Chapter II: KCTV-5 versus Indy PD

Update, post-broadcast: My $0.02: Independence police were very unprofessional; Greg Slate probably slammed his own head; Chief Fred Mills compounded the lack of professionalism by refusing to explain what happened.

Steelblues, was this the whole Indy PD video? Where is the obscene language? It's amazing to me no one tried to ameliorate the situation by offering Slate any other manner of help - maybe a phone number or - heaven forbid - by giving out the form.

I'm not carrying water for KCTV-5 or its type of journalism. But police, like reporters and everyone else, are on a continuum from best to worst. I think Independence police - with whom I've had excellent relations and experienced good openness - fumbled this one from start to finish.

ORIGINAL POST:
Email the other day from a reader who works at the Indy PD:
Dear Mr. Reeves,
You may already know, but in case you do not, Channel 5 will air the video of Mr. Slate's altercation at the Independence Police Department on Thursday April 27th at 10:00 pm. I hope that what you see is from the IPD video cams and not the cam that Mr. Slate was wearing, as the cam Mr. Slate was wearing may not show what actually happened.
Steelblues

This involves an incident late last month in which a national group that investigates abusive police tactics sent a decoy into Independence police HQ.

Background:
Chapter 1: KCTV-5 versus Indy PD (earlier post)
Aaron Barnhart's excellent roundup

Story logo used by permission of KCTV-5.

PLEASE NOTE:

Some new rules for commenting.
1. Comments must be signed. Unsigned comments will be deleted.
2. Comments signed as someone other than the writer will be deleted.
3. No profanity or vulgarity; no racially abusive or offensive speech.
4. THINK before you comment and please stay on topic.

Thanks,
Greg Reeves

Comments

[Crime Scene KC]

All:
Here are the on-topic comments from the first thread on this post. I've omitted the rest, which were all about race - not about the post.

Channel 5 keeps getting closer and closer to becoming a joke of a newscast. I'm guessing they wouldn't even be showing this tonight if they didn't think they'd found something salacious.
Posted by: G | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 09:55 AM
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DVR set...this better not be a let down.
Posted by: Vince | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 10:01 AM
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KCTV-5 usually airs what they want to air to make their stories sound better, and make someone look bad.
I emailed them about the carchase/fatality last night. They left some important details out when slandering the Independence Police. They of course never responded.
I like how at the end of the report, KCTV is quoted as saying: "As we reported last weekend, Independence Police chased a suspected car thief all the way to Bonner Springs."
They left out the part about the armed robbery at the Sinclair station the suspect was involved in, and that he car jacked the vehicle being pursued from a woman in the parking lot of that Sinclair.
I guess they made their story sound better by leaving out all of the important details.

Joe
http://www.indepmo.com
Recorded Police Scanner incidents from Independence, Missouri
Posted by: indepmo | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 10:25 AM
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KCTV should be paying a fee to The Star for helping promote tonight's story. I know I'm going to watch now. The Star has fallen right into KCTV's trap. This sleazy station knows just how to stir the pot, get folks talking about their stories and then cash in on the ratings. Good for you Channel 5!
Posted by: John | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 11:21 AM
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So this is a video of how the police act when a white guy comes to the station and ask questions?
One can only image how they would treat a young black male on a poorly light street! Not saying it's ok to run from the police but a can understand the fear that sets in for young black male when being pulled over by the police esp Indy, Raytown, Grandview police. I'm not applying this to the whole police force at any location becasue I'm sure just like with any "groups" there are good and bad apples. So, I understand don't give people the right to run just like it don't give police the right to abuse their power. Who's at fault more... the police because they are trained and take and oath, criminals will always just be criminals. The police should hold higher standards.
(Anonymous: In the future, please sign your comments. Thanks, Greg Reeves)
Posted by: Reminder | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 11:39 AM
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Hold up there anonymous poster who can't remember to sign his/her posts.....the police are held to higher standards...all day every day. Cops show amazing restraint day in and day out, or a lot more criminals would be going to the morgue instead of to jail.
And why exactly do you "understand the fear that sets in when a black male is pulled over by the police"????
Posted by: G | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 11:43 AM
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Another poke at the "cops". They are just like anyone else, there are good ones and there are some bad ones. Most bad ones don't stay on long. This deal over at the Indy PD looks like a set-up to me. I think the truth will bear out. If it wasn't for these guys and gals folks and you think it's bad out there now, try and imagine it without em'. They deserve our respect and a lot more pay than they get!
Posted by: jb | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 12:45 PM
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Sorry I forgot to sign my name believe I have nothing to hide and/or am not scared about my opinion. (it's America we all have that right to an opinion)
I understand the fear that sets in because I am a young black male who has experience racial profiling and unfair treatment by Kansas City and the surronding area's Finest.
Do I hate the police, NO... do I condone running from the police, HELL NO!!
Running from the police is what criminals do, taking advantage of the power that comes with being an officer of the law is something police should not do.
again sorry for not signing my name.
Posted by: Tim | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 05:10 PM
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I think the point of this whole situation is this: "News" station decides to set-up a police department to see what happens. From the two versions of events that were discussed on this post during the previous exchange on this incident I have come to believe that teh Police officers either A) Overreacted and will now have to pay the price for it, or B) Handled a situation where a man wanted fame and fortune by making people believe that the police overreacted. Show the tape - the whole tape - and let us decide. If the collective answer is B, then the "news" directors, reporters, and others who encouraged this behavior should be charged under the conspiracy laws. Even if they didn't intend for their actor to get out of control, they are still liable for any crimes he commits in the furtherance of their conspiracy. Let's see a prosecutor grow a set and let a jury decide. That will be a sure way to stop this creating the news crap.
Posted by: Republicans Suck | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 07:17 PM
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Just saw the recording on kctv. It is obvious to me this dude slammed his head into the glass on his own. And why did KCTV keep calling this a reputible organization, when they thrive on setting law enforcement agencies up. Quite pathetic.
Posted by: butch | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 10:33 PM
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I think it is obvious from watching the tape that the officer slammed the reporter's head into the glass.
Think about it, the reporter knows that there are cameras on him. He isn't going to do that to himself, especially to the degree that he sustains severe injuries!
I suspect that reporter would have been in for far more police brutality had that cop not found the wire.
The Independence Police Department should be ashamed of itself. What do you bet NOTHING is done to discipline the offending officer and the other officers who lied for him?
Kudos to TV-5.
Posted by: Joe Samuel | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 10:50 PM
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I hope he doesn't get disciplined and I hope this loser gets busted for trying to file a false complaint. Did he or did he not have a legitimate complaint at the time? NO He was told to leave the lobby several times. Did he leave? NO Probably should have been escorted of the property, but hey, you get lippy with a police officer, you take your life into your own hands. Kudos to the Independence Police Department, makes me feel more comfortable working in this town.
Posted by: butch | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 11:01 PM
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...The reporter did not say he wanted to file a complaint. He only asked about the procedure. If you think that it's ok to have your life at risk just for being lippy with a police officer, then you should feel very comfortable in Independence.
Posted by: Heywood | Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 11:20 PM
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[Tom]

I don't see how anyone can defend the Independence Police on this one, nor excuse their conduct based on "there are some good ones and some bad ones" just like anything else. This rageful cop is a sargeant who stated he was in charge of the station. As for KCTV5, the treatment this guy received in Independence proves the point that this type of investigative reporting is needed. On the subject of police chases, Independence needs to get its policy regarding police chases in line with what all other area jurisdictions deem a reasonable balance between the need to apprehend criminals and the clear risk posed by these police chases. Some chases are worth the risk, but some others are not, and it appears that Independence is not giving adequate weight to the risk to public safety. On the other hand, if I were a criminal, I would stay the hell out of Independence. The problem is that law abiding citizens are not safe in Independence when the cops are chasing traffic violators.

[W!]

Greg,

I am very disappointed in your choice of headlines. I have been impressed that you have usually tried to remain professional/neutral with your "reporting", but lately you seem to be going more for a biased/sensational headline. I attempted to watch the story on KCTV's website, but the second half of the story was nothing but a commercial that repeated itself (glitch in their system or something), however I don't even need to see the story to get the gist of what they are trying to say.

I work for the KCPD, and as I have mentioned in a previous post, we were warned several days before this incident happened that KCTV was trying to "set up" officers (we were even told that the person would attempt to injure themself and then claim we did it). It is unfortunate that there are not more options of recourse for agencies that are victims of this type of tabloid journalism - and people that "create" their stories.

To address policies on Citizen Complaints. An angle of this that is seldom addressed is the reason that Police agencies must be so strict on the reporting of complaints is the nature of the business we are in. Someone like Greg - a media person..... if he reports something incorrectly, a simple retraction or "correction" will suffice to keep him from getting in trouble. If a person at McDonalds gives you a small fry instead of the large you ordered, they simply give you the correct order. However, if a member of Law Enforcement is accused of improperly doing their job - then there is a potential for them not only losing their career, but also huge civil penalties. In other words, making a report on police misconduct is a serious matter. You are putting everything that officer has worked for on the line every time you make an accusation. With no accountability for those making a complaint - then every traffic stop could result in a complaint. The problem you run into is that there are many cop-hating citizens out there, that would spend every waking minute filing frivilious complaints on officers - just because they can. Even with the current system, you have people who will file complaints on officers who wrote them a ticket months ago - saying the officer did something to them... only to discover the officer wasn't even working the day the person claims the incident happened. Stuff like that is the reason that complaints must be filed in person. If a person was allowed to anonomyously call in a complaint - then the amount of frivilious complaints would skyrocket.

I think if Greg did some digging, he will find that a huge majority of complaints are eventually unsubstantiated. Most of the time, it is simply a matter of the citizen not understanding police proceedure. Other times, the complaintant refuses to cooperate with the investigators. If memory serves, I think that less than 5% of complaints are substantiated.

In Kansas City, complaints are handled by a separate civilian-run organization called the "Office of Citizen Complaints" (OCC). The arguement that there is a "blue wall" is BS, because these people are NOT cops, and answer directly to the police board. If anything, they are harder on us then they should be (they have to justify their budget).

Anyway, the point of my post is simple. What occured in Independence was strictly a setup - and depending on how viewed (or how the videotape is edited) both sides are right. But.... the simple fact is.... this guy (or this group) has to justify their trip to KC by creating a story (and KCTV needs something to run during sweeps). If Independence did everything right - then they would have moved on to the next department until they were able to find someone who would give them the sound bites they needed. And, even though I wasn't there - I have NO DOUBT in my mind that the guy rammed his own head into the plexiglass (as I mentioned, we were told several days before this incicent happned that someone would try to do just that). I have no ties the the Indep. PD, and have no reason to stick up for them.... but I've been doing this job too long and have seen many people just like this guy from the "watchdog" group. I know their tactics. It is up to the media to be responsible and to call out the reprehensible behavior of KCTV & this group. Unfortunately, just as many anti-police types claim that there is a "blue wall" with the police, most media folks have the some regarding the behavior of other media folks (how often are the DUI's or Domestic Violence arrests of local media folks listed in the papers? ...

Anyway, Greg, please be responsible about this. The legitimate media folks I've talked to about this think KCTV have crossed a HUGE line with this story. I only hope the citizens can see this story for what it really is - a complete setup.

[Don]

I should have been a cop! Damit !

[Brian]

W! (Is it 2008 yet?)

I'm just curious. Since you find the actions of KCTV and this watchdog group reprehensible. How do you feel about the online kiddie porn stings?

Personally, I don't like either of them, as I feel it's creating a situation that otherwise wouldn't have existed and borders on entrapment. The devils advocate side of me says what's good for the goose, is good for the gander though.

One last thing. If you haven't yet, I would like to invite you to join LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) at http://leap.cc Pretty noble group in my opinion.

-Brian

[BIGE]

Total setup. If it was me i would have been fired. And he would still be in the hospital. Maybe thats why im not a cop. Man, why can all cops be Nick Laury...

[Out cry]

I'm not a fan of KCTV5 News but question why didn't IPD reacted the same way Leawood, Mission, & KCMO PD did?

In a earlier posting by Tom... "If Independence did everything right - then they would have moved on to the next department until they were able to find someone who would give them the sound bites they needed."

Bottom line, why didn't the IPD (desk clerk & Sergeant) follow procedures? Is IPD a bullying police department?

[W!]

Brian,

I think the kiddie porn stings done by KCTV were great EXCEPT that if memory serves - they couldn't arrest the folks. Also, in a case like that - the perverts were listed as "suspected" of doing something wrong. When something like this is done - the police are labled as being wrong... period. A responsible media orginization wouldn't create stories and soundbites that make it sound like the police beat the hell out of the guy. And I view this in any instance (the pervert stories, or the police story) as being wrong because it was created by the media to get a story. I'm sure that the cost of this whole thing was fairly high (flying these guys in town, supplying the producers, equipment, editing, personnel, hotels, food, gas), as I said.... they HAD to get a story out of this.

As far as joining "LEAP"..... get real. I am very much against the legalization of drugs. I see everyday the damage done by them. No legitimate member of Law Enforcement would truly be for the legalization of drugs. It is like saying we should legalize child molestation or slavery.... get real (and let's please respect Greg's wishes to keep these comments on track with the theme of this article... not a pro/anti drug rant).

Out Cry -

As far as why there were differences in the policy written on the wall - and what happened.... who knows? That is for Indep. PD to figure out. Maybe it was the desk clerks first night? Maybe they too were warned that someone would come in and try to file a false complaint. Remember, you are only hearing the EDITED audio that KCTV wants you to hear. For all we know the guy walking into the station could have said that he had a bomb in his coat - and then turned on the microphone. From the part of the report I DID see - it is obvious that he is ... trying to goade the officers. Either way, if the clerk failed to follow their policy - then that is a personnel matter - to be decided by her bosses. If you screw up something at your job - should I be the one to decide what happens to you? Why should the media or a guy from out of town be able to decide that the clerk violated policy?

This is what really gets to me. People want to bitch and complain about the job Law Enforcement does. We (people in Law Enforcement) take this job because we want to - and we feel a sense of pride from it. The abuse I deal with on a daily basis is unbelievable. I quit a job making three times as much money to do this job. I am not some tough-guy wannabe who does this job to make me feel cool. I do this job because I REALLY DO CARE about this city and my neighbors/family. I'd guess that 95% of the cops out there just want to do their job and go home to their family safely at the end of the night. It's easy for the anti-police types to sit behind the anonominity of their computers and b!tch and complain about how unfair the cops are - or how they abuse their power or whatever.... but the truth is.... when someone is shooting a gun someplace..... some people run away - but the police run towards the shots. If you spend your life shouting from the rooftops how awful the cops are - when you call us for help - we still come. When your child is missing, or your home has been broken into - we are still there. No matter how much you hate the police - you still know that when you call 911 we will be there.

It's so unfortunate that in today's age of rising crime rates, it is the overworked and underpaid police officers that take the blame. Every day I see people who complain that the police won't do anything about the crime in their neighborhoods - but when THIER child is arrested for selling dope - or THIER husband is arrested picking up a prostitute.... then the cops are "profiling", or "harassing" them. A person gets a ticket for speeding and says that the cops are trying to meet their quotas, or should be looking for "real criminals", but when someone is racing up and down THEIR street - the cops are never around when you need them. Most cops are overworked, underpaid, unappreciated, and live with the fear that they might not come home from work at the end of the day. How many of you (who don't work at the post office) have to put on a bulletproof vest before you got to work?

[Brian]

Double standards never cease to amaze me. OK to do this to the 'perverts' but not to your chosen profession. Seems they are both breaking the law, no? At the very least, breaking the rules.

BTW, my invitation to check out LEAP was simply that. I wasn't trying to start any kind of anti/pro drug rant. After hearing Jack Cole speak a few weeks ago, I was moved to reach out to as many members of Law Enforcement as I possibly can about this organization that is truly trying to make change in our lifetime. Sorry if I offended your sensibilities, but I will disagree with your statement about the legitimacy of it's members. They too have seen the harm, and realized it might not only be drugs that are causing it. Can you say that you've never seen an otherwise happy and full life ruined by a drug charge?

-Brian

[Brian - Reminder]

W!

I apologize for the double standard statement. After re-reading what you wrote I see now that you don't agree with it in either case when created by the media. Threw me off with the 'great' comment at the top. ;)

-Brian

[Jackie]

I am trying to understand this...If someone gets lippy we have the right to get physical and bash someones head legally...I think not. Police should not be able to do it either. Regardless if it was a set up no one has the right to assault another person because they were "lippy".

[Reminder - Please sign your comments]

I think that you are all missing the point. This is not about the television station or the group that organized the "undercover operation". The young man who was victimized has conducted this same investigation over 500 times. That ought to let all of you IPD defenders know that it was not a set up. What if the gentleman had been a regular citizen simply fed up with the IPD tactics? Would he have deserved that sort of violent treatment? The video that came directly from the IPD surveilance cameras clearly showed that the personnel were in direct violation of their own posted policy. I think every citizen should have the right to question authority in that situation? The best answer the officer in charge could come up with was, "Because I Said So!" That was not a reasonable answer. The whole point of the investigation was to make sure that people were NOT being intimidated by local law enforcement agencies when it came to filing complaints against officers. CLEARLY the IPD failed misreably. The discussion on this post should not be about whether they feel set up or with the type of journalism that KCTV 5 and/or the KC STAR engage themselves in. The real question, the one being missed, is why in the hell the personnel involved felt they could operate outside of their own posted and approved policy? Are they above even their own internal governing rules and regulations? The answer is NO. Those policies are in place for a reason. They are posted for a reason. The public has the right to be informed and to be treated fairly. The IPD is only upset, because they were busted. I wonder how many other citizens were intimidated against filing a complaint. Do you?

S.R. in Independence

(S.R. Thanks for your comment. In the future, please sign in the "Author" window - it keeps the comment from popping up in my "Unsigned" list, where I may accidentally zap it! Thanks, Greg Reeves)

[Crime Scene KC]

Good morning W!,

To take your points one by one:

"a huge majority of complaints are eventually unsubstantiated."

True. But this person, who might have actually been trying to make a serious, valid complaint, was dismissed before he pushed it to the point of arrest - which should never have happened, I think you'll agree.

"In Kansas City, complaints are handled by a separate civilian-run organization called the 'Office of Citizen Complaints' (OCC)."

OCC is the best-established citizens complaint center - thanks to crusading attorney Sid Willens in the 1970s and 1980s who pushed for it. But it's not as "civilian-run" as he envisioned; the power of discipline remains with the department. That was a compromise at the time to prevent a cop revolt.
Having said that, the KCPD is still the jewel of local law enforcement. Its training, the level of the average street cop - and the relative openness of its disciplinary process - are what other area departments should be measured by.

"What occured in Independence was strictly a setup"

True. The media in several states a few years back went to local police and other offices and asked for public information. Many if not most of the agencies failed to follow the law. That was a setup too. Nothing wrong with a setup, if it's done right.

"this guy (or this group) has to justify their trip to KC by creating a story
If Independence did everything right - then they would have moved on to the next department until they were able to find someone who would give them the sound bites they needed."

I don't disagree.

"The legitimate media folks I've talked to about this think KCTV have crossed a HUGE line with this story."

I'm not endorsing KCTV-5's bleed-and-lead style of journalism; I think it's great for their ratings, bad for our community.
But for me, the bottom line is, Greg Slate didn't arrest himself. A citizen coming in to complaint about police got arrested. That shouldn't have happened.

W!, I respect your critique. But there's a reason the Independence police fell into the setup, and the KCPD didn't - training, policies and professionalism.

Regards,
Greg Reeves

[B Tru]

Why wasn't the entire video shown, from the time Gregory Slate entered the lobby?

I believe Slate was given directions in the process of filing a complaint, but continued to be a problem and cause a disturbance, then refuse to leave. What was IPD supposed to do just walk away and let him continue the disturbance in their lobby?

The only thing apparent in the video is that Slate threw his own head against the plexiglass as the Officer was attempting to arrest him.

Anf if some people are wondering why someone would intentionally injure themselves, $$$$$$$.

I've encountered people that have claimed to have injured themselves in grocery stores, etc. and hit themselves in their own knees with hammers to show injuries, so these people are out there.

It may be that the silent movie era theatrics, of throwing ones self into glass windows is a standard tactic by the police complaint center.

As Don Jackson AKA Diop Kamau, Director of the so called Police Complaint Center got his start in police bashing by failing to obey Officers in Long Beach California in 1989 (during a ride with NBC’s Dateline).

During a car stop, he exited his vehicle and became belligerent with the Officers (per NBC reporter John Hockenberry), then lunged into a plate glass window for dramatics as the Officers attempted to restrain him.

Gregory Slate seemed to use the very same tactic when IPD was arresting him on Saturday 25th, 2006, apparently a tactic he may have been taught by the master Don Jackson AKA Diop Kamau.

[Bonnie]

Well said S.R. in Independence.

Is there fine print on the posted policy that states you must speak to the shift supervisor? If not, why didn't they give Slate the complaint form?

Where was the obscene language from Slate that was referred to on talk radio?

However, I do think it would have been reasonable for Slate to leave and a follow-up report/interview conducted with the Police Chief asking the questions above.

Bonnie

[openmind]

I can’t believe all of you bleeding heart conservatives on here. The bottom line is that the IPD officer was wrong and did not follow procedure. The officer shown displays all of the arrogance that I have come to dispise in law enforcement… those are MY forms, this is MY building….BS those are both the publics. I respect the vast majority of officers, but what the best officers realize is that they are and should be held to a higher standard than regular citizens.

Many of you on here were all about “procedure” with regards to the traffic cop at Arrowhead (or wherever, I cant remember now), and now have suddenly changed your tone. This individual was not demanding a change in procedure; he just wanted the stated procedure to be followed. Jus leave, are you serious? I would be pissed if I had a complaint, and then the same attitude that led me to want to file a complaint prevented me from doing so. What is his recourse? Should he file a complaint about not being able to file a complaint? For the average citizen the buck stops with the police department, which places an extreme importance with procedure. Many of you on here were all about “procedure” with regards to the traffic cop at Arrowhead (or wherever, I cant remember now), and now have suddenly changed your tone.

W!, you should really watch the video. While the guy was being short with the officer, he did not curse (until his head hit the Plexiglas). I would be short too with an officer with an attitude like that. It’s not exactly like the officer was Mr. Rodgers or anything. Why is it ok for the officer to be short, but not the complainant? And if you think the person slammed their own head into the glass you must need your eyes checked. I watched it over and over and the very worst he slightly exaggerated some things. However his head would not have contacted the glass if the officer did not push it towards the glass. Greg, congrats on the blog’s award, and congrats on not compromising reporting because of some po’d “law enforcement” people.

[Jacob]

This organization that was so called trying to "create" news did nothing different than what the police do when they send out a female to pose as a prostitute or when they pose online as a child trying to catch criminals.

Im not for crime at all but I dont think the police should go out making crime nor do I think the media should go out and try to make a story.

[lonnie]

KCTV5 is all for being in the spotlight. Even if they have to make the story themselves. You go to 3 police stations and you get no spotlight material (BORING, no ratings there!). So you go to the fourth station and create one. The video doesn't show his time waiting in the lobby being beligerant and rude. Edited??? KCTV5 says no. But, if it wasn't edited, how come the woman that is standing next to Greg at the beginning of what they did show...suddenly just disappears? Edited??? KCTV5 says no. Just to prove another thing that KCTV5 got wrong (again). They indicated that the officer said "He's wired!" It wasn't the officer. It was the man standing at the next window over. (The place where the woman disappeared at the begining of the shown video.) As far as a response from Chief Mills. How would you like to open your garage door and find a camera and microphone shoved in your face and reporters walking into your garage univited? If they want to speak with him how about asking to speak with him? (Strange concept, I know.)

KCTV5 is such a (bad) joke! We should boycott their sponsors and see if they start to do real journalism (if they even know what that is) instead of set up stories.

[h8torade]

Steve Chamraz for President of the United States!

[Reminder - S.R.]

Jacob,

You are exactly right. This is exactly the same type of "set-up" that police use to bust "JOHNS" aiming to buy sex or on-line predators out to get our children. Why do they work? PEOPLE, INCLUDING OFFICERS, ARE OUT THERE DOING THE WRONG THING!! Officers feel totally justified in such undercover operations. Why shouldn't citizens? The man who started the watch dog group involved in this investigation is an ex-officer himself. Bad police are not going to just turn themselves over. Just like bad people aren't. Like I said previously, the Indep PD simply got busted. If all the stations in the area had done the right thing, do you think anyone would be calling this a set up? Is there no one out there to watch the police? I personally live in Independence. I have for almost 9 years. I have personally had several extremely upsetting incidents with the Indep PD. I have never been arrested or ticketed. I have many neighbors who complain about the lack of control within the Indep PD itself. One of my neighbors who complains the most, is actually an Indep PD police officer!! He talks of the corruption quite often. The personnel on duty was wrong, and to top it all off they LIED about the incident in the police report. That officer was angry, and he slammed that young kids head into the wall. The kid did not do it to himself. Please stop kidding yourselves. If you don't open your eyes, then an opportunity for change will be lost. WHY DIDN'T HE JUST HAND THE KID THE FORM? IT IS NOT UP TO HIM TO DECIDE WHO IS ALLOWED TO MAKE A COMPLAINT AND WHO ISNT!! That is just not the way it is SUPPOSED to work. S.R. Independence Resident

(S.R., in the future, please sign your comments. Thanks, Greg Reeves)

[Guy]

Hey Greg!

Thanks for having such a great place to voice our opinions, first of all. Second, this is not an opinion, but a fact. KCTV totally slants the story the way they see fit. I have no bias either direction. In the story last night the reporter mentions that after bleeding in a holding cell for 2 hours, then the guy was taken to Truman Med Lakewood. There, he was said to have had, x-rays, a CT of his head, and an MRI. This is complete and total BS! I work for the radiology group that does all the work for both Trumans, and they don't even have an MRI at truman lakewood. I should know, I am an MRI tech. Plus, they wouldn't even do an MRI, unless the CT showed major damage to the soft tissue structures within the skull. He didn't even have a skull fracture. It was a bump on the head that he caused. This is sensational, BS journalism. With all the real world news going on, why should Mr. Regent Dufus keep his job? Thats my $.02.
Thanks again.

Guy Hodson RT(R) MR

[NLA]

After watching the video on the "news" last night, I thought, "that's it?" Based upon KCTV's advertising of the video, I was expecting a beating, pistol whipping and more. (I was also waiting for the reporter at the Chief's house to be arrested for trespassing.) Yet, I don't understand why the complaint form just wasn't given to the guy.

[lance mcnack]

(Sigh, lance mcnack, what part of "No profanity/No vulgarity" don't you understand? I'll wade through this one because it's a very interesting comment. But you can say the same thing without the obscene words - really. Thanks, Greg Reeves)

Even worse than Independence cops is cops from Sugar Creek, MO. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? you may ask. It's ...between Independence and Kansas City. The cops are notorious .... They're very bored and really, they act more like bored security guards. Amazingly, it's the younger cops that really blow so much. Usually, they never really had anything going for them, and finally someone has to listen, so they abuse they're "power." Sugar Creek should be annexed by Kansas City since all they have is cops and a shabby fire station. Get a life, Sugar Creek cops ... Real cops probably don't consider you police, but just mere guardians.......of nothing. Sugar Creek has nothing to protect. One Sugar Creek cop hunted me down because I had unpaid tickets. He rolled up on me like I was a hardened criminal, spit in my face, and slammed me to the ground in front of my wife and my 4 & 5 year old children. Then, later while I was in jail he has the nerve to tell me "we could have been friends" since he found out I had been in the Army also. I'm a realtor so he took down a hardened house salesman. Way to go Barney. Then, he took my wife to jail for asking him why he's tossing me up over tickets. In reality though, I think he was angry that this young black man is making alot more money than he is. I also have a family that actually likes me and my kids are really cute. I don't need top feel powerful by being an anus to anyone that comes through my pissant town. Sugar Creek cops, please give it a rest. Because in the end, you're just security guards......with attitudes.

[Crime Scene KC]

Guy,

Truman Lakewood verifies to me they don't have an MRI - only at the Hospital Hill location. I'll ask KCTV-5.

Regards,
Greg Reeves

[Guy]

Thanks Greg for being on top of it. They shouldn't get away with false facts. As far as the MRI scanner downtown, it is run by a friend of mine. I can guarantee that he didn't get scanned there either. They are extremely busy during regular business hours, and only offer after hours MRI's to emergency cases. So, 1am on a saturday morning is when he would have had this procedure done. ONce again I call BS. You are the man. Stay on them!

Guy

[blondie2hot7]

I would like KCTV5 to investigate a police dept for me. I know I was mistreated in an incident with my local police dept. It would be nice to have a "witness" to what I endured at the police dept. They treated me worse than a criminal, and I was only there seeking help in an investigation pertaining to my sons death last Dec. I don't think they(KCTV5) would believe, nor would you all, how My husband and I were treated, or should I say mistreated. They throwtheir weight around. I have a good idea, the next time I decide to go have a meeting with our sheriffs dept, I will take KCTV5 with me. The outcome is about as bad as the indy POLICE DEPT, NO, WORSE! They really know how to throw their weight around out here in the west!

(blondie2hot7, if you want to email or call me I'd check it out. Greg Reeves)

[brian 2]

Wow! Watched it. He hit his own darn head. The Officer was moving, not pushing, the guy towards the wall to gain control. It's standard procedure, if you don't believe me go watch an episode of cops. They called it a golfball size wound. More like a small barely noticable cut. Bottom line, it was a manned out who's in charge argument and they were both partly to blame.

[Steve]

I don't watch KCTV news, ever. I find their newscasts to tabloid journalism at its worst. However, you can't say that what they did here was some outragous setup. I'm a sales/marketing executive and often hire outside companies to do what is called "Secret Shopper." This is when someone acts like they are a customer to see if our sales and customer relations staff do their jobs properly and follow proceedure. The secret shopper will often get beligerant because it is the beligerant customers that are the hardest to deal with. If the staff follow proceedure with a difficult customer, then you can be pretty sure they will treat the easy customers the same way.

This is what happened to the Independence police department. They got Secret Shoppered and failed miserably. If the sergeant in the video was one of my sales staff, I would fire him on the spot. You just don't treat customers, no matter how verbally beligerant they are, like he did. And we are the police department's customers.

[blondie2hot7]

Greg Reeves~ This is a story I don't think you, or anyone would even possibly believe. It happend in Dec, My husband and I were told by the County Atty. It was being investigated (by the highest authorities in Ks) Only to find out 3 months later, nothing was being done. I have had local News Papers wanting to do the story, and I know that I will probably be putting my life at risk by doing it, but, for the sake of my son, I'm willing to do it, no matter what the cost. I was told by a Lieutenant that my son was dead, get over it (*lots of info in between left out) He had me in tears by the time I left his office, and he kindly escorted my husband and I out the back door of the court house.. I have contacted Klines office (who also told me to file a civil suit) on this matter, and they told me their hands are tied unless the County atty. contacts them to do an investigation.. I can see this would only be throwing myself out to the wolves. I would appreciate any help you can give me in this matter., I happen to know too much about this "particular police dept" and they want me to go away, and what they don't know, is, "I've only just begun." If anyone here has heard about the Edwardsville scandal, and yes I would call it a scandal, you wouldn't be able to even phatham what I'm going through. I will e-mail you Greg, and get your take, and trust me, I've went through every avenue of law enforcement I could possible go through, to no avail. Any help you can give me, would be greatly appreciated Greg. I do have a meeting with a local news paper in my area next thursday, they want to do a story about this, hopefully that will open their eyes.. It makes people like myself unable to trust the law enforcement, anywhere!! I know for a fact these individuals are corrupt, and they know I know, so they are just hoping I will go away...

[A]

My 2 Cents.

They were both wrong. The cop was a jerk, the Slate guy was a jerk, and they both made the situation bad. Sarge should have just given him the form can called it good. The Slate guy saw an opportunity for a story and compounded the situation by throwing his head against the glass.

He saw an opportunity for his organization to prove to the public why they are needed and took advantage. In my opinion, he is worse than Channel 5 for making the story.

I saw nothing wrong with the action of the policeman, other than his attitude. When you go to a police station and start a disturbance, you get arrested for disorderly conduct. Sometimes force is needed to handcuff unrulies. If this happens to you, dont ram your head into the window and you wont bleed or need a hospital.

[Reminder - Vibiana]

PARAGRAPHS, people. Please! I have a terrible headache from allergies and I'm skipping most of these comments because they're just too hard to read.

(np Vibiana :))

[Vibiana]

Sorry Greg -- I thought I was signed in on that last post. And sorry for being whiney everybody -- but really, please -- paragraphs? Pretty please with Nutrasweet on top? :0)

[Reminder - Please sign your comments]

If you watched the surveillance video you can clearly see the guy slam his own head into the glass? The officer may not have been friendly but the guy asked to go to jail so he got his wish. Send him back to New Jersey where he came from. He acts like such an innocent wimp.

(Anonymous: In the future, please sign your comments. Thanks, Greg Reeves)

[B]

I can see both sides of the arguement. The sgt wanted to hear the complaint before giving out the form. Believe it or not there are people who complain about being arrested for a warrant and also being charged for the narcotics found in there pockets incident to arrest. Is that his job to weed out the "real" complaints? Probably not but it appears he is trying to hear the complaint prior to giving out the form. If the "complaint" was an obvious misunderstanding by the citizen then maybe the sgt could handle it by talking to the citizen. That's what I believe the sgt was attempting to do. If the complaint violated policy then the citizen gets the form.
Once the set up man refused to talk about the complaint the form should of been given to him. It gets him out of the station and out of everyones hair and allows the pd to quit wasting their time and get back to other citizens in the lobby which leads to another question. How much time was wasted on this loser that could have been directed at the other "real" citizens needing help in the lobby?

[Theresa M]

Good point B.

It all sounds like a set-up to me. When this story first came to light a few weeks back there was a "rumor" that someone would be trying to start a "news" headline by using this tactic. It's a sad day when the media (such as KCTV 5) stoops to this low-level journalism and tries to create the news for their broadcast. Don't get me wrong though, not all policemen/women are true professionals but I think it is a disgrace to the public to try and degrade the one's (police) who are nothing but professional.

[lance mcnack]

sorry about the profanity and vulgarity greg. i got a little worked up and i apologize.

(Hi lance, this great note clears it up for me! :) Greg Reeves)

[Reminder - Jimbo]

all you folks who are trying to defend the cop need to quit. when you're wrong you're wrong. and that cop was wrong any way you look at it. you need to go ahead and admit it. you guys are in denial. whether the guy had a complaint or not is not the issue. he just wanted the complaint form. and quit trying to blame the messenger (kctv5).

(Welcome back, Jimbo! Where ya been? In the future, please sign your comments. New rule...Thanks, Greg Reeves)

[G]

I think that the IPD should get a little bit of the benefit of the doubt here. We don't know thier day to day policy of addressing complaints. It could be that they are only addressed during normal business hours, rather then in the middle of the night. It could be that you have to detail the nature of the complaint as a screening process before the requested forms are provided. The video didn't show him asking to file a complaint, he asked for a form, and was beligerent.

I certainly think that the IPD officer could have been more professional, but I can also understand that the he was being intentionally provoked.

However, I do NOT agree that the individual injured himself. I had the DVR running, and watched that part of the video several times, and I believe that while it may not have been the intention of the officer for him to hit the plexiglass, it was certainly as a result of the officers action.

I guess only the future will say about that, if/when lawsuits and/or disciplinary hearings are finalized with regard to the injury. However, looking at ONLY that part of what occured, I believe that it was the officers fault and was uncalled for.

Aside from that fact, I believe that the video was exploitive, and I for one and sick of this kind of witch-hunter tactic to create news. I have a great respect for law enforcement, and I'm sorry that any police force has to be put in this sort of position just because a news crew wanted to invent a story.

[Sara]

I guess my question here is why would you want to talk to a cop about a bad cop? That just doesn't make sense to me. Why can't a person take the form, fill it out, maybe have a little bit of time to cool off and think about what they are doing. I am sorry but Indep. PD is at fault here. I watched it, and I never watch channel 5 news. But I would have a hard time believing that this guy is going to throw himself into a glass window to make good TV. From what I seen in the story last night, the group is a good one started by .... A COP! I don't credit Channel 5 for what they did, but I am thankful that someone brought this issue to light. Maybe Channel's 4 or 9 can do a follow up and then we might think that it is REAL journalism.

[mrEd]

Why you people are still defending the cop and making excuses for him I'll never understand. Those of you that think the guy rammed his head into the glass are delusional. It's simple leverage and that's why cops do it, you raise someone's arms while they are behind a person's back and it thrusts them forward - in this case directly into a glass wall.
The police motto is to SERVE AND PROTECT. The guy wanted a form and only grew frustrated after waiting around for a half an hour for a form that he should be able to walk in and pick up in a couple of minutes - refer to the KCPD for an example of how this should be done. Face it, cops no longer see themselves as there to serve and protect citizens, but see themselves in constant battle with citizens - they see citizens as crimes waiting to happen. Until police depts. understand that they are hear to serve the public and not just look for ways to arrest or ticket them, the problem will only get worse.

[Kelly]

KCTV 5, Fox news, etc. are the reasons why some many Americans have disdain for the media. KCTV 5's stories are akin to muck-raking and tabloid journalism, which in my opinion, shouldn't be worthy of consideration as "news."

I don't know, maybe I'm just some idealistic recent J-school graduate, but my professors taught me that a good journalist reports the news, instead of creating the news.

[Kelly]

I wanted to add that I'm not supporting what the cops did, but when KCTV 5 paired with an advocacy group known to do this around the country, that was not very professional. This makes it seem like KCTV 5 was working with this group to create news. Now, if KCTV 5 found out about this after the fact, maybe that would be okay, but they purposefully joined up with this group because they already knew what what going to happen. I would consider that making up the news - not reporting it.

[Guy]

Hey Greg,

I e-mailed the reporter that did this piece, and called him out on the things I posted about on here earlier. He won't respond. Have you heard anything?

Guy

(Guy, I haven't had a chance. If you want, forward me your email, I could possibly use it! Greg Reeves)

[sasquach]

Everyone on here who has attacked KCTV-5 that watched the video last night is a little confused.

Mass media is business. News is reported to sell commercial space. If you never watch KCTV-5 because of this dribble, but did last night, guess what, they did their jobs by covering this.

(sorry. no more racist cartoon posts. shows what a morning of hard drinking can cause)

[Duke]

In any other business, when you have to wait for 30 minutes just to get someone to get you a form that is within plain view to you, you'd be a WHOLE LOT more belligerent than the Jersey guy was.

The cop was unprofessional. You could FEEL the ego trip radiating off his body. That's what bugged me, even more than the scrawny dude getting bumped on the head.

As for who is at fault for the head-bump: Who cares? It wasn't life threatening. Like I said, the cop's behaviour right from the start was more upsetting than the resulting knot.

[Shane (Olathe)]

I am not going to take a stance of not addressing KCTV 5 investigation's intentions or tactics.

This should really serve as a wake-up call to those around the metro. My wife and I on occasion have put complaints into the Olathe Police Dept. as we witnessed egregious violations and seeming indifference to laws by Olathe patrol officers. These complaints were prompted by officers disregarding public safety (i.e. lights on to run red lights, failure to yield right of way (nearly sideswiping my wife's car), and speeding). The Olathe Police department handled the complaints in a professional, courteous manner that gave us the impression of general concern for the complaint. They promptly investigated and their findings were included in a letter signed by the chief of police indicating actions were taken.

I understand that police officers for the most part are law abiding, hard working, under paid, and many times unappreciated which warrants my respect and my willingness to give them the benefit of the doubt.

With that said, I must commend the KCMO Police Department for their high marks in this investigation. Mission and Leawood though not meeting the guidance by the Chief of Police organization, they still get acceptable marks in my opinion. They seemed to have genuine concern regarding the complaint. I'm sure that they thought the investigator had a complaint to file not just investigating processes and they rightfully gave it their full attention, treating you as a citizen, client, customer rather than a nuisance.

Independence should be embarrassed by the actions of both the Sgt. on shift and the actions of their chief. I hope that if they are not fired as an outcome of this investigation, I surely hope that the government and citizens of Independence will take action.

It is interesting how Darla Jaye on 980 took such a firm stance to side with the police department and put the blame on your investigator.....When the video came out she looked like a fool. I generally listen to her in the mornings but she was off base. I'm glad that the truth is now coming out. In fact I am glad that Ash-har had an opportunity to discuss this with the chief face to face. He needed to be a leader, acknowledge fault for his department and chastise his Sgt. and staff rather than try to defend them, especially when the truth showed they were clearly in the wrong then work to remedy the problems.

I understand that if he admits wrong-doing that it pretty much seals the deal on a law-suit, but what jury when they see the police's own video will not rule for the investigator.

Boils down to respect, if you give respect you expect it in return, right? No different here. The investigator was curt but rightfully so. How is asking "Why" an arrestable offense?

We are not in a dictatorship but a democracy where our citizens expect officers of the government to represent and protect the people and those officers should be held accountable for their actions.

Take out the investigaton from this scenario and ask yourself, is this how as a citizen you would expect to be treated?

[sandy]

I guess you guys have never had to deal with the Independence Police or you could believe all of this. It is a shame that any group has to monitor the actions of the few 'bad' cops. The majority are good but with every group there all some that aren't so 'good'. To those that are good... my hats off to you. To those that aren't..I hope more groups rid the PD of them.

[big daddy]

SET UP OR NO SETUP THIS THINGS DO HAPPEN IN POLICE STATIONS.WHEATHER YOU WANT TO ADMIT IT OR NOT ITS REALITY. COPS ARE DIRTY NOT ALL OF THEM BUT 95% OF THEM ARE.THEY ARE THE FIRST ONES BREAKING THE LAW THE SAME LAWS THAT YOU GET IN TROUBLE FOR. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY TO ALL OF THE SUDDEN HAVING A COP CAR ON YOUR BACK BUMPER OF YOUR CAR. NO EMERGENCY WHAT SO EVER BUT HEY HES A COP AND WANTS TO DO 80 MPH DOWN I 29 AND HE ALSO EXPECT YOU TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HIS WAY CUASE HES IN A RUSH TO DO NOTHING. WE NEED TO GET REAL WITH THIS WORLD THE COPS ARE GETTING TO BE WORSE THAN THE CRIMINALS THEMSELVES.

[Patric]

To me, it is a simple matter of following procedure. If you really did know in advance that there might be a setup, then follow procedure and show everyone you know how to follow the correct procedure. Then, you would look really good on TV.

But, as we all know, this was not the case. Sarge was out of line and handled the matter poorly. If you are a police officer, you should know procedure. And, you should follow it....

Ah, this is my first post. Hopefully, I have signed in all the correct places.

Patric

[Julia]

Two months ago I contacted PoliceAbuse.org to complain about the Independence PD. I am not the only one who has submitted complaints about them, and I did not know about the "set-up" until a friend called me after seeing it on the news. I am posting because I feel partly responsible for what happened.

I have lived in Independence for 14 years and I love the town, but have run in to a lot of bad cops over the years. Some are good and I greatly appreciate them, but enough are bad that I dread any contact with Independence PD for any reason.

Many are abusive, threatening bullies. I once witnessed a cop ask my daughter her name and she said Becky, which she goes by, then corrected it to Rebekah. The cop shouted at her "Don't you lie to me, I can take you to jail right now." She had not done anything wrong or been disrespectful, this is just how bizarre the behavior of cops can be in this town.

I have had many instances of disrespect, threats, and bullying by Independence cops. Did I want the whole department embarrassed? NO. There are a lot of good cops in Independence too. Do I want things to change? Absolutely. And if this helps that happen then it's worth it.

I am not a criminal and have not even had a traffic ticket in nearly 10 years. If it's happening to me, it's happening to other citizens also. We deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Police Abuse.org is an organization that may be able to help. I recommend you check out their web site.

[J Bills]

I loved the investigative piece by KCTV 5. According to the broadcast, the desk clerk and 2 other IPD officers falsified the police report that was filed on this incident. If not for the Freedom of Information Act where KCTV 5 obtained the surveillance video and the hidden camera and mic 80% of the viewing audience would have believed what IPD employees alleged. Where is the City/County Prosector? The professional conduct of all involved at IPD is a joke. The lack of leadership starting with the Mayor's office (a former officer)is where it all starts.

I also love how KCTV timed the release of this investigative report just days after several questionable police chases. One that resulted in the injury of an innocent victim in KC. I encourage all to listen to the Carjacking police chase that occurred last Sat. I heard the MO HWY patrol, KCPD, but no IPD leadership. Learn when to take a loss, before innocent people get hurt.

JBILLS

[taylor]

After watching the tape I wonder why the guy was even arrested? He had at no point broken any law. He didn't disobey the cops lawful order to leave. The key here being a lawful order. It wasn't lawful. Just because the Sgt. told him to leave doesn't make it a lawful demand by the officer. Way to many cops have the "GOD SYNDROME" just because they literally have the power of life and death, they believe, when they put the badge and gunbelt on. I'm sure Dr. Freud had some example for such behavior! There was absolutely no reason for the cop to get physical with the guy and such a lack of professionalism is scary when the Sgt. in charge is a thug and an abusive bully. As for setting up the police, if there are no checks and balances on the very people we entrust to protect us then we deserve the treatment we get. This is an example of a public servant abusing his power and he should be dismissed.

[John Boy]

They just good old boys, never meaning no harm hee hee hee hee

[plattecohighschooler]

man, this is why i watch channel nine and four. they must be really bored, high, or desparate if they're dissin the fuzz at channel 5

[W!]

I'm just catching up on some of these comments. To address the earlier comment about how this is no different than the police setting up a prostitution sting. That is not accurate. I am very familiar with how the prostitution stings are run (I have been involved in 50+ of them). The "John" (suspect) must make a deal for a specific sex act for a specific amount of money. If they don't make the deal - then they are never even stopped. In this case, this group went to the Indep PD with the specific purpose of trying to create an incident. As I've said (and I think someone else verified it), many of us in local Law Enforcement were warned SEVERAL DAYS before this incident that KCTV would be trying to "set up" a police agency, and that a person would try to get arrested and (and I'm quoting exactly what I was told here)"ram their head into the wall or glass and claim that the police did it to them" (we were specifically told that the person would try to get arrested - then once in jail do this so when they were released they could claim they were beat). This is practically exactly what this guy did. He saw his opportunity (the officer trying to place him in custody), and forced his own head into the wall. This was a complete and total setup from the start.

They can talk about going to other police agencies - but the crux of the story from the start was that they came to KC specifically to investigate Indep PD. That leads me to believe that they would have kept going back (even if they got the form the first time), until the story came out the way they wanted. I would be curious to know how many other people were sent in prior to this guy - who didn't have a problem?

That's my biggest issue with this story.... we are only hearing a small fraction of what actually occured.

I too am very curious to hear more about the claims of the medical treatment the guy received. It sounds like KCTV was stating things that didn't happen to sensationalize their story.

And Greg, I noticed you deleted my line about "BB". This unfortunately affirms my suspicion that this blog is not an "open" forum for folks to discuss legitimate issues. I think you should make it clear that any comments that disagree with the editorial stance of the KC Star will be removed. It is quite unfortunate that a blog which has gained as much popularity so quickly as this one cannot be a place for the public to discuss legitimate news stories. Once again - the media protecting its' own.

[plattecohighschooler]

not all cops are like this
duh.
the press is an est. too.
think for yourself
don't be a whore for the man.

[michael oates]

I think W.'s comment that KCPD were warned that the set-up was coming and that the agent would hurt himself then blamed it on the police needs to be investigated. Was it an official warning, who else can corroborate the warning, who issued the warning, where did he get his info from, etc.

Basically W. i think you are lying.

[Tom]

As to the comment posted concerning the Edwardsville PD, the cop's name who was recently fired is Jeff Cheek. Anyone else remember a cop named Cheek? Wasn't he a cop in Kansas city, KS? Is this the same Cheek tried for murder and convicted of manslaughter, and who did prison time, for killing a black security guard in KC, KS?

[plattecohighschooler]

w, get over it. hes the blogmaster, he owns. thats the way it works...

[W!]

Michael,

You can accuse me of lying all you want. If you look back several weeks - when this incident first happened - I even made reference to this in one of the original threads on this issue. I believe if you look up - there is another poster that said he/she heard about his.

I specifically heard this from my Sergeant, who was informed that a Jackson County deputy had been tipped off by someone working for KCTV-5. So, there IS someone at KCTV with a conscious.

There was no "official" memo put out, but if you ask around - about 30 of the officers working at CPD (KCMO Central Patrol) were tipped Thursday night about this.

[plattecohighschooler]

imagine the anarchy if he didn't... :-)=

[lonell]

I don't like those Independence Police Officers and I think they should change their pursuit policy!

- Lonell

[A]

Taylor- "He didnt disobey the cops lawful order to leave."

How many times did the Sarge say "Get out of my station, we are done here"? I ll have to watch it tape again but I seem to remember at least 3 times he was told to leave and didn't. That is disobedience in my book.

I disagree with the Sarge's attitude and handling of the situation, I thought he was totally out of line and should have just handed the form over and went about his night, but then again the jackass with the microphone saw his opportunity and took advantage. They were both responsible for a poorly handled situation, and the guy should have rammed his head a little harder into the glass. That small bump he opened up on his head wasn't worth the effort he put into it.

[art]

First I think it’s important to note KCTV 5 did not show the entire video, from his encounter with the desk person to his arrest and it appears the video, HAS BEEN EDITED.

I think it’s also important to notice the demeanor of Slate at the Independence Police Department compared to his contacts at the other Police Departments.

If Slate went into other police departments on his best behavior and then entered IPD with intent on causing a disturbance and to be arrested then I don't think you can accurately compare his various encounters.

However it might appear that he received a very different greeting by IPD if the contacts were grouped together as they were.

This would give a very unrealistic and biased comparison, which I’m sure, was KCTV 5 intent in their continued witch hunt of the Independence Police Department.

[denise]

Patric, maybe you’re a law abiding citizen, but is your daughter?

Perhaps, she has had previous law enforcement contacts that you’re unaware of.

[superman]

I was suprised more officers did not join in with taser's, yelling "stop resisting!" Like they do on cops. Look at how high the officer has the guy's hand behind his back. Now do this to somebody you know and walk them toward's the wall. I'll bet they get a bump on they're head too. They will go wherever you want with very little effort by you.

[Harry Paratestes]

The IPD got exactly what they deserve. If the staff on duty followed thier own policy there would have been no story.

KCTV 5 did nothing wrong. It's our job as citizen to keep the government honest.

(Hi Harry: I appreciate your comments on this blog and I hope it's not asking too much to ask you to change your nick, in keeping with the new rules. Thanks, Greg Reeves)

[A]

I agree with your point that we need to keep our government honest, but does going to the police station and causing a scene help matters or make them worse?

[Harry Paratestes]

Sometimes things must get worse before they can get better. The police made the choice to make this worse not the public.

(Hi Harry: I appreciate your comments on this blog and I hope it's not asking too much to ask you to change your nick, in keeping with the new rules. How about just Harry? Thanks, Greg Reeves)

[A]

Yeah the cop had attitude but dude didn't need to get one back and slam him head in the window.

Sorry, not the cops fault. He was refused service and caused a scene. Whats not to understand about that?

[Patric]

Just to clarify. I was not the one who posted the comment about a daughter. I do not have a daughter. You need to look at the "posted by:" name at the end of each post, not at the beginning.

I noticed several people are getting confused by who posted what.... just wanted to clarify.

Thank you.

[sasquach]

A, he never should have been refused service. The form was in sight and the cop refused to give it. If their policy requires an interview to hand out a form, then that is a rather inefficient use of a shift sargents time.

[big cock gay thumbnail]

There are too many, not enough handicapped parking spaces in our city