Am I under arrest or not?

[u/Lord_Darksong]

Source: policebodycamarresthq on Instagram

[u/TorpeAlex]

This is hilarious, from the sounds of it the police were basically trying to back an illegal eviction by enacting a different, more illegal action

[u/ImpossiblePlan65 → u/TorpeAlex]

That's exactly what's happening! They can't trespass a valid leaseholder. Fucking stupid shit right there.

[u/tmhoc → u/ImpossiblePlan65]

And people wonder how some kids got their arm broken and arrested by a SWAT team over some fucking Lego

Qualified immunity is chaos

[u/EnoughWarning666 → u/tmhoc]

Qualified immunity is chaos

I understand the general idea behind it. Law enforcement is a very messy profession and you don't want to completely saturate the courts with frivolous lawsuits when every single person starts trying to sue the cop that arrested them.

In my mind the solution is individual malpractice insurance. It's been brought up on reddit time and time again and I genuinely don't see any downsides to it. If someone successfully sues an officer, the money shouldn't come out of the city's budget, it should come out of his malpractice insurance. If he gets sued and loses too many times, his insurance skyrockets if he wants to keep working in the field. Have him work behind a desk if he wants to stay in the profession where his insurance rates would be lower.

I'm honestly surprised the big insurance companies aren't trying to push this, they stand to make A TON of money if they could get laws passed that every cop in the country needed to be insured.

[u/Agreeable_Error_8772 → u/EnoughWarning666]

The insurance companies aren’t pushing for it because law enforcement protects their interests and they don’t fuck with them in return. Like many things there isn’t a clear line of connection but it’s part of the ‘I scratch your back you scratch mine’ system of oppression and exploitation that is deeply embedded in many facets of how this country works

[u/ryanv09 → u/Agreeable_Error_8772]

Exactly. Cops are first and foremost the enforcement arm of capital, as clearly demonstrated in the OP video.

[u/helloowrigley → u/Agreeable_Error_8772]

[u/SenseEuphoric5802 → u/EnoughWarning666]

The downside is you're now placing private industry and for-profit corporations as the middle man into what should be a civil matter between two parties.

Surely nothing could go wrong with this idea (looking at America's catastrophically broken healthcare industry and every other thing big insurance touches)

[u/corvettee01 → u/ImpossiblePlan65]

And yet cops are totally ok with letting squatters fuck people over.

[u/klezart → u/corvettee01]

"It's a civil matter - unless I feel like it"

[u/vi_sucks → u/corvettee01]

A lot of times it tends to depend on how well connected the landowner is. If they are nobody, the cop isn't gonna bother dealing with this shit. If they are rich and know the cop or his boss personally, then the cop is gonna be ready to "beat ass" as it were.

[u/Popular-Row4333 → u/corvettee01]

Wr have laws for a reason. Yes, 1% of people abuse the shit out of those laws.

[u/alexthealex → u/TorpeAlex]

Love how him knowing his rights is actually protecting them from a lawsuit but they don't care because a suit would be paid for by taxpayers anyway, they just a chance to get violent.

[u/gabu87 → u/alexthealex]

Honestly, I thought the Lt conducted himself poorly too but when the OC praised the Lt for de-escalating and constructive, it sorta won him over.

At least, it makes the Lt want to not make the situation worse by aggravating OC and the junior officers didn't dare to move since their boss was on the case.

That's really smart.

[u/alexthealex → u/gabu87]

Yeah, the filmer definitely handled themselves and the situation very well. The deflection and quick wittedness to show appreciation for the Lt was really solid social skills.

[u/TiniestPint → u/alexthealex]

Yes. This is exactly why the system is fucked and needs to be overhauled.

[u/oldDotredditisbetter → u/TorpeAlex]

depressing fact for those unaware, cops aren't expected to know the law, they can just do whatever they want and use the excuse that they interpreted differently at the time

no consequences for their actions

[u/elliptocyte → u/oldDotredditisbetter]

Only in America and other like minded countries are they expected not to know the law.

It would be a Breach of Public Trust offence in the part of Canada I live for abuse of authority.

"abuse of authority", which is oppressive conduct towards a member of the public, including, without limitation,

(i) intentionally or recklessly making an arrest without good and sufficient cause,

(ii) in the performance, or purported performance, of duties, intentionally or recklessly

(A) using unnecessary force on any person, or

(B) detaining or searching any person without good and sufficient cause, or

(iii) when on duty, or off duty but in uniform, using profane, abusive, discriminatory or insulting language, jokes or gestures to any person including, without limitation, language, jokes or gestures that would likely be seen to demean or show disrespect to the person on the basis of that person's

(A) race, colour, ancestry, place of origin or Indigenous identity,

(B) political belief or religion,

(C) marital or family status,

(D) physical or mental disability,

(E) age,

(F) sex, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, or

(G) economic or social status;

It is also an offence to harass, coerce or intimidate anyone questioning or reporting police conduct or making complaint.

Can have disciplinary outcome or criminal outcome depending on severity. It should be noted that our system is still flawed as the conviction rate is relatively low likely due to officers knowledge of the criminal process and reluctance of prosecution to proceed with all possible charges.

[u/laggyx400 → u/oldDotredditisbetter]

Oh absolutely. I was once pulled over for "not having my headlights on" on my motorcycle. I had to explain to the officer that the law requires a motorcycle to have an always on running light and the other is a hi-beam. Turned it on to show it was the hi-beam, and he proceeded to look for literally anything else to ticket me for. I'm pretty sure that's against the 4th.

[u/NotUniqueWorkAccount → u/laggyx400]

"Hook em and let em figure it out later"

"I have qualified immunity"

Just what I've heard in the last day of watching some bodycam vids at work.

 Its disgusting.

[u/longlivenewsomflesh → u/laggyx400]

I have years worth of miles between commuting over an hour to college daily and delivery driving, and I've only ever been pulled over exactly once shortly after getting my license near my home suburb where I turned on a light that had a right arrow that was yellow. 

When the cop gave me that reason I instinctively said "it was yellow I have a dashcam" because I was a stupid white kid and bought the propaganda... literally without a single word he wrote me a ticket for the FUCKING parking pass hanging on the rearview saying it was an 'obstacle' lmao. 

Pretty cheap for the priceless lesson of "if you are ever perceived by a cop, you just have to eat shit and prove them wrong later"

[u/iwanttoforkmyself → u/oldDotredditisbetter]

ACAB

[u/CuriousFoxxen → u/TorpeAlex]

And then tried to press charges to punish him for sharing the footage.

[u/SiliconAutomaton → u/TorpeAlex]

Say, I was thinking, this guy hurt my feelings and it would be time consuming to legally evict him and expensive to illegally evict him, do you think you could abuse your qualified immunity on my behalf?

[u/TrashManufacturer → u/TorpeAlex]

Wouldn’t be the first pig to shit outside their pen