Thread: National Guard Deployed as Violence Engulfs Baltimore

Article in The Atlantic on the Baltimore Police. A few highlights:

$5.7 million is the amount the city paid to victims of brutality between 2011 and 2014. And as huge as that figure is, the more staggering number in the article is this one: "Over the past four years, more than 100 people have won court judgments or settlements related to allegations of brutality and civil-rights violations." What tiny percentage of the unjustly beaten win formal legal judgments?

If you're imagining that they were all men in their twenties, think again:

Victims include a 15-year-old boy riding a dirt bike, a 26-year-old pregnant accountant who had witnessed a beating, a 50-year-old woman selling church raffle tickets, a 65-year-old church deacon rolling a cigarette and an 87-year-old grandmother aiding her wounded grandson. Those cases detail a frightful human toll. Officers have battered dozens of residents who suffered broken bones — jaws, noses, arms, legs, ankles — head trauma, organ failure, and even death, coming during questionable arrests. Some residents were beaten while handcuffed; others were thrown to the pavement.

...

Lest anyone imagine that this investigation was the only tipoff of egregious misconduct among Baltimore police, more context is useful. The period covered in the brutality investigation came immediately after the FBI caught 51 Baltimore police officers in a scheme that resulted in at least 12 extortion convictions.

...

Baltimore police tased a hospitalized meningitis patient 5 times in the course of ten minutes. He died soon after. Prosecutors did not file charges.

Another cop was charged with an assault on a 14-year-old boy.

...

In July, "Officer Thomas Schmidt, a 24-year veteran assigned to the Emergency Services unit, was placed on paid administrative leave after police say he held down a Shar-Pei while a fellow officer, Jeffrey Bolger, slit the dog's throat." A month later, a Baltimore police officer plead guilty "to a felony animal cruelty charge after he fatally beat and choked his girlfriend's Jack Russell terrier,"

etc.

etc.

etc.

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

“Essentially, what Baldwin said to the world was, ‘Don’t hire veterans! They’re crazy! They will destroy everything!’”

Jesus you just cant help yourself with these garbage posts. Breitbart is nothing but a bullshit website that is full of lies. She never said that, "essentially" breitbart just made that whole sentence up.

What she said was that veterans come back from wars and become police officers in cities that they are not from and are overly aggressive.

Retarded right wing media then spun it as usual. Making something out of nothing.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

. So far, I have to give the police kudos for controlling the situation.

They did a great job tonight. Very professional. Totally the opposite of Ferguson were they basically did a direct frontal assault on the protesters.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Don't see too many whites within the crowd protesting the curfew.

Thats because Baltimore is 65% black. Most whites live out in Baltimore county.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

That still leaves 35%. Didn't even see 1% in the potest crowd.

I have been watching the coverage for several hours and I did see a few white people. Baltimore is a very segregated city when I was there it was very evident. One of the most hardscrabble cities in the country for sure.

Originally Posted by bsnub

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

That still leaves 35%. Didn't even see 1% in the potest crowd.

I have been watching the coverage for several hours and I did see a few white people. Baltimore is a very segregated city when I was there it was very evident. One of the most hardscrabble cities in the country for sure.

What percentage of whites Bsub? And yes, Baltimore is a segregated city, so you might think it would be more like 63% black, 31% white which is the ethnic numbers for the city.

This is the guy they are blowing up Baltimore over:



Grouchy Old Cripple | tagline

His arrest record never is discussed, only that he was killed by the police. The majority don't even care about the details as long as looting and violence is the outcome. Then comes the civil law suits and whining about inequality and it all starts over again at the next opportunity.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

What percentage of whites Bsub?

Its very low no doubt and largely downtown where I saw the whites protesting. There is a large police presence there.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

His arrest record never is discussed

Why should it be? None of those are violent crimes looks like he was just a small time drug dealer. Nothing that justifies having your back broken while already in custody.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

The majority don't even care about the details as long as looting and violence is the outcome.

Thats contrary to what I saw today. The community really came together and most of the looting stopped. People were keeping the troublemakers away from the police and it was a real impressive showing by the community as a whole.

Originally Posted by bsnub

None of those are violent crimes looks like he was just a small time drug dealer.

Possession of narchotics over 10 grams?
Possession of stolen property?

Just a small-time thug in the 'hood'. Like that Gentle Giant in Ferguson Missouri, eh?

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Hardly an upstanding citizen and would you like to have him as a next door neighbor Bsnub?

We can not always choose our neighbors now can we?

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

His arrest record only shows the offenses where he got caught.

Feel free to speculate all you like but the fact is he was never convicted of a violent crime.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

It depends on how much he resisted.

With a rap sheet that long he was very experienced with getting arrested yet he was never charged with resisting arrest, eluding or assault. The evidence would point to the fact that it would be unlikely that he would resist much if at all. Besides he was already in custody when his back was broken.

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Originally Posted by bsnub

None of those are violent crimes looks like he was just a small time drug dealer.

Possession of narchotics over 10 grams?
Possession of stolen property?

Just a small-time thug in the 'hood'. Like that Gentle Giant in Ferguson Missouri, eh?

That's about the size of it.
It certainly couldn't be said either of them were major crime figures.

Originally Posted by bsnub

With a rap sheet that long he was very experienced with getting arrested yet he was never charged with resisting arrest, eluding or assault. The evidence would point to the fact that it would be unlikely that he would resist much if at all. Besides he was already in custody when his back was broken.
[at] [at]

Think they refer to convictions, not charges, US system, take a plea and lessor things go away.
Resisting with out violence is a fairly minor offence.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Think they refer to convictions, not charges, US system, take a plea and lessor things go away.

You think? Violent crime trumps lessor offenses. In the US those crimes are not plea bargained. The drug crimes yes but never the violent crimes.

Originally Posted by bsnub

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Think they refer to convictions, not charges, US system, take a plea and lessor things go away.

You think? Violent crime trumps lessor offenses. In the US those crimes are not plea bargained. The drug crimes yes but never the violent crimes.

Resisting is refusing to comply, not pulling your hands behind your back when told, or running away at times. Shoplifter runs, no felony flight, but resisting, usually the suspect is then cuffed after being taken to the ground.

Anyone dealing drugs has to be somewhat violent, otherwise the junkies would just take their drugs.

Be interesting to find out,How many armed forces personnel join the Police in America, as it certainly seems there is a lot of loonies in the Police.

Only ever had one run in with a cop over there, and to say the least the guy thought he was the Terminator.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Anyone dealing drugs has to be somewhat violent, otherwise the junkies would just take their drugs.

That is true and a wise observation however the distinction is that when law enforcement responds these guys know how to lay down as drug charges will be a quick release.

He was also brain damaged and living on the proceeds of a lead paint settlement.
*and dealing drugs apparently)

VP of the Orioles, Angeles stated these comments below. This is what needs to be addressed more. The jobs are gone. (I do understand that as the VP of daddy's team in Baltimore, his market it....well....Baltimore. I loved going to Oriole games.


Orioles VP Angelos Makes Profound Statement Following Baltimore Protests
April 27, 2015

WASHINGTON — In response to Twitter chatter concerning Saturday’s protests in Baltimore, which shut down traffic in some areas of the city and forced some fans to stay inside Oriole Park for their safety even after the baseball game was over, Orioles Executive Vice President John Angelos, son of majority owner Peter Angelos, had this to say on his Twitter account:

“Brett, speaking only for myself, I agree with your point that the principle of peaceful, non-violent protest and the observance of the rule of law is of utmost importance in any society. MLK, Gandhi, Mandela, and all great opposition leaders throughout history have always preached this precept. Further, it is critical that in any democracy investigation must be completed and due process must be honored before any government or police members are judged responsible.

That said, my greater source of personal concern, outrage and sympathy beyond this particular case is focused neither upon one night’s property damage nor upon the acts, but is focused rather upon the past four-decade period during which an American political elite have shipped middle class and working class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around the U.S. to third-world dictatorships like China and others, plunged tens of millions of good hard-working Americans into economic devastation, and then followed that action around the nation by diminishing every American’s civil rights protections in order to control an unfairly impoverished population living under an ever-declining standard of living and suffering at the butt end of an ever-more militarized and aggressive surveillance state.

The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, an ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importance of any kids’ game played tonight, or ever, at Camden Yards. We need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around the U.S., and while we are thankful no one was injured at Camden Yards, there is a far bigger picture for poor Americans in Baltimore and everywhere who don’t have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights, and this makes inconvenience at a ball game irrelevant in light of the needless suffering government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans.”


John Angelos Makes Profound Statement on Twitter Following Protests « CBS DC

Originally Posted by Necron99

He was also brain damaged and living on the proceeds of a lead paint settlement.
*and dealing drugs apparently)

Well, per post #32, this was a drug dealer.

interesting observation here.

Are The Baltimore Riots Being Manipulated?
By Michael Snyder, on April 27th, 2015


Baltimore Rioting - YouTube ScreenshotIs it possible that there are people out there that are attempting to inflame the Baltimore riots for their own twisted purposes? I don’t know if you have noticed, but there has seemed to be lots of unprotected police vehicles parked very close to where all of the protests have been happening. The police had to know that those vehicles would be prime targets if violence erupted. So where were the police while those vehicles were being smashed and set on fire? And why did the mayor of Baltimore say that authorities purposely “gave those who wished to destroy space to do that”? Yes, Freddie Gray really died. And yes, the police really did brutalize him resulting in his death, and the outpouring of anger that we are witnessing regarding this episode of police brutality is very real. But as Rahm Emanuel used to say, “you never want a serious crisis to go to waste”. In recent days we have seen a whole host of politicians, “civil rights leaders”, and opportunists flock to Baltimore like bears to a honeypot. We have also seen events unfold in a way that seems almost perfectly staged for television. Yes, the anger of the rioters in Baltimore is very real, but is that anger being manipulated and used for other purposes?

Early on Monday, there was a very highly organized Internet campaign calling for a “purge” in Baltimore that would begin at precisely 3 PM eastern time…

On Monday, police said an online call was issued for a “purge” at 3 p.m. ET, starting at Mondawmin Mall and ending in the downtown area. The type of threat threat is based on a movie called “The Purge,” whose plot involves rampant lawlessness.

It would be extremely interesting to find out precisely where this call for a “purge” originated from. And if you have seen “The Purge”, then you know exactly what was being called for. It was a clear message that violence was going to happen. Authorities knew about this well in advance, but the Mondawmin Mall area was not locked down in advance.

Very suspicious.

And the authorities also knew in advance that law enforcement officers were going to be specifically targeted on Monday…

Baltimore Police Department - Credible Threat

Would you like to know who brought those gangs together?

According to Fox News, it was the Nation of Islam…

Activists from the Nation of Islam claimed responsibility for bringing the gangs together, telling reporters that they brokered a deal between the hated foes.

“I can say with honesty those brothers demonstrated they can be united for a common good,” Nation of Islam minister Carlos Muhammad told The Daily Beast. “At the rally, they made the call that they must be united on that day. It should be commended.”

Wow.

Perhaps there is more going on behind the scenes in Baltimore than we are being told.

On Saturday night, rioters made it a point to destroy any unoccupied police vehicles that they found nearby. In the aftermath, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake informed reporters that a decision was consciously made to give “those who wished to destroy space to do that”…

“While we tried to make sure that they were protected from the cars and the other things that were going on. We also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well. And we work very hard to keep that balance and to put ourselves in the best position to deescalate, and that’s what you saw.”

Was the same philosophy employed on Monday when even more police vehicles were vandalized and destroyed?

We saw the same kind of thing happen in Ferguson when the police were held back and hordes of thugs were allowed to vandalize, loot and set on fire entire city blocks.

This is all very bizarre. Just imagine a different group of protesters being given the same “freedom”. For instance, if a bunch of Tea Party activists started smashing and burning things, they would all have boots on their necks faster than you could say “Ronald Reagan”.

Perhaps it is believable that authorities were taken by surprise by what happened on Saturday night. But everyone could see what was coming on Monday after the funeral of Freddie Gray well in advance.

Something should have been done to prevent the violence, but instead it was allowed to spiral out of control.

And without a doubt, the mainstream media and many of our most prominent “national leaders” are responsible for stirring up racial tensions to the boiling point.

For example, just consider what the “Reverend” Jesse Jackson had to say during the funeral of Freddie Gray…

The Rev. Jesse Jackson also spoke and reminded everyone of the burden all of society must face to be equal.

‘When society is sick and mean, the innocent will be slain,’ said Jackson.

He pointed to the example of Baltimore itself and its poverty stricken westside, which is overwhelmingly black and the white, prosperous downtown.

‘Sixteen thousand abandoned or vacant homes, 25 percent unemployment — we don’t need more police, we need more jobs,’ said Jackson. ‘Why can’t the west side get the same things downtown gets?’

This “us vs. them” philosophy is cancerous to any society. The truth is that we are all Americans, and we are all in this together. When you pit one group of people against another, you inevitably create animosity.

At the end of Freddie Gray’s funeral, the Reverend Jamal Bryant whipped the assembled crowd into a frenzy by leading a “no justice, no peace” chant…

“No justice, no peace,” declared Rev. Jamal Bryant at the end of his eulogy for Freddie Gray, a statement which won’t ease tensions as violent protests rock Baltimore, Md.

“No justice! No justice!” He yelled to those in attendence, prompting them to yell “No peace!”

Yes, large numbers of people in the African-American community in Baltimore were very angry before the past few days, but now their emotions have been brought to a boiling point. And all of this emotion exploded on the streets of Baltimore on Monday. By the time the day was done, 15 police officers had been injured.

Are The Baltimore Riots Being Manipulated?

What these people clearly need is a Hamsterdam.

It works.

Bunny Colvin proved it.

It's a self filling prophecy from Hollywood, movies of gun slingers in the saloons and streets of the Wild West.