About 40 Chicago police officers rode a bus from Chicago to Des Moines in hopes of persuading an appeals court to free a fellow police officer serving a prison sentence.From accounts I've read, I don't have a problem with Mette's actions if they were really as described. I don't think an "Only One" should have fewer human rights. It sounds like he reacted about the way a man should to intolerable physical provocation, and that the judge is an idiot.
By the same token, I can't imagine his brother Chi-Town officers having any concern whatsoever were the situation reversed, that is, had a "civilian" punched a cop out in self defense.
[Via Joel T and David H]
UPDATE: See Chris Mallory's comments to this post for a different take.
"When police arrived, they found Gotthard lying on the ground with bruises and lacerations on his face, cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Mette, who had blood on his shirt and whose knuckle was bruised and cut, was arrested and charged with a felony.
ReplyDelete"[Gotthard] had bruises on the side of his neck, his arms, his elbow, his shoulders, on his back, that were simply not consistent with Mr. Mette's version that he only struck him once," said Assistant County Attorney Tim Gallagher."
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/28/chicago.cop/index.html
Sounds more like a case of an "only one" thinking his badge would get him off after kicking someone's ass. Mette's party was accused of stealing from the victim which is what started this whole incident.
As for cops and civil rights. No they shouldn't have the same rights as citizens. Cops and all government employees should be barred from voting, lobbying elected officials and from owning and keeping firearms.
Yeah, that's why Gotthard was out Golfing a day later in typical "victim fashion"...
ReplyDeleteGotthard's family is part of the establishment in Des Moines...
BTW, I grew up with Mette - I've seen him lay out more folks with a left hook than even Tommy Morrison.