freethoughtproject | In a video uploaded to Facebook
on September 4, Chicago Police officers are seen violently tossing a
woman around, attacking a man, and inciting general chaos- in typical
police fashion.
The video begins with officers standing around with their chests
puffed out, while a witness brilliantly reminds everyone not to talk,
just to film.
Next thing we know a woman is having her face slammed into the hood of a cop car.
Moments later, after announcing “get out of the street or you’re
going to jail”, while pacing around like a bulldog holding his asp, he
gets insulted and unexpectedly bashes a man in the face so hard his hat
goes flying.
The Chicago PD are no strangers to brutality. The department has paid out millions to its victims, but up until May of this year they kept all complaints secret.
A study by University of Chicago professor Craig Futterman found that just 19 of 10,149 complaints accusing CPD officers of excessive force, illegal searches, racial abuse, sexual abuse, and false arrests led to a police suspension of a week or more. In more than 85 percent of internal investigations of complaints, the accused officer was never even interviewed, Think Progress reports.
Kudos to all the people we see filming in this video. With filming
of the police on the rise, many abuses that would have otherwise went
unseen are being forced into public discussion. This is the only way we
will see true change.
When filming the police, always make sure you are prepared. Check out our guide to make sure you know your rights.
Film the police, because sunlight is the best disinfectant.
