. I respect them and I know what a tough job they have, and I am very, very appreciative of what they do. I thank cops all the time, every chance I get.

But I also know my rights, and I’m not surrendering them of my own volition.

Even on a military base the cop at the gate can’t demand I hand over my cell phone. Call the military magistrate and get a warrant, dude. I’ll pull over and wait. The only thing they can do is check my car or bar my entry if I refuse. And even if they search my car (it’s a perfunctory check, not an out and out search), they still have to get a warrant for anything they think they’ve found.
 
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It kind of makes one ponder…why did she kick him in the groin…that’s not exactly a natural reflex. I am not condoning either of their actions.
 
I am standing by the Golden Rule. I would have respected my parents and myself more if they respected me…Many kids will not care about themselves or others if they do not think their parents care about them. If I want my kids to learn to be respectful and say please and thank you, I live that example to them and ask they do the same for others…Golden rule.
 
Statistical insignificance. My case is nice and relaxed sipping a margarita. Yours is errupting like a volcano in Hawaii.

Obey the law and show respect for police and have zero worries.

All Catholics should be doing this.

Aloha.
 
HolySpirit said:
My case is nice and relaxed sipping a margarita. Yours is errupting like a volcano in Hawaii.
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Claiming “statistical insignificance” without presenting any actual statistics is usually a pretty good indication that someone has no case. You’ve proved nothing, and saying you have doesn’t make it so.
 
The reality is that many people will not “comply” if they feel they are being treated unjustly or if the officer acts like he has no emotional self control or feels he should just blindly be obeyed due to having a police title.

If the police officer is acting approachable,just and reasonable,then the “detainee” should of course assist them with their enquiries or otherwise it is that persons own fault.
However,we are not talking about reasonable police but are talking about instances of police excess/brutality in this thread.

Part of becoming a police officer is the reality that they will come across individuals who don’t “comply” (cooperate with investigation),people with mental illnesses/emotional disorders,people who feel they are being unjustly treated by police(some based in fact and others not) etc…
Police officers obviously can’t pick to deal with “perfect behaviour criminals” but what they can do is moderate their own emotional responses and have self awareness and there should be repercussions when they don’t.
(As there should be anywhere where there is an abuse of power-judge,doctors etc…)

I don’t think anyone would ever suggest that being a police officer would be easy,but this notion/reasoning that they should be “obeyed at all costs” because their job is difficult,is just not going to wash.

From an outsiders perspective not from the US,I find it alarming that you would find that he used reasonable force in this situation.
Especially given the fact that the woman mentioned she had a baby or small child with her so even though she backed away/tried to walk off she wasn’t going to go too far, and also the irony that the US has a legal drinking age of 21 but yet people are thought to have enough responsibility to be able raise a child (sometimes even 2 or 3) before they are 21?
So they aren’t responsible or mature enough to drink yet they are responsibility and mature enough to raise children??
Seems backwards to me…
When you look at it from a “world wide perspective”, for the officer to take this aggressive approach to the potential crime of her underage drinking definitely looks excessive and out of control.
 
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Please forgive me if this has already been posted in this thread.

I would like to say something that I always ask a person who is ranting about a particular story of police brutality, of how unfair it all is, etc:

Were you there when it happened?

“The cop shouldn’t have done that. He was unarmed.” How is the officer supposed to know that? His life is on the line. I would think that maybe he is going with the assumption that the suspect IS armed.

“It was the guys cell phone/keys/yada yada yada that he was pulling out of his pocket.” Isn’t it nice to look at a video numerous times in the comfort of your own living room where you can pause the video, zoom in and see that it wasn’t a weapon? Yeah. The officer doesn’t have that luxury. He could be dead by then.

For everyone who thinks that the police force needs an overhaul, think again. These men and women are human beings, too. Every time that I see an officer whether it be in a restaurant, store, wherever, I thank them. I tell them that I know their job has gotten tougher because of what is seen on the media. Our last POTUS did a lousy job standing by our police force.

Unless you are at the scene, witnessing what is going on right then and there, please don’t make any judgements.
 
I completely agree with you that the right thing is for all people to treat each other with respect.
What I don’t agree with is that being a police officer earns a person some paramount respect that entitles an officer to act however they want due to their title (out of proportion,excess force,emotional out of control,treating detainees without respect,without repurcussions).

There’s a difference between a natural “everyone should give respect to each other” vs an aggressive demanding blind “you must respect me!”

When I mentioned “earnt” I was referring to people who believe that police should be given blind respect not natural respect.
Sorry if I’m not explaining it well.I hope that makes sense.

There are instances of where people have had respect towards police officers and they have still been treated unjustly and with excesses/abuse of power.

Having respect towards people though doesn’t mean we should be silent in the face of misjustice.
 
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