Bystander pistol-whipped by LAPD for "paying too much attention"

[Liberal_in_LA]

2 off-duty LAPD officers held in pistol-whipping
Authorities say two off-duty Los Angeles police officers have been arrested after a man was pistol-whipped during a confrontation.

The Associated Press

WHITTIER, Calif. —
Authorities say two off-duty Los Angeles police officers have been arrested after a man was pistol-whipped during a confrontation.

Whittier police say 29-year-old Brandon Valdez and 38-year-old Patrick Fitzgerald were booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon Tuesday night after the off-duty incident.

They were released Wednesday on $30,000 bail each. The LAPD says they are on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Whittier Lt. Carlos Solorza says the officers had been drinking and were outside a cafe when one began arguing with his girlfriend.

Whittier Officer Mike Dekowski says Valdez then turned on a bystander, punched him in the face and pistol-whipped him.

Solorza says the unnamed officer thought a 31-year-old bystander was paying too much attention to the squabble and pistol-whipped him. The man was treated for head injuries.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010904107_apuspolicearrested.html?prmid=obnetwork

[KG]

1. just another one of those 'execptional incidents' - nothing to see here folks.

[Echo In Light]

17. Soooooo uncommon these days. 'Few Bad Apples,' no doubt.

[bigmonkey]

2. Oh, I agree.

Most people don't understand how hard police work is. This is just testimony to the terrible toll that work takes on police officers.


***************

But seriously, why don't the police complain about these other, rogue police that give all police a bad name! It's that simple a question.

[badgerpup]

3. Sniff...sniff...I smell TESTOSTERONE in the air...

...and not the sort you get from a normal male.
'Roid rage, anyone?

[MineralMan]

4. Testosterone and alcohol makes a killer cocktail.

[MrScorpio]

5. Are these guys cops or gangsters?

It's hard to tell

[backscatter712]

8. Yes.

They are cops or gangsters.

[asdjrocky]

24. In my neighborhood it's the same thing.

[no limit]

6. These guys are idiots. And Im no fan of police, but you guys really gonna paint these assholes

as the entire police culture? There are idiots in every line of work, nothing can be changed about that.

[tkmorris]

15. There are more in law enforcement than usual

Quite a lot more actually.

Think about it. You're an 18 year old asshole with aggression issues and a bad attitude. Which field do you want to go into: nursing, pre-school education, accounting, engineering, or do you want to be the guy with the gun, nightstick, and a perceived authority to tell everyone else what to do? Hmm, gonna have to think on that one a bit...

[blueamy66]

44. That argument bothers me.

Yes, there are idiots in every line of work.

But cops hold some power, ya know?

Yeah, as a Sales and Marketing person, I hold some "power", but I don't think my "power" will ever land anyone in the hospital or our court system.

[keroro gunsou]

61. don't sell yourself short

pun intended :)

i've worked with some seriously aggressive sales people, competition and asshole-personalities should not mix. i recall one incident where i was walking to greet a customer on the sales floor and found myself embedded in an endcap display. competition for sales does not make for a better customer experience...

that said, the cops involved with this incident deserve whatever the legal system gives them.

[blueamy66]

64. I love your response!

Right into an endcap display? :-)

[keroro gunsou]

72. well...

i was unceremonious shoved into it by another sales person. she was a bitch in heels, and i was so glad when she got fired. oddly enough it wasn't for that, it was because she was caught shagging one of the managers. though i didn't know that little tidbit at the time, it did explain how she got away with all the crap she did for so long.

for the record, i was in sales at comp usa, many moons ago... well before they went belly up.

[backscatter712]

7. As other DUers have said: 99% of police officers give the rest a bad name... n/t

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

10. Only to those who stereotype.

[Raineyb]

14. Yawn!

Really your need to paint the enforcers of the rules of the elite as victims is rather tiresome.

[tkmorris]

21. And those who observe what IS rather than what they wish was.

Police corruption and brutality has been a fact of life since the first caveman appointed himself as a security figure. It will ALWAYS occur if it is allowed to, and unfortunately it is being allowed far, far too often.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

31. It will occur even when it is strictly prosecuted.

[bvar22]

54. Lets try "strictly prosecuted", and see what happens.

I think it is worth a try.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

67. It would definitely help.

Doing far better background checks and psychological testing on people before they are hired would prevent many of these incidents in the first place. The CHP used to have 2 people doing background checks and 27 internal affairs investigators. Gordon Graham told them that if they had 27 people doing background checks they would only need 2 internal affairs investigators. He makes a good point.

[Name removed]

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[blueamy66]

73. Yawn to the second power

Please

[Raine]

39. There is plenty of truth in that.

I would say 99% of the contact I've had with police (as a law abiding citizen, not a law breaker) the cops have been assholes. I remember one time asking one politely where I could park and getting nothing but a rude smart-assed reply (really uncalled for). :-(

[CreekDog]

59. I've noticed this a number of times too

although in 2001 when my grandfather got lost in New Jersey, I spent a lot of time on the phone with the Vineland (and Scranton) Police and every one of them was nice.

[blueamy66]

75. That would be because

they are allowed to be assholes.

Ugh.

[rcrush]

9. Was it any of these guys?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH9k8L3oDa4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ho9_QcTH7E&feature=fvw

[gratuitous]

11. It kills me to point this out

But the officers were off duty when this happened. Which is to say that they were two buzzed or drunk jerks who got into an altercation outside a bar or café or whatever you kids call such an establishment nowadays. They weren't acting in an official capacity in their jobs as LAPD personnel. Treat 'em like any other drunken dipshit; the jails are packed to bursting with such as these.

I like a good cop bash as much as the next person, but these yahoos were not on duty at the time of the beatdown.

[RedCappedBandit]

12. That doesn't matter

People who act in such a manner, whether on or off duty, should never have been given the opportunity to be cops in the first place.

[gratuitous]

13. Probably not

But the headline on the original post implies (at least to me) that these fellows were on duty when they administered their beatdown on a bystander. It's tough for any employer to monitor its employees at all times on the job; well nigh impossible off the job.

If (and I emphasize if) there is a pattern of behavior for these fellows from their police duties, then I could see some culpability on the part of the LAPD for having these guys on the force. There may be a discernible history that showed them as two powder kegs waiting for the right match to explode. But if they were otherwise good members of the force, and the one fellow - through a combination of relationship stress, the argument with the girlfriend and alcohol consumption - just snapped and started beating the onlooker, then I'd say a "go slower" approach is warranted. There may still be two good cops available to LAPD.

[ret5hd]

16. bullshit. cops are fond of saying they are never off duty. they carry their guns at all times.

in fact, this one used his weapon to assault this person. a drunk cop, in a bar, with a weapon, arguing w/ a girlfriend, beating a civilian. who the hell can overlook this type of action?

they are public servants. letting this shit happen at all only ensures it will happen again. and again. and again.
(not that it doesn't happen now)

[gratuitous]

27. I am aware of that

That is, that cops carry their weapons at all times. The point I was trying to make, and apparently rather badly, is that the heading on the original post made it sound like this was some official, in the line of duty action, when in reality the guy was on his own time. So, as far as that goes, I'm not willing - in this particular instance - to say that the entire force should be strung up alongside Officer Beaty McWhippy. I'm even willing to go so far as to say that without any further information whatsoever that Officer McWhippy and his buddy might be returned to desk duty or something, salvaging at least part of the cost of their training, arming, and other expenses in certifying a cop for active duty. I'm not saying "overlook" his crime, but is there any chance for redemption and rehabilitation for this guy and his pal? I admit that it's an occupational hazard of being progressive to think that there aren't too many irretrievable situations or persons.

If this guy is a serial offender with a history of bad acting, then by all means get him out of uniform and strip him of his badge and gun. An impartial citizen review of the department's practices could very well be in order, too.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

68. Who is letting this happen? Who is advocating letting it happen?

[Merchant Marine]

18. Off duty LEOs ain't quite civilians

For one, they usually carry a concealed weapon with them, as is evident in this story. No permit required.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

20. If you want to treat them like any other drunken dip-shit then charge them with a gun felony.

[superduperfarleft]

22. The problem is that off-duty cops are rarely treated like any other drunken dipshit.

Read this: http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/83995327.html

This prick was drunk, known for being a neighborhood bully, and he shot a kid point-blank in the chest, killing him. For his trouble, he was given 24-hour police protection outside of his house, until his chubby ass slithered off to an unknown location. It took MONTHS for him to finally be charged.

Do you really think I'd be afforded police protection to keep my neighbors from lynching me if I, as a private citizen, emerged from my house one night, drunk, and shot one of their kids? Do you really think I'd be able to walk around a free man for months until public pressure finally prompted the DA to do something?

[Liberal_in_LA]

29. "and possibly the longest day of the former Philadelphia police officer's life drew to a close."

But at least he's alive, can't say the same for the kid he shot

[superduperfarleft]

30. There's another one in Philly that shot an unarmed kid in the back

because he thought the kid he shot stole a pizza from his kid. The kid he shot was permanently disabled, and died from pneumonia a few months later, if I remember correctly. That cop has been "reassigned," and still no charges.

[TexasObserver]

37. It's being drunk on power and having a badge and gun that make them dangerous.

Because they live and work in an environment where police routinely beat up people who annoy them, this kind of excess is predictable. What's unusual is having the word make it out to the public.

[Sans Culottes]

42. The "off-duty" excuse doesn't work.

Cops are often required by department regulations to carry their guns and badges even when off-duty. They are expected to deal with criminal activity in their presence, whether they are on the clock or not.

This particular trog used that off-duty weapon to bludgeon an innocent person.

The only unusual aspect of this story is that the on-duty Po-Po didn't cover up for their brother officer, as often happens. Apparently, this dick somehow drew so much attention to himself that they couldn't hush it up. Perhaps the attack was too severe, or maybe he was flashing his badge around trying to intimidate all the witnesses.

[CoffeeCat]

43. Yes, but the officer had a GUN...

...and he pistol whipped the victim. When you're a cop, and you're assaulting someone with your
police-officer gun--are you really off duty??? Does it really matter that he didn't punch
a time clock that day?

If anything, cops should be held to higher standards of behavior. They know the laws. They've
designated themselves as the protectors of society--and it's just a little bizarre that someone
who choses to "protect and to serve" would chose to beat and punch when he's off the clock.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

70. How do you know what firearm he used in the assault? They were both arrested and charged.

[Tailormyst]

51. AND they were arrested and charged, as they should have been.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

19. cops n/t

[asdjrocky]

23. To serve, protect and pistol whip.

Say it with me folks-

99% OF COPS GIVE THE REST A BAD NAME

[superduperfarleft]

25. And the other 1% would rather cover-up for their scumbag coworkers

and then blame the public for not trusting the police.

[asdjrocky]

26. Ding Ding Ding!

Give the man a prize!

[Tailormyst]

52. They were arrested and charged

There are good cops out there and there are bad cops out there. They rarely make the news unless they are killed. Once in a while you get a feel good piece on a slow news day.

[TexasObserver]

28. Recommend

[D23MIURG23]

32. K&R

[Mike K]

33. Hitting someone with a gun -

- is a truly stupid thing to do, which causes me to put any judgment of this situation on hold.

I have no doubt that some cops are low-lifes who should not be on the job to begin with, but hitting someone with a gun is counterproductive. It unavoidably will cause visible marks and it very well might damage the gun. The "pistol-whipping" reports we sometimes hear are out of the 1930s private eye movies, so maybe there's more to this story.

[Vinnie From Indy]

40. Agreed!

This whole "pistol whipping" description is highly suspect. That is not to say that an assault was not committed, just that it is very uncommon for a person to use a firearm as a club. This would seem to be even more unlikely if the men were cops. As you offered there are dozens of things that could go very wrong very quickly if a gun is used in this way. DNA evidence left on the firearm, broken fingers, losing a grip on the weapon and dropping it etc. etc. etc.

[CreekDog]

56. True. True. Who could be that dumb?

:shrug:

[Iggo]

58. Drunken assholes are often that dumb.

;-)

[CreekDog]

60. I don't like broad brushes

:rofl:

[Iggo]

62. Nice.

:toast:

[CreekDog]

57. I hope the gun made a full recovery

:wtf:

:eyes:

[Heidi]

34. Recommended.

:kick:

[Art_from_Ark]

36. Guten Tag, Heidi

Hast du, vielleicht, etwas zu tun mit dem Herz, dass jemand mir geschenkt hat?

[Heidi]

38. Mornin', friend!

Nope, wasn't me! With the exception of one person, I gave hearts only to folks who didn't already have one. Somebody beat me to heartin' you! :hug:

[BeHereNow]

35. Lovely. NOT.

As Bob Dylan sang, "Everything is broken."

BHN

[newtothegame]

45. Headline a bit misleading. Pistolwhipping was off duty, and had nothing to do with being police. n/t

[DiverDave]

49. IT had EVERYTHING to do

with being the po-lice
Tell me, to beat that guy, with his service pistol, how he cant be a cop?
The reason he did it was because he was a COP, and thought he could get away with it.
The "I'm god" mentality is rampant in the police force.
Just because he was watching?
Yeah, a stable person there...fire him, prosecute him, throw his ass in jail for a long time.
Then give him anger management classes.
We dont need his kind walking the streets.

[Tailormyst]

53. I think it had way more to do with the guy being a drunken asshole

I've met people like him from all walks of life. He's been charged, arrested and will more then likely be out of a job as soon as the paperwork can be completed.

[DiverDave]

63. Your right

But, a drunkin asshole that had a gun and the idea that he could just beat someone with it.
He is probably shocked he is in trouble.

[MrScorpio]

69. Bingo! nt

[NNN0LHI]

50. I think some of these guys start thinking they are Freebie and The Bean after too many years as cops

Need to retire or something?

Don

[Iggo]

55. If the punishment for these cops is the same...

...as it would be for some schmoe to pull out a gun and beat someone with it, then I'll back off on this one. But if it ain't, then the "off-duty so they're not really cops" argument is bullshit.

[KansDem]

65. "Pistol whipped," eh? Maybe its time to mosey on down to the "O.K. Car Lot"

...and shoot it out like men!

This is 2010, not 1881!

[MattBaggins]

66. Umm call me stupid

but they were drinking and carrying their firearms?

[Iggo]

71. I'll call them stupid instead.

You're fine.

[lib_n_proud7650]

74. Damn Pigs