When Cop Watching isn't enough
So many times when you watch a police brutality video or see a report of it in the news you see or hear about witnesses that stood and watched the entire event, some even capturing it on cell phone cameras. One thing that always stands out to me is that no one intervened to keep the officers from inflicting more injury or death to suspects. I understand the fear of involving yourself when in the midst of police making arrests, but at some point the thought has to become, "Will I just stand here and watch these cops beat a man to death?"
Eric Garner's death in New York City, caught on cell phone video, had many people as witnesses to police using tactics that ended up killing the man, but yet they stood by and watched. Helplessly, many say, people are forced to watch acts of savagery and murder at the hands of police, but why? Is it fear? Is it a sense that police are suppose to be a force of protection and service to a community. Is it the sense of authority that people dare not question police policy, procedure, or practices. Who were the police protecting in Garner's case? He was selling loose cigarettes; untaxed, singles to customers and passerby's.
Why didn't the story that a man who was close to the incident was able to save his life by intervening in the attack surface? Because it didn't happen. Multiple people sat by and watched it happen.
The same is true of a woman beaten by a California Highway Patrolman. A motorist stopped to record what was happening but made no move to actually stop the law enforcement officer from assaulting the woman. And again recently with an officer who is seen striking a homeless man who was not resisting the officer with any force.
