Poll of the Day > Do you think that cop philip brailsford should have been convicted?

(+) Yeah! (+)

......whose bodycam recorded him shooting a guy in a hotel or motel. I saw the video and don't agree with the cop telling him to crawl slowly towards him and warning him many times that he'd shoot him if he didn't listen to what he was saying. And can the cop be retried? Or will he not face any further charges?

A case of cold-blooded murder. If you really want the opportunity to blow somebody away and get away with it, become a cop. You will lose your job at the worst.

Note that the bodycam video was never shown to the jury, and was released only after the "not guilty" verdict.

The truly mind-boggling thing is that cops do not understand the reason behind the increasing public hostility towards cops.

Hyyr posted...

A case of cold-blooded murder. If you really want the opportunity to blow somebody away and get away with it, become a cop. You will lose your job at the worst.

Note that the bodycam video was never shown to the jury, and was released only after the "not guilty" verdict.

The truly mind-boggling thing is that cops do not understand the reason behind the increasing public hostility towards cops.

seriously? the jury was not allowed to see that video? unbelievable

He definitely should have been found guilty. That poor man was fully compliant. You can tell that both of the officers in the video were on a power trip, and ended a man's life for no reason.

I can only hope, now, that he faces some sort of mob justice. He is a subhuman.
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I just saw the video... how did this cold blooded murderer get off?

He is playing sick horror movie type games making the dude crawl before murdering him for no reason.

Hyyr posted...

f you really want the opportunity to blow somebody away and get away with it, become a cop. You will lose your job at the worst.

Well, this is a pretty fucking stupid post.

saw that video last night, pretty unsettling... he knew the guy was under the influence, one could tell as well. and he also knew what he was doing when he fired, didn't really give the guy too much time to respond to what he was saying, and he could've used a taser, instead of the rifle.

I also don't buy that the guy crawling was reaching behind himself for a weapon
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yeah i read that the jury wasn't allowed to see that video beforehand either. Supposedly the police department really fought to keep that video from going public and they really only released it after the not guilty verdict and even that took a lot. Like a lawsuit

XBoner posted...

yeah i read that the jury wasn't allowed to see that video beforehand either. Supposedly the police department really fought to keep that video from going public and they really only released it after the not guilty verdict and even that took a lot. Like a lawsuit

Why would the willingly release proof they defended a cold blooded murderer?

BlackScythe0 posted...

Why would the willingly release proof they defended a cold blooded murderer?

They should have released it at the beginning instead of defending him.
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Lawyers doing their jobs. It's not complicated.
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Hyyr posted...

Note that the bodycam video was never shown to the jury, and was released only after the "not guilty" verdict.

Reminds me of that Law and Order episode I saw recently.
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Supposedly one reason is that the cop shouting orders and the cop who shot the suspect were not the same person. There were like six cops involved altogether. As if that somehow makes it excusable.

it's really unfair what happened. the cops are trained to protect their own lives above ours. I find that fucked up. they have the training for these situations, not us. but when we fuck up, we get victim blamed after our death. That man was innocent, and scared. far as I am concerned, that was cold blooded murder. I haven't watched the video but I heard some of it, they played it on CNN and I just looked away but listened. and the cop shouting sounded like a total asshole. I think he wanted to kill. he was being very aggressive and hateful in his words.

Zikten posted...

it's really unfair what happened. the cops are trained to protect their own lives above ours. I find that fucked up. they have the training for these situations, not us. but when we fuck up, we get victim blamed after our death. That man was innocent, and scared. far as I am concerned, that was cold blooded murder. I haven't watched the video but I heard some of it, they played it on CNN and I just looked away but listened. and the cop shouting sounded like a total asshole. I think he wanted to kill. he was being very aggressive and hateful in his words.

Y'all gotta remember. The call was that he had a sniper rifle. They were on edge thinking it was gonna be another mass shooting. The only person to blame is the dumbass that called it in. They were on high alert expecting another mass shooter, instead they just got a drunk. Well at least to my knowledge of what was happening.
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I didn't realize it at the time, but the guy calling out that fucked up simon says game was not the Brailsford, but his sergeant.
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XBoner posted...

yeah i read that the jury wasn't allowed to see that video beforehand either. Supposedly the police department really fought to keep that video from going public and they really only released it after the not guilty verdict and even that took a lot. Like a lawsuit

Remember this next time someone presents the 'few bad apples' argument.
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BADoglick posted...

XBoner posted...

yeah i read that the jury wasn't allowed to see that video beforehand either. Supposedly the police department really fought to keep that video from going public and they really only released it after the not guilty verdict and even that took a lot. Like a lawsuit

Remember this next time someone presents the 'few bad apples' argument.

why should people remember this next time?

XBoner posted...

why should people remember this next time?

Because the police have shown a desire to protect bad cops. It's a bit like the catholic church situation from a while back, even if most are good people, there are problems from the top down on how they deal with this.

How did the prosecuting lawyer not get the video? Seems like the whole thing was rigged
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XBoner posted...

BADoglick posted...

XBoner posted...

yeah i read that the jury wasn't allowed to see that video beforehand either. Supposedly the police department really fought to keep that video from going public and they really only released it after the not guilty verdict and even that took a lot. Like a lawsuit

Remember this next time someone presents the 'few bad apples' argument.

why should people remember this next time?

Because the common defense of overly aggressive warrior cops is that every department has a few bad apples. But the rest of that bad apples expression is that a few bad apples ruin the whole bunch. That part is always conveniently left out.

So here we have an example of an obviously bad apple. And instead of going 'we can't have this type of behavior sullying our good name', they go out of their way to go 'nuh uh, that apple's not rotten. You're rotten'.

The need to protect their own overrides their commitment to protecting and serving their employers and customers, who are one in the same: you the taxpayer.
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These departments have lawyers and they do their jobs. They don't get to pick and choose which cases or officers to represent, they all get equal representation. No the departments can't disavow individual officers, especially before trial, without getting their asses sued.

None of that is a matter of "them above us," because none of it is exclusive to police departments.
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I'm not an officer but it seems like there could have been a much easier and clearer way of apprehending the dude. But fuck... He said he wasn't drunk but there can't be any other explanation for being that stupid. The officer said clear as day multiple times to just keep his hands in the air and to absolutely not put them behind his back. What the fuck would possess you to put your fucking hand behind your back in that moment? That wasn't even the first time he puts his hands behind him while they were screaming at him not to

Would you be thinking straight if you were both drunk and afraid for your life? Do you think most people would be?
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XBoner posted...

And can the cop be retried?

Nope. Double Jeopardy applies - you cannot be tried twice for the same crime. Your only recourse is to appeal the verdict.

OhhhJa posted...

What the fuck would possess you to put your fucking hand behind your back in that moment?

Shockingly, people don't always think straight when a group of large men are pointing guns at you while screaming instructions.

Also worth noting is that police tactics are generally based around in-your-face aggression. They will occasionally do things like have several cops scream contradictory orders at you (like one shouting at you to put your hands on your head, while another shouts to keep them in front of you) - this is a deliberate tactic to keep suspects occupied and focused on the cops rather than thinking of an escape plan. Unfortunately the downside to this sort of conduct is that leaving the suspects no time/ability to think tends to result in them making bad decisions because their fight-or-flight instinct is drowning out the part of their brain that thinks rationally.
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I've had a cop point a gun at my face before. It was the clearest thinking I've ever had in my life. I was with two others. We all followed the directions perfectly because we all wanted to survive. Shockingly enough, the will to survive causes most people to follow directions very well. If this dude was intoxicated he should have said so... why lie about anything in that scenario?

Was this bad policing? Perhaps. Was this cold blooded murder? Naw that's stupid and just an emotional response to seeing something upsetting.

It's sad but in a potentially dangerous situation where a shooter has been reported you can't just give any innocent looking dude the benefit of the doubt when they keep reaching behind their back

Why fail at following directions? Because when you're drunk, and fearful for your life, you might do something really stupid. Shocking.

I'm not arguing that it was murder in cold blood, either. I'm sure the police were also fearful for their lives. I really don't place much blame on Brailford, either. His sergeant was in control, and he should be held responsible.
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Guide posted...

Why fail at following directions? Because when you're drunk, and fearful for your life, you might do something really stupid. Shocking.

It's really awful that this happened but in a potentially life threatening situation you can't make random exceptions for people and hope for the best. The guy said he was able to follow directions and seemed reasonably lucid. He just did not follow instructions at all. Everyone is gonna be nervous in that situation but they have to follow certain procedures in dealing with a potentially armed dude and there's really just no reasonable way around that

OhhhJa posted...

I've had a cop point a gun at my face before. It was the clearest thinking I've ever had in my life. I was with two others. We all followed the directions perfectly because we all wanted to survive.

Bullshit.
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Revelation34 posted...

OhhhJa posted...

I've had a cop point a gun at my face before. It was the clearest thinking I've ever had in my life. I was with two others. We all followed the directions perfectly because we all wanted to survive.

Bullshit.

Naw... We had been shooting guns out in a field. We'd went out there a bunch of times before but someone reported us and said that we were shooting assault rifles which was bullshit. Anyway as we were going back to the car a cop drove up really fast and got out of his car with the door in front of him and drew his gun and ordered us not to move. He then made us put our hands on a fence while he searched us one at a time with the gun pointed at us.

Anyway we were young and dumb but lesson learned. Even if you think you're out in the middle of nowhere just go to a range

OhhhJa posted...

Revelation34 posted...

OhhhJa posted...

I've had a cop point a gun at my face before. It was the clearest thinking I've ever had in my life. I was with two others. We all followed the directions perfectly because we all wanted to survive.

Bullshit.

Naw... We had been shooting guns out in a field. We'd went out there a bunch of times before but someone reported us and said that we were shooting assault rifles which was bullshit. Anyway as we were going back to the car a cop drove up really fast and got out of his car with the door in front of him and drew his gun and ordered us not to move. He then made us put our hands on a fence while he searched us one at a time with the gun pointed at us.

Anyway we were young and dumb but lesson learned. Even if you think you're out in the middle of nowhere just go to a range

Good ol boy in small rural town has not so unpleasant experience with police. Assumes that's the case for all people in all cities.
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BADoglick posted...

OhhhJa posted...

Revelation34 posted...

OhhhJa posted...

I've had a cop point a gun at my face before. It was the clearest thinking I've ever had in my life. I was with two others. We all followed the directions perfectly because we all wanted to survive.

Bullshit.

Naw... We had been shooting guns out in a field. We'd went out there a bunch of times before but someone reported us and said that we were shooting assault rifles which was bullshit. Anyway as we were going back to the car a cop drove up really fast and got out of his car with the door in front of him and drew his gun and ordered us not to move. He then made us put our hands on a fence while he searched us one at a time with the gun pointed at us.

Anyway we were young and dumb but lesson learned. Even if you think you're out in the middle of nowhere just go to a range

Good ol boy in small rural town has not so unpleasant experience with police. Assumes that's the case for all people in all cities.

Except I didnt grow up in a rural area and am most definitely nowhere close to a good ol boy you racist ass but nice assumption.

And how is that a pleasant experience?

BADoglick posted...

Because the common defense of overly aggressive warrior cops is that every department has a few bad apples. But the rest of that bad apples expression is that a few bad apples ruin the whole bunch. That part is always conveniently left out.

So here we have an example of an obviously bad apple. And instead of going 'we can't have this type of behavior sullying our good name', they go out of their way to go 'nuh uh, that apple's not rotten. You're rotten'.

Cops are like lawyers. 99% of them make the rest look bad.