University of California, Davis Police Lt. John Pike uses pepper spray to move Occupy UC Davis protesters while blocking their exit from the school's quad in Davis, Calif on November 18, 2011. Pike, the riot-clad police officer who pepper sprayed a row of peaceful Occupy Wall Street protesters at a California university last week, is a retired U.S. Marine sergeant twice honored for his police work on campus. (AP Photo/The Enterprise, Wayne Tilcock) #Honored, huh?
And then there's this:
Police raise weapons while making an arrest during the Occupy Denver protest in Denver, CO, Saturday, October 29, 2011. Occupy Denver protesters and law enforcement officers faced off on the steps of the state Capitol and Civic Center this afternoon after protesters marched through downtown Denver for the fourth week in a row. Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post #
Raised weapons,huh?
2 comments:
My blood is boiling.
Back in the day when I was "the man", I participated in several "aid to civil power" events. Ottawa, where I was based, being the nation's capital, gets its fair share of them. We were told to secure the airport against demonstrators. Some bozo named Carter was visiting.
(long story here...severely truncated, sorry. I will leave a lot of the drama out.)
I lined my guys up, and we formed the line. Cars would come by and we would check the driver's identification, and if they did not belong there, we turned them back. I asked my guys what they would do if we got over run. Most said that they would simply regroup and call for backup. (proper thing) One nut bar said that if we were over run, he would open fire.
I removed his weapon and put him on report for that remark. At the subsequent summary trial (think drum head court martial), he was exhonerated, because we had failed the system by issuing weapons in the first place.
A lot of soul searching went on as they wondered whether to charge ME for not being prepared to use lethal force. They decided against any action, but only because in the preliminary hearing it was determined that I knew what I was facing...students and anti drinking groups, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
I demanded a medal for getting that loose cannon under control before the firestorm of press coverage made mincemeat of us.
The point? I suppose it is just that I remember wondering why it seemed so obvious to ME, and so un obvious to my oblivious "superiors".
I think those weapons carrying nimrods are cut from the same cloth as my idiot corporal.
Wonder how long before it's Kent State again?
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