The Observation Deck

I find it interesting that there is no audio in the footage until the very last minute, probably because the library surveillance cameras do not have audio for some reason. We do not, and probably never will know what words were exchanged. It would appear that the young person in question actively resisted arrest. Depending on if Officer Jones told the person to "stop", additional charges of obstructing official business and failure to comply with a lawful order could also be added.

Nonetheless, the incident (possibly staged for easy cash) could have perhaps been handled better by both parties. We also don't know what state of mind the suspect or Officer Jones was in that day. Working security at the library is not always easy. I rarely patronize the library, but I have been there when the off-duty officer has had to deal with unruly patrons. Disrespecting police and then using them as a scapegoat by playing the race card will only work for so long.

If you want to complain about a growing police state, pay attention to things like HAARP (a weather machine and mind-control device operated by the U.S. military masquerading as a "research program"), future concentration camps operated by FEMA, and the implementation of martial law. These are real, documented issues that affect us all, right down to us here in Lakewood, and should be given equal coverage when discussing a growing police state.

bentleymike wrote:Umm...Officer Jones is also African-American.

Yep. So were the Baltimore officers that killed Freddy Gray, and the maniacal Sheriff Clarke who had a prisoner die of dehydration in his jail.
Just because a black guy did it doesn't mean racism in not a factor.

Michael Deneen wrote:

bentleymike wrote:Umm...Officer Jones is also African-American.

Yep. So were the Baltimore officers that killed Freddy Gray, and the maniacal Sheriff Clarke who had a prisoner die of dehydration in his jail.
Just because a black guy did it doesn't mean racism in not a factor.

To build on Mr. Deneen's point, is this a question of institutional racism?

Racism is complicated.

To say, from a position of white male privilege, that racism was not a factor in this case simply because the aggressor was a black male and the victim a black female is profoundly ignorant and naive.

There are issues of implied bias, internalized racism, and indeed, institutional racism if it can be shown that the culture of this particular group of city employees and administrators are racist (which I am not indicating is the case.)

Each of the above terms are researchable thanks to our friend Google.

What I can't tell, and hopefully someone can answer this, is whether the library staff alerted Jones to a problem or whether Jones took it on himself to address a problem. Not sure if the library is blameless in all this or not.

Here is the Lakewood police log for Nov 7, 2016, the date of the incident.

I reviewed it twice yet see no call corresponding to the library altercation. Police did arrive, per the complaint.

Could someone review this as perhaps I missed it?

If not on the log, why not?

http://www.onelakewood.com/PublicSafety ... s_1107.pdf

Two entries have the word "library" in them. One was the main library. The other was for Madison, though the entry is "male refusing to leave."

Yes. It occurred at Madison Branch and the only one I saw was at Main.

Perhaps that is the call regarding this incident.

Thanks, Matt!

Thank you to the Lakewood Police Officers for your service.

I imagine that since it appears a lot of people have such disdain for the Lakewood Police, that they will be defending themselves from now on.

Lori Allen _ wrote:Thank you to the Lakewood Police Officers for your service.

I imagine that since it appears a lot of people have such disdain for the Lakewood Police, that they will be defending themselves from now on.

Lori, I'm glad we agree on something here.



I'm betting if Officer Jones came to the defense of one of the "institutional racism" people, they'd gladly take it. It may be hard for many in this forum, but let's trust the process of the steps that the LPD has taken.

I don't think anyone here is using the acts of one officer to indict the entire department, and to their credit, they investigated and acknowledged that he acted improperly and used excessive force.

No one is disparaging the LPD.

However, I do question the silence of the mayor in all this.

Matthew Lee wrote:What I can't tell, and hopefully someone can answer this, is whether the library staff alerted Jones to a problem or whether Jones took it on himself to address a problem. Not sure if the library is blameless in all this or not.

From an update published today: "Jones wrote in a police report of the incident that, while he was working off-duty security at the library, he saw the girl about 5 p.m. sitting sideways in a library chair with her feet on the seat of another chair. Jones told her to "sit correctly," his report says. The girl complied, but accused Jones of picking on her for no reason."

Now, this doesn't mention anything about a complaint over music volume, but having read three articles on this incident now, I don't see any indication that library personnel were involved. FWIW.

bentleymike wrote:

Lori Allen _ wrote:Thank you to the Lakewood Police Officers for your service.

I imagine that since it appears a lot of people have such disdain for the Lakewood Police, that they will be defending themselves from now on.

Lori, I'm glad we agree on something here.

I just re-read all three pages of this. Every post, looking for anything which I could even interpret as a statement of disdain for the Lakewood Police.

I didn't see it, let alone "a lot of people" making such statements. Please lend me a hand, help me find them?

mjkuhns wrote:

bentleymike wrote:

Lori Allen _ wrote:Thank you to the Lakewood Police Officers for your service.

I imagine that since it appears a lot of people have such disdain for the Lakewood Police, that they will be defending themselves from now on.

Lori, I'm glad we agree on something here.

I just re-read all three pages of this. Every post, looking for anything which I could even interpret as a statement of disdain for the Lakewood Police.

I didn't see it, let alone "a lot of people" making such statements. Please lend me a hand, help me find them?

Yes, please.

"Setup for a money grab??" I don't THINK so.

Remember a couple years ago when Chaz and Patty Geiger were arrested (false arrest) because a parking lot attendant downtown mistakenly identified Patty's car as a lawbreaker? And Cleveland cops came out to their house at night and put them both in jail? And the jail matron cut out Patty Geiger's laces on her nice loafers (reported in The Plain Dealer)? Well, Cleveland gave them a settlement of $69,000 (reported in the Plain Dealer) for the false arrest and jail.

This girl deserves a financial settlement from Lakewood for the abuse and injury. How do you apologize for breaking her jaw? How do you make up for the pain, the medical treatment, the time it takes for that to heal, not being able to eat, maybe not being able to go to her job, or whatever else she has to suffer through???