El Monte, California Police Accused Of Unneccessary Force Against Richard Rodriguez
14 May 2009, 4:02 PM. By Cindy Casares
Cops in El Monte, California near Los Angeles kicked suspect Richard Rodriguez, (pictured), in the head after he surrendered to them after a high speed chase through the city. The video below, captured by news media, clearly shows that Rodriguez was prostrate on the grass, without a weapon and posing no resistance when an officer approached him and gave him a boot to the head.
The Los Angeles Times was quick to mention that Rodriguez is a “known gang member” and, interestingly, cut the kick out of their video coverage. While CNN’s Rick Sanchez underscored the fact that Rodriguez is “beset with tatoos.” Whatever tattoos mean in this day and age. The ACLU of Southern California is now seeking a suspension for the officer who kicked Rodriguez.
El Monte Police Chief Tom Armstrong, who watched the video in a KNBC-TV newsvan said, ”I worked internal affairs for four years and I have learned that you do not make a decision in a vacuum. I do not know what was in the mind of that officer, as to why he did that. I saw the individual turn his head toward the officer.”
Perhaps he thought he was going to meld him with his cholo mind rays.
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Yeah, not right. Not right at all. He was surrendered.
The high five was a nice touch …fucking assholes.
He should have laid aside the tattoos that doth so easily beset him.
Too bad for them. The “Mission Accomplished” high five just came out at the wrong time. But the kick in the head? Never has the right time. Ever.
How could a person think he could do things he normally doesn’t to fellow humans? A uniform? A sense of authority? This is ridiculous.
Thanks to the resourceful media of Southern California, this case has drawn national attention. Too bad we don’t have news helicopters in cities across the country, or else what we could see in the news every day would just be the duplicates of a story like this.
Look at this to hear what each side has to say… (video) http://www.newsy.com/videos/the_kick_caught_on_tape
I am sure the innocent people he nearly killed on his fun ride would have loved to have kick him harder. I don’t trust cops but have even less sympathy for these assholes.
What’s the point of this post? Do you want us to feel sorry for this gang member? Why is that just because we’re latinos we all have to “unite” and feel outraged by this? …People like this are ruining our neighborhoods. Don’t you get it? No hay que defender a ladrones, criminales. El hecho que seamos latinos no quiere decir que ignoremos esos hechos.
Just looking at his photo makes ME want to kick him!