Today’s question - Do you believe the teen who was arrested by BSO Deputies last week should be compensated for excessive use of force by deputies, even though he was non-compliant and confrontational?
I come from a family of LEOs, multiple agencies and could never do the job as rapists child/wife abusers, etc. would never make it to the station in one piece. That being said, you gotta know you’re being filmed and taunted, crowd/teen refused to disburse became confrontational for just that outcome. Thought the punch and head slam was excessive at that point of the arrest as deputy could have gained the same effect by planting a knee between shoulder blades and triggering pressure point securing the arm to cuff.
Bottom Line: First, thank you for your family’s service. As to the circumstance, I’m inclined to provide deference to law enforcement. As a result, in the context of questionable conduct, I look to provide the benefit of the doubt to those in law enforcement. It’s easy for those of us sitting at home watching a video to cast quick judgment, but I can’t imagine what it’s actually like in the heat of the moment. You’re at risk, others at potentially at risk, adrenaline is pumping. I can easily see how even the most principled person could go a little too far at their worst moment. That being said, there’s always a line that can’t and shouldn’t be crossed. The BSO situation we’re discussing has the appearance of being one of those. Right now we just need to wait on the result from the BSO investigation.
Now, about your question regarding compensation for the alleged victim. Yes, but to a point. Obviously, any hard cost losses should be accounted for, this includes medical bills, for example. Regarding punitive damages, here’s my perspective. I’m not a fan of significant punitive damages being awarded from public entities. It’s not the fault of the average Broward resident if a deputy’s conduct is out-of-line. Yet, if there’s a significant payout from BSO for the inappropriate conduct, it’s ultimately made to be the expense of the average resident. I feel differently when it’s a punitive judgment against a private company or individuals. I think we also have to be careful about creating president with payouts that could encourage misconduct against law enforcement for the purpose of attempting to invoke a physical response that they might attempt to cash in on.
Life’s complicated and especially these situations. It’s not made any easier when there’s social media and a rush to judgment. You’re right about the cameras and I think this is another reminder about what a good idea it is to have them for the interests of all law-abiding individuals.
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