Posts by Edward Gonzalez

Quincy:

3. I am certainly not trying to excuse the fact that the young man died from the impact of a blow to the chin!

He died because his head hit the asphalt...

Quincy:

someone under the influence of alcohol is actually less of a threat than someone who is sober,

But they are significantly more aggressive and disrespectful

Quincy:

when dealing with a fully equipped and trained SWAT officer, right?

He was a traffic cop... There’s really no point in bringing up the SWAT units on the road; the report clearly states he was a highway patrol officer...

This isn't just an issue in Italy... In the Netherlands, you don't see organized crime syndicates running the streets... You don't even see those ten-foot-high fences at stadiums over there... You can practically reach out and touch a player during a throw-in, but nobody dares to touch them because they're looking at five to twelve years in prison. Here in America, we have decent laws; they just need some tightening, and more importantly, we need people who will actually enforce them. The police in the US are poorly equipped, and our forensics department is practically non-existent—it's honestly a disgrace. It's a shame for the citizens.
Still, I suppose things might be heading in a better direction.

drunk, "dangerous" teenagers!

Are you actually suggesting he wasn't intoxicated?
Do you even have children?

If that kid had struck him first...
Would you be making excuses for this kind of behavior then? Or would you be out there attacking the police for failing to react properly?

I mean, look at Naples, Italy—they have peaceful protests where people see God in those teenagers, yet they don't deal with armed robberies like we do here. I read about "long guns" being pulled on the streets in Washington, D.C. every single day...
If your police force didn't resort to such heavy-handed tactics, maybe these problems wouldn't exist. Otherwise, things are just going to keep getting worse and worse...

Kudos to them for teaching you how to throw a punch to the chin—that’ll definitely make you useful... ha ha ha!

But seriously... why are you flailing around like you're in a K1 fight or at Pride? You should always be aiming low, under the chin. It's the same story with the police in the Netherlands... and trust me, I'm not just some clueless teenager talking nonsense.

Quincy:

Of course I’d defend her, but it’s not like I’d be swinging my fists or elbows wildly. There are much more effective ways to handle things. Besides, given that I outweigh him by about 60 pounds and have a good four inches on these "attackers," it wouldn't take much effort to de-escalate the situation properly.

The strike always goes for the chin because that’s what immediately incapacitates someone. You learn that during your very first self-defense training session in the police academy. Having worked with the LAPD, I know how it works.

Quincy:

Look, man, I’m just going to say it: you are being an absolute idiot.

Care to explain exactly how you reached that conclusion?

Quincy:

I don't think I am, actually. I come from similar professional circles where we understand there are various ways to resolve a conflict without anyone getting hurt. And honestly, I find it hard to believe that some guy who's 5'9" and maybe 150 pounds—especially while intoxicated—could pose any real threat to my girlfriend, let alone a trained officer standing 6'3" and weighing over 220 pounds.

Based on what I know and what’s been reported, he’s a highway patrol officer. He pulled over a vehicle that was doing 100 mph on a slick road, and the driver was drunk... it's a textbook scenario.

Quincy:

I think the kid is dead. Look, there are plenty of ways an officer can defend themselves without resorting to physical strikes, but it seems like some American officers just don't have those de-escalation tactics down. That officer should have read the room and assessed the situation differently, but clearly, his judgment was flawed, and we're all seeing the tragic result of that mistake right now.

The kid died. He made the right call in how he assessed the scene. What was he supposed to do, just stand there and take a beating? He didn't have any other options; he evaluated the threat. The rule is to use the minimum amount of force necessary, but you can't exactly defend yourself more easily by refusing to use your own strength. He can't use a baton, and he can't reach for handcuffs if he's actively being attacked... Honestly, at this rate, it feels like they'd rather just shoot him so everyone can stop worrying. I think you've got it wrong.

I’m not following your logic here. He acted strictly within the bounds of the law. After being attacked, he used only the minimum amount of force necessary to protect himself. It was self-defense, plain and simple. Once you land a strike to the jaw, a person typically goes down and hits their head. We see plenty of officers who struggle with proper procedure, but in this case, I believe he did exactly what he was supposed to do. Is it tragic that a young man lost his life? Of course. But did he act legally? Absolutely.

Personally, after I finished my time at the seminary, I spent some time out in the Netherlands and ended up filing a report with their local police. They don't mess around. People there are actually intimidated by the cops. I honestly don't get why that officer would go through all that trouble if he hasn't actually done anything wrong.

I was recently watching some footage of a police officer striking a young man—and since I’m not currently in the States, I don't have all the granular details. The kid falls, hits his head on the concrete, and dies, leaving everyone pointing fingers at the officer for overstepping his bounds. Now, I’m not looking to assign blame here; I’m just curious about the narrative being spun. Is it just me, or is nobody mentioning that the kid was intoxicated? Or that he was reportedly speeding down an icy road at 100 mph? No one seems to bring up the fact that he was being verbally abusive, aggressive, and actually initiated the physical confrontation. It makes sense that the officer defended himself. My guess is he went for the jaw—that's where you typically strike to neutralize a threat quickly. He wasn't going to play games; he had to incapacitate him. And let's be honest: the cause of death was the impact with the pavement, not the strike itself.
Look at what happens during those massive protests in cities like Chicago or New York, where special units might get aggressive with protesters. You see kids getting hit with batons or knees to the ribs, yet the headlines immediately scream "police brutality" and "excess of power." If one of those kids ends up on the ground after a pursuit, suddenly the fault lies entirely with the officers for failing to stop them sooner. It seems to be a pattern. At the end of the day, I respect our law enforcement and believe they are doing their jobs under incredibly difficult circumstances.

Nick Heidfeld is struggling to find any rhythm lately, and honestly, it’s hard to watch. Word from the General Motors camp—and even from Lewis Hamilton—is that they were practically celebrating Heidfeld’s prospects during those McLaren press conferences after Fernando Alonso made his move. General Motors has been dropping hints about shaking things up in Formula 1, too. There are even whispers circulating that General Motors might step in to help develop the car for next season, meaning Sauber wouldn't be left out on an island by themselves. If that actually happens, it sounds incredible to me. Wouldn't it be about time they finally stepped up and delivered a decent season?

Where on earth is Nick Heidfeld?