Saturday, July 14, 2007

Officer acquitted of brutality

"Before reaching the verdict, jurors had asked Superior Court Judge M. Christine Allen-Jackson to allow them to review police car video of the Feb. 2, 2006, confrontation between Gillespie and motorist Joseph Rao Jr., who was then 19.

The judge allowed jurors to review raw and enhanced versions of the video. The jury also asked the judge whether cursing and acting unprofessionally – which Gillespie admitted during his testimony earlier in the week – constituted official misconduct. The judge explained that it did not."

Cursing and acting "unprofessionally" is not official misconduct. Hell, we all know that. Doesn't bug me as much that they gave this kid a tune up as does the following:

"Patrolman John Gillespie, 35, broke down in tears after the jury in Gloucester County announced he was not guilty of official misconduct, aggravated assault and simple assault, which could have landed him in prison for up to 15 years.

His hands shook as he kissed a Bible and pictures of his two young children.

"Thank you Jesus," he said."

Mr. Tough Guy throws on a choke hold when it suits him, then breaks down like a little girl when he learns that a little scuffle now and again is just swell. They handcuff the kid, toss him in the back of a cruiser, then pop in to choke him as he sits there defenseless.

Watch and more importantly, listen to the video. We expect street punks who are all of 19 to act like, well, street punks. The cops should be a different story. Times like this make me wish it was I who was pulled over.

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