MAY 1 DISTURBANCES

What the H+LL happened at MacArthur Park on May 1?!!! Did Bratton take a page from his former subordinate (Timoney) on crowd dispersing tactics? It looks bad and when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is through with it, heads will roll. Let's hope is only brass!

when the cops say move.......MOVE!!!!!!!!

[copfactor]

Miami Cop, what was bad about it?? I didn't see enough to make a judgment. But I do know that more police officers got hurt than ILLEGAL aliens! The good guys should never end up with more injuries. We do NOT get paid to lose. So lets give this investigation time. Sad thing is police officers will never get a fair investigation in Los Angeles!

Miami Cop, what was bad about it?? I didn't see enough to make a judgment. But I do know that more police officers got hurt than ILLEGAL aliens! The good guys should never end up with more injuries. We do NOT get paid to lose. So lets give this investigation time. Sad thing is police officers will never get a fair investigation in Los Angeles!

COPFACTOR: I too am in favor of allowing the investigative process to take its course, and giving all involved officers the benefit of the doubt. Let's see what the investigative findings divulge. As to what looked bad, the televised images showing LAPD POs using force upon "seemingly" unarmed and compliant people speak volumes. Did these folks perpetrate criminal acts upon POs just before the cameras caught the LEOs applying force upon demonstrators? If so, that may justified the use of "reasonable" force! Such critical fact remains undetermined, but from the televised record shown, "it looked bad!" Those visual images, seen by Angelinos and the rest of the nation, were enough to project the LAPD in a very negative hue. Why do you think William Bratton wasted no time in calling upon the FBI?

For the sake of all the LEOs involved, I hope that whoever was in command of that Mobile Field Force Operation, had the presence of mind to attach a video unit to the cadre. Recording the dispersal order being uttered in both English and Spanish as well as giving demonstrators sufficient time and routes to disperse! If that was captured by the departmental video unit, involved officers should not be concerned. They did their job!

[copfactor]

You must have seen a differant story then me, probably on CNN, but the one I saw said that rocks and bottles were being thrown at the cops prior. Even organizers of the event said that there were anarchist agitators in the crowd! Dispersal orders were given from the helicopters. Even if they were not in spanish, there were plenty of bi-lingual organizers there who could have told the non-english speakers. Most must have understood, because it is only the people not leaving the area that were struck, either with batons or less lethal extended range impact weapons. (Both of which can be used on "seemingly unarmed" suspects.) And some were even challenging the cops. The stupid reporters from telemundo, thought that they don't have to leave the area after the dispersal order was given. And if Bratton was any leader he would have said that he was reserving jugdement until all the facts were in and has invited outside investigators and to make the whole process transparant. But he caved into the racist rhetoric before it even was thrown out there, which it would have.....

WHEN THE STORY FIRST AIRED, I ASKED MYSELF, "WHAT HAS THE MEDIA CONVENIENTLY LEFT OUT OF THIS STORY TO MAKE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT LOOK BAD?" WE ARE WELL AWARE HERE ON THE EAST COAST JUST HOW ONE SIDED THESE STORIES ARE DEPICTED BY THE MEDIA. LORD KNOWS, WE HAVE HAD OUR OWN SERIES OF EVENTS, MOST RECENTLY THE FTAA DEOMNOSTRATIONS IN DOWNTOWN MIAMI. THE MEDIA KNOWS WELL THAT SENSATIONALISM SELLS COPS BEAT UNARMED PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS SELLS, SO THEY CONVENIENTLY LEAVE OUT THE SERIES OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE CONFRONTATION.

I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE WAY THE BRASS HAS HANDLED THE SITUATION, SUCCUMBING TO COMMUNITY PRESSURE INSTEAD OF RESERVING JUDGEMENT UNTIL THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE. IT REMINDS ME OF THE OVERTOWN RIOTS HERE IN MIAMI IN THE MID 80'S WHEN THE MAYOR STOOD ON TOP OF A PATROL CAR AT THE STILL ACTIVE SCENE OF THE POLICE SHOOTING AND DECLARED THAT ALL CITY OF MIAMI POLICEMEN WERE "BUMS" AND HE WOULD MAKE SURE THOSE INVOLVED WERE ARRESTED. HE THEN HAD TO BE RESCUED FROM THE RIOTOUS CROWD BY THOSE AFORMENTIONED "BUMS". IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOUR OFFICERS FOLLOWED ORDERS WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND USED ONLY THAT FORCE NECESSARY TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. GOOD LUCK TO ALL INVOLVED....

Miami Cop, what was bad about it?? I didn't see enough to make a judgment. But I do know that more police officers got hurt than ILLEGAL aliens! The good guys should never end up with more injuries. We do NOT get paid to lose. So lets give this investigation time. Sad thing is police officers will never get a fair investigation in Los Angeles!Hey LAPD you guys did a kickass job. Screw the cuban from miami. Get rid of the aliens!

It's all fine.
President Bush passed the Patriot Act which basically took the US Constitution and threw it out the window. So whatever the police does to citizens is fine. It's Homeland Security!!! Stay the Course!!! Remember September 11th.... Kiss your Freedom Goodbye.

We are becoming more and more like Nazi Germany was and the Soviet Union thanks to that monkey in the white house.