Originally Posted by EnigManiac

I can't believe how many here are defending the behaviour and conduct of the police. Police are supposed to be trained and skilled in dealing with situations appropriately. A cyclist (though I hesitate to call the victim a cyclist, prefering that she was really a person on a bike) riding on a deserted sidewalk (apparently) does not deserve a beating while handcuffed and pinned betneath two burly male cops because the first cop was incompetent and maced himself. The cop went for his pepper spray way too early anyway. He needs to show restraint, control and common sense. Unless there was more to the victim than has been reported, the cops went way over the line and should be held accountable.

There's no doubt the victim was stupid and mouthy, but there's no law against being stupid. Cops need to know how to deal with that reasonably and intelligently. The cop in the video didn't. He was a bully. And she was smart enough to ask why she was being hit and beaten while handcuffed, loud enough for the camera microphone to pick up.

Perhaps most Americans think such violence is acceptable considering the society they live in, I don't know, but it makes me think that perhaps the motto 'land of the free' should be updated to 'land of the free...or as free as we allow you to be and that'll just depend on how much of an ass we feel like being when we see you' or 'land of the free, but not if you're black' or 'land of the free if you look respectable' or any number of other contradictions.They were clearly and obviously way over the line. The 'arresting' officer, it could be argued by any competent lawyer harassed the woman when he went to ticket her for riding on the sidewalk when it seemed there was no danger to pedestrians (there weren't any that I could see). It's a frivolous offense. I hope she wins her case. She might be an idiot, but she also just might wind up a rich idiot.