May Day Melee: No Cops to be Prosecuted
6:24 PM October 30, 2009
Prosecutors have decided not to charge any of the LAPD officers involved in the 2007 melee at MacArthur Park.
The DA's office investigated 30 cops but was unable to find "sufficient evidence" of any crime. On that evening, officers were videotaped beating and firing rubber bullets at demonstrators and members of the media.
The L.A. County District Attorney Office, in its statement, says reporters got in the way of officers:
The media had innocently and unwittingly positioned themselves in an area directly in the path of officers attempting to clear the park.
That's not the way my reporter and photographer colleagues remember it. Those who were there remember police in riot gear hitting them with batons without warning.
It was clear that these journalists were only there to cover the story. After all, they were carrying large TV cameras on their shoulders. And yet some were knocked to the ground by police.
Reporters aren't the most popular folks in our society these days, those of us who are still employed.
But isn't there any sense of outrage over the fact that the police can beat up journalists without facing any consequence?
Posted by Eric Spillman | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Previous Entry
Robert C.
You are right that the police in many non-English speaking countries do not always speak English. But I have had some surprises in where I have found English speaking people. And I know for a fact that many members of the LAPD do speak Spanish. Just as many of the police in Miami and San Diego do.
Posted by: Tristan | November 03, 2009 at 05:20 AM
Mistakes were obviously made as admitted by Chief Bratton (WHO WILL BE MISSED!!!) but, it does not excuse those that do not follow orders to disperse. Many of the Police who were there trying to help with crowd control, were being pelted with objects. These police officers are not the enemy.
Every one was there for a reason. The marchers were there to rally, the police were there to maintain some order, and the reporters were there to cover a story - and in turn became part of the story as the crowd became unruly. When this happened, the police (right or wrong) had to step up their efforts to maintain control. They were outnumbered and not all that were in attendance were there acted peacefully, but fortunately it was only a few that were their for the wrong reason and took advantage of the situation.
Hopefully, all those involved learned from the events of that terrible day. It's one thing to rally and protest - it's another to do so disruptively. And i'm sure the L.A.P.D. will take different measures on dispersing a crowd as evident the following year. And the reporters should be able to cover a story without fear and intimidation, yet still use common sense on what may be the best advantage point to report their story.
Eric - I would be curious as to what and how it is decided where you choose to cover a story. I'm sure it is camera angle, but still reporters need to be safe - like when covering a fire. The best shot on camera may not always be the wisest/safest location to report from.
-m
Posted by: mike | November 02, 2009 at 10:30 AM
I always thought that the police job is to protect and to serve and on these day they forgot it. Even for the people that weren't there and saw the news on tv or newspaper can notice what the police were doing. So maybe they were blind for awhile. I agree with Jozielee about the police had to gave orders in both languages english/spanish, I know for sure that are many policeman that speak spanish so why did't do it. Or maybe this is the way they had used for to trap these people? I don't think the reporters were acting bad, just doing their work.
Posted by: angeles napoles | November 02, 2009 at 01:48 AM
Robert C:
Wasn't the meeting's agenda a protest of immigration laws? If so, wouldn't the police figure some participants don't speak English? If so, why not give instructions in English and Spanish to be sure everyone understands the call to disperse? Anytime I call customer service be it for washing machine repair, reordering a prescription, or calling a department store I'm offered instructions in English or Spanish. If a store would do that why not the police? Surely at least one officer in attendance spoke Spanish.
But that's not what this conversation is about. In response to Eric's initial question regarding protecting journalists . . . the police seemed to want to send the message that all immigration sympathizers were unwelcome to protest. Get in the way and you become collateral damage. Is it right? No. By the court refusing to hold anyone accountable reinforces that message. Be careful out there . . .
.
Posted by: jozielee | November 01, 2009 at 03:32 PM
In my opinion, the news reporters saw that the police were getting ready to clear the area and deliberately stayed in their way. Besides, the police helicopters were warning the crowd to disperse and that should have been warning enough for the reporters to get out of the way. BTW, with a confrontation about to happen, a police line forming, and a police helicopter blaring warnings, the excuse from protesters that they didn't understand the language is bull. Common sense tells you that you should get out of the way. Other countries would not take the time to translate and neither should the police in this country.
Posted by: Robert C | October 31, 2009 at 05:46 PM
Reporters aren't the most popular folks in our society these days, those of us who are still employed.
Eric,
I guess the police were getting "payback" for what they perceived as heavy handed and unfair teatment of the police by the media in the past. Not saying it was right, but that could be the case. Their are reporters out there that give your profession a bad name.
Posted by: Tristan | October 31, 2009 at 07:53 AM