Thursday, March 13, 2008

Local Police Brutality

Alexander City police officer indicted

By Miranda Mattheis

A Talladega County Grand Jury has indicted an Alexander City Police officer involving an incident last October.

Alexander City police officer Mitchell Ray is accused of assaulting a Georgia man while working security at the Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 7. 2007.

"He's indicted for assault in the first degree and assault in the second degree," said District Attorney Steve Giddens.

According to Giddens, the victim suffered injuries to his head, back, chest and one arm.

"The victim suffered some pretty bad injuries," Giddens said. "He was cuffed with his hands behind his back when he was kicked and hit by the police officer."

Giddens said the police officer used a collapsible baton to hit the victim.

The victim was airlifted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital where he was treated for injuries.

Although being charged and indicted on the charges, Ray remains on active duty with the police department.

"We have nothing to indicate that he wouldn't continue to work," Alexander City Police Department's James Claybrook said. "He hasn't been convicted yet."

Giddens told the Daily Home he did not know when Ray might be arraigned.


Although being charged and indicted on the charges, Ray remains on active duty with the police department."We have nothing to indicate that he wouldn't continue to work," Alexander City Police Department's James Claybrook said. "He hasn't been convicted yet.

WHAT??? This jackass beat a handcuffed man with a billy club and kicked him causing major injuries and yet the local ass wipes say "We have nothing to indicate that he wouldn't continue to work."

HOW ABOUT THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM? An indictment for police brutality isn't enough to indicate that maybe he needs to find a new line of work? Are they going to wait til he kills someone? Would that be enough? Having sat through many trials in my nearly 5 years of legal wrangling with these idiots I know that regular folks (not punk mother fuckers with badges, guns and the government sanction to be a THUG) who are brought up on charges of assault generally lose their jobs and sit in jail til trial. Why should this asshole, whose job is to protect and serve the public, get treated with kid gloves for violating that standard? I say he needs to be punished with twice the penalty that regular folks would face.

I am so sick of the double standard that cops get in the criminal justice system vs. what the regular folks get.

I've just sent the following LTE to the Outlook. We'll see if they care what citizens think about this issue.

Dear Editor,

In response to 'City Police Officer Indicted' (03/13) I almost fell out of my chair when I read the following revelation and words from Officer James Claybrook.
"Although being charged and indicted on the charges, Ray remains on active duty with the police department.
"We have nothing to indicate that he wouldn't continue to work," Alexander City Police Department's James Claybrook said. "He hasn't been convicted yet."

WHAT??? This officer beat a handcuffed man with a billy club and kicked him causing major injuries and yet the local mouthpiece says "We have nothing to indicate that he wouldn't continue to work. He hasn't been convicted yet."

My, my it must be nice to have the police touting your innocence until proven guilty. It's a shame they cannot apply that American principal to regular, non-uniform wearing, citizens. Also, the man Officer Ray is accused of brutalizing got no such consideration of innocent until proven guilty. Why should Ray and his supporters expect that such a consideration should be applied to this case? You know...'do unto others' and all that?

As for 'nothing to indicate he wouldn't continue to work'...how about the charges against him? An indictment for police brutality isn't enough to indicate that maybe he needs to find a new line of work? Are they going to wait until Officer Mitchell Ray kills someone? Would that be enough to get him off the force?

Why should this Officer, whose job is to protect and serve the public, get treated with kid gloves for violating that standard? I say he needs to be punished with twice the penalty that regular folks would face.

I am so sick of the double standard that cops get in the criminal justice system vs. what the regular folks get. Officer Mitchell Ray should be removed from the police force immediately! As a Tallapoosa Co. taxpayer and resident of Alexander City I demand better for my money and my fellow taxpayers deserve better as well. We do not pay the salaries of officers so that they can brutalize handcuffed suspects.

FIRE MITCHELL RAY!

Respectfully Submitted for Publication,
Loretta Nall








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3 comments:

Unknown said...

I agree with you. Why should a different law apply to law enforcers? And why do law enforcers use all force "necassary" to enforce the law? It seems to me that the police force consist of aggressive people who have a primal urge to exercise their power over all, be it deserved or not. And this they can do with a clear conscience, seeing that they are "upholding the law" and obviously nobody is doing anything against it.

Seems that the Roman poet, Juvenal, knew what he was talking about centuries ago:
'Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?'

P Papa Diddy Pop said...

I encourage you to send that letter to The Daily Home, even The Anniston Star.

Sounds real fair doesn't it?

Loretta Nall said...

I'll tweak it a little and send it to both papers.

And Gretchen...you are correct. Most police officers are power gluttons. I have long been suspicious of people who WANT to be cops. I assert that the worst ones are as addicted to adrenaline as any addict they arrest.