While most police officers are hard working professionals, far too many are total psychos. Knowing your rights is an important first line of defense against harassment by law-enforcement, but sometimes a personal dashboard camera is the only way to expose our country's ongoing problems with police misconduct.
This video depicting Sgt. James Kuehnlein terrorizing a young motorist has erupted on the internet, shocking the nation, and providing a poignant reminder that police lunacy is alive and well in the USA.
It all started when 20-year-old Brett Darrow left his cell phone at a friend's house. They made plans to meet at a public parking lot, but upon entering the lot after dark, Darrow was confronted by Sgt. Kuehnlein. When he asked the officer what was wrong, Sgt. Kuehnlein flew into a frenzied rage, hurling threats and obscenities.
As an advocate for civil rights and police accountability it is upsetting to know that such gratuitous misconduct still comes easily to some officers. These events persist despite decades of social justice activism and systemic reforms aimed at increasing police professionalism. Moreover, the outrageous actions of the worst officers undermine efforts to inform the public about basic constitutional rights that really do still protect most citizens most of the time.
That said, it is certainly encouraging to see forums like YouTube and Google Video blossoming into powerful tools for exposing and combating police misconduct in the 21st century. Through these venues, unfiltered images can enter the public consciousness with remarkable efficiency. Once the video went online, it became successful on Digg.com, a site that ranks stories through a democratic voting system. In sum, internet users broke this story and forced the mainstream media to pay attention. That's exciting to see.
This video depicting Sgt. James Kuehnlein terrorizing a young motorist has erupted on the internet, shocking the nation, and providing a poignant reminder that police lunacy is alive and well in the USA.
It all started when 20-year-old Brett Darrow left his cell phone at a friend's house. They made plans to meet at a public parking lot, but upon entering the lot after dark, Darrow was confronted by Sgt. Kuehnlein. When he asked the officer what was wrong, Sgt. Kuehnlein flew into a frenzied rage, hurling threats and obscenities.
Sgt. Kuehnlein: Ever get smart mouth with a cop again, I show you what a cop does. You understand me?There's plenty more where that came from, and Sgt. Kuehnlein is now on unpaid leave. His superiors are in full damage control mode, distancing themselves from the officer's behavior and assuring the public that this sort of thing will not be tolerated.
Brett Darrow: Yes Sir
Sgt. Kuehnlein: Try to talk back, talk back to me again and I bet I could say you resisted arrest or something. You wanna come up with something? I come up with nine things.
As an advocate for civil rights and police accountability it is upsetting to know that such gratuitous misconduct still comes easily to some officers. These events persist despite decades of social justice activism and systemic reforms aimed at increasing police professionalism. Moreover, the outrageous actions of the worst officers undermine efforts to inform the public about basic constitutional rights that really do still protect most citizens most of the time.
That said, it is certainly encouraging to see forums like YouTube and Google Video blossoming into powerful tools for exposing and combating police misconduct in the 21st century. Through these venues, unfiltered images can enter the public consciousness with remarkable efficiency. Once the video went online, it became successful on Digg.com, a site that ranks stories through a democratic voting system. In sum, internet users broke this story and forced the mainstream media to pay attention. That's exciting to see.
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PUBLIC CORRUPTION
Public corruption and police misconduct are undoubtedly under-reported these days
I had a cop charge me with aggrevated assault
I had a cop try to charge me with assault, I got a laywer and it got dropt, but i never touched this cop, also he lied and said he read me my rights in the car after the arrest but he never did. So anything i said never gave me warning of my rights, he also lied in court set up this whole lie from beginning to end while scowering at me on the chair, i am going to get you, you called me a bad name, i am going to screw your life up. Also how much weight to cops words have say my word against his words just cause you have a badge does not make you a perfect person who never lies. When cops start thinking that when everything gets mest up. . Also can we support the politicians who control the police. Or support a judge that later will listen to you. Is it better to get a video camera in your car then haivng your word and his word come in court.
bad cop on camera
Too many of us, in this "free country", have been put through the same sort of thing. I think they are the last guys who should be carrying weapons! Lets get the good cops back!! I was supicious of a set-up, until I just read the whole story. The guy did use his signals! And he did have a reason he was there. Too bad the cops big mouth got him into trouble! I do worry, that we have already become a police state!
And this damn verification system takes five times to get my letter up!! Why?
The Other Day
My Friend Had Fled The Scene Of An Accident Due To Him Being Drunk .. And The Cops Came To Our House Searching For Him.. We Told Them He Was Not Inside And They Proceded To Want To Come In .. We Told Them They Have No Right To Come In .. And We Left The Door Cracked As We Went Inside To Find My Friends Cell Number .. The Next Thing I Know The Cops Are Going Through Our House.. My Friend Also Does Cocaine So He Had Dime Bags Laying Everywhere In His Room .. I Walked To His Room And Told The Officer Get Out Of My House.. The Officer Looked At Me And Said.."Dont Yell At Me I Might Just Say You Just Dropped These Bags From Your Pocket, And Then Resisted Arrest"
I Had Never Seen Such A Dirty Cop
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