If this is excessive force, then I don't know what to say...

[Hockey9019]

I don't see anything wrong here from viewing juts the video


Anyone else?

[Hockey9019]

News article from LL

Dramatic video caught by a news crew is forcing local police to answer some tough questions about proper procedure. The actions of a police officer captured on video are under review by the District Attorney for Washington County. An NBC15 news crew was in McIntosh for a different story when they caught the scene on camera.

McIntosh Police say the chase started as a routine traffic stop and quickly accelerated when Ronald Lee Reed would not stop his truck. When the police caught up with Reed, Officer Blaine Barnett fired a taser into Reed's truck. Barnett then pulled Reed out, threw him to the ground, and punched him one time on the side of the head. The video also shows Barnett slamming Reed's face into the asphalt street three times.

NBC15 News spoke with Billy Lathan who was standing with us and also witnessed the arrest. "Down to the ground! He pushed him down to the ground and got down on him. I reckon they handcuffed him," said Lathan.

Reed didn't spend the night in jail, though. He walked away with two misdemeanor citations for reckless driving and possession of marijuana.
Officers searched Reed's truck, but according to a court clerk, the citation says only a "small amount of green substance (was found and) presumed to be marijuana."

So, why use of the taser, the punch and the suspect's head being slammed to the street when Reed was cited for minor offenses?:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

For more than a week, NBC15 News has been trying to get someone from the McIntosh Police to talk about the tape, to see if proper procedure was followed. The chief wouldn't talk. The chief's name is Michael Barnett... and he's Officer Blaine Barnett's father.

The District Attorney has also not returned any of our calls.

As for suspect Ronald Reed and his family, they told us they did not want to talk on camera. His parents say they'll wait until they have consulted an attorney first, but they too are concerned the force used against their son was excessive.

One other point over which there is some confusion concerns a question as to which agency Officer Barnett was working for at the time of Reed's arrest. The McIntosh Police chief says he was working for the drug task force, a division of the district attorney's office. But the task force says he had quit the day before the incident and was working as a McIntosh Police officer, where he continues to work.

[Coastie 585]

Too far out to see what was really happening, was reed reaching to his pocket after being told "Show me your hands!!"? Really could be one of many, many things.

Who knows.

[Mr. Peanut]

Too far out to see what was really happening, was reed reaching to his pocket after being told "Show me your hands!!"? Really could be one of many, many things.

Who knows.

Are you trying to tell me that real life situations don't boil down to an all-or-nothing conclusion made by uneducated outsiders based on a single video taken from a distance?

Get out of town! You just blew the mind of every attention-whoring small-time local news director.

[kazz]

It is easy to make decisions with hindsight and all the facts laid out in front of you.

Police officers have a split second to make the call, to ensure THEY come home at the end of their shift. Reed chose to run, he escalated the incident & people need to remember that Reed has to take responsibility for his actions.

As for the video, from an arm-chair view, what's the fuss?:rolleyes:

[Coastie 585]

Are you trying to tell me that real life situations don't boil down to an all-or-nothing conclusion made by uneducated outsiders based on a single video taken from a distance?

Yes.

[Cat_Doc]

The only problem I saw was an officer safety violation of rushing the truck.