Code of Silence

The facts – an off duty cop – drunk and belligerent and unconcerned about consequence, beats up a female bartender (weight imbalance – cop weighs in at 200+ and bartender about 120) because she cuts him off.  Cop pound her – other cops are called – not much happens.  Finally cops file some misdemeanor charges and try to dismiss it.  Happens too often – bad cop skates.  Oops, this one was captured on video tape – those darn cameras that even a drunk cop doesn’t think about nor do any of his buddies.  The cops pretend nothing happened and finally, the bartender sues and the video tape comes out to display bad cop’s antics.

The system fights it – cop fights it, city fights it – one little gal versus the system.  She wins because it’s tough to deny video evidence of a cop on a rampage pummeling a petite gal. 

She wins $850,000.00 and the verdict includes a finding that the police department tried to cover up their bad behavior.  That is a bad precedent for a city with lots of bad cop behavior lawsuits.  The system has now been found to engage in covering-up the bad behavior of some of its misbehaving police.  (Aside: Yes, spare us please; we know the line – it has to be this way because who else will deal with the scum unless you let us protect our own.) 

Brings us to today.  The city can appeal, of course.  They won’t but they can threaten to appeal which delays payment of the verdict to the bartender.  But they have one other reason to appeal and this one may cause them to appeal.  That verdict – that their system is proven to be corrupt – that they do cover up their own crimes can now be used in all the other cases that are filed or will be filed claiming bad police behavior.  Oh, what to do?

These little cleveristas (new mayor and his cronies) come up with a deal – pay off the verdict – the $850,000.00 to the bartender right now and get her to agree to ask the court to set aside the verdict – in other words, just get rid of it – act as if it never occurred – no precedent then – no record then – no one can refer to it as a proven fact that the cops cover up their own crimes.

Read all about it at:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-bar-beating-cop-settlement-1204-20121204,0,6403944.story

So here is our question to these tough police officers – is it okay for a drunk cop to beat up your wife?  Your grandmother?  Your daughter or niece?  Maybe your granddaughter?   You know how you say, “Keep it in the family.”

One other thing about these tough guys.  We listen to them carry on about the code of silence in the neighborhoods when a crime goes down.  No one will come forward.  Neighbors didn’t see a thing.  No one is identified.  Could it be that these same neighbors know that a cop who won’t drop a dime on one of his own will also not be around to stand up for the citizen who does?

The judge in this case – a federal judge mind you, can make sure the cops don’t have a good day – let the verdict stand.  And make the cop pay the judgment himself as added incentive to get these slugs to clean up their house.  Nothing quite makes a cops day like a pinch in the pocketbook.