Another GRPD Press Conference to justify the use of force

Yesterday, the GRPD once again held a press conference in order to respond to another violent incident involving members of the African American community. You can view the video at the GRPD Facebook page. 

The Press Conference lasted just over 7 minutes, with Interim Chief Kiddle making a statement, followed by a few questions from reporters. This most recent Press Conference was no doubt organized to respond to a particular incident, but also because someone had recorded what had happened.

Interim Chief Kiddle and other police officers have made it a point to say that the public recordings of police violence “distorts the public perception” of police actions. No shit, because the videos from residents often conflicts with the narrative that the GRPD wants to provide. And the narrative from yesterday’s GRPD Press Conference was the same as it has been in the past few months – the police officers involved acted appropriately and did things they were trained to do.

This was one of the questions asked by a reporter during the Press Conference, about why the police officer kicked the man. Kiddle responded by saying, “kicking is a police maneuver, a distraction and pain technique, intended to try get someone under control who is resisting arrest.”

If you kick someone, you could be charged with assault, but if the GRPD does it to you, it is simply a technique to get someone under control. Does anyone else see the irony in such a statement coming from the GRPD?

Just within the last month, the GRPD has held two Latino youth at gunpoint for walking in the street, punched a black man at least 30 times, while his child is in the back seat of the car, and in this most recent incident, the GRPD officer pull a man out of the car and kick him because he was resisting arrest.

As someone said during the City Commission meeting last night, “How many more incidents are there of the GRPD using force against residents that are not being recorded by people?”