Houston PD's Arrest of Teen Burglary Suspect

dwayne jeffers @ 2/5/2011 4:29 PM

I have not seen the video of the arrest. It is a shame from all points of view. The police are here to protect and serve,not abuse alledged suspects. I hope the young suspect and the former officers learn something from this incident. Federal,state and city authorities are not to abuse their trust and position of authority of us citizens

mlombardo92 @ 2/6/2011 9:21 AM

Im not excusing the Officer's behavior, however, it's real easy to armchair quarterback after the fact. Until you have been in the shoes of these Officers, its hard to understand the emotions present during this type of confrontation on the street. I dont advocate violating anyones civil rights. The oath I swore binds me to that. But remember, Police Officers are still human beings. Despite our training, we make mistakes, use poor judgement, and work in some of the roughest areas in the country. Most people thankfully dont experience agression directed towards them often. Some can say they have never been involved in an altercation. And thats how it should be. However Police Officers thrive in the very same environment that most fear. When you expose a person to a particular environment, one adapts to operate in that environment. It's bound to happen when you look at the number of Police Officers protecting the streets 24/7. Certainly Mr. Holley was not only a violator, but a victim as well. But please take a moment to ponder the jobs Police do everyday WITHOUT incident. That's worth pointing out as well.

George @ 6/19/2012 9:24 PM

I would think that it is very possible that the vast majority of police citizen confrontations are citizen initiated. Why? because people today, young and minorities just will not do what they are told to do when in contact with an officer. This idea of "Challenge Authority" has gone too far. All you have to do is shut your mouth and do what the officer says. If you feel you have been wronged in sone fashion, make a complaint,later. Also, there is no need to stick your nose in other people's business. You don't know what is going on, you are just making assumptions. If you think something is wrong, shut up, do not interfere, observe, and be a witness and provide your statement LATER. Don't try to be a hero, you won't be. . Most officers, myself included "FULLY INTEND TO GO HOME AFTER SHIFT". With the way things are in this day and age, you do not know which is plain old Joe Citizen or some lower psuedo life form thug who is just looking for a confrontation. And when I get into a situation, you can believe that my and my partners welfare comes first and foremost, and I fully intend TO GO HOME AT THE END OF SHIFT. It all comes down to common sense, but someone once said "Common sense is not so common".
two things I would like to see is that when an officer is sued and the officer wins, I would like to see more counter suits, and I would like to see local governments contest more of these lawsuits instead of just rolling over and settling. It has been said it.is cheaper to settle, but, would there be fewer lawsuits agains officers in the long run if these suist are fought? Makes one wonder.