Cop sentenced to four years for beating disabled man to death

[BostonPirate]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/1...ef=mostpopular

Thompson was convicted last year by a federal jury of violating Zehm's civil rights by using excessive force and then lying to investigators in the case.

Six years ago, Zehm was beaten and stunned by Thompson in a convenience store. He was hog-tied and sat on by other officers until he passed out. The 36-year-old died two days later without regaining consciousness.

.................

On March 18, 2006, police received a report that a man matching Zehm's description might have stolen money from people at an ATM. Surveillance video showed that Thompson found Zehm inside a convenience store and immediately struck him repeatedly with a baton and shocked him with a stun gun.

Other officers arrived and hogtied Zehm, put a rubber mask over his mouth, and sat on him. It was later determined that he had not committed any crime.

His last words were: "All I wanted was a Snickers bar,"

Police brutality has been an on and off again topic in the last four years, and because Americans are so focused on economic issues, The real fact that lower paid cops with lower standards has produced a spectacularly disturbing trend.

You get the police force that you pay for as a nation, and frankly we don't have a very good one.

Here is a graphic that shows what the police themselves, when questioned anonymously say they witness in regards to police brutality among themselves....

Sorry about the size of the graphic, it's not mine, but the info on it is relevant.

[Kulindahr]

I didn't see one that's common: arresting people for violating laws that don't actually exist.

[BostonPirate]

I didn't see one that's common: arresting people for violating laws that don't actually exist.

Would that be false arrests?

The graphic states that 5.9 percent of police misconduct is due to false arrests.

[GiancarloC]

Those stats are interesting... especially with cases reported. LAPD cops are notorious and LA County Sheriff generally has a better reputation... though there was a recent shooting case that happened after a police pursuit that looked suspicious at first. Turns out the assailant was an armed bank robber.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/l...0#.UKmnqPfTnIU

At any rate, the State Police and County Sheriff usually have a more solid reputation than certain city police forces that have had notorious cases of brutality. I'm not sure what it is... perhaps greater oversight.

Ultimately there are significant problems with various police forces including the LAPD regarding civil rights... the LAPD while trying to clean up their tarnished image still have serious challenges. I have a very low trust of the LAPD... but at the same time I do credit the authorities for bringing down the crime rate at the lowest in decades here in Los Angeles.

[Kulindahr]

Would that be false arrests?

The graphic states that 5.9 percent of police misconduct is due to false arrests.

It might be classified as false arrest in some places, but that's usually an arrest for violating an existing law but without actual probable cause. I actually saw an officer warned by a judge that the next time he had flimsy or non-existent probably cause, the judge himself would call for prosecution for false arrest.

As it was he got that and an official public reprimand.

[Kulindahr]

Those stats are interesting... especially with cases reported. LAPD cops are notorious and LA County Sheriff generally has a better reputation... though there was a recent shooting case that happened after a police pursuit that looked suspicious at first. Turns out the assailant was an armed bank robber.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/l...0#.UKmnqPfTnIU

At any rate, the State Police and County Sheriff usually have a more solid reputation than certain city police forces that have had notorious cases of brutality. I'm not sure what it is... perhaps greater oversight.

Ultimately there are significant problems with various police forces including the LAPD regarding civil rights... the LAPD while trying to clean up their tarnished image still have serious challenges. I have a very low trust of the LAPD... but at the same time I do credit the authorities for bringing down the crime rate at the lowest in decades here in Los Angeles.

Here the city police have the better rap, though the gap is changing. The sheriff's department isn't accountable to anyone, while the police have to answer to the city council, so the sheriff protects his deputies, who do as they please.

[CoolBlue71]

This is sad!

[Kulindahr]

This is sad!

Sad and great at the same time -- cops do this kind of thing too often, and mostly get away with it.

[evanrick]

ive said it before: the police are an image of American society at its worst. i don't blame police but i think that its too easy for good people to become corrupt when there is so little transparency.

look at the Seattle police, they have been hounded by the justice department for years but the chief of police still has his job!

the police and the cop unions are the worst interest group you could imagine.

this story is from 3 days ago!

http://seattletimes.com/html/localne...equest17m.html

This is out of hand in seattle.

Rating: (+42) (- 0)

There are powerful forces within the Police Department that oppose meaningful reform.

We need to question all political candidates and especially mayoral contestants and those running for Governor if they are willing to limit the powers and even disband Police Unions if they offer too much resistance to modern reform.

[GiancarloC]

The problem in many police forces is that they have a brotherhood sort of thing going on and they won't talk about other officers. And certainly not higher ranking ones that commit abuses. This was notorious in the LAPD.. cops won't tell Internal Affairs or Prosecutors about any abuses...

[Harke the Boeotarch]

"Sexual harassment is Surprisingly Common"

There's hope for me yet!

[Kulindahr]

ive said it before: the police are an image of American society at its worst. i don't blame police but i think that its too easy for good people to become corrupt when there is so little transparency.

look at the Seattle police, they have been hounded by the justice department for years but the chief of police still has his job!

the police and the cop unions are the worst interest group you could imagine.

this story is from 3 days ago!

http://seattletimes.com/html/localne...equest17m.html

This is out of hand in seattle.

Rating: (+42) (- 0)

Some of those kinds of things happen down in Portland as well -- killing people at the wrong address, shooting people with no weapons, and so on.

So how do we get a DoJ investigation here?

Or for that matter one here where the county sheriff is accountable to no one?

[Kulindahr]

The problem in many police forces is that they have a brotherhood sort of thing going on and they won't talk about other officers. And certainly not higher ranking ones that commit abuses. This was notorious in the LAPD.. cops won't tell Internal Affairs or Prosecutors about any abuses...

Heck, I've heard of cops arresting people when they criticize other cops -- they just make up some charge and a story to back it.

[Telstra]

According to this pic he should be punished more ...