Not Guilty in New Orleans
By now, everyone should have seen the video of cops in New Orleans beating up a 64-year-old drunk man on Bourbon Street. It's pretty clear that an intoxicated Robert Davis was being held and punched in the face by a not-drunk, younger, stronger police officer. Then when Davis resisted his beating, the cops threw him to the ground giving him a few knees and punches. At the end of the video you can see his blood running onto the sidewalk. This situation got more complicated today when the three police officers pleaded not guilty to battery charges. Um... Why is a not guilty plea even an option?
Davis has been released from the hospital into police custody and charged with public intoxication, public intimidation, resisting arrest and battery on a police officer. That's a lot of criminal activity for an old dude who was sooo drunk that he was arrested on Bourbon Street, a street famous for it's drunkards and their unruly behavior. Seriously, I didn't even know there were laws against being drunk on Bourbon Street. You can actually take your drinks to go!
Not only did these guys plead not guilty, they're using stress from the hurricane situation to justify their behavior. But some of these guys aren't even from New Orleans. On the video you hear one cop cursing out an AP editor and telling him to go home because he doesn't understand the stress that they're under. Now this dude was sincere, I believe that he was pretty stressed out, but that's hardly a justification. They also say that he punched the editor in the stomach, but I only saw him being thrown against a car. Either way, it's a sad day when cops are allowed to take their job-related stress out on citizens whether we're drunk or not. First you can't drive drunk, now we can't walk around drunk!? WTF.
Check out the video on USAToday.com.
photo by: Mel Evans
posted by Atsui_Gal @ 2:35 PM
2 Comments:
"I haven't had a drink in 25 years," Davis said.
Here's the link for the story on Good Morning America's site, where Robert Davis appeared today.
(http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1201560)
How you can pin someone to the ground, order them to roll over, and then call that resisting when they can't overcome the weight of four cops...I'm still trying to understand. Drinking doesn't make you stronger, it jacks up your motor skills! If four robust officers can't handle an AARP card carrying member, that does not say much for the safety of the NOLA streets.
Not once have the police said that Mr. Davis lunged at them, or threatened their safety in any way. Public drunkeness does not warrant a Rodney King-esque beating. I see public drunkeness every Tuesday at 10pm on MTV. All that ever happens to the underage drinkers of "The Real World", is a night in jail sobering up.
yeah.. I just saw Mr. Davis on the news today. I'm glad to hear that he wasn't drunk. That drunk excuse was lame as hell. Anyone who's been to N.O knows better than that.
I don't think the cops really have any reason for beating Davis at this point, but they may come up with something in the next day or two. With their cheif of police gone, I don't see how this force is going to hold it together. I have a feeling these guys may actually... be held responsible for their actions.
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