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Crossing the line
Wednesday, Nov 25, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, which represents Chicago cops, is raising money to bail out Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke…
The FOP has a right to aggressively represent its members in contract negotiations, grievances, etc. To me, however, this is just going too far. * Meanwhile…
The whole protest seemed staged to me last night. I mean, the small demonstration appeared confined mainly to the South Loop, perhaps to ensure maximum media coverage. It’s no secret that it could be difficult to convince some reporters to hang out in Englewood at night (not to mention some - not all! - of those protesters). Anyway, back to the Chicago Community Bond Fund stuff. From the twitters…
From the Tribune…  Now, click here and then click here. * Just about everybody was peaceful last night. It was (thankfully) the usual staged chanting from the usual folks. But one person does appear to have allegedly gotten out of hand. It would help if the protesters recognized that as well. You can’t blame the cops for everything in life.
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- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:23 am:
Wasn’t JVD denied bond? So is this money going to legal fees instead or what?
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:24 am:
I think it would be a better idea if the FOP did fundraising for the officer’s family. This has to be hell on his wife and two children.
- AlabamaShake - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:25 am:
**Wasn’t JVD denied bond? So is this money going to legal fees instead or what?**
He was denied bond until the Judge saw the video. I believe they’ll be back in court on Monday for that, and then the Judge will make a new decision on bond.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:26 am:
I’ll take a small staged event any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:29 am:
I agree with Demoralized.
I’m hoping that if they want to continue raising bail for bad cops they’ll be forced to raise bail for the cops who were involved in the cover-up.
- Always right - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:29 am:
I guess when it comes to police officers, innocent until proven guilty DNA.
- walker - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:34 am:
If the PC gets too cute and confident on “managing” demonstrations, his opponents will get more extreme. Best wishes for all involved.
Supporting the former officer’s family is a good suggestion for the FOP.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:37 am:
I am going to need a video to believe any protesters got out of hand. I did see a lot of footage of angry, pushing cops and peaceful protesters from last night.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151125/downtown/activist-protest-organizer-struck-police-officer-cops-say
It apparently takes incontrovertible video evidence to charge a cop. There was plenty of video going up, everybody on the social media.
McCarthy could’ve made sure CPD were wearing bodycams, if he was going to be so proud of how they handled themselves and wanted a first-person view of what they were up against.
So - where’s the proof?
Considering how long CPD has been targeting this young man, I’d take this story with a big grain of salt.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/987812/watchdogs-chicago-cops-routinely-spied-protesters
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:41 am:
Crazy, there’s a picture right at the bottom of Rich’s post. If that’s not proof to you, I don’t know what to tell you
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:42 am:
This move by the FOP just seems to reinforce the notion that there is a culture of standing behind a colleague no matter how terrible of an action they have committed.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:48 am:
=== I guess when it comes to police officers, innocent until proven guilty DNA ===
I guess it didn’t apply to Laquan either!
Drive-by begets drive-by.
- Norbert Macuga - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:48 am:
Be careful jumping to conclusions about violence. There was an awful lot of pushing and many people were pushed into police and fell on the ground. You can draw a lot of conclusions from a photo and I second @crazybleedingheart. These activists have been targeted before.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:50 am:
===These activists have been targeted before.===
Perhaps for good reason.
- Juice - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:52 am:
Anonymous, the picture might not tell the entire story. Not saying this individual wasn’t aggressively pushing the officer. But I also see a hand on his back, and eyes closed. It is entirely possible that the crowd generally was pushing and this person at the front of the line was losing their balance thus moving into the officer. Like if you’re towards the stage at a concert or something. I think that is what crazybleedingheart could be referring to in terms of wanting to see video.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:53 am:
===Like if you’re towards the stage at a concert or something. ===
I always clench my fist when I’m being pushed into a stage.
- anon - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 11:56 am:
Knife to gun fight. Never works well.
- Norbert Macuga - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 12:06 pm:
Wow, Rich. One photo. Very limited context. I would wait to pass judgement. http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151125/downtown/activist-protest-organizer-struck-police-officer-cops-say
- Juice - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 12:09 pm:
Rich, fist my not be clenched, but you would close your hand to grab on to something to keep your balance, that’s just human instinct.
And again, I’m not saying this wasn’t an actual scuffle, it very well could have been. But if someone like crazybleedingheart chooses to question the CPD and the Chicago Tribune as reliable sources right now, I can’t honestly say that I would fault them for it.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 12:11 pm:
Know what I definitely don’t see in the pic? Someone who needs to be “treated and released for non-life-threatening injuries.”
- quicknote - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 12:16 pm:
Who punches with their eyes shut?
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 12:17 pm:
People live-tweeting on the scene said cops “snatched” him less than 4 minutes after tweeting that he said some version of “FTP.”
So.
No.
One pic doesn’t tell the story here.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 12:19 pm:
Seems like the CPD narrative is shaping up to be that he was commanding a crowd through a megaphone, drew everyone’s attention to himself, then stepped over to the police line and socked somebody?
Gimme a break.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 12:52 pm:
===Who punches with their eyes shut?==%
It is actually a natural reaction.
- illini - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 1:15 pm:
As I recall, and don’t hold me to this - but I seem to recall that Daren Wilson ( of Ferguson fame ) raised over $800,000 from a variety of sources. And in the aftermath, he and his girlfriend were able to buy a new home and he has pretty much been under the radar since.
The FOP is doing what it would probably be expected to do, but there are a variety of other options to raise $$$$$. Beware.
- Juice - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 1:18 pm:
For someone who doesn’t know how to fight, closing your eyes can often be a natural reaction.
For someone who doesn’t know how to fight, they are likely to be throwing a punch with their dominant hand.
In other photos of him holding a microphone, he is almost always holding it in his right hand, which is probably his dominant hand. Yet in this photo he is a southpaw?
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 1:35 pm:
And charges are dropped.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151125/downtown/activist-protest-organizer-struck-police-officer-cops-say
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 1:42 pm:
“- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 1:35 pm:
And charges are dropped.”
That doesn’t’ mean anything. He still threw the punches.
Cops have messed with me here and there my whole life but I still know enough not to provoke them
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 1:51 pm:
Anon, what does it say about the police if less than a day later their case falls apart?
- Politix - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 1:53 pm:
Congrats to Malcolm for turning the attention to himself. /s
Some people just enjoy drama.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 1:54 pm:
I am four square behind the thin blue line, but that doesn’t mean there are not very bad apples that need to be tossed. The very few bad ones cast a dark suspicion on all the rest. To lock arms “no matter what” is an injustice to those wrongfully harmed/killed, and weakens the force more than strengthens.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 1:59 pm:
==The very few bad ones cast a dark suspicion==
By “very few bad ones” do you mean each and every one of the eight responding officers who signed off on the “lunge” lie?
Let’s be clear.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:01 pm:
Because, I mean, WHAT a coincidence that ALL EIGHT of CPD’s very few bad apples happened to be in the same place at the same time.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:12 pm:
By very few you must also mean the officers who stopped at the nearby Burger King to erase any video. There’s a reason everyone at the 26th Street courthouse uses the term “testi-lie.”
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:33 pm:
==Very limited context==
Viewers watching this live last night know that it was reported by other journalists almost exactly as Rich is now.
Protestors were blocking the intersection. Things were peaceful. A few feet away there was a burst of activity and one person was arrested.
This man have been released because he did not do anything wrong or simply to help ==keep peace==.
The police were not indiscriminately arresting people at any point last night, and protestors were generally peaceful last night, even when protestors surrounded some vehicles with passengers inside.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:38 pm:
==One pic doesn’t tell the story here==
Not the full story but a major part of the story.
The photo taken by a neutral observer is proof that clearly supports one story.
Does anyone have photos supporting another story?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:40 pm:
Read the use of Force directive for CPD and apply it to the facts of this specific incident. After doing so the officer acted within the guidelines of the powers bestowed on him as a sworn LEO.
People can say the video looks terrible but please point out a example of a police officer using justified lethal force and it looks good? These videos are never nice to view. No person wants to see any life expire.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:43 pm:
The updated story on DNA says ==Prosecutors said the altercation between London and police was caught on video.==
Release the video. That will settle this.
- Anon - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:50 pm:
===To lock arms “no matter what” is an injustice to those wrongfully harmed/killed, and weakens the force more than strengthens.===
Thus the expression a bad apple spoils the batch. Maybe the batch ought to go.
===People can say the video looks terrible but please point out a example of a police officer using justified lethal force and it looks good===
I don’t think you’re making the point you want to make here. Most justified police shootings don’t involve shooting someone more than a dozen times after they’ve already fallen to the ground.
- A guy - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:50 pm:
+++Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 12:52 pm:
===Who punches with their eyes shut?==%
It is actually a natural reaction.+++
Don’t tell him. Show him. lol
- Zoe - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:51 pm:
my post was deleted - too long or?
- Young State Worker - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:51 pm:
Charges dropped http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-aspiring-poet-and-protest-organizer-among-those-arrested-during-loop-video-protest-20151125-story.html
- Juice - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:54 pm:
Anonymous, reading the use of force model utilized by the Chicago Police Department, it indicates that lethal force is permitted if once the officer arrives on the scene the suspect can be classified as an assailant and is likely to cause death or serious physical injury.
This officer had been on the scene for less than a minute and his actions during that time would classify him as that type of assailant. And the officers who had been on the scene for much longer found no cause to use their firearms.
- Anon2U - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 3:11 pm:
FOP Lodge 7 should be helping this guys family AND doing whatever they can to get rid of bad cops. I understand it’s a tough job but geez. The fact that this guy still had a job until yesterday is a glaring problem. Unions, especially cop unions, go way too far in protecting bad members sometimes.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 3:24 pm:
@Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 2:40 pm
I can’t see how firing at somebody 16 times, including while the individual is on the ground, can be labeled as justified under any definition.
- Dumbfounded - Wednesday, Nov 25, 15 @ 3:59 pm:
Alvarez dropped the charges against the 22 year old man that took a swing at the police officer. Disgusting. This not only disrespect the officer, but will only serve to encourage others to attack the police. Unbelieveable.