Protecting Paramedics.......from the OHP?

[Hoss]

I just wonder how much longer that excuse will work...
I can rattle off some examples right off the top of my head

Martin attacking a EMT
El Paso
BART

You know there are many many more examples I could dig up.

It's becoming more and more frequent.  This 'contempt of cop' culture / attitude that these guys have adopted over the past decade.  The increasing militarization of our domestic police forces.  The increasing paranoid, delusional behavior these guys display.  That cannot be argued with.
Citizens are in desperate need of protection from these jack booted thugs.  By the time most of the people realize it, unfortunately it will be too late.  It probably is, again, thanks in part to gutless politicians who are more concerned with getting reelected and playing up their 'faith' rather than handle real issues that the public deals with.

Then you have people like Jiminy that defend the cops, no matter what evidence proves contrary. 
Well, the BART officer was only 25% responsible for shooting that handcuffed man in the back....

Excuse?  That's three cases out of how many LEOs?

Now I'm far from an LEO apologist like some are, but you're painting them ALL with a bit of broad brush, dontcha think?

Maybe get one too many parking tickets or something?

[Conan71]

Excuse?  That's three cases out of how many LEOs?

Now I'm far from an LEO apologist like some are, but you're painting them ALL with a bit of broad brush, dontcha think?

Maybe get one too many parking tickets or something?

Maybe he wound up spitting out tooth fragments one night after he drunkenly bucked up to a cop?

[buckeye]

This horse is dying...

Not a chance.  The OHP's behavior here is intolerable and we should make every effort to ensure its correction.

[PepePeru]

Excuse?  That's three cases out of how many LEOs?

Now I'm far from an LEO apologist like some are, but you're painting them ALL with a bit of broad brush, dontcha think?

Maybe get one too many parking tickets or something?

its absolutely an excuse.  

So, before you try to taint my point (that you two, conan & hoss, obviously can't refute) by attempting to use attacks on my character, you should know, my record is spotless.

I got pulled over ONCE in texas to illegally search me for drugs (I did not give him consent).  So, after 15 minutes of searching and not finding anything,  I got a warning for 'following too close' which was complete bullsh*t.

So, there's my experience with cops.

So, keep defending the indefensible.  You'll be the one to blame for it.

[Hoss]

Not a chance.  The OHP's behavior here is intolerable and we should make every effort to ensure its correction.

I don't think any of us here are disputing that fact.  What I do think is that certain people are painting law enforcement with a broad brush when it comes to conduct.

I'll challenge Pepe to cite some references where the majority of LEOs are bad.  Just as you tell us to cite references that they're not.

I'll cite three personal references.  I know three PO's pretty well and am semi-related to one (through a relative by marriage).  Each has a spotless record and have no anger management issues that I know of.

But go on and make some more stuff up.

[PepePeru]

I don't think any of us here are disputing that fact.  What I do think is that certain people are painting law enforcement with a broad brush when it comes to conduct.

I'll challenge Pepe to cite some references where the majority of LEOs are bad.  Just as you tell us to cite references that they're not.

I'll cite three personal references.  I know three PO's pretty well and am semi-related to one (through a relative by marriage).  Each has a spotless record and have no anger management issues that I know of.

But go on and make some more stuff up.

So, Hoss.

Where are the cops denouncing Martin's behavior?
Do you honestly think he's going to lose his job over this?

You can accuse me of 'painting with a broad brush' all you'd like, but the "blue wall of silence" is certainly deafening in many of these cases, including this one.

By not denouncing this type of behavior, you're tacitly approving of it.

Some outright defend it too...25% trooper's fault my donkey.
This is what is just unconscionable & outrageous to me.

[Hoss]

So, Hoss.

Where are the cops denouncing Martin's behavior?
Do you honestly think he's going to lose his job over this?

You can accuse me of 'painting with a broad brush' all you'd like, but the "blue wall of silence" is certainly deafening in many of these cases, including this one.

By not denouncing this type of behavior, you're tacitly approving of it.

Some outright defend it too...25% trooper's fault my donkey.
This is what is just unconscionable & outrageous to me.

Look through the post and stop putting words in my mouth.  I'm not defending in the least.  What I am defending, however, is people like yourself pi$$ing on other law enforcement officers by doing just what I say you are doing: painting with a broad brush.

Get over your cop-hater attitude.  It seems like a lot of people hate cops, until they need one.  You fall in that category I bet.

[Conan71]

[PepePeru]

Look through the post and stop putting words in my mouth.  I'm not defending in the least.  What I am defending, however, is people like yourself pi$$ing on other law enforcement officers by doing just what I say you are doing: painting with a broad brush.

Get over your cop-hater attitude.  It seems like a lot of people hate cops, until they need one.  You fall in that category I bet.

When I need a cop...
I think you mean.....when a cop does his / her job?

I don't love people for doing their job.
I don't hate people for doing their job.

Power tripping and choking citizens is not part of it.
Assisting citizens, serving & protecting citizens is.

[custosnox]

When I need a cop...
I think you mean.....when a cop does his / her job?

I don't love people for doing their job.
I don't hate people for doing their job.

Power tripping and choking citizens is not part of it.
Assisting citizens, serving & protecting citizens is.

Your attitude is that every cop out there is on a power trip.  Let me give you a couple of reasons that I should be the one hating all cops (and why I tend to have a bit of biased opinions on here against them).  I have had a family member on one occasion, and a friend on another occasion that there is no doubt in my mind they were killed by a cop for personal reasons.  On both occasions, the respective department turned a blind eye to the facts and refused to investigate their own.  For these reasons, Law Enforcement agencies and officers have a very black eye in my field of veiw.  However, I will not denounce every officer/trooper/deputy on the job because of this.  There are many out there that are doing their job, protecting those that need it, even those that may not deserve it.  There are officers that do so with such professionalism that it would make most blush.  However, this is what we expect of them, so they are not spashed across all the screens to let us know that they have done well.  While I think that the cops with attitudes like Martin are on the rise, they are still the exception, for the time being.

[patric]

Then you look at OHP's attitude throughout this, clearly the typical
"one bad apple" whitewash wouldnt be an effective remedy, but im just as
inclined to believe that there are members of the OHP (past and present)
that are as appalled as we are at how this was handled.

Sometimes you can blame "the department" when they foster an
environment of corruption, but you can still have honest cops at the
peripheral that dont partake in the forbidden fruit.
One current example might be the sheriff and undersheriff who got caught
in an FBI sting stealing cash from motorists.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090617_12_A9_MUSKOG952421

If the past is an indication, they will maintain their blamelessness as
long as they can grasp into the most irrelevant details that make their
victims look deserving.
Remember the truck driver who had the misfortune of having an OHP
trooper do a u-turn in front of him?
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=071205_1_A13_spanc18175
Both the trooper and the truck driver died as a result of the trooper's
maneuver, but the OHP maintains the truck's brakes "weren't functioning
at 100 percent efficiency" so OHP blamed the victim.

At this writing, there's no resolution in sight.
No lawmakers have stepped forward to make sure nothing like this happens
again, nor revoke the exemptions DPS sought to keep critical records
like dashcam video state secrets.

So much for transparency.
...and Integrity...
...and Honesty...

[custosnox]

oh, no doubt that the department it'self has some serious oversight issues.

[patric]

Shockingly predictable?
"Trooper in video known as bully"
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090621_12_A1_Inthis308813

Longtime Fairfax barber shop owner Linda Bevill described Martin as a bullish man who ran off teenagers from cruising Main Street and constantly accused residents of drinking alcohol during an endless stream of "unnecessary" traffic stops.

"He struck me as a man who probably didn't have any control over any part of his life growing up, someone who needed control and power," Bevill said. "I remember he even went and bought one of those portable police lights for his own car. He just needed to play cop even when he was off duty.
"He needed to be admired, but he could never figure out why people didn't like him. He just didn't have any feel for people. And he was always making something big out of nothing."

White had some flaws, too like Failure to complete run sheets in a timely manner, Short notice on cancellation of teaching assignment and Failure to schedule a relief EMT to cover his shift while he taught a class in a timely manner. 
Sounds like White was pure hell for some bean-counter.


Meanwhile, the Tulsa World interviewed one lawmaker responsible for gutting the Open Records Act to have dashcam video made secret.

Durant representative John Carey, who co-authored a long list of exclusions DPS wanted, told the World he had "no opinion" on whether or not dashcam video should be open to the public.

[patric]

OKLAHOMA CITY -- When police pull drivers over, many video tape everything, but there's one law enforcement agency that doesn't ever have to share that video and now some are asking why hide it?

Attorney Stephen Fabian never had a problem getting dash camera video from the Department of Public Safety until 2005 when he filed open records requests for video of his clients.

Fabian said dash cam video should fall under public information just like police reports.

Nearly 200,000 people have seen the full dash camera video of OHP Trooper Daniel Martin and paramedic Maurice White. After previously saying it was not public record, the Department of Public Safety went ahead and released it.

Attorney Stephen Fabian said the video never should have been withheld in the first place.

"It's the public's right to know what law enforcement is doing out there," said defense attorney Stephen Fabian, Jr. "Look at all the media. Every time someone gets arrested, you see the mug shot in the paper. That's all public information."

Fabian, a former general counsel for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, has been fighting this battle for years. Four years ago, he sued DPS for access to dash cam video of his clients. A judge ruled in his favor but later that year, the legislature exempted DPS audio and video recordings from open records requests.

"Before the videos and without those videos, there's a lack of information, a lack of ability to challenge and contest what the government does. And that's the whole purpose of the Open Records Act is to make the government accountable and responsible," Fabian said.

NEWS 9 checked with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Department, Del City Police, Midwest City Police and Edmond Police on their dash cam policies. In each case, all agencies release the video through open records requests.

Law enforcement agencies in other states are also quick to respond, even when the video is not favorable. Five police officers in Birmingham, Alabama lost their jobs after dash-cam video showed them beating an unconscious man who was thrown from his SUV after leading police on a high speed chase.

"Who would have believed that that video would have shown what it showed if they hadn't seen it? I mean it's like a revelation," Fabian said.

DPS is the only law enforcement agency that has its audio and video recordings exempted from open records requests. But OHP said it's not about secrecy, but privacy. Captain Chris West said audio and video recordings are not public record out of concerns for trooper safety and the privacy of all Oklahomans.

[patric]

Its been more than a month now, and other than re-enforcing the worlds image of Oklahoma as a backwards  "Dukes of Hazard" state one has to wonder what has changed.

Will the consequence of this event be sweeping reforms to law enforcement, or only the OHP grabbing more witnesses cameras and cellphones?

One of the few Whirled editorials Im in agreement with, in Friday's paper:

Make trooper videos public
By World's Editorial Writers
Published: 6/25/2009  2:25 AM

Next legislative session the Legislature needs to make it a priority to change a law pushed through by the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety in 2005. The law denies public access to videos shot from dashboard-mounted cameras in Oklahoma Highway Patrol vehicles.

Recently, it took weeks of pressure from news organizations for the OHP to release a video shot from Trooper Daniel Martin's patrol car that showed part of a controversial May 24 scuffle between Martin and a Creek Nation paramedic. Meanwhile, within hours, an amateur video of the incident shot by a citizen with a cell phone was available on the video Web site YouTube.com.

Oklahoma remains one of only four states that closes public access to videos shot from police dashboard cameras. The public-records exemption applies only to the Highway Patrol, not to other law enforcement agencies. A survey of regional states by the Tulsa World shows Texas, Missouri and Arkansas all treat state police dash camera videos as open records.

Until 2005 dash camera videos were considered public records in Oklahoma. Then the Department of Public Safety requested the Legislature amend state law to make all audio and video records closed to the public.

The amendment, part of a bill with many exemptions requested by DPS, sailed through the Legislature with little discussion.

Has DPS forgotten that it is a public agency? Taxpayers footed the bill for dashboard-mounted cameras and should be privy to the videos.

OHP spokesman Capt. Chris West claims the agency requested the audio and video recordings be closed to the public out of concerns for trooper safety and the privacy of residents.

We appreciate their great sensitivity but let's be realistic: Videos of such incidents rarely are sought by the public except in instances when there are questions about the behavior of a trooper or the party stopped. News organizations would not routinely air all video cam arrests. The May 24 incident is a good example of why taxpayers paid to have dashboard-mounted video cams.

The rest of the editorial:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/article.aspx?subjectid=61&articleid=20090625_61_A14_Nextle594516