Officer pepper sprays lawbreakers - blame begins

[olafpfj]

If a group of men "peacefully" encircles a woman and blocks her path, and she tells them to move and they refuse, does she have to try to make them move physically to see if they resist, before she can legitimately use pepper spray to make them move?

Her...probably not.

The Police?...its their job.

[tallmike]

If a group of men "peacefully" encircles a woman and blocks her path, and she tells them to move and they refuse, does she have to try to make them move physically to see if they resist, before she can legitimately use pepper spray to make them move?

Wow. VERY good point.

Really? You don't see the vast difference between the 2 situations?

You don't really believe that a group of men surrounding a woman (a great disparity of force to the benefit of the group) is the same as a group of college kids sitting down arm in arm to keep from being removed by police officers dressed in riot gear, do you?

[bilgerat57]

"'a group of college kids sitting down arm in arm to keep from being removed by police officers dressed in riot gear," A group of college kids blocking a public thoroughfare. In blocking access like this, what happens to the heart attack victim when the ambulance has to detour around them? What happens to the homeowner whose home burns to the ground because the fire dept has to take longer to arrive? How about the store owner who is robbed with impunity because of the extra manpower needed to deal with these spoiled brats? Nobody is denying them their right to protest. They are free to express themselves within the law. What they are not free to do, is to put others at risk in doing so.

[Bullwhip]

"'a group of college kids sitting down arm in arm to keep from being removed by police officers dressed in riot gear," A group of college kids blocking a public thoroughfare. In blocking access like this, what happens to the heart attack victim when the ambulance has to detour around them? What happens to the homeowner whose home burns to the ground because the fire dept has to take longer to arrive? How about the store owner who is robbed with impunity because of the extra manpower needed to deal with these spoiled brats? Nobody is denying them their right to protest. They are free to express themselves within the law. What they are not free to do, is to put others at risk in doing so.

What's that got to do with sitting on a sidewalk on a wide open public campus?

Maybe you didn't see, the police LT. who sprayed them was behind them first. He just stepped over them. Pretty sure the others could too.

[Bullwhip]

Been a long time since I had a kid little enough to throw tantrums. I always stepped over em and went on with my busness. Kids get tired of screaming and kicking the floor, they stop.

[Jumping Frog]

If a group of men "peacefully" encircles a woman and blocks her path, and she tells them to move and they refuse, does she have to try to make them move physically to see if they resist, before she can legitimately use pepper spray to make them move?

No, that is disparity of force. She should shoot them.

[Heartland Patriot]

I guess I thought wrong and we are certainly all doomed. The "Glorious Leader" occupying the White House WILL get a second term, they WILL come "pry them from our cold, dead hands" and we WILL give the government 99% of our money...why do I say this? Because its obvious that if people on THIS forum can be mentally coerced by the media into having sympathy for those lazy, whiny, leftist kids who just want to government to fleece us for their benefit, then I believe that all may be lost indeed. They hoodwinked a good many folks back in the Sixties and now some of you are letting them do it again...

[mamabearCali]

It is quite simple. My parents always said if you value your body parts when a police officer tells you to do something, DO IT! If they are wrong, wrong, wrong and you are innocent of anything tell it to the judge and get yourself a lawyer. Unless the police officer is telling you to do something illegal or immoral, you take it up with the courts. That advice was to keep my father's children in one piece should they ever get in a sticky situation. Bottom line these guys knew what they were doing was going to get the university and the campus police riled up, they did it anyway, they knew they were going to be arrested (sitting down and linking arms), they got what they wanted.

As far as force level well, pepper spray sucks bad, but not as bad as a broken elbow/shoulder/ankle/clavical which is what they could have gotten if they police had decided to physically move them.

[A-R]

If a group of men "peacefully" encircles a woman and blocks her path, and she tells them to move and they refuse, does she have to try to make them move physically to see if they resist, before she can legitimately use pepper spray to make them move?

Wow. VERY good point.

Really? You don't see the vast difference between the 2 situations?

You don't really believe that a group of men surrounding a woman (a great disparity of force to the benefit of the group) is the same as a group of college kids sitting down arm in arm to keep from being removed by police officers dressed in riot gear, do you?

Yes I see a difference. Said it was a good point not a perfect analogy. The good point is that people "just standing there, non-violently" is not always what it seems based on the generic description. While these protesters may be "just sitting there, non-violently" they are not innocent nor without means, motive, and opportunity to cause trouble. Sometimes "just sitting there, non-violently" CAN BE either threatening or a violation of the law. It's not always as "innocent" as some want you to believe.

[jocat54]

I guess I thought wrong and we are certainly all doomed. The "Glorious Leader" occupying the White House WILL get a second term, they WILL come "pry them from our cold, dead hands" and we WILL give the government 99% of our money...why do I say this? Because its obvious that if people on THIS forum can be mentally coerced by the media into having sympathy for those lazy, whiny, leftist kids who just want to government to fleece us for their benefit, then I believe that all may be lost indeed. They hoodwinked a good many folks back in the Sixties and now some of you are letting them do it again...

WOW!!!! I think you have it right!

[suthdj]

Well just to add a bit of humor.
http://peppersprayingcop.tumblr.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[android]

should have shot a couple..no sympathy from me. let the flames begin..

Yeah, they should have shot Rosa Parks too.
Uppity woman wanting to ride in the front of the bus even though it's against the law should have known better.

[Dave2]

should have shot a couple..no sympathy from me. let the flames begin..

Yeah, they should have shot Rosa Parks too.
Uppity woman wanting to ride in the front of the bus even though it's against the law should have known better.

There's a difference in that you can't choose your race, but you can, to some degree, choose not be an idiot.

[suthdj]

Bottom Line the people should not have been sitting there after being told to leave also the LEO should not have used the pepper spray in that situation. My momma always said 2 wrongs don't make a right. The LEO is on leave maybe the students should not be allowed back in school until this is resolved.

[gigag04]

Nobody wins when pepper spray is deployed...