UPDATE: ABC News report.
Hot Springs Arkansas Police Department
Phone: (501) 321-6789
Fax: (501) 321-6708
Chief of Police, Bobby Southard
Email: bsouthard@cityhs.net
641 Malvern Avenue Hot Springs, Arkansas 71901
If your email bounces back from the Chief’s email address, try some of the other city officers and the tourism bureau:
hscvb@hotsprings.org
pege1947@aol.com
direlainejon1@sbcglobal.net
srsmith12003@yahoo.com
sable@hsnp.com
td7965@aol.com
kmyers@cityhs.net
balbright@cityhs.net
jlawrence@cityhs.net
jwallace@cityhs.net
gharman@cityhs.net
You can watch it and make your own decisions, but here are some highlights:
- 13 year old boy being choked
- Girl being held in a necklock and thrown around
- Another boy being held in a necklock and thrown around
All for skateboarding…while there are drug dealers, thieves, wife beaters, and child molesters walking around without any punishment whatsoever. I’m not saying skateboarders never break the law and aren’t ever worthy of any sort of punishment, but aren’t there bigger fish to fry, and whatever the case, is the behavior of the cop in the video justified in any way? Well, you be the judge. If you don’t like what you see, contact the police department via the information above.
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alright, i don’t care if they resisted arrest or tried to keep their bro from getting arrested or whatever, that pig was outta line. around here, its illegal to skateboard, but the cops just shoot you a dirty look and tell you to buzz off. it is a special day (the longest day of the year to most) but to skaters its like a family reunion. i know i always get down the craziest on go skate day. all the guy had to say was “no skateboarding here” or some such warning. the police are supposed to have “warning shots” they don’t just start shooting criminals, so they shouldn’t just start attacking kids. plus the guy doesn’t know much about being a nice person. taking them to jail right off the bat is no way to act. if you ask me it seems like he was on a power trip bullying minors around.
I emailed a bunch of people from the city and got this response:
Dear Mr. Joshua J. Steimle,
This is to let you know that I have received your email and comments. The actions that were viewed will be resolved. Video footage (plural) are carefully being reviewed as well as eye witnesses to the action. It is not office it is Officer Wiliams.
Sincerely,
Peggy Brunner-Maruthur
City Director/District 1
—————
Darn typo in the spelling line, now I look like an idiot.
why in USA the police hate the skaters? I’m Italian and i don’t understand…
In a video blog that I’m sure you can see, there is a video of a man saying that the cop was over the top. He’s saying that there was proper procedure that the cop should have followed. Such as proper handcuffing techniques and that you never leave a handcuffed kid alone by himself.
funny how people jump quickly into an uproar over things like this claiming police brutality and such when they dont even take the time to read the laws.
Duty to refrain from resisting arrest:
834a PC. If a person has knowledge, or by the exercise of reasonable
care, should have knowledge, that he is being arrested by a peace
officer, it is the duty of such person to refrain from using force or
any weapon to resist such arrest.
835 PC. An arrest is made by an actual restraint of the person, or by
submission to the custody of an officer. The person arrested may be
subjected to such restraint as is reasonable for his arrest and
detention.
835a PC. Any peace officer who has reasonable cause to believe that
the person to be arrested has committed a public offense may use
reasonable force to effect the arrest, to prevent escape or to
overcome resistance.
A peace officer who makes or attempts to make an arrest need not
retreat or desist from his efforts by reason of the resistance or
threatened resistance of the person being arrested; nor shall such
officer be deemed an aggressor or lose his right to self-defense by
the use of reasonable force to effect the arrest or to prevent escape
or to overcome resistance.
Resist arrest:
148. (a) (1) Every person who willfully resists, delays, or
obstructs any public officer, peace officer, or an emergency medical
technician, as defined in Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797)
of the Health and Safety Code, in the discharge or attempt to
discharge any duty of his or her office or employment, when no other
punishment is prescribed, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding
one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail
not to exceed one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
Officer clearly told them they were under arrests. All three resisted, interfered, and even ran. Physically resisted and were holding skateboards (If you don’t think you can seriously injure or kill someone with a skateboard I’d be glad to give you a personal demonstration). Had they complied in the first place there would not have been a confrontation at all. Could it have been handled by the officer a little differently, maybe. Could have it been avoided by the snotty little brats complying with a lawful order and then not interfering when the first guy got arrested, yes.
Did we watch the same video? I saw a cop choking a kid, and then getting two kids, including a young girl, in choke holds. I didn’t see any physical interference or resistance other than the kids trying to breathe. As far as running, I’d be running too if I had a maniac like that after me. Obeying the law is one thing, but what if you think an officer has gone crazy and might kill you? And how do you think kids who have seen this video are going to react when a cop asks them to stop next time? If you were a 13-year old kid and you had just watched a video of a cop choking a kid and you’re thinking “Ok, he’s bigger than I am, but I’m on a skateboard and he looks kind of fat and out of shape” would you risk getting choked, or would you take off running? The problem here is that kids see cops as being out to get them rather than there to protect them. Behavior like that of this cop only increase the divide and cause more distrust of authority.
This is to the smart @$$ who wrote all the laws, making the police offier look like he was just doing his job. Lets take what you wrote, the law:
834a PC. If a person has knowledge, or by the exercise of reasonable
care, should have knowledge, that he is being arrested by a peace
officer, it is the duty of such person to refrain from using force or
any weapon to resist such arrest.
Now, you analyzed this correctly, to an extent. The children should not have resisted arrest, but should the children have been arrested? This clause of the law says specifically “arrested by a PEACE officer.” Just because one is police officer, doesn’t mean he is a peace officer. There are bad cops out there, like this one. The duty of a police officer is to PROTECT AND SERVE THE PEOPLE.
ok so i jot intrested in this about a month agao, becuase im a 14 yearold skateboarder mysealf. personaly i would have ran especaily if u got a fat cop that choaking you. and as for the candcuffs, its not that hard to get them off. concluding, sometimes i act sasy to officals, but they have told us that their is no skateboarding in streets, sidewalks, anywhere. so where are we supposed to skate. i sent a letter to the mayor, saying that the problem would stop of their was a skatepark to be built. i included plans, costs, people that could do the job, for about 5k. i rote the letter when i was nine. and nothing has been done. so problem like these can be fixed, but actions need to be taken. o yea and the cop can burn.
i dont think the law itself is out of line i think its only unfair when the officer exaggerates it like they usually do i was driving up passenger with my brother and as i get out of the car waiting on my brother i noticed people standing outside a house arguing with each other as im watching this la habra police pull up get out and come towards me and my party and tells them to sit down on the curb so i sit with them then an officer points to this writer tells me to stand so i do so then tells this writer to put my hands behind i do so then grabs my fractured fingers and squeezes them excessivly i then speak out almost yelling please can you not hold my fingers so tight they are fractured he continues so i become very upset telling him off he says do ou know how close u are to going to jail puts me in the back of the car and immediatly sends this writer to the city jail later booking and releasing me when i had nothing to do with what was going on and never resisted i simply asked thhe cop loosen grip on my hands he refuses i even explain that im fully cooperating and have no plans to do otherwise but still im the one in the wrong never did i run attempt to resist or commit any offense against society i was jus there and happened to be the biggest guy they targeted meaning the la habra dept.