[Jotapay]

I was about to post this video but Alex beat me to it. I think the cop was completely unjustified to draw his weapon. It is also amazing to see the complete disdain Americans now have for police, as the crowd several times shouted right into the cops' faces, "F--- you, pig!"

Another way to look at this incident is to compare it to the Boston Massacre in 1770. The events preceding the massacre are very similar to what's shown this video. In 1770, a group of youths was pelting a British sentry with snowballs (and other things, like a club or two). The rest of the guard came to help the sentry and eventually a musket discharged after a soldier was hit with a snowball and the soldiers all then fired (allegedly). The soldiers were tried in a Boston court but John Adams was able to prove that the soldiers fired in self defense and the soldiers were acquitted of murder.

[Arsenal]

This kind of ties back to the federal/state employees wages.... When I was a kid, a police officer could not afford a Hummer or any luxury vehicle. Now some of the officers are making 130K.

This will only get worse as unemployment raises... When the populace can't afford to eat when the police are driving Hummers, it won't be snowballs they are throwing.

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Arsenal', 'T')his kind of ties back to the federal/state employees wages.... When I was a kid, a police officer could not afford a Hummer or any luxury vehicle. Now some of the officers are making 130K.

This will only get worse as unemployment raises... When the populace can't afford to eat when the police are driving Hummers, it won't be snowballs they are throwing.

[dinopello]

DC Police Chief Blasts Detective for Pulling out Weapon

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')olice Chief Cathy L. Lanier issued a statement Monday saying that it was "very obvious" that the detective pulled his weapon as a response to snowballs hitting his Hummer.

"Let me be very clear in stating that I believe the actions of the officer were totally inappropriate!" Lanier wrote. "In no way, should he have handled the situation in this manner. We have taken swift action by placing him on non-contact status until all the facts are gathered and discipline is handed down."

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', '[')url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/21/AR2009122103405.html]DC Police Chief Blasts Detective for Pulling out Weapon[/url]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')olice Chief Cathy L. Lanier issued a statement Monday saying that it was "very obvious" that the detective pulled his weapon as a response to snowballs hitting his Hummer.

"Let me be very clear in stating that I believe the actions of the officer were totally inappropriate!" Lanier wrote. "In no way, should he have handled the situation in this manner. We have taken swift action by placing him on non-contact status until all the facts are gathered and discipline is handed down."

[mattduke]

He's rewarded with a paid vacation. Imagine what would happen if it was a mere taxpayer.

[Jotapay]

We used to throw snowballs all the time at cars in Germany when I was a kid there in the 1970s and early 80s. We also used to roll huge snowballs (3'-4' in diameter) into the road to block traffic. Then, once we got drivers licenses, we used to drive into snow drifts that had been plowed onto the side of the road. We would also drive to a local empty parking lot, build up some speed and make the car slide around in a pirouette by pulling the hand brake. Great fun until the Polizei showed up, but they were nice and told us to cut it out in the middle of them laughing.

[mattduke]

Check out this hilarious youtube of a policeman shooting himself in the foot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2442_rmiidY