Race is discounted as motive in [NOLA] beating.

[Maddy McCall]

NEW ORLEANS -- Robert Davis, a retired black schoolteacher whose violent arrest by white New Orleans police officers was videotaped by news crews, believes the incident says more about post-Katrina chaos than it does about racism. "Some people want to make it a race thing," Davis said in an interview Tuesday. "I don't. That's demeaning to me."

Davis, 64, was to be in municipal court today to face charges of public intoxication and resisting arrest. The officers have pleaded not guilty to charges of simple battery. They were suspended without pay. The Justice Department is investigating whether Davis' civil rights were violated.

Davis said the three officers should be fired. "They don't need to be on the force," he said. "It's not good for the city."

snip/

Davis, who said he hasn't had a drink in 25 years, wants the charges (against himself) dropped. His lawyer, Joseph Bruno, plans to seek a financial settlement. "The issue," Bruno said, is reforming the department "from the top to the bottom."

More at: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051012/NEWS06/510120466/1012

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Mr Davis is a class act

Especially in light of what he has been through. I just hope that the bastards who did this to him are appropriately punished, with at least some time spent in a public jail.

[ClintonTyree]

2. He's entitled to his opinion........

and thank god he's keeping a lid on an issue than could further harm New Orleans, but I can't see these officers beating a white man like that. To say racism isn't a factor is very honorable of Mr. Davis, but untrue in my opinion. No way they beat an aged white man in that fashion unless he had done something extremely heinous, which by all accounts, Mr. Davis did not.

[Blaq Dem]

5. Timothy McVeigh didn't get beaten like that

Hell, even Sodom Hussein didn't get a scratch.

[malaise]

6. Agreed

"Some people want to make it a race thing," Davis said in an interview Tuesday. "I don't. That's demeaning to me."

He doesn't want to make it into a race thing but he doesn't know what motivated them.

[TaleWgnDg]

3. Davis may believe that his attack was w/o racial animus; however,

that does not mean the attack was w/o racial animus. An investigation is ongoing about this very issue and it is for them to determine whether race is at issue, legally.

[Blaq Dem]

4. Damn, those cops must've knock the sense out of that man

He doesn't see it as a race issue? How many times has this ever happened to a 64 year old retired white man? How many times has a cop beat an old white man (sober and unarmed at that)and plead "not guilty?" Someone please tell me.

[Tomee450]

11. I think its his attorney

who is telling him to say it's not about race. When have we ever seen an elderly white person beaten like that.

[RagingInMiami]

7. Race or no race, or intoxicated or not intoxicated

Those cops have no right abusing citizens like that. I hope they get everything that's coming to them. Just think how many times they did that when it wasn't caught on tape.

[bushisanidiot]

8. Funny how all those sniper stories in the aftermath of katrina were lies

but the MSM spread those rumours with wild abandon.. yet, this clear act of racism was caught on tape and it's barely flying under the MSM's radar..

the MSM's agenda is clear.. unless the victim is white, there's no story.

[anitar1]

9. No one will ever convince me of that.

It wasn't just the 3 or 4 police. There were others. the cop on the horse and others who arrived and tried to block people from seeing. That was one of the most vicious attacks I have ever seen. I know there are much worse beatings all the time. Those cops should rot in jail for a long time. IMO , New Orleans police corruption has never changed.They are bad cops.

[Toots]

10. I suspect if these cops end up in jail it will become a race thing

There are far more black men in jail than white and no matter what color inmates are cops are universally hated. I suspect it will be trying times for them to say the least but not undeserved.

[pschoeb]

12. Unfortunately they are only being charged with misdemeanor battery

So they are not likely to serve much time at all, if any(max sentence is two years, but they could get straight probation). They need to be charged properly, with aggravated battery, but hey their cops, and get better treatment from the judicial system than us regular citizens.