James Blake, American former Tennis pro, profiled and assaulted by NYPD due to his race

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's say it's not about race.
Let's say it's simply about the prevalence of improper procedure and reckless conduct by overzealous wanna-be-action-hero authorities.
Isn't that something that needs to be addressed?
Doesn't such behavior jeopardize the rights and safety of all citizens?

Agree. I don't want to be tackled by a cop in the event they mistake me for someone suspected of identity theft. Don't I deserve protection from some cop who over reacts? What happened to professionalism in the police force?

I would say it's still there with most officers but there is no perfection in any large organization. So you must hold those accountable and get rid of them. Studies have shown that when you adhere to a more rigid policy it is more often followed.

Pp here. I think what concerns me is that in the era of cell phone videos and security cameras, we are now seeing how many police officers lack this kind of professionalism. I'm willing to believe it's a minority but I was led to believe that it didn't exist. And it doesn't make me feel secure that this couldn't happen to me.

I also don't know if Blake was racially profiled but the fact that he was a tennis star meant that there were apologies and consequences. That would most likely not have been the case if the person tackled had been working class or poor. That is not acceptable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On another note, that James Blake is one class act.

+1
Had it happened to some football or basketball player all tatted up with saggy pants and decked out in gold chains the prevailing argument would be that they brought it upon themselves for being so "street" but James Blake is not some stereotypical thug athlete he's a class act through and through so those easy excuses/explanations as to why he ended up being treated in such a poor manner by the police aren't going to fly in this case. Even in the midst of the assault/arrest he was courteous and cooperative - way more so than most would have been in such a situation. The officer is trash and all others like him who think being a police officer involves running around like a loose cannon ignoring due process and acting like Riggs from Lethal Weapon. Get these clowns off the street and tell them to become corrections officers and break up fights in the prison yard if they want some action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's say it's not about race.
Let's say it's simply about the prevalence of improper procedure and reckless conduct by overzealous wanna-be-action-hero authorities.
Isn't that something that needs to be addressed?
Doesn't such behavior jeopardize the rights and safety of all citizens?

Agree. I don't want to be tackled by a cop in the event they mistake me for someone suspected of identity theft. Don't I deserve protection from some cop who over reacts? What happened to professionalism in the police force?

I would say it's still there with most officers but there is no perfection in any large organization. So you must hold those accountable and get rid of them. Studies have shown that when you adhere to a more rigid policy it is more often followed.

Pp here. I think what concerns me is that in the era of cell phone videos and security cameras, we are now seeing how many police officers lack this kind of professionalism. I'm willing to believe it's a minority but I was led to believe that it didn't exist. And it doesn't make me feel secure that this couldn't happen to me.

I also don't know if Blake was racially profiled but the fact that he was a tennis star meant that there were apologies and consequences. That would most likely not have been the case if the person tackled had been working class or poor. That is not acceptable.

pp

No doubt he has been afforded more courtesy because of his status/stature and while that is how it is in life it shouldn't be in a better world.

While I have challenged those that attempt to assign absolute racial profiling etc. and/or adding hyperbole to what happened, especially the OP, there is no doubt that the approach of a suspect in the surroundings and circumstance that existed could have been done more professionally and without force until it was determined that force was necessary.

And your mentioning of cell phones/video...if I were an officer I would assume I was being recorded every time. lol In fact these days you can't scratch your nuts without it being recorded in hundreds of public places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On another note, that James Blake is one class act.

+1
Had it happened to some football or basketball player all tatted up with saggy pants and decked out in gold chains the prevailing argument would be that they brought it upon themselves for being so "street" but James Blake is not some stereotypical thug athlete he's a class act through and through so those easy excuses/explanations as to why he ended up being treated in such a poor manner by the police aren't going to fly in this case. Even in the midst of the assault/arrest he was courteous and cooperative - way more so than most would have been in such a situation. The officer is trash and all others like him who think being a police officer involves running around like a loose cannon ignoring due process and acting like Riggs from Lethal Weapon. Get these clowns off the street and tell them to become corrections officers and break up fights in the prison yard if they want some action.

I believe more people like you suggest this scenario than actually happens IRL by those that carry such an attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On another note, that James Blake is one class act.

+1
Had it happened to some football or basketball player all tatted up with saggy pants and decked out in gold chains the prevailing argument would be that they brought it upon themselves for being so "street" but James Blake is not some stereotypical thug athlete he's a class act through and through so those easy excuses/explanations as to why he ended up being treated in such a poor manner by the police aren't going to fly in this case. Even in the midst of the assault/arrest he was courteous and cooperative - way more so than most would have been in such a situation. The officer is trash and all others like him who think being a police officer involves running around like a loose cannon ignoring due process and acting like Riggs from Lethal Weapon. Get these clowns off the street and tell them to become corrections officers and break up fights in the prison yard if they want some action.

I believe more people like you suggest this scenario than actually happens IRL by those that carry such an attitude.

In real life a class act guy minding his business was run up on and taken down unnecessarily by a plain clothes officer who didn't identify himself NOR did he or any of the other officers file a mistaken identity report after being alerted of their error by an onlooker. That's real life and its f#ked up enough said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On another note, that James Blake is one class act.

+1
Had it happened to some football or basketball player all tatted up with saggy pants and decked out in gold chains the prevailing argument would be that they brought it upon themselves for being so "street" but James Blake is not some stereotypical thug athlete he's a class act through and through so those easy excuses/explanations as to why he ended up being treated in such a poor manner by the police aren't going to fly in this case. Even in the midst of the assault/arrest he was courteous and cooperative - way more so than most would have been in such a situation. The officer is trash and all others like him who think being a police officer involves running around like a loose cannon ignoring due process and acting like Riggs from Lethal Weapon. Get these clowns off the street and tell them to become corrections officers and break up fights in the prison yard if they want some action.

I believe more people like you suggest this scenario than actually happens IRL by those that carry such an attitude.

In real life a class act guy minding his business was run up on and taken down unnecessarily by a plain clothes officer who didn't identify himself NOR did he or any of the other officers file a mistaken identity report after being alerted of their error by an onlooker. That's real life and its f#ked up enough said.

So you want to ignore what you said before?

[Anonymous]

I'm anxious to see what comes out of this because this is a perfect opportunity to initiate some actual policy toward preventing rogue cops from acting a fool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm anxious to see what comes out of this because this is a perfect opportunity to initiate some actual policy toward preventing rogue cops from acting a fool.

Also to get this particular officer off of the street.

[Anonymous]

What a terrible video! wow

I read up on the cop. Such an angry, power-hungry ass!

[Anonymous]

A teachable moment? Another beer summit, perhaps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm anxious to see what comes out of this because this is a perfect opportunity to initiate some actual policy toward preventing rogue cops from acting a fool.

Also to get this particular officer off of the street.

He'll probably be offered a job in Cleveland.

[Anonymous]

Having watched the video again a few times, the argument that Blake was "racially profiled" comes across as utterly and completely ludicrous. In the video, one can't even distinguish any meaningful difference in skin color between Blake and the cop that tackled him, nor can one see anything about Blake's clothing, behavior or demeanor that would signal anything whatsoever about his race.

Yes, the cops got it wrong, but playing the race card here is a serious stretch.

[Anonymous]

Let's be clear - I hate that people are so quick to dismiss the racial element. Blake was racially profiled in the sense that the officer felt the need to tackle him, instead of just asking for his ID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having watched the video again a few times, the argument that Blake was "racially profiled" comes across as utterly and completely ludicrous. In the video, one can't even distinguish any meaningful difference in skin color between Blake and the cop that tackled him, nor can one see anything about Blake's clothing, behavior or demeanor that would signal anything whatsoever about his race.

Yes, the cops got it wrong, but playing the race card here is a serious stretch.

If you're reluctant to see this as a racial profiling incident more power to you but that doesn't make this incident negligible or irrelevant as far as improper conduct. Police should not be able to physically attack non-threatening individuals on the presumption that they are suspected of non-violent crimes. The officer acted in poor judgment - period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having watched the video again a few times, the argument that Blake was "racially profiled" comes across as utterly and completely ludicrous. In the video, one can't even distinguish any meaningful difference in skin color between Blake and the cop that tackled him, nor can one see anything about Blake's clothing, behavior or demeanor that would signal anything whatsoever about his race.

Yes, the cops got it wrong, but playing the race card here is a serious stretch.

If you're reluctant to see this as a racial profiling incident more power to you but that doesn't make this incident negligible or irrelevant as far as improper conduct. Police should not be able to physically attack non-threatening individuals on the presumption that they are suspected of non-violent crimes. The officer acted in poor judgment - period.

Yes, the issue is tackling Blake when the suspect (who turned out to be completely innocent and not associated at all with the crime) was wanted only for identity fraud. Which means that you or I could have been tackled as well in a similar situation. I worry for my own safety now when I see that some police officers act this way.

On another note, I'm an older white woman. So maybe the police officer wouldn't tackle me? But then if he wouldn't tackle me because I'm an older white woman, then he must be profiling based on something. But I'm going with the possibility that this shows this could happen to anyone -- since some of our DCUM friends are insisting this wasn't racial profiling. Fine - then tell me why I, as a taxpayer -- who until recently had assumed that police officers as a group exercised a certain amount of professionalism -- shouldn't be livid that there are folks who think we should just get over this because it wasn't racial profiling.