Facebook police takedown video sparks Port Moody probe

[B00Mer]

Facebook police takedown video sparks Port Moody probe



Port Moody police say they are investigating an incident at the Golden Spike Pub after a video was posted on Facebook that appears to show an officer hitting or grabbing a man and throwing him to the ground.

The 18-second video clip of the incident was posted on Facebook, provoking allegations of excessive use of force.

Police say staff at the pub called 911 just after midnight Saturday, saying a man and a woman had been kicked out and the man was attempting to fight security staff.

"When officers arrived on scene they could hear the male and female yelling obscenities at the staff outside the pub. According to staff, both parties had been ejected from the pub for assaulting and threatening employees," said a statement released by the department.

"An officer placed the 30-year-old Coquitlam male under arrest for intoxication in a public place and causing a disturbance. Despite multiple warnings, the male was uncooperative during the arrest and was subsequently taken to the ground."

Police say both the man and woman were arrested, held overnight and released when they were sober.
Detained couple launch complaint

Herb Ramos, a local cameraman and navy reservist, came forward on Monday as the man in the video.

He and his girlfriend, Tracey Ferris, told CBC News they were leaving the Golden Spike Pub, where they were part of a large party celebrating a birthday.

Ferris, 23, said after they paid the bill, a number of bouncers started harassing her about her ID. She admitted that she began arguing back, and Ramos came to her defence.

The couple acknowledges they weren't sober, but maintain the only people they argued with were the bouncers on their way out.

"We never threatened one staff member. We never had any sort of physical altercation with anyone in the entire bar," Ferris said.

Ferris and Ramos also said the officers used unnecessary force, which left Ramos bruised, with a stiff neck, a bump on the back of his head and a mild concussion.

The Port Moody Police Department said Monday afternoon that it received notification that an official complaint was filed under the Police Act. It also said review of the incident is underway, and anyone with concerns over the conduct of the officers is encouraged to contact the department's professional standards section.3:04 AM 7/9/2013


VIDEO: Facebook police takedown video sparks Port Moody probe - British Columbia - CBC News

 

[PoliticalNick]

The female reporter speaks the truth. The cops are TRAINED to take control of a situation quickly and with force. Unfortunately in they are not trained in using good judgement. I am sure some of these guys are pretty decent most of the time but the training they receive takes over. That training is to use strong physical force not diffuse & calm a scene. I think they should get as much if not more training in psychology as they do in hand-to-hand.

It is unfortunate that cops these days seem to jump right to physical force. It is good though that everyone has a video on their phone. Now if we could just get the courts to prosecute these idiots that cross the line or even get the police forces to fire their a$$es it might stop. Unfortunately prosecuters are not willing to press charges as they need the police to help them convict and of course the police will close ranks rather than go after a bad apple.

I know quite a few cops and have 2 neighbors in the RCMP. They are decent people with regular families. They have come to BBQs at my place and I have gone to theirs. I have discussed all the videos with one (he is the Sgt of the detatchment) and he has told me even if he wanted to discipline one of his officers his hands are usually tied by the union. This definitely needs to change before anything else can be effective to curb the trend of excessive force.

 

[skookumchuck]

Of course we are to assume that the two people charged are getting ready to enter a convent and a nunnery, so they could not possibly be lying their faces off. Could not have been drunk either :roll:

 

[PoliticalNick]

Of course we are to assume that the two people charged are getting ready to enter a convent and a nunnery, so they could not possibly be lying their faces off. Could not have been drunk either :roll:

Er...a convent & nunnery are one in the same.

They admit they 'were not sober'.

It would appear, from the 18 seconds, that the man was standing there being reasonable and calm when he is taken down. I would reserve judgement until the whole video is seen though. The unfortunate thing is because of the numerous and ever increasing incidents of excessive force a lot of the public will now assume the cop is in the wrong. The cops have brought this prevalent attitude upon themselves though by either using excessive force or not prosecuting those on the force that do.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

The couples story sounds revisionist to me. The bars story and the cops actions are consistent with each other. The cop may have used excessive force but one does not know all that was done before to setup the situation.

 

[PoliticalNick]

The couples story sounds revisionist to me. The bars story and the cops actions are consistent with each other. The cop may have used excessive force but one does not know all that was done before to setup the situation.

So no possibility the bar staff are lying and the cops just decided to believe them over the couple without any investigation? I guess where you live there are no bouncers that would ever lie to the cops.

We don't know the whole story yet and I have to assume the cops didn't know the entire story either. They just fell back on training to assume control by any means they deem necessary and since cops never use bad judgement....

 

[Locutus]

They were drunk and likely obnoxious douchebags.

Otherwise their little clever and wordy answer minimizing their sobriety would be 'we weren't drunk' or 'we only had 2 beers'.

It's all such a shame. A shame.

 

[PoliticalNick]

They were drunk and likely obnoxious douchebags.

Ahhh, so drunk & abnoxious means it's ok for a cop to clothesline you to the pavement and choke you. Good to know.

It's all such a shame. A shame.

Yep, it's a shame that cops have abused power and used excessive force to the point that most of the populace now automatically believe they do it every time.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

So no possibility the bar staff are lying and the cops just decided to believe them over the couple without any investigation? I guess where you live there are no bouncers that would ever lie to the cops.

We don't know the whole story yet and I have to assume the cops didn't know the entire story either. They just fell back on training to assume control by any means they deem necessary and since cops never use bad judgement....

I look at motivation for either party to lie. If what couple says is true, what does the bar have to gain by making up story? They don't care if cops are investigated or not. No motivation for false statement makes me more likely to believe them. Couple on the other hand had lots of motivation for lying.

 

[PoliticalNick]

I look at motivation for either party to lie. If what couple says is true, what does the bar have to gain by making up story? They don't care if cops are investigated or not. No motivation for false statement makes me more likely to believe them. Couple on the other hand had lots of motivation for lying.

Have you spent much time in bars? I don't drink anymore but in my youth I almost had my mail delivered to the local cabaret. I have witnessed bouncers do many things that were wrong and not within the purview of their employment and every time the cops were told by the entire bar staff the patron started it and was at fault. It is not out of the ordinary....like the cops covering for each other when they abuse power or use excessive force.

Now no matter what the truth is on what happened prior inside or outside the bar from the 18 seconds on the vid I see no reason for the cop to do what he did. Might change that opinion if I saw more video or got the whole story so until that happens both the guy and the cop are suspect.

 

[Locutus]

Until we (ever) see the seconds or minutes before that selective clip began, we don't know what happened or how the drunken clown was behaving. Cop gives him sh!t on the ground and warns him to do exactly as he's told and does he understand. The loudmouth could have already resisted and was being talked down but then tensed-up against rambo and voila.

If it's a cop out of control, fine, deal with him. But until then...it's all speculation.

Port Moody police use excessive force - YouTube

 

[PoliticalNick]

Until we (ever) see the seconds or minutes before that selective clip began, we don't know what happened or how the drunken clown was behaving. Cop gives him sh!t on the ground and warns him to do exactly as he's told and does he understand. The loudmouth could have already resisted and was being talked down but then tensed-up against rambo and voila.

If it's a cop out of control, fine, deal with him. But until then...it's all speculation.

I thought I said that....

Now no matter what the truth is on what happened prior inside or outside the bar from the 18 seconds on the vid I see no reason for the cop to do what he did. Might change that opinion if I saw more video or got the whole story so until that happens both the guy and the cop are suspect.

The point I keep raising is it is because of what seems to be systemic use of excessive force and abuse of power coupled with the apparent lack of disciplinary action from any department or government body that leads people to believe every incident of police using force is excessive and unwarranted.

The jury is out on this one at this time.

 

[Zipperfish]

When you are arrested by a cop STFU and do what you're told. Most of us learn the lesson the hard way when we're young. Double goes for bouncers, actually. When I was a young man, the bouncers didn't call the cops, they took you out back. There is onl;y one way these situations end up, and that's with you on the losing end. "I fought the law and the law won."

There's violent cops out there, for sure--and even worse--dirty cops. And the cops don't have much interest in removing those guys, unfortunately. The way it's always been. One good thing about everyone being on TV 24/7 these days as it forces more people to tell the truth. Looking at those lying sacks of ****s that killed the polish dude at the airport. Their BS story would have stood if it weren't for the video.