Remember the idiot cop who got out and started brandishing a gun around at a peaceful snowball fight a couple months ago? The internal affairs panel that looked at his case has apparently recommended a 10 day suspension for his actions. The police union plans to appeal the ruling if and when it comes down. Because cops never do anything wrong, of course, even when it happens on video.
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Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of Michigan Citizens for Science and co-founder of The Panda's Thumb. He has written for such publications as The Bard, Skeptic and Reports of the National Center for Science Education, spoken in front of many organizations and conferences, and appeared on nationally syndicated radio shows and on C-SPAN. Ed is also a Fellow with the Center for Independent Media and the host of Declaring Independence, a one hour weekly political talk show on WPRR in Grand Rapids, Michigan.(static)
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Suspension Recommended for DC Snowball Fight Cop
Posted on: March 14, 2010 9:23 AM, by Ed Brayton
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Wow, it sure took them awhile to recommend he be suspended for 10 whole days for threatening a crowd of snowball fighters in public, on video, with a firearm.
How about this; people who threaten their fellow citizens with a firearm after being accidentally hit with a snowball have no business having a firearm to begin with. Fire the bum and revoke his carry permit.
Posted by: Julian | March 14, 2010 9:30 AM
On what possible grounds would the union want this penalty appealed? They should fine him double dues for a year.
If there is a reason for the appeal beyond blind loyalty, they should make it public quick!
Posted by: MikeMa | March 14, 2010 9:52 AM
MikeMa, it's definitely just loyalty. Unions will almost always do everything in their power to ensure their members (even bad ones) receive the least possible punishment for their actions. I'm generally a fan of unions, but I've never understood why they spend so much of their resources defending their worst members. I think some self-policing and addition by subtraction would do them a world of good.
Posted by: penn | March 14, 2010 10:11 AM
Is that suspension with or without pay?
Posted by: lukas | March 14, 2010 10:27 AM
I'm generally a fan of unions, but I've never understood why they spend so much of their resources defending their worst members.
Meh. That never bothered me, just as lawyers defend the worst parts of society. They're there for every member of the union--that's part of what the dues are for.
Posted by: gwangung | March 14, 2010 10:56 AM
peaceful fight?
Posted by: datruth | March 14, 2010 12:19 PM
gwangung and penn,
Unions are legally required to mount a zealous defense for their clients, just like lawyers. Unions, as a result of a SCOTUS decision back in 1967, are even required to defend individuals who fail to pay dues and even non-members. I don't think lawyers are required to represent people who refuse to pay them.
Posted by: History Punk | March 14, 2010 1:35 PM
Wherein we demonstrate that police disciplinary systems, like the State Medical Boards, exist primarily to provide a shield against the treatment that Joe Public gets.
Imagine if the same thing had happened to Joe: about forty counts of assault with a deadly weapon, possible plea to a lesser felony and a suspended sentence. The question of "with or without pay" becomes moot as he's spending his own money on the lawyers etc. and the question of "can he go to another department if his own won't have him" becomes moot thanks to the violent crime conviction.
Posted by: D. C. Sessions | March 14, 2010 4:57 PM
Posted by: WSfield | March 14, 2010 5:41 PM
Not all the time though. E.g. Here in Providence the cop caught beating a restrained subject, he's been indicted.
The cops mixed up in drug dealing, indicted.
Of course it's stretching pretty deep into the PPD Narco unit (8 people under investigation there!)
Posted by: Tony P | March 14, 2010 7:19 PM
When you outlaw snowballs, only criminals will have snowballs.
Posted by: Comrade PhysioProf | March 14, 2010 8:55 PM
It's a damned good thing that nobody was using that deadly "yellow snow" that Frank Z. warned us about.
Posted by: democommie | March 14, 2010 9:31 PM
As if I need another reason why I don't support police and prison guard unions.
Posted by: Brian W | March 15, 2010 10:24 AM
I don't object to the union's decision to defend him; I do object to any board that gives such a defense any more than a cursory, "Thanks, but we've got this one covered." Union defending member is fine; police board kowtowing to the union (which they do all too often), not so good.
Posted by: Freemage | March 15, 2010 5:49 PM