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25 Nov 2011 08:14

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U.S.: WTF: Competitive shopper at Wal-Mart pepper sprays rivals

  • I heard screaming and I heard yelling. Moments later, my throat stung. I was coughing really bad and watering up.
  • Porter Ranch, Los Angeles, California Wal-Mart customer Matthew Lopez • Describing what happened after another customer, who authorities say was “competitive shopping,” pepper sprayed 20 people (including children!) in an attempt to beat everyone else at getting stuff. Considering, you know, this incident and this incident, the usage of pepper spray seems incredibly ironic. Authorities are looking for the person who sprayed her fellow shoppers in efforts to buy a new Xbox 360 or something similar. Humanity sucks sometimes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Nov 2011 13:33

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U.S.: UC Davis Chancellor: “I take responsibility,” but I won’t resign

  • As Chancellor, I take responsibility for everything that happens on this campus. At the same time, our campus has policies, and–the only reasons we have those policies in place is to make sure the 32,000 students who are using our campus are safe.
  • UC Chancellor Linda Katehi • After refusing to resign due to the events at UC Davis last week, wherein UCPD Lt. John Pike pepper sprayed a line of seated, peaceful protesters. During the same KQED interview,  she also that she needs to “understand what went wrong…why things went so wrong,” which seems to be obfuscating the issue. Isn’t it clear what what wrong? Anyway, the UCPD police chief, along with Pike and another officer, have all been placed on “administrative leave;” 60,000 people have signed a petition calling for Katehi’s resignation. (Note: this interview wrapped up earlier the hour; we’ll let you know when a transcript is available.) source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Nov 2011 08:40

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U.S.: Pepper-sprayed UC Davis protester: It still burns, two days later

  • Don’t worry about it, I’m going to spray these kids down.
  • Lt. John Pike (according to a pepper-sprayed protester at UC Davis) • Speaking to fellow officers before the infamous pepper-spray incident on Friday. According to the protester, who spoke at length anonymously to Boing Boing, the pepper spray he used was military grade, and it still hurts, two days later. “It’s supposed to be used at a minimum of 15 feet,” the protester told Xeni Jardin. “But he sprayed us at point blank range.” Highly recommend you read Boing Boing’s photo-heavy account of the incident, which is very informative. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Oct 2011 10:25

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U.S.: Pepper-spraying NYPD cop Anthony Bologna disciplined

  • 10 days of vacation time lost for his pepper-spraying conduct source
  • But does it go far enough?While Bologna’s actions in the infamous YouTube video drew massive scorn, some of the victims weren’t impressed with the punishment. “He needs a lot of vacation. He needs to go to a place very quiet, far away, for a very long time,” Ron Kuby, the lawyer for one of the victims, said. “He’s supposed to be there in an advisory capacity, to ensure that the young patrol officers aren’t doing what in fact the deputy inspectors are doing.”
  • Presented in the right context?Meanwhile, Bologna’s union, the NYPD Captains Endowment Association, is standing behind the cop, despite the claim he violated the department’s rules on pepper spray use: “Deputy Inspector Bologna is disappointed at the results of the Department investigation. His actions prevented further injury and escalation of tumultuous conduct. To date, this conduct has not been portrayed in its true context.” Bologna can still challenge the ruling.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Oct 2011 20:07

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Offbeat: “Superhero” Phoenix Jones offers welcoming hand to the public

  • In addition to being Phoenix Jones. I am also Ben Fodor, a father and brother. I am just like everybody else. The only difference is that I try to stop crime.
  • Ben “Phoenix Jones” Fodor • Talking about his arrest by Seattle authorities — who accuse him of pepper-spraying a number of people. He, meanwhile, claims he was trying to break up a fight. He hasn’t yet been charged, but officials are considering doing so. Either way, the extra attention from the arrest led to the public finding out about his secret persona — a MMA fighter named Flattop. Rather than withering under the extra attention he’s received, Mr. Jones has offered to let the public follow him on his next crime-fighting adventure. However, if you do so, you’ll be going against police wishes. “If you see something that warrants calling 911, call 911,” said police spokesman Mark Jamieson. “You don’t need to dress up in a costume to do that.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Oct 2011 01:17

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U.S.: Occupy Wall Street: The crowds get bigger, the police more violent?

  • Switching gears a little bit, tonight’s Occupy Wall Street rallies hit a new peak, in part thanks to fresh support from unions such as AFL-CIO, the United Federation of Teachers, the Communications Workers of America and District Council 37. (According to one estimate, the crowd hit 20,000, but an exact number couldn’t be narrowed down — either way, it was large.) But the new peak in attendance came with a price — police brutality, some of which hit journalists covering the march. “I don’t know what sparked it, but people started tossed about, and I did see people getting beaten with clubs, and I personally was pepper sprayed,” said Flux Rostrum, a journalist and videographer for Mobile Broadcast News. Above is a clip of one of the more violent scenes tonight — the way that they’re throwing around those batons is nothing short of frightening. In all, at least 28 people were arrested. (thanks usualchatter for the kick in the pants; this take on the evening’s events is also worth a read) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Sep 2011 23:37

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U.S.: Occupy Wall Street: How often does the NYPD pull out the pepper spray?

  • Not very often at all, according to the New York Times. In the weekend’s most unbelievable video, a number of young women were pepper sprayed after reacting towards another man’s arrest, seemingly arbitrarily. “A cop in a white shirt — I think he’s a superior officer — just comes along and does these quick little spritzes of pepper spray in my and these three other girls’ eyes,” said Chelsea Elliott, one of the four women sprayed. It’s not a common occurrence for the NYPD to use it. While it got used during a 2003 antiwar protest, it didn’t get used in a much-larger 2004 protest that accompanied the Republican National Convention. “We don’t use it indiscriminately like other cities do,” notes former deputy chief Thomas Graham. So why was it needed for this protest? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

06 Apr 2011 10:14

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World: Should police pepper-spray eight-year-old children? Ever?

  • I was angry. I didn’t understand. I was on my way. … Why didn’t they talk to him. He was red, handcuffed, crying, screaming how much it burned.
  • Mandy Elliot • Expressing rage about what happened to her son, Aidan. See, Aidan, an 8-year-old Colorado child, was maced by police for behavior in the classroom. Admittedly, he wasn’t exactly acting like an upstanding student on Feb 28. Aidan, who is in a class for children with behavioral problems, threatened to kill teachers and students with a piece of wood he held just like a knife. Eventually, police were called and Aidan got pepper-sprayed. (They defend their decision.) His mom, as you might guess, is blaming the school. “I think there is a problem, but it’s with school and Aidan,” she said. “It only happens at school. It doesn’t happen at soccer. It doesn’t happen at swimming. It doesn’t happen with babysitters, with family members.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Aug 2010 11:58

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U.S.: Protip to Fred Phelps anti-protesters: Two wrongs don’t make right

  • bad A bunch of Westboro Baptist Church protesters were at a marine’s funeral in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday.
  • worse The protesters were reportedly pepper-sprayed by some dude in a Ford F-150. That dude got arrested. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Apr 2009 20:56

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U.S.: A protest at NYC’s New School gets very, very ugly

Police says it didn’t pepper spray protesters critical of school president Bob Kerrey. Too bad the video says otherwise. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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