Women Paper Deliverers Shot by Cops

Image from source, Huffington Post

If only those paper girls had been armed, maybe this never would have. . .wait. . .

[Excerpt]

Women shot by cops were just delivering papers

Two women who were delivering newspapers in Torrance, Calif., early Thursday were shot by jittery Los Angeles police officers who mistakenly thought cop-hunting fugitive Christopher Dorner might be in their vehicle, NBCLosAngeles.com reported. One was shot once and the other twice; both were were expected to survive. Police did not release their names. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

84-Year-Old Pepper Sprayed Woman Interviewed by Thom Hartmann

Remember the old lady who was pepper sprayed in the face at Occupy Seattle? Well, here she is in her own words.

Great Parody of Occupy Police Over-reaction

Everything has a little humor in it. Image found at OMGBlog.com

Pepper Spraying the Peaceful Protesters

Look at this picture, and then tell me this is necessary.

Source: Joe.My.God

84-year-old Woman Maced at Occupy Seattle

Was this really necessary? Image from TowleRoad

I know that conservatives like to deride the "Occupy. . ." movement as a bunch of dirty hippies (and they don't realize that they sound exactly like South Park's Eric Cartman when they do it). But it's a movement that hasn't gone away. It is also likened to the Tea Party, but no tea bagger stayed camped out anywhere for weeks or months. They showed up, waggled their poorly spelled signs around, and went home.

And conservatives also like to call the movement "violent," and indeed there have been a few scattered reports of some foul play. But given the scale of the movement--now in cities all over the world--I think it's safe to say that by-and-large the people are peaceful. So, why are police forces in so many cities going nuclear on the protesters? It's so out of scale. Countless times, cops have been caught on video starting violence, firing rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray. They're in riot gear, often jabbing people in the ribs with their night-sticks. And now? A little old lady, sprayed in the face. Tell me, was that necessary?

[Excerpt]

Cops Soak 'Occupy Seattle' Protesters, 84-Year-Old Woman with Vicious Pepper Spray Assault
 
A stunning photo of 84-year-old Seattle activist Dorli Rainey, after she was pepper-sprayed by police last night at an Occupy Seattle protest, is making headlines this morning. . .


Read more at: TowleRoad

Keith Olbermann's Special Comment on Occupy Raid

I still can't get Current TV in Las Vegas. So, I've missed these "Special Comments."

St. Paul Police Overreact to Protesters

Photo from source, CNN

Holy crap! All those tinfoil-hatty warnings you've been hearing about the good ol' US of A turning into a police state seem to have been pretty spot-on. With the Democratic National Convention, there were a few disturbances, and a bit of over-reaction on the part of law enforcement. But at the RNC--where there were bound to be significantly more protesters--things have really gotten out of hand.

First there was the incarceration of Amy Goodman and others from Democracy Now! And now, it would seem that the St. Paul police are just going nuclear (nookyoolar if you're George W. Bush or Sarah Palin) on the asses of seemingly peaceful protesters.

[Excerpt]

Police fire chemical agents, projectiles at RNC protesters

St. Paul police fired chemical agents and projectiles into a large crowd of protesters outside the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night.

Witnesses said the protesters marched from the grounds of the state Capitol after a concert there ended abruptly. . .

Read more at: CNN

Riot in New Orleans over Projects Plans

This story is just messy. There are points to be made on both sides, though mostly I come down on the side of the former residents of New Orleans. And what is it with the over-use of pepper spray and tasers these days? I was under the impression that these tools were a last resort before lethal force, not standard operating procedure for crowd control.

[Excerpt]

New Orleans to Demolish 1940s-Era Projects

The New Orleans city council today defied protestors and voted unanimously to tear down the first of four remaining major housing projects in the city to make way for mixed-income housing that will accommodate some, but not all, of the pre-Katrina public housing population. Needless to say, the self-appointed community activists were displeased. . .

Read more at: Outside the Beltway

Taser Kills 20-year Old

Photo from source, Frederick News Post

Yikes. This is the second time in just a couple of days I've read a story where a taser killed somebody. One was an older gentleman tasered at a Canadian airport, and this one a mere 20-year-old, tasered by police.

What will it take for police and security professionals to realize that a taser is only to be used in extreme circumstances? It's always been my understanding that the taser is there so that you don't have to shoot an actual gun. It isn't there just to take down annoying people. Don't tase me, bro!

[Excerpt]

Family identifies man who died after taser strike

A 20-year-old man died this morning after a sheriff's deputy used a taser on him to break up a fight, the Frederick County Sheriff's Office reports.

The man was identified as Jarrel Gray of Ladd Circle by his mother, Tanya Thomas, who spoke to a News-Post reporter. . .

Read more at: Frederick News Post