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Title: (Dallas) Police Deny Excessive Force In Bloody Arrest (black cop, white girl)
Source:
NBC5i.com
URL Source: http://www.nbc5i.com/news/6158812/detail.html
Published: Jan 16, 2006
Author: NBC5
Post Date: 2006-01-16 20:18:09 by BTP Holdings
Keywords: Excessive, (Dallas), Police
Views: 14298
Comments: 855
POSTED: 5:16 pm CST January 16, 2006
DALLAS -- E-mails and pictures circulating the Internet tell the tale of a Dallas woman's bloody run-in with police after a roller-skating outing escalated into an arrest with excessive force, but officers and some witnesses Monday told a different story.
The incident happened early Saturday morning in Deep Ellum after police attempted to speak with Michelle Metzinger, 25, who, according to a police report, was intoxicated and weaving through traffic on roller skates.
Images: The Arrest & Other Slideshows
The pictures that stemmed from the events that followed are dramatic. They show an officer arresting Metzinger. Her face is covered in blood and there is a puddle of blood on the sidewalk.
"Very excessive. Uncalled for, you know. We're talking about a 250-pound guy and a 100-pound girl. It was just over the top," witness "D.C." said. "All I saw were her feet in the air and disappearing behind a cop car."
However, Dallas police and other witnesses tell a totally different story.
They said Metzinger was drunk and that she not only ignored officers who asked her to stop skating in the street, but also shouted profanities.
According to reports, an officer then tried to arrest Metzinger for public intoxication.
She resisted and attacked the officer, Lt. Rick Watson said.
"The officer attempted to turn her around, at which time the suspect then reached up and grabbed the officer's -- right part of his face -- trying to gouge the officer's eye," Watson said.
Despite the interest that the story has generated online and in the media, Metzinger said she would not comment on the incident until she had consulted with a lawyer.
Metzinger also had not filed a complaint report, so Dallas police were not conducting an internal investigation.
When I worked concert security and someone got bloodied, it was always proper for us to "get our stories straight." Or, as Eddie Murphy said in that movie, "You were lying your asses off." That LT is a lying piece of shit and so is the black cop who LIED in his report.
I'll tell you one thing for certain, this bastard needs to be caught and given a damn hard ball-batting. And then a WHITE magic marker taken to his forehead and the words BAD COP inscribed thereon. What was done was brutal, inexcusable and unjustified.
Police Deny Excessive Force In Bloody Arrest
Dramatic Pictures, Rumors Circulate Online
UPDATED: 6:11 pm CST January 16, 2006
Poster Comment:
Pictures taken by a witness clearly show the cops are LIARS!
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 852.
#840. To: All (#0)
crawler bait
(Latest from http://www.helpmichelle.org)
"Sunday, March 12th Protest 3:00pm - Exposition and Canton Dallas,
Texas In an effort to build community awareness about police brutality and
help Michelle continue to fight we have planned a protest. We will meet at
3:00 pm on Sunday, March 12th at the corner of Exposition and Canton near the
monument. We will then walk to the Darkside Lounge at 2810 Elm street. The
Darkside Lounge is going to have live music, BBQ, and an open bar. Bring
signs and a loud voice." love ruthie
for info... http://www.texasgigs.com/news/2006/feb/22/assassination-city-derby-crow-records-presents/?print
from Michelle's friends... "There will be a peaceful protest against excessive force next Sunday. Here are the details: Sunday, March 12th 3:00 pm Meet @ the monument @ Canton & Exposition(near Doublewide) We will March(with a police escort) to Deep Ellum and end @ Darkside Lounge on Elm Street Darkside will have live music, barbecue, and drink specials This protest is a result of the incident with Michelle Metzinger on January 13, 2006. However, we will be protesting excessive force and communicating to the community that we will not tolerate this behavior. Please come protest and show your support whether you know Michelle or not. Remember, this could and will continue to happen to all kinds of people until we stand up and say "NO". Also, keep in mind that this is a peaceful protest and all efforts, signs, and language should be in good taste. Our objective is to get the community to listen, not turn them away. People of all ages are encouraged to attend the protest. In honor of Michelle, we will be skating if possible so bring your skates(if you have them) in case this works out! Please tell as many people as possible and coordinate bringing everyone you can. The media will be covering this event and we want to show law enforcement and our community that we are serious about holding them accountable for their behavior. Bring signs and show up. This will be so much fun!!"
Just say NO to neo-Nazi police state facilitators.
for interest...
Umm...just wondering if anyone heard any more about Michelle's case? love ruthie XXXXXX
I check periodically for court filings and to date there has been nothing, at least nothing the public can access, which either means the case is sealed so far perhaps due to the police excessive force investigation, or nothing. But I would expect to at least see an arrest and charge entry, but not even that, so I'm not sure what's up.
But I would expect to at least see an arrest and charge entry, but not even that, so I'm not sure what's up. hihi Starwind i asked my legal friend and he said that although the system is entirely different to Scotland he expected the case might be 'under review' in some way. He pointed out if the incident wasn't witnessed by another officer or recorded on video so it becomes one officer's word against the arrested person with the only relief (his word not mine!) being the evidence of witnesses who are reliable and impartial. He also said the pictures are significant but not conclusive because the images ofthe events between her standing with her hands on the car and being under him on the ground are not available (i'm typing this from memory lol). what he did say was she might still have grounds to sue the officer for assaulting her even if she is convicted. if it can be shown that he disregarded police training and rules by his use of force on her neck and back, he has no defense against the pictures regardless of if she was drunk, etc. does this make any sense? my friend also said in Scotland there would be a lot of negotiation between defense lawyers and the Procurator Fiscal (you don't have this system in the US) and the criminal case would probably not reach a court. His only other comment was that the police are increasinly having to record incidents and arrests not to get evidence but to protect themselves against accusations, bacause so many people have cameras and video in their mobile phones! love ruthie XXXXXX
...then THIS shows up! http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/031706dnmetskater.304e63a6.html "Skater charged with assault on officer Witnesses denied she was aggressor; internal investigation continuing 09:38 PM CST on Thursday, March 16, 2006 By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News A Dallas Roller Derby skater was indicted Thursday on a felony charge of assaulting a Dallas police officer stemming from a January incident in which she and several witnesses say the officer was the aggressor and used excessive force. Reports related to the indictment charge that Michelle Metzinger, 25, was belligerent and fought with Officer Ceaphus Gordon after the officer asked to see her identification because, he said, she had been roller skating recklessly through traffic on Elm Street in Deep Ellum. Michelle Metzinger Michelle Metzinger According to Officer Gordon's report, Ms. Metzinger tried to gouge his eye with her fingers when he tried to handcuff and arrest her on a charge of public intoxication. The officer then tried to force Ms. Metzinger to the sidewalk using a "straight arm bar take down," but instead, she "rolled from the police car to the ground," his report says. Ms. Metzinger continued scratching and kicking the officer on the ground, the report says. Officer Gordon described his injuries as three 1/8th-inch scratches near his right eye and scratches and bruises on his chin. He described Ms. Metzinger's injury as a "small laceration that required a stitch," although his report indicates that she spent five hours at Parkland Memorial Hospital before she was taken to jail. Kevin Clancy, Ms. Metzinger's attorney, said he was disappointed that he was not allowed to present evidence to the grand jury that would have offered a different account of what happened. Eight witnesses to the arrest have filed affidavits saying that Ms. Metzinger was not intoxicated and that she did not resist the officer. The witnesses state that after Ms. Metzinger was forced to the ground, Officer Gordon put his knee on her back or neck while he was handcuffing her, which is not described in the officer's reports. "I think it's a travesty that this poor girl was charged with this," Mr. Clancy said. "I really do think that the grand jury did not look at the evidence." A separate investigation into the incident by Dallas police internal affairs is ongoing. Mr. Clancy said Dallas police have so far not interviewed any of the witnesses. Officer Gordon has had 27 complaints filed against him in his 14-year career, most of which were ruled "unfounded" or "inconclusive." Of those inconclusive complaints, at least two involved allegations of excessive force. E-mail rtharp@dallasnews.com" ruthie :( XXXXXX
another forum for info... http://www.txrd.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=288&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 ruthie
#853. To: ruthie (#852)
hey ruthie: go here for our discussion of the newest material :
Lonestar Rollergirls, I love it! I need to take this Brian Wilson Smile CD off the current playlist, brb
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#841. To: All (#840)
XXXXXX
#842. To: All (#841)
#843. To: All (#842)
#845. To: ruthie, christine (#843)
Remember, this could and will continue to happen to all kinds of people until we stand up and say "NO".
#846. To: All (#845)
http://www.dallascityhall.com/dallas/eng/pdf/mcc/DeepEllumTaskForce.pdf
ruthie
XXXXXX
#847. To: All (#846)
#848. To: ruthie (#847)
#850. To: Starwind (#848)
I check periodically for court filings and to date there has been nothing, at least nothing the public can access, which either means the case is sealed so far perhaps due to the police excessive force investigation, or nothing.
#851. To: All (#850)
#852. To: All (#851)
XXXXXX
Replies to Comment # 852.
#854. To: ruthie (#852)
End Trace Mode for Comment # 852.