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Another possible cop murder: Media blackout?

ACAB | 24.08.2011 17:00 | August Riots | Policing | Repression | Social Struggles

A man has died following calling the police to his house in Cheshire in need of assistance after being 'threatened with a gun'. An eyewitness describes him being severely beaten while cuffed by up to 11 officers.

This story has appeared on The Mail and some local news websites, but seems generally ignored (or embargoed). Here's the eyewitness account:

'What the police did was outrageous. He was handcuffed, on the floor with his legs restrained and they didn't even have the decency to pull up his pants.

'They seemed to be kneeing him in the back of the head. I counted 11 cops. They were all sat on him, giving him a kicking and giving him side digs. There was one woman officer, the rest were men, and she was getting her kicks in as well.

'They were chasing him in the street. I saw it because they chased him in front of my house.

'His mum told me Jake was the one who rang the police himself, saying that someone was threatening him with a gun.

'They started chasing him and hitting him in the back of the legs with batons. They said, "Why don't you stand up and give yourself some dignity," to him. But he couldn't even stand up after they'd hit him with the batons.

'It was so upsetting to see. I couldn't believe the police could do that. It was like something you see on those TV cop shows.

'I went to speak to his mum. She didn't know what happened. She was mortified when they knocked on her door those hours later and told her, "Your son's died".

'They had banged his head on the floor and they were giving him punches. He was already handcuffed and he was restrained when I saw him. I don't know what happened in the house, I just saw when they were on the street.

'He was shouting, "Help me, help me". He wasn't coherent. I don't know why they were bringing him in for affray. It doesn't matter, he didn't deserve that.

'He's never been in trouble before as far as I know.

'The officers threw him into the van by his arms and legs after they beat him. He was shouting for help. We were saying afterwards with the neighbours, nobody saw him get sprayed.

'It's an absolute disgrace. I don't think the police realise how many eye-witnesses there were. We were all shouting, "Get off him".
'We were scared for him. They weren't listening, they didn't seem aware of us, or that there were kids watching.

'It lasted for 15 minutes that I saw, and he was handcuffed the whole time. I don't know why they kept hitting him. All he was doing was shouting for them to get off him.

'His parents are absolutely mortified. Jake was a popular, well liked lad. He was a friend of a friend of mine and was house sitting for her this week. She's absolutely distraught.

'It's a waste of a young life. It's a disgrace.'



Read more:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2029173/Jacob-Michael-dies-pepper-sprayed-arrested-ELEVEN-officers.html#ixzz1VxyomH9y

ACAB

Comments

Hide the following 8 comments

update

24.08.2011 17:32

Having looked again, there is now coverage on several news sites, but it's generally burried in the back pages, with no elaboration beyond the police and 'I'PCC statements, and the eyewitness account is mysteriously absent.

Please spread this.

ACAB


at least three deaths this week.

24.08.2011 21:14

During last week, the British police have killed two men with taser shock guns and one man with pepper spray.

dixon of CS GAS


It was on the BBC news website

24.08.2011 21:21

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-14643157
Pepper spray arrest: Call for calm after Jacob Michael death
Police have called for calm following the death of a man who had been arrested and restrained by officers.

anon


cs? witnesses?

24.08.2011 22:38

Was the death caused by CS? We'll likely never know the truth, but from the evidence at hand it doesn't sound like the primary cause.

As for the BBC report: yes it it being reported, but everso mildly, way off the headlines and with no witness accounts.

Cops are murdering with impunity and the media is complicit.

ACAB


it was on the BBC front page earlier today

24.08.2011 23:03

not that I'm a big BBC fan, but it was on their front news page earlier today (or at least the UK news one)

anon


The police act with impunity

26.08.2011 10:13

The way the police behave is disgusting. My son, as a 15 year-old, was sprayed in the face with Captor after Sussex Police unlawfully entered my house and unlawfully arrested him and unlawfully detained him for 47 hours. I know this was unlawful because we eventually received a mild acknowledgment that they entered the house unlawfully and accepted a small out-of-court settlement by way of compensation. My son has never received an apology for this incident. I have never broken the law but my contact with the police makes me absolutely hate them. The use of Tasers, pepper spray and restraint techniques is clearly highly dangerous but the police don't care because to them, they're the good guys and 'criminals' are the bad guys who deserve whatever treatment coppers deem fit to inflict on them. As a Radio 4 news presenter once asked a chief constable, what does it take for a a police officer to get the sack in this country?

Bob


re: The police act with impunity - sue the cops!

27.08.2011 23:05

I suggest you sue the police - animal rights activists, especially hunt saboteurs, have been making tens of thousands of pounds out of the police over the years in compensation for false arrest, false imprisonment, etc.

I'm not sure which solicitors are the best to go for at the moment, but I think many will do it on a no win - no fee basis.

anon


Reply to Anon

28.08.2011 13:39

Thank you for your comment Anon. The small compensation payout was secured through civil litigation and an out-of-court settlement. Nevertheless, the police were very reluctant to admit liability but, unfortunately for them, the officer who sprayed my son with Captor inadvertantly admitted to tresspass in his statement, which meant that my son's arrest was unlawful (because there is no power of entry under the Bail Act) and we therefore had a case against the police. I would advise anyone with a complaint against the police to seek redress through civil litigation because a police misconduct specialist will know how to obtain evidence and will have a working knowledge of complex legal points better than any armchair lawyer. The more people who challenge police misconduct and brutality the better.

Bob


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