Video Shows Cop Shove Man Out Of Wheelchair, Ruled "Within Policy"

Chris | InformationLiberation
Jul. 02, 2014

What does it take to get a police officer fired? Well, apparently shoving a disabled man out of his wheelchair then charging him with "felony battery against a law enforcement officer," a charge which was later dropped, isn't enough.

From JC Online:

The entire Lafayette Police Department command staff recommended that Lt. Tom Davidson be fired for toppling a man in a wheelchair into the street last year, but the department's Civil Service Commission decided instead to issue a 30-day suspension and place the officer on supervisory probation for a year.

Lafayette Police Chief Patrick Flannelly made that revelation Tuesday as he released a video of the wheelchair incident, which took place Oct. 1.

"It was just inappropriate," Flannelly said of Davidson's behavior, adding that it was especially egregious given the lieutenant's status as the highest-ranking officer at the scene.

The five civilians on the commission agreed that Davidson had engaged in conduct unbecoming an officer. They disagreed, however, on the second charge brought against him, voting 3-2 that his use of force in response to resistance was in line with LPD policies.

A similar incident to this occurred in Canada where a police officer and his brothers in uniform took up almost an entire sidewalk, then shoved a crippled woman with cerebral palsy to the ground when she tried timidly to squeeze through them.

The cops in that case were given a one day suspension, but it was later overturned.

Whoever said "crime doesn't pay" never worked for the state.
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Chris runs the website InformationLiberation.com, you can read more of his articles here. Follow infolib on twitter here.