| Archive for pavedwave longboarding distance longboarding, flatland pumping, cross-country adventuring, boardwalk cruising, and all things skateboarding and good times |
| pavedwave |
Skateboarder discrimination. Keep a camera handy!It's amazing how much documented police abuse against skateboarders you'll find on Youtube.Link "Due to this video, no charges were placed against any of the boys involved, the rough worker has since been fired and charged with misdemeanor assault, and the sheriff, after an investigation, was placed on a four week suspension, hopefully learning his lesson. Bullying little kids is always a foolish idea, especially when you're law enforcement and the cameras are rolling! Always keep the cameras rolling. " The well known double choke hold "Go Skateboarding Day" video: Link The grind-to-bushie video: Link ...and of course the now-famous officer Rivieri... Link Link Link There's a fine line on some of the Youtube vids, however. There's a growing number where the skaters are basically staging the whole thing and provoking security guards on obvious private property areas (like mall parking garages.) Leaving respectfully is still the key, when you know you're in the wrong. We have to do this quite often when we're scouting new places to practice slalom. But it's good to see more of the blatant assaults by cops and security are getting caught on film. |
| blake |
i also ride skateboards and i have had cops rough me up and break my board a few times but i never had proof that we didnt do anything. even longboarding with helmets and gear on people seem to not like me because i am a teenager and riding a board with wheels on it. but this really does make me sick |
| northcoast |
i've found the best thing to do is to set down your board and approach the officers...i've been "busted" quite a few times actually; mall parking lots, parking garages, even a public road. usually a friendly "hello" helps when you're walking toward the cops too. hell, you might make a friend or two if you're respectful. |
| pavedwave |
No physical abuse here, but mistakes on both sides. Guess skateboarding is illegal anywhere in San Francisco, too? Thanks to Michael Brooke for finding this one...
Link |
| LDPanda |
I dont know, it seems like the officer in this vid was mostly doing his job. I mean, prying grates up or whatever these kids were doing is obviously suspicious. He says he got complaints from neighbors (could be a lie, i suppose) he was giving the kids warnings and running them for warrants when he gets called a dick. Now, if im doing my job and somebody calls me a dick, i might get a bit uptight too. Whether he kicked the kid getting in the cop car isnt on camera so i cant really speak to it but this vid relates well to my post on the canada thread, talking smack to an officer, while perfectly legal, will most likely end with you in the back of a cruiser. |
| pavedwave |
Yeah if a kid called me a "fucking dick" on the job he'd get cuffed and stuffed as well. The only part where the cop was being verbally abusive was the comment about breaking his arm -- but even that could be justified in court as reasonable verbal threat to avoid further physical resistance. The cop might have been smartalecky, taunting a bit at the beginning as well -- he knows enough about child psychology to embarrass the kid in front of his friends and get a rise out of him. But none of that matters in court. This is a case where the skaters just needed to shut their pie holes. |