Mounted police leading a black man on a rope defended

[Johnnny5]

IMO this is being completely overblown by the media. Just like most things lately, they're blowing it up for ratings and loving every click and every dollar.

If the man was white these officers would have done exactly the same thing and no one would blinked. I guess striving for equal treatment is only supposed to go one way?

"However, only mounted officers on horseback were available at the time, according to the department, meaning that police would need to wait for a cruiser to arrive before they could transport the man. Rather than wait, the officers, identified in a subsequent police statement as P. Brosch and A. Smith, decided to move Neely to a nearby mounted officer staging area."

Mounted officers actually train on how to lead people like this as it is the safest way to transport someone in a crowd control situation, or in this case when a vehicle isn't available.

[Honky Tonk]

IMO this is being completely overblown by the media. Just like most things lately, they're blowing it up for ratings and loving every click and every dollar.

If the man was white these officers would have done exactly the same thing and no one would blinked. I guess striving for equal treatment is only supposed to go one way?

"However, only mounted officers on horseback were available at the time, according to the department, meaning that police would need to wait for a cruiser to arrive before they could transport the man. Rather than wait, the officers, identified in a subsequent police statement as P. Brosch and A. Smith, decided to move Neely to a nearby mounted officer staging area."

Mounted officers actually train on how to lead people like this as it is the safest way to transport someone in a crowd control situation, or in this case when a vehicle isn't available.

I saw and read the article yesterday. More media propagated pseudo racism.

[Canadian Visitor]

IMO this is being completely overblown by the media. Just like most things lately, they're blowing it up for ratings and loving every click and every dollar.

If the man was white these officers would have done exactly the same thing and no one would blinked. I guess striving for equal treatment is only supposed to go one way?

"However, only mounted officers on horseback were available at the time, according to the department, meaning that police would need to wait for a cruiser to arrive before they could transport the man. Rather than wait, the officers, identified in a subsequent police statement as P. Brosch and A. Smith, decided to move Neely to a nearby mounted officer staging area."

Mounted officers actually train on how to lead people like this as it is the safest way to transport someone in a crowd control situation, or in this case when a vehicle isn't available.

Galveston Police chief Vernon Hale spoke at a Tuesday night town hall and stressed that the two officers seen detaining 43-year-old mentally-ill homeless man Donald Neely for trespassing were not acting maliciously.

Hmmm, no.....this is hard to defend.

Of course the media write click-bait headlines, but that doesn't make the underlying issue here not an issue.

If nothing else, at the bare minimum, the officers should have understood how this would appear to anyone else, and that they may be recorded.

If they didn't think it would look bad and cause trouble, they're guilty of being Obtuse in the 1st degree.

Beyond looks, I can't see the underlying substance of the arrest beyond simple trespass.

That would rarely get you arrested in Canada. Break and Enter yes, robbery yes, home invasion yes etc.

In the case of simple trespass the normal procedure here is to simply ask someone to leave, and if they do, the incident is over. No arrest required. [[someone's home would be different; but I'm assuming a commercial space or the like here.). The most I'd expect to see is a caution [[so the police have a formal record of the interaction).

I'm dubious about the arrest; but then from there to carry out the arrest of any man, or woman, irrespective of skin colour in that manner for any reason other than an emergency/exigent circumstances is extremely dubious.

Do you honestly think they would arrest a middle-class white person in the same manner? I rather doubt it.

They would expect a lawsuit if they did. But a mentally ill, homeless, black person.......

Hmm.

I'm not going to accuse officers I've never met, and whose records I'm not familiar with of conscious racism.

I will suggest, that at the minimum, they are guilty of being obtuse to public perception and optics. That further, whether they know it or not, they likely would not have acted in a similar manner w/someone who was white and/or better off.

That the latter is really not acceptable in the day and age, is a given to me.

[Richard]

Galveston Police chief Vernon Hale spoke at a Tuesday night town hall and stressed that the two officers seen detaining 43-year-old mentally-ill homeless man Donald Neely for trespassing were not acting maliciously.

Hmmm, no.....this is hard to defend.

Of course the media write click-bait headlines, but that doesn't make the underlying issue here not an issue.

If nothing else, at the bare minimum, the officers should have understood how this would appear to anyone else, and that they may be recorded.

If they didn't think it would look bad and cause trouble, they're guilty of being Obtuse in the 1st degree.

Beyond looks, I can't see the underlying substance of the arrest beyond simple trespass.

That would rarely get you arrested in Canada. Break and Enter yes, robbery yes, home invasion yes etc.

In the case of simple trespass the normal procedure here is to simply ask someone to leave, and if they do, the incident is over. No arrest required. [[someone's home would be different; but I'm assuming a commercial space or the like here.). The most I'd expect to see is a caution [[so the police have a formal record of the interaction).

I'm dubious about the arrest; but then from there to carry out the arrest of any man, or woman, irrespective of skin colour in that manner for any reason other than an emergency/exigent circumstances is extremely dubious.

Do you honestly think they would arrest a middle-class white person in the same manner? I rather doubt it.

They would expect a lawsuit if they did. But a mentally ill, homeless, black person.......

Hmm.

I'm not going to accuse officers I've never met, and whose records I'm not familiar with of conscious racism.

I will suggest, that at the minimum, they are guilty of being obtuse to public perception and optics. That further, whether they know it or not, they likely would not have acted in a similar manner w/someone who was white and/or better off.

That the latter is really not acceptable in the day and age, is a given to me.

Maybe different up up there but here if you call the police for somebody trespassing,if they do not give the police a hard time they get a warning and a trespass Notice is put in the system.

Next time they get arrested because they have already been warned.

Notice nobody still does not say anything about why a mentally unstable person was not getting help?

Bad cop pulling a black guy in a rope,vote for me.

Read your post,you are a racist because you saw a white cop and a black suspect and wrote that what happened was not acceptable.

You did not see standard procedure,stop being racist.

[Johnnny5]

If nothing else, at the bare minimum, the officers should have understood how this would appear to anyone else, and that they may be recorded.

^^And this is part of the problem. Police officers need to be able to do their jobs safely, not take additional risks because of how "something looks". These officers did nothing wrong, and there's nothing to show that the treatment of this suspect had anything to do with his race. Their chief bowing to the political pressure and apologizing just makes things worse in the future and this story making

national news is the perfect example of that.

What exactly were they supposed to do with him if a squad car was not available? Walking him would have left the horse without a rider, and put the officer and possibly the suspect in harms way.

[Canadian Visitor]

^^And this is part of the problem. Police officers need to be able to do their jobs safely, not take additional risks because of how "something looks". These officers did nothing wrong, and there's nothing to show that the treatment of this suspect had anything to do with his race. Their chief bowing to the political pressure and apologizing just makes things worse in the future and this story making

national news is the perfect example of that.

What exactly were they supposed to do with him if a squad car was not available? Walking him would have left the horse without a rider, and put the officer and possibly the suspect in harms way.

Their own Chief did suggest they ought to have waited for a squad car, that there wasn't a compelling need to transport him that way.

We have mounted police in Toronto, I've never heard of a prisoner transport done in this manner. Not saying it hasn't happened, but I'd be surprised if its happened in the last 3 decades.

[Zacha341]

Would not a squad car never have been available or just delayed?

This is the worst optics towards the perception of police misconduct, even if not judged beyond 'perception'.

Timing is pretty great too! I'm guessing a new process will have to go forth for mounted police when a single suspect is being apprehended per the crime accused?

Has anyone noted that one of the officers was a woman?

I heard that was being downplayed and her image cropped out [[why?) but I've been away and not able to dig deeply.

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What exactly were they supposed to do with him if a squad car was not available? Walking him would have left the horse without a rider, and put the officer and possibly the suspect in harms way.

[Meddle]

What exactly were they supposed to do with him if a squad car was not available? Walking him would have left the horse without a rider, and put the officer and possibly the suspect in harms way.

You get your lazy fat donut eatin' ass off the horse and walk the detainee like a human being. Let your partner have the reins of your horse.

[Zacha341]

^^^ Yes, why was that option not considered?

[jcole]

Or you put the detainee on the horse and you walk the horse. Or you stay with the detainee where you took him into custody until an available car comes to you. Lots of options rather than pretend you're an extra in Roots.

You get your lazy fat donut eatin' ass off the horse and walk the detainee like a human being. Let your partner have the reins of your horse.

[Honky Tonk]

Or you put the detainee on the horse and you walk the horse. Or you stay with the detainee where you took him into custody until an available car comes to you. Lots of options rather than pretend you're an extra in Roots.

Good call, jcole, he should have untied the hands of the prisoner and put him on a fast horse, so the cop could have stood there and watched him ride off into the sunset. [[don't want to shoot @ him, that's racist) A better solution would have been to call for a stretch limo, preferably one with a well stocked bar. I mean, after all...

[Canadian Visitor]

Good call, jcole, he should have untied the hands of the prisoner and put him on a fast horse, so the cop could have stood there and watched him ride off into the sunset. [[don't want to shoot @ him, that's racist) A better solution would have been to call for a stretch limo, preferably one with a well stocked bar. I mean, after all...

Both Meddle and JCole are on point.

You are not.

No one is talking about pampering a criminal/prisoner.

Though keep in mind, one not yet convicted in this case.

One is only discussing transporting them in a standard fashion, that isn't exceptionally humiliating with racial overtones where there is not necessity of so doing.

That's it. You get off your horse and walk the dude or you wait for a cruiser. Neither of those are a hardship, its paid duty either way, the guy gets to the station/jail either way.

Just two of those ways doesn't look appalling, don't attract bad PR and demonstrate a modicum of common sense, the one they chose lacked that virtue.

[jcole]

Good call, jcole, he should have untied the hands of the prisoner and put him on a fast horse, so the cop could have stood there and watched him ride off into the sunset. [[don't want to shoot @ him, that's racist) A better solution would have been to call for a stretch limo, preferably one with a well stocked bar. I mean, after all...

Did I say anything about untying his hands? No, I did not. There were two officers there. One could have held the lead rein while the other dismounted, put the prisoner on the horse and then took the reins back. See, not rocket science. Also, police horses are pretty well trained not to bolt; they're usually not used for high speed chases, but more for crowd control.