Hawthorne, California Police Department Responds To Arrest
BY Herschel Smith
11 years, 5 months ago
Concerning the illegal arrest of a man for filming police activities and subsequent unnecessary shooting of the man’s dog, the Hawthorne, California Police Department responds.
Rosby was arrested for Obstruction of Justice for playing loud music, walking a large dog, and getting too close to officers according to police.
The statement said all of that in its entirety distracted officers from their dangerous work.
And more.
Lt Swain, however, alleges that the officers were also looking out for Rosby.
‘I know it’s the dog’s master, and more than likely not going to attack him, (but) we’ve got a guy handcuffed that’s kind of defenseless. We have a duty to defend him too,’ Swain said.
And in my original article, a commenter remarks as follows (let’s assume that he doesn’t work for the Hawthorne PD but that his comment is similar to what many officers feel).
Do you here that music? That was from this idiots car. This clip shows just the end of the encounter not the moron stopping in the middle of the intersection, being told repeatedly turn down the radio which was causing an issue with cops hearing what was going on in an armed standoff. This idiot never turn down the radio and didn’t secure his dog which is what led to his dog being shot. !00% (sic) this morons own fault!
So let’s deal with loud noises first. The commenter wants us to believe that the police who use flash-bangs during their raids, who many times discharge multiple rounds from their weapons, who use loud speakers, and who have radios and headsets to communicate, were bothered my music playing a hundred yards away. Horse shit.
The next thing they want us to believe is that they were protecting the man against – here it is – his own dog. This is so stupid that spending time on a rebuttal would make me look stupid. And if you believe this excuse you’re stupid.
Next, it was walking a large dog, or something. Do you hear that loud noise? No, not music playing. That loud noise is the sound of the impenetrable blue wall closing in behind the officer who arrested the man and shot his dog. They will find an excuse and justification, as God is their witness. They will protect their own.
I maintain the following. First of all, the police caused the incident by trying to arrest a man for filming their activities. It was the fault of the police. Second, the dog wasn’t a menace. Men usually know how to handle large dogs, and many women I know. But this officer wasn’t the equal of most men (or even some women). He was a coward, and could have handled the dog without the use of deadly force (e.g., speech patterns, commands, physical actions, pepper spray, etc.). This pitiful officer needs to spend more time doing man-things.
But the police are always right. If they do it, then it must have been justified, because, you know, they are after all the police. It has a rather deontological ring to it, doesn’t it? Besides, the man was one of those bad, ahem, you know, Negros, and must have been up to no good.
The reality of the situation is that he wasn’t breaking any laws, shouldn’t have been arrested, and shouldn’t have to endure a dead dog. And the police will not be held accountable, the system of law will defend them, and the judges will look the other way. It’s the way it always works.
On July 3, 2013 at 6:46 am, Egregious Charles said:
It’s the way it always works – until it doesn’t. Because I can’t make them prosecute those officers – but they can’t make me vote for people who favor their budgets or pensions. Years ago I was even an FOP donor, but increasingly it’s police vs. everyone else, and I’m everyone else.
On July 3, 2013 at 7:38 am, Egregious Charles said:
I should elaborate. As they close ranks and defend officers who are thugs with badges, they will piss off more and more people, more and more deeply. Police budgets will become a losing issue for politicians. There will be no cuts right away, because the police serve the politicians – it will wait until promises to cut police budgets cause victory in primaries. Then it will be quite sudden.
All my encounters with police have been quite nice, I should say. But I don’t want only that – I want to see them policing their own in cases like this one. If those officers, killing a dog because of an entitled temper tantrum, are on your side, then you aren’t on mine.
On July 3, 2013 at 10:48 am, Dav said:
It is not the way it HAS to be though. I just read over at http://www.velociworld.com/Velociblog/Oldvelocity/004062.html an interesting solution which would be perfectly applied in this case.
On July 3, 2013 at 10:53 am, Marcus Swanson said:
They need to loose there job, how long will we as a society stand by an watch as the police abuse there power and are writes no matter what city or state they’re in. It’s time we make a stand and change the ways of othorety figures before its to late, it will only get worse the longer we wait
On July 3, 2013 at 11:27 am, Kiley said:
I cannot believe the officer did this and that the Department thinks that it is okay. You guys are the worst “professionals” to walk this Earth. But go ahead and do as you always do, lie to protect your own, rather than the citizens you should be protecting. Pieces of shit.
On July 3, 2013 at 1:23 pm, GoneWithTheWind said:
I wish the man had merely photographed the police and not harrassed them intentionally by stopping near them playing the loud music. Then this would be a simple case. But he didn’t. He did indeed try to interfere with the police because of his own agenda. By the same token I wish the police had just let him walk away once he decided to do that. But they didn’t they had to arrest him to teach him a lesson. So with both sides somewhat sullyed by doing something wrong I find it difficult to be 100% on the side of either one. As for the dog, I love dogs but would shot one in a heartbeat rather then let it attack me. Simple as that. Once the dog got out and went after the officers he was dead meat.
On July 3, 2013 at 1:37 pm, Herschel Smith said:
“Loud music” (from 100 yards away). “Harrassed” (sic).
What pitiful little immature boys the police must be in your book to use words like this to justify shooting the dog and illegally arresting the man.
On July 3, 2013 at 3:38 pm, citizen kane said:
someone should kill these cops dogs. then they can explain to their children why their dog is dead,
On July 3, 2013 at 3:54 pm, MAD ROTTI OWNER said:
I am so glad I was not there, because the dog owner and the cop would have been in trouble!!!
On July 3, 2013 at 5:08 pm, Roger J said:
For all you PoliceOne trolls out there: I don’t expect that many of you study history, or even read a book. However, you should study what happens when police abuses become so egregious that the people respond in righteous anger. You should read about the fate of the Tsarist Gendarmerie during the February revolution in Petrograd, after they turned their Maxim guns from the rooptops on the crowds below. You should also read about what happened to the SS guards in the camps, that is, those who stayed at their posts and did not slink away in civvies, as so many did. You should read about the fate of the Hungarian secret police during the 1956 revolution. Feel invulnerable? Don’t think it could happen here? I never thought that children would be sexually molested in front of their parents for the purpose of “security” while American “lawmen” looked on and did nothing.
On July 3, 2013 at 5:50 pm, DAN III said:
It is not difficult to comprehend….
Everything out of the mouths of law enforcement is exactly like soetoro-obama’s mouth. It is a lie, an untruth. Nothing soetoro-obama has said has been the truth. And nothing these thugs with badges and guns say is the truth.
On July 3, 2013 at 8:03 pm, Aln G said:
Either way “common Sense” was not involved here.
The dog and the police were only doing what they are trained to do!
The dog was on a lease and could have most likely been detained by grabbing the lease and tying the dog to the car door or window. Also, why does it take multitudes of officers to detain a single person? Where was the tactician training they learned in school? Where was the focus on their intent? Were these two officers the back up squad? If so, then they should have called for more back up to detain the dog owner and why didn’t they use pepper spray to prevent the dog from lunging at the officer?
In my court of law this officer would be charged for reckless endangerment of an animal and undue intentional harm to the dog’s owner and lets not forget his actions that warrant him as failure of an officer in a public office.
On July 3, 2013 at 9:09 pm, Joe Wright said:
Where did the bullets go, I’ll willing to bet they went through the dog. Mace works on dogs, and does not kill them.
On July 3, 2013 at 9:46 pm, HempRopeAndStreetlight said:
There was once a time when I respected Police.
That time is long since gone. Every horrible thing that happens to them and theirs they have coming.
The reason law and order broke apart in Mexico is because the people backed off and left the corrupt pigs and government to “their fate.”
Let them criminals eat them and their families. They’ve earned it.
On July 3, 2013 at 10:02 pm, Thomas Peck said:
The sides of the cruisers should say to victimize and harrass or to protect and serve themselves. I hope they get shot just like the dog these bastards shot. Just like chicken shit blue ash ohio officer who shot a chiauhua liars all the police are liars.
On July 5, 2013 at 3:58 pm, kevin corder said:
you know its really sad to find out there are more pathetic p.o.s sheriffs and police departments that let officers get away with tormenting and killing innocent animals I must let you know there are horrible officers all over the United States not just east coast officers but officer from the West Coast also the officer that shot that dog is a complete total piece of garbage. and for my personal standpoint is not welcome in the state of Florida shoot my dog and your son and your own death sentence sure if shame on you and shame on your whole department. last week there was an 8 year old girl aducted here in Jacksonville and murdered from Walmart that man now sits protected in a Cell not and general population why couldn’t we have one your jump the gun officers here to shoot him he’s already killed the dog didn’t do nothing to the officer out there
On July 7, 2013 at 3:22 pm, Lulu said:
So he was arrested for walking a large dog? I have never heard of this, but they make it up as they go along. The cops are militarized and they are out of control. I also used to respect them, but now when I see them I just get a knot in my throat and stomach. These are the people who are psychos and get to become “legal” monsters vs. the serial killers who practice their art in the dark. Every day I hear of more and more abuses they use against us who they call “civilians” instead of citizens. I am sure not ALL cops are criminals, but the percentage is WAY up there. Also, COWARDS
On July 7, 2013 at 8:45 pm, Josh said:
I remember the first encounter I had with a police officer. I was very young, perhaps seven or eight. My father said something to the effect of “you always obey a police officer.” I, in a fit of skepticism that seems to still maintain today, asked “but why?”
His answer? “Because he has a badge and a gun, that’s why.” I’m not sure whether he fully understood the raw truth, enormity and foretelling his answer held.
On July 20, 2013 at 7:46 pm, pitbullgirl65 said:
My blood is boiling over this, over all of it. I made the mistake of reading the PoliceOne threads on this.
MountieJoe: “maybe we can buy him a Shotweiller, or a Remington Springer Spaniel.
A real racist winner called Borderman “Good shoot” (sic)
”
A heartless pos called JCBoston69 ” I watched the video again. The reaction on the part of the shitbag was pure anguish. I hope it provides a little incentive not to antagonize the cops next time”
This one really was stomach turning. Rosby was screaming and frantic. I started crying when I heard that. And exercising his 1st Amendment rights, is not antagonizing.
Another one yearned for the good old 50s and 60s when you could give a beatdown on someone and no one complained.
The only decent cop on their is a man named Scohan (who wanted to join the Occupy movement if he wasn’t working) and a JColter who warns;
“Another incident which will put LAW ABIDING citizens one step closer to not giving a rats ass about law enforcement in general. Ambushes will be come more common.
Read the comments on the Internet regarding this story. Citizens, not just thugs are ready to start a war with LEO.
IMO, this was a lose, lose. Those officers should have stayed away. They were a half a block away from the guy filming”
If there are any LEO agents on PoliceOne, thank Scohan and J.Colter for sounding like rational human beings, not Robocop thugs.
And to the lovely and charming JCBoston69: Let’s see how you’d feel if one of your family members was gunned down.
Oh and one of them was angry that we didn’t give a damn about the officers and their families. Nope, sure don’t. The pets for certain, and the kids too young to understand. Otherwise who cares?