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> I am not saying anything, just trying to understand people's reaction with the limited information. It seems conflicting to me. I'm not sure how anyone could

> I am not saying anything, just trying to understand people's reaction with the limited information. It seems conflicting to me. I'm not sure how anyone could explain it to you if you have no automatic reaction to what happens in the video. The amount of force used seems to me to be obviously excessive for the crime Afroman is accused of (that is, selling weed), to the point where I don't see how I could possibly clarify further. Perhaps one thing may help clarify: whether he's guilty or not is mostly irrelevant to my reaction to this footage. Even if he's guilty, that's excessive force for arresting a weed dealer. The only thing that could change my mind is if the police could produce believable evidence that they had good reason to think he would be violent (such as a record of violent incidents, or membership of a violent gang; the warrant at least does not specify any of this). The cops refuse to show evidence that they had reason to believe he is a violent criminal (and as the aggressors here, it's on them to provide this), but they barge in as if he's a terrorist with plans to blow up a primary school. If that doesn't provoke any sort of "this is deeply unjust and a massive abuse of power" reaction in you, I don't expect any amount of explaining will result in you understanding people's reaction.

perceptronas 4y ago
>If that doesn't provoke any sort of "this is deeply unjust and a massive abuse of power" reaction in you, I don't expect any amount of explaining will result in you understanding people's reaction. In most of the world trafficking drugs is a serious crime with jail. Maybe in USA it is different, I admit I don't know. My original comment was that it is highly irresponsible to be doing that with a family. My first automatic reaction was how can someone with kids do that, not how police responds.
- ookdatnog 4y ago
  It's a serious crime; it's not a violent crime. You don't see the cops busting down doors and charging in with riot shields and shotguns to catch your average white-collar fraudster, even though fraud is also a serious crime. This level of violent entry can only be justified by a reasonable belief, founded on evidence (which the police refuses to produce), that the suspect will be violent. (As an aside, there's no evidence that Afroman is guilty of selling drugs; that makes it even harder for me to understand why your first gut response is to think "how can someone with kids do that". There's no reason to think he's guilty, apart from blind trust in the police's word.)
  - porcheetoh 4y ago
    > There's no reason to think he's guilty, apart from blind trust in the police's word. In my experience there’s a very deeply ingrained sense that police are the good guys lingering in average suburban Americans of a certain age. (I’m sure in others too that’s just my background.) It’s really hard to discuss these kinds of topics with someone that by default accepts that police action implies necessity.

perceptronas 4y ago

>If that doesn't provoke any sort of "this is deeply unjust and a massive abuse of power" reaction in you, I don't expect any amount of explaining will result in you understanding people's reaction. In most of the world trafficking drugs is a serious crime with jail. Maybe in USA it is different, I admit I don't know. My original comment was that it is highly irresponsible to be doing that with a family. My first automatic reaction was how can someone with kids do that, not how police responds.

ookdatnog 4y ago
It's a serious crime; it's not a violent crime. You don't see the cops busting down doors and charging in with riot shields and shotguns to catch your average white-collar fraudster, even though fraud is also a serious crime. This level of violent entry can only be justified by a reasonable belief, founded on evidence (which the police refuses to produce), that the suspect will be violent. (As an aside, there's no evidence that Afroman is guilty of selling drugs; that makes it even harder for me to understand why your first gut response is to think "how can someone with kids do that". There's no reason to think he's guilty, apart from blind trust in the police's word.)
- porcheetoh 4y ago
  > There's no reason to think he's guilty, apart from blind trust in the police's word. In my experience there’s a very deeply ingrained sense that police are the good guys lingering in average suburban Americans of a certain age. (I’m sure in others too that’s just my background.) It’s really hard to discuss these kinds of topics with someone that by default accepts that police action implies necessity.