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911 call, beat to death, brutality, cell phone video, kern county, Kern County California, Mobile phone, police, Police brutality, Police officer, Sheriff, Witness
Kern County Sheriff’s deputies beat an unarmed man to death as he begged for his life. They continued to beat him after he was unconscious, say witnesses who captured the incident on video. Reportedly, the cops then proceeded to confiscate cell phones and cameras in warrantless searches following the incident. One witness who came forward was allegedly followed by deputies and then arrested for being under the influence of PCP. He claims it was retaliation for his accusations.
Police brutality has gone unchecked for decades. But it seem have crossed a threshold now where police and law enforcement are no longer classified as regular citizens. I have much respect for police officers and the risks that they take in the line of duty. However, there are always bad eggs, and we have created a situation where the bad eggs often run the show. Cops are, for the most part, trustworthy and good people; but that doesn’t mean different rules should apply to them.
For example, there are exemptions made in concealed carry laws for police officers in states where average citizens have virtually no chance of acquiring a permit. Why is the right to self defense in public the sole jurisdiction of the police? We’ve built a system where a class of individuals has been solely entrusted with the use of force–force being defined by pre-emptive violence. That means that they are the only ones who can prosecute those who use violence against others. What happens when they are tasked with prosecuting the very crimes that they themselves are committing?
Whenever a group of people are elevated to a special status in society, there is potential for abuse. These officers enjoy an impunity to the law that average citizens do not have. This is the unfortunate consequence of the statist view that certain individuals are entitled to powers that the average citizen is not.