Guilty verdict for Ohio cop who shot unarmed motorcyclist in back

[IScreamSundays]

Source: Raw Story

Thanks to a jury in Ottawa Hills, Ohio, former police officer Thomas White is facing up to 11 years behind bars: plenty of time to think about the unarmed motorist he paralyzed with an unprovoked bullet more than one year ago.

After just six hours of deliberation, the jury found White guilty of felonious assault with a gun specification, according to WTOL CBS 11 in Toledo. Sentencing is scheduled for later in June.

Days earlier during the trial, a police dashboard video was played in court, depicting officer White pulling over two motorcyclists, one of them his unwitting victim, 24-year-old Michael McCloskeysnip>

Read more: http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0515/guilty-verdict-ohio-cop-shot-unarmed-motorcyclist/

[Judi Lynn]

1. The world will be safer with this guardian of the peace in the slammer. n/t

[droidamus2]

2. Don't get it

The defense says what this cop did was okay because the situation was 'fluid and tense' isn't that why you train police officers so they can handle 'fluid and tense' situations without overreacting and resorting to possibly deadly force. Seems like a lot of the cops in this country have a real cowboy complex where they shoot or taser first and ask questions later.

[pattmarty]

3. It's about fucking time. I am goddamn sick & tired of these ass holes..................

................getting off scott free. There is that "old saying" by Richard Pryor saying; "I don't want to be no motherfucking accident". I have always contended that until these ass holes start getting charged AND convicted for this kind of shit it will just continue.

[dballance]

4. The Motorcyclist Didn't Do Anything Threatening

I watched the video over and over. The guy on the motorcycle wasn't making fast or threatening movements. He was pretty still and just looking back to the officer for instructions. These trigger-happy jerks need to be jailed. What happened to the concept of escalation of force rather than just shooting someone after you step out of a patrol car? The officer's demeanor I observed in the video surely didn't help him out either. He seemed all comfy in the witness chair and his lawyer was asking very leading questions that didn't really match what the video showed. No wonder the jury convicted him.

[keopeli]

5. 1,000 more like this and maybe things will start to change

I doubt it. Cowboy cops are everywhere. We have 'em in Seattle, too. Although, there are GOOD cops out there; I'd even say GREAT cops. But, they are lost in the jungle of wild west mentality. Consider the recent video of a cop in Seattle berating a suspect out of racism. Or just prior, when a teenager was beaten and robbed by thugs at a bus terminal while two cops stood by and did nothing...all caught on tape.

Last year, several cops in Seattle were killed on duty and the city was aghast at how anyone could do such a thing! At least, that's what the 'news' said. Really? The journey from being angry at cops to taking it out on cops isn't far for a crazy (i.e. disturbed) person when you consider how cops treat people in general.

I have many many more stories, but suffice to say that if we are going to give cops special privileges above the law then we also have to hold them to a higher standard. Want to be a cop? There should be both perks and serious responsibilities as well as serious consequences.

Peace

[Suji to Seoul]

6. Cop dies on duty = huge funeral and news stories and an arrest in days

Baby is murdered = nary a unsound and there might be a dead end in the case.

Goes to show that a cop's life is more important than the rest of us.

[HardWorkingDem]

8. And what "special privilges" would those be?

Just curious......

[alp227]

7. This is some good news. Cops should NOT be shooting people on sight.

The slightest twitch seems enough to provoke a cop these days, I guess. In my hometown San Jose, there was a case where the police approached someone without a cause. Richard Lua, who was high on meth, ran, and the police captured and Tased him; the man died shortly after.

This article in the Toledo Blade points out that the jury had 9 women and 3 men. Could that be another factor leading to the jury conclusion?