G20 officer 'hit me across face'

[Murder he Wrote]

G20 officer 'hit me across face'

A woman who was filmed being struck by a police sergeant at the G20 protests has described his actions as "very violent and unnecessary".

Film footage showed an officer hitting Nicola Fisher, 35, from Brighton, across the face with his hand and on her leg with a baton.

Full Story (please watch the videos if commenting): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8005390.stm

Well, this leaves us asking what's happened to our Country's policing? They're so tied up in bureaucracy and legislation that they can't do their jobs efficiently any more ~neutral~

A few things from the article really stuck out to me, firstly:

"He just said 'get back', pushed me and then hit me across the face," she said.

Ms Fisher admits pushing the officer.

Firstly you can't get away with pushing a Police officer, it's against the law in itself. I don't see how she can complain about being struck across the face having provoked the officer herself, and then go onto complain about being struck across the leg having continued remonstrating regardless of the officer's warning(s).

She told BBC South East Today that at first the protest seemed "very calm and very peaceful".

Have a look at the second video on the page. Doesn't seem very calm and peaceful to me.

Ms Fisher added: "If he had wanted me to move he could have asked me politely or he could have just picked me up and moved me.

"There was no need to do any of that."

Well evidently there was. The video shows us she was incapable of backing off even after being physically told to back off, enough said.

Finally, with reference to the Civil Rights correspondent in the second video:

...and frankly, have we changed the culture of policing protests in Britain so that officers now believe that their job is to crush descent rather than manage it.

Well, I'd have to say yes. The only way to manage a riot is to use whichever force is necessary which in this case was physical. I don't mean to say hitting women isn't wrong, but on the other hand is pushing a police officer and swearing at them right?

In my opinion, there is too much nonsense going on with out Country's policing. Take a look at America for example, officers carry fire arms around with them, I've heard in this country if a Police officer shoots a fire arm on the job they'll automatically get suspended - even if it's rubber. Greece, they have a riot they send a water cannon in and sort them out. UK, riot comes up, a protector gets slapped...officer gets suspended for doing their job.

Disgraceful.

Your thoughts?

 

[wednesday]

As an Ex officer i agree whole heartedly.

What id like to know is how some of these anarchist plan on running a country without a law, its a pipe dream.....They moan n whine at the treatment they recieve, but when they need them its a whole other picture. -roll-

 

[dynastygal]

Doesn't matter what she's done to the police officer. The police officer has a weapon, she does not. A slap doesn't warrant a batton across the legs, twice. Not to mention the police officer was no doubt bigger and stronger than her so the force behind his attacks would've been greater.

Doesn't matter what a protestor does, a police officer has to create an image for his unit, and that should not be a violent image. There was also the case of the other man who died due to police brutality. If a protestor is being unruly, ask politely, and if they continue to do so, arrest them. Don't bring violence into it.

I have been on protests/demonstrations before and I've noticed police are all too keen to break the law themselves, and do stuff they don't like having done to them. I've also found police to police only what they want to, not what they should.

@wednesday, the majority of the time the police are needed, they are not there or do not do the job properly. The police in this country are a disgrace; lazy, pick and choose the laws to uphold, would rather run around policing things that don't need policing that dealing with real crimes, and often break laws themselves.

 

[wednesday]

Firstly i agree, no officer should have the right to use violence no matter what the circumstances.

Secondly:

@wednesday, the majority of the time the police are needed, they are not there or do not do the job properly. The police in this country are a disgrace; lazy, pick and choose the laws to uphold, would rather run around policing things that don't need policing that dealing with real crimes, and often break laws themselves

Slightly stereotypical?? You seem to be classing all police officers in the same "lazy" status...i can assure you thats not the case, Im sure you're right and there are some ignorant officers that abuse the system, but lets not paint them all with the same brush!!
~smile~

 

[Murder he Wrote]

I completely agree with Wednesday's posts, and from an Ex-officer..who wouldn't ~wink~

Doesn't matter what she's done to the police officer. The police officer has a weapon, she does not. A slap doesn't warrant a batton across the legs, twice.

It matters entirely, pushing a police officer and swearing at them is bang out of order. Does the riot look like the kind of place he can polity say "Please step away or I may have to arrest" you? The answer is No. As it were the officer in question was a sergeant, meaning as well as fulfilling his own responsibilities he must keep an eye over the rest of his unit and manage the policing at the same time.

I have been on protests/demonstrations before and I've noticed police are all too keen to break the law themselves,

I really don't think they go out to Police a Riot with the intent to break the law. Sometimes what needs to be done needs to be done. Say you've got a stadium with a few thousand football fans rioting, would you honestly send in a Police officer with a megaphone saying "Please stop battering each other or we'll have to arrest you". No, because it would make no difference. Send a water cannon in and batter them all I say.

If Police aren't given the ability to use whatever force they need to do their jobs properly, then God help us all. I will emphasise again though, I don't think it's right to hit women, however in this circumstance, the officer had no choice.

 

[wednesday]

Yanno, ive been in situations like this, not to this degree, but football match rivals. And it's not a case of getting riled up ready...looking for action, its actually a very scary and intimidating scenerio to find yourself in the middle of. I think officers deserve some recognition to the fact they are putting their lifes at stake to keep others safe!!!

 

[dynastygal]

I completely agree with Wednesday's posts, and from an Ex-officer..who wouldn't ~wink~

Doesn't matter what she's done to the police officer. The police officer has a weapon, she does not. A slap doesn't warrant a batton across the legs, twice.

It matters entirely, pushing a police officer and swearing at them is bang out of order. Does the riot look like the kind of place he can polity say "Please step away or I may have to arrest" you? The answer is No. As it were the officer in question was a sergeant, meaning as well as fulfilling his own responsibilities he must keep an eye over the rest of his unit and manage the policing at the same time.

I have been on protests/demonstrations before and I've noticed police are all too keen to break the law themselves,

I really don't think they go out to Police a Riot with the intent to break the law. Sometimes what needs to be done needs to be done. Say you've got a stadium with a few thousand football fans rioting, would you honestly send in a Police officer with a megaphone saying "Please stop battering each other or we'll have to arrest you". No, because it would make no difference. Send a water cannon in and batter them all I say.

If Police aren't given the ability to use whatever force they need to do their jobs properly, then God help us all. I will emphasise again though, I don't think it's right to hit women, however in this circumstance, the officer had no choice.

And the retaliation of the officer is bang out of order. After having already hit her one (a retaliation to the hit she made) he continued to be violent when there was no need to, especially as he could've caused serious damage to her legs depending how powerful the hit was and how healthy her bone structure was.

You know, the funny thing is, I was once told off by a police officer for retaliating to someone who was trying to trip me and others up - I simply kicked out back - they then eventually followed me and beat me up. If I'm not allowed to retaliate, why should a police officer be allowed to? Just because they wear a badge doesn't make them any more entitled to be violent than the rest of society.

And if it was a sergeant then shame on him, he's a disgrace to his unit. He should lead by example, not encourage violence within his unit. Both you and I know full well in this situation the woman could've easily been detained via handcuffs and that there was absolutely no need to take his batton out and smack her around the legs.

And I wasn't necessarily talking about riots. On peaceful protests police have broken the law repeatedly. There have been court cases where police have been found to have arrested protesters unlawfully or impeded on a protest unlawfully.

When you give those who have power over others the ability to be violent and abuse their position without repercussion that's when you get problems like this occurring, and things like unlawful killing of a terror suspect who looked nothing like the ones the police were really after.

And yes, from what I've experienced with the police via myself, others, or heard how the police told my neighbour that unless her ex carried out the threats to harm her and her cats they could do nothing to protect her, I have increasingly little faith in our corrupt police force.

 

[Dylan]

See Sky http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-New ... tland_Yard
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/video/ ... der_Review

 

[wednesday]

As soon as one complaint is placed they all crawl out the wood work ~rolleyes~

And in response to Dynasty, would you feel safer without law enforcement then? Would this be a realistic approach to solving "a corrupt police service"? To rid ourselfs of these officers attempting to uphold law...and sometimes, agreeably fail. Would this be an answer??

You may have had bad experiences with policing...as have i, but not with officers in general, more a state of the law working against people. Unjustice. But i don't point fingers at every single officer as being the same bone idle idiot.....unfair and very judgemental.

 

[Dylan]

Theres a new article pepole should see
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8010098.stm .