"Nickle Rides" were a known issue with the Baltimore police department (and others), and would be considered sadistic torture had anyone but a cop been doing it.
They were told specifically to knock it off. But they did not. They ended up killing a man, by breaking his neck and severing his spinal cord..
The police commissioner conceded they were at fault.
Yes, nobody was charged.
That's why they now have what they have.
Its not any more complicated than that.
.
Holding the police to a lower level of professionalism, responsibility, and legality then a common street thug is simply wrong.
Also another fact, there was another guy in the back of this vehicle also. Who is to say they didn't get into a fight on the way to the prison????
So Droshki are you trying to make the statement that because of the death of this young man, the masses in baltimore have the right to pillage and burn not only chain stores like CVS but also burn and destroy private property as well. Saw a man beeing interviewed today that was standing in front of a structure fire, people were slashing the fire hoses. When asked how he felt the "man" being interveiwed said it wasn't his neighborhood and his house wasn't on fire. So are these actions justified? None of this shows support for his family, or does anything to remedy the excessive force issue. These are not peaceful protests, MLK is rolling over in his grave. They should load cropdusters up with pepper spray and just hose any group in that city thats rioting
But Gray's initial arrest may not have happened if not for an antiquated provision of Baltimore's municipal code, which prohibits the possession of a "switchblade" knife. Gray had allegedly been running from the police, for reasons that still aren't clear, and after a brief chase, officers found the knife clipped to his pocket in a closed position — he was not alleged to have brandished the knife or threatened anyone with it.
The arrest charge recalls an issue we've been covering in New York City for months — the NYPD's enforcement of a half-century old law against so-called "gravity knives." The law was the subject of a lengthy investigation we published last year which found as many as 60,000 questionable arrests in ten years, making the statute one of the top-ten most-prosecuted crimes in New York City.
See Also: How a 50s-era Knife Law Landed Thousands in Jail and Propped Up Stop and Frisk
Many legal experts — from defense attorneys to labor unions to an official body of the New York State Judiciary — say New York's law is often being applied, incorrectly, to common pocket knives that the legislature never intended to ban. We documented the arrests of construction workers, building supers — even a bible camp counselor — for simply possessing a knife that most people would regard as benign, if somewhat utilitarian. In fact, under the NYPD's interpretation of the gravity knife statute, virtually every pocket knife on the market can be considered an illegal weapon, regardless of size or criminal intent.
The municipal code under which Gray was arrested resembles New York's law in several ways, and its peculiar wording is equally ill-suited to modern technology; as we discovered when we looked at gravity knife laws in New York, knife statutes often have not kept up with current knife designs.
While news reports have described the knife Gray was carrying as a "switchblade," the actual police report (see charging documents at bottom of page) describes it as a "spring assisted, one hand opening knife," which has become among the most common on the market in recent years.
Popular models typically feature a "thumb stud" on the blade, designed for one-handed opening. The user starts opening the knife manually, and then a spring takes over, "assisting" in deploying the blade the rest of the way. Switchblades, by comparison, open with a button or switch contained in the handle of the knife.
Here's the difference between a spring assist knife and a true switchblade:
Read on:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2015/04/freddie_grays_death_in_police.php
village voice?
he had a switchblade on him also ,sumpin to do with Illegal gun sale / stolen or???
So a knife like 95% of us have clipped to our pants pocket right now. His felonious behavior was the exercising of a right we enjoy daily."Gray had allegedly been running from the police, for reasons that still aren't clear,"
might be more than that.
So a knife like 95% of us have clipped to our pants pocket right now. His felonious behavior was the exercising of a right we enjoy daily."Gray had allegedly been running from the police, for reasons that still aren't clear,"
might be more than that.
If you're alleging it was more than that, provide details. Please don't just deal in rumor and innuendo. It's irresponsible.
So a knife like 95% of us have clipped to our pants pocket right now. His felonious behavior was the exercising of a right we enjoy daily."Gray had allegedly been running from the police, for reasons that still aren't clear,"
might be more than that.
It's no mystery. He was running because he had "drugs" on him and knew if caught he would be arrested, spend more time in jail, have more probation, and more fines he couldn't pay thus perpetuating the never ending cycle of being caught up in a broken criminal justice system.
For argument's sake let's say one of the fine Americans here on GCGF had to go to Baltimore or NY City for unavoidable family business. But they decided they were not going to a town like Baltimore and giving up their God given constitutional right of being armed to protect themselves that free states like Florida recognize. For what ever reason contact is made with law enforcement and they want to frisk. Knowing if caught with the gun they will go to jail and lose rights for ever so they make a run for it looking just like your garden variety thug.
Maybe they make it and maybe they don't. The only thing standing between them and being an upstanding member of society or a felon with a record is their foot speed and evasion skills. Say they get caught and now have a felony record. Probably get resisting arrest and assault for running thus making them now a violent felon who assaulted a cop!
Now back at home in gun friendly Florida they no longer have firearm rights and have realized it's just not worth it to carry daily. But all be damned if they are not going to have a way to protect their house and family so they keep a gun at the house. While at work some thugs break into their house and start taking everything in site but the good neighbors see them and calls the cops who catch them coming out with your "illegal firearm".
So real felons break into your house but you also get charged with another felony and do more time and fines then they did for breaking into your house. See how from your perspective you might start losing some trust in the fairness of the criminal justice system?
Geez Droshki, look at his rap sheet, he's a hardened felon that was getting more dangerous with age and you are defending him like he was your brother. You must really not like cops if you're willing to take the side of a felon with his rap sheet. It's obvious he has no qualms about breaking the law. As was stated before, how many crimes did he commit that he wasn't caught? Sure the cops made some mistakes but you act like this guy was a saint. You have no clue what went on in that Van, he could have turned on the cops knowing his latest arrest would problem put him away for a long time due to repeated convictions for the same crime. Even the media is painting him as a saint, not one of the main stream articles I've read bring up his long rap sheet and felony convictions, it's almost like the media is trying to incite the riots so they have something to cover.