Pixiq

This seems like a pretty clear case of assault/battery. With no audio, it’s hard to tell what orders the “officer” was giving, but the victim appeared to be complying. The man that came out of his house should be able to testify as to what was being said. I hope there’s more than a slap on the wrist. These jurors need to grow a pair and start holding cops accountable instead of falling for the “hardships of the job” line all the time. It has to start somewhere!

Even at risk of being shot, I definitely would have fought back, or if I was the guy coming out of the house, a flying kick to the chest. Fuck it.
Jake Stichler´s last blog ..Net Worth Update: April 2010

Wow – A beating just for squealing his tires??? Not surprised really, now I’m wondering when walking down the street while chewing gum will merit a full fledged SWAT call up.

Even if he does get a slap on the wrist his union will appeal it in arbitration and that blemish on his record will disappear.

I wonder how many complaints have been filed about this prick.

I just hope that if/when the driver and his passenger sue Mandarino or the department, that the conditions of the settlement include Mandarino losing his LEO certification for good and doesn’t allow the department to say that their not at fault.
Workingindust´s last blog ..After Ride Party

He should not only be taken into civil court and be subjected to termination by his employer, he should be indicted……..federally. Personally, I’d love to introduce him to my ASP.

Once more we get to see the abuse. At what point does a person being beat by an officer get to fight back ?. Unfortunately we all know what will happen then. If it were not for the video tape the beaten man would be sitting in JAIL. We all know that the police officers will make up whatever story is necessary and they know the Judges will believe them over any citizen. Finally it will be us tax payers paying the civil suit. It should be the police officer along with everyone who works at the police station. Why should we have to pay when we all know the system is corrupt.

What a charged, chilly climate…. I know this story is only peripheral to photographer’s rights per se, and the fact that the cop is facing charges is great news. However, seeing things like this really puts a damper on my enthusiasm for leaving my house, let alone taking a camera with me.

When I am out photographing and I see a cop or a security guard, lately I find myself thinking “do not worry, be calm, nothing’s going to happen.” For the most part that’s true. I have had a few confrontations with security or misinformed citizens, and once was actually threatened with an ass-kicking (not by a cop), but it’s never really gotten out of hand.

When I see stuff like this it makes me wonder if my paranoia is actually *very* justified. While I’m sure police brutality is nothing new, this does not feel like the United States I grew up in.

HEIL HITLER
HEIL STALIN
LONG LIVE THE POLICE STATE

Isn’t it clear that the man DESERVED the beating? It’s obvious! The cop obviously was having a bad day and the man made it worse by not strictly adhering to the traffic laws therefore the cop had the right to take out his frustration on the man.

Seriously though, at what point does self-defense kick in? And “resisting arrest” is not a crime in an unlawful arrest so self defense should not be a crime either. It’s tough though if it’s not caught on video.

I’m gonna hope because of the media attenion and the severity of the beating that this pos gets a little more than a slap on the wrist. In Miami dade county though it’s a bit different, when we have bad cops down here, they get commended by the department!

http://thestrawbuyer.blogspot.com/2009/08/horrific-leadership-somber-mom...

Jake, what you are talking about is “suicide by cop”.

“While I’m sure police brutality is nothing new, this does not feel like the United States I grew up in.”

I just turned 67 last Friday and I’ll telll ya for CERTAIN this is not the same country I grew up in. One can only wonder why people still want to migrate here.

Well I’m waiting..!

Where’s all you pro “cops can do NO wrong” people commenting on this one. I can’t wait to hear all your thoughts on how the cop had a right to do what he did!

Rail Car Fan

Your right of defense against unlawful arrest: http://www.constitution.org/uslaw/defunlaw.htm
Jake Stichler´s last blog ..Net Worth Update: April 2010

Quite possibly. However, would you rather have your pride, or be beaten helplessly like a dog?

I suspect the obvious answer would be “I’d rather be alive…”
Jake Stichler´s last blog ..Net Worth Update: April 2010

“…and I’ll telll ya for CERTAIN this is not the same country I grew up in. ”

It’s the same country … now it’s in your neighborhood, too.

I have to say I’m encouraged that he was charged with a felony (hopefully they will stick). Also, besides the chain of custody problems, I think police dash cams have been a positive in reducing police abuse. The more public their abuses the greater chance that they’ll be held accountable.

He should be charged the same as any civilian who stopped someone, forced them out of their car, and beat them. He should be punished to the fullest extent of that law, as this was clearly unprovoked assault and battery.

Right you are. One’s pride does one no good whatsoever when one is dead!

“Isn’t it clear that the man DESERVED the beating? It’s obvious! The cop obviously was having a bad day and the man made it worse by not strictly adhering to the traffic laws therefore the cop had the right to take out his frustration on the man.”

Well, now that you put THAT way Difster, I can see your point!!

I think you’re right to a certain degree about that. But actually, these kinds of problems have accelerated signifigantly in the last 25-30 years, big time.

“The driver, Ronald Bell, pulled into the driveway of his brother’s home. The video shows Bell complying with the officer, including stepping out of the car with his hands on his head and getting down on his knees.”

I don’t have volume with the video you posted. As someone who works in LE, it appears to me the officer wanted the driver to go fully down on the ground. This means face down, chest down, etc.. I only assume this because while the guy when to his knees and had his hands behind his head, the officer goes behind him to push him down further. Plus, on another video I saw, his brother eventually puts him all the way down. Do you have an audio recording that we don’t? If you don’t, and the officer was ordering the guy to go face down on the ground, how is that complying with the officer? I don’t know if the officer had a legal reason to put the guy face down on the ground, but I can tell you that if you fear the suspect(s) you are dealing with are armed/will fight, it is better to put them flat out on the ground and not let them just go to their knees. It is harder for people to attack someone else if they are laying face down on the ground vs. just on their knees.

As far as him smacking the guy with the baton, that wasn’t the right response. If the officer was telling the guy to go face down, and the guy refused that command, the proper response would have been to back away and put the guy at gun point till other officers arrived. If he was scared the guy wasn’t going all the way down due to him wanting to ambush him with an attack, the officer should have never attempted to force the guy down. If someone is refusing lawful commands, I say officers should either back away to safety and wait for back-up.

“As far as him smacking the guy with the baton, that wasn’t the right response. If the officer was telling the guy to go face down, and the guy refused that command, the proper response would have been to back away and put the guy at gun point till other officers arrived.”

Whew!
Thanks for clearing that up for the rest of us.
We were under the impression it was okay
to beat the shit out of some guy squealing his tires and then charge him with a crime
for submitting to a severe attack.

“Thanks for clearing that up for the rest of us.”

That’s what I’m here for!

I don’t know what you guys are talking about. I’ve heard from cops that this shit was, if anything, more prevalent back in the day.

What’s changed is that we used to never hear about it, and back when the laws made a little more sense, people were more willing to accept it.

Now that we live in a country where, in some places, having hedges higher than 3 ft is a criminal offense, there’s more of a backlash against over-zealous enforcement of the laws.
akagoldfish´s last blog ..operator 44201

In Cook County, it’s pretty unusual for criminal charges against a public official or LEO to be brought this quickly (Did they ever indict that asshat cop in Dolton who beat that disabled kid, or is that case still open?)

So yeah, the fact the State’s Attorney herself is calling this creep out is a sign that, for whatever reason, the legal apparatus has decided to make an example out of him. Maybe he’ll cop a lesser plea, but I suspect he will serve jail time.
akagoldfish´s last blog ..operator 44201

He quit blogging. And nothing of value was lost.
akagoldfish´s last blog ..operator 44201

John doe Your right the suspect was not complying with the officer. He also physically resisted when the officer tried to put him on the ground.

To answer your question John the officer did have a right to force the suspect to the ground because the suspect was fleeing and eluding. The reason for the stop was squealing tires but the suspect decided not to stop.

Officer safety is not the only factor in standing by for assistance. Having more witnesses, and no, not more accomplices, to ensure that the contact with the subject doesn’t go awry, is beneficial.

There are other less-than-lethal methods to use. The baton has the potential of being too excessive. I was PR24 certified and know the damage that a baton can inflict if improperly used. I prefer chemical agents, ONLY IF NEEDED.

As far as Mandarino is concerned, he pushed the envelope into a civil rights violation as Bell was technically under his control when he received the beating. The U.S. Attorney’s Office should be prosecuting this piece of shit, not the state.

I bet you sometime in the near future someone is going to take a cops life in fear of there own. The police need to get a hold of themselves, start better training and get the bad ones out.

Bills need to be introduced that MANDATE harsher sanctions for law enforcement officers who are convicted of this type of official misconduct. Violating the public trust with unwarranted violence must not be tolerated. Not only that, the media needs to step up at the national level, and flood the networks with as much coverage as possible. I believe that this would be instrumental as a preventive measure.

I keep my head shaven, but I hate that shiny look….

I guess that’s the least of his worries
Guy Freeman´s last blog ..Photo stash: Wrong way in Hampton

That’s a really shallow rational for justifying what amounted to a bludgeoning with a night stick administered to a citizen who was already on his knees. If the police have to secure their safety in such a fashion then its obvious to me that “officer safety” is a phoney baloney excuse for brutalizing the public.

It’s more like suicide by nazi. Look at the photo of the piece of crap. It is easy to picture is ass in a black SS uniform.

I agree, Rusty. A display of shallow and DEFECTIVE thinking.

“Any man can stand adversity. But if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

-Abraham Lincoln

This piece of crap’s character was tested and it was revealed.

There is quite a difference between failing to comply and being combative. Which one was it? You’re damned right he should not have been beaten.

The level of training received from day one was apparently forgotten or overridden by this piece of crap’s pathological thinking.