Cops are such easy targets, aren’t they? Everybody’s got a horror story involving a police officer, whether it’s getting an unwarranted speeding ticket or being harassed by a power-tripper who wants you to “respect his authori-tie.”
I’m not one of those people who hates on all cops. I get that they have an incredibly difficult job to do, as their constant pursuit of the bad guys often makes them look like, well, the bad guys.
I do hate on cops who abuse their powers, though. Part of being a police officer is keeping violence off the streets, not perpetrating it.
In the last year Long Beach has felt like the Old West, with members of the Long Beach Police Department acting like trigger-happy sheriffs in their attempts to “keep the peace.” While cops are taught to use violence as an absolute last resort, it seems that many officers prefer the Wyatt Earp-style of gun slingin’ justice.
One recent case of officer violence is particularly disturbing. In May 2008, Roketi Su’e was shot five times by Long Beach cops who, according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, feared Su’e was in a position to lunge with a police baton.
OK, so I could understand having to use force if a man was about to pounce on me with a billy club. Yet the officers’ accounts of what happened have more holes than their targets at the shooting range, and what initially looked like a case of self-defense now looks like a case of police brutality.
The incident has sparked a civil lawsuit by Su’e’s family and the two officers involved took the stand on Tuesday.
According to the Press-Telegram, the incident started when Officer Thomas Gibson struck Su’e with his baton for being “overly aggressive,” and the two men tumbled to the ground in a tug-of-war over the weapon. Officer Dominick Scaccia testified that he then pushed his partner Gibson away and fired five shots.
Now here’s where the story gets really shady. The Press-Telegram reported that while Gibson testified that Su’e had been face down on the ground during the struggle and shooting, Scaccia said Su’e had been on his back with his knees in the air.
Oh, and by the way — Scaccia initially claimed that Su’e was seated when all five shots were fired, yet changed his story when he was on the stand.
So I guess I’ll start out with this — why the hell was a police baton even used in the first place? Can you imagine if a billy club was used every time someone got “overly aggressive?” What a weak excuse.
According to the Press-Telegram, Su’e was mentally ill, battling cancer and weighed only 145 pounds at the time of his death. It’s not like these officers were being accosted by a 220 lb. mixed martial artist.
The most disturbing thing about this case is the testimonies given by both officers. Gibson claims that Su’e was face down, which would make it impossible for him to lunge forward. Scaccia initially agreed with Gibson and then changed his story, claiming that Su’e was sitting on his buttocks when he was shot.
Well Officer Scaccia, since we’ve already established that there was really no threat involved in your initial tale — let’s call that tale scenario A — let’s address scenario B. The Press-Telegram reported that the prosecution told Scaccia that medical testimony had shown that Su’e had multiple gunshot wounds in his buttocks.
How does a man get shot in the ass if he’s on his ass during the shooting?
Long Beach residents demand a police force that will protect its people, not endanger them.
Grady Dunne is a senior journalism major and assistant opinions editor for the Daily Forty-Niner.