I guess that could be it… either way, it was a massive violation of the rights of the marchers, flamethrowers or no. Especially given the fact that families were clearly marching in the group…
that could explain it. If if he did not intentionally try to use it as a flame thrower, that’s certainly the effect of what he did there. To fire it so close to people was unconscionable.
Would not be surprised at all if it was intentional, after learning that rubber bullets are supposed to be fired at the ground and bounced at people rather than directly shot at them (how often does that happen?) I’m sure lack of proper training is often the case, but any cops who just feel like doing maximum damage to people can find ways to make “less lethal” force as lethal as possible, and just use “lack of training” as an excuse if they kill someone.
ETA: Okay, apparently the firing rubber bullets at the ground thing turns out to be a myth- it sounds so wildly unpredictable and dangerous that I double checked. Or at least, if that was once how they were intended to be used, it no longer is. There doesn’t seem to be any replacement plan or best practice for how to guarantee their non-lethality, though. They’re just wildly dangerous and it’s pure luck whether or not they kill or maim people, and the cops don’t care.
I question the wisdom of bringing infants to this march. It was billed as a protest march, the Pride Parade is today. The SPVM is not well known for their gentle handling of protests and protesters. It’s not right of course but they had to have an inkling it might go this way.
Were they at the march, though? From the picture, it looks like a play area in a park.
I would imagine they were. This occurred between 9:30 and 10:00 pm, it’s pretty rare for folks to take their kids to play in the park at that time of day. Unless there’s fireworks…of the more celebratory kind.
You had it right, they were attending a Salsa Dance Party at a nearby park. Some of the protesters fled to the park when the cops started getting violent and at least one of them fired a tear gas canister into the park.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/parents-baby-tear-gas-montreal-police-1.7612795
Thank you for the update.
“I saw this firework going up, and I thought it was a firework, so I looked up, and then it landed right on my baby, like two inches from her face,” said Jean-Philippe Forget, one of the fathers pictured in the image. It was not a firework.
That’s terrible. Do people need to check the militarized police violence forecast as well as the weather forecast before taking their family out to the park?
The two-time Grammy winner, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, was later booked on suspicion of misdemeanour battery after he was confronted by officers and charged at them, Miller said in a statement reported by the Associated Press.
Officers took the rapper to a hospital first because they suspected a drug overdose, Miller said.
If you watch the video on TMZ it’s hard to imagine that he was on the cusp of an overdose. I hope he wasn’t injured, and hope bodycam footage of what the cops were up to is released.
Arrested on charges of aggravated being weird in public.
I’m replying to your old post b/c excellent precognition.
I have seen more and more stories about that happening in the greater Detroit area. It’s not just bad, fired cops getting new jobs in nearby counties and states, either. Nearby towns and cities are hiring their asses. Actual investigative journalists grill each chief of pigs what hired them, and they just hem and haw when asked direct questions like, “Don’t these ‘bad apples’ ever come up in conversation with other chiefs?” and “It was on his record, his permanent record. If you looked at his record, how could you miss that? [pointing to section of report] If you did see it, why would you hire him, after what he did?”
Some honest and correct answers* I can think of include
“I don’t give a shit. I just hire pretty much whatever applies. Screw the people, and my other cops. I need warm bodies out there.” [A possible addendum: “We lose funding if we don’t have a certain # of cops.”]
“Duh, what report? Duuuh…” /falls off chair
“Yeah, I sure as hell saw what he did, and it was awful. He should have been put away for life. [menacing grin] He’s just the kind of sick sadist I love having in my crew.” [laughs]
“I never read the reports. I can read people’s personalities from their pictures. He looked like a good guy.”
“I read the report. I hired him anyway, but I told him, ‘I will watch you like a hawk. If you even breathe funny, I’ll bust your ass so hard your pants won’t stay up anymore.’ Now he has to face the consequences, and so do I.”
[sighs; in despair] “We’re desperate. We’re well below minimum staffing. I felt awful about hiring him before, but now that it’s all out in the open, it’s even worse.”
“Screw you and your stupid questions. I don’t owe you any answers, twerp. I’m the boss cop. I’m rich and powerful, corrupt and dangerous as hell, so watch your back.” [menacing grin]
I’ve seen more local and Michigan stories about rehired bad cops than I can remember over the last 12 months. I’ve seen at least 4 over the last 3 months.
I read/watch yt vids re: other states’ news stories, too. I’ve seen several from those sources over the last few months.
It’s an epidemic that needs ending.
ETA
*As in upon the administration of the instrument illustrated:
More fuckery
Somebody should be giving that trooper random drug/alcohol testing.
…including steroids.
They should ALL be tested for steroids.
