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Unsavory

Watch this video.  There was a high speed pursuit in LA.  Must be a day that ends in "Y."  The suspect is wanted for murder or attempted murder (I'm a bit hazy on that) in Indiana.  He ran off when the CHP attempted to pull him over, which probably triggered a license plate search that revealed the murder/attempted warrant out of Indiana.  So he drives on the freeways until arriving at Burbank/Universal Studios/Toluca Lake, near where I grew up. 

On Cahuenga (for those of you cheating on the "are you an LA native" test, it's pronounced co-eng-uh) and Barham, he hits traffic and Burbank PD decide to use that as a chance to draw their weapons and force him to exit the car at gunpoint.  He veers towards the officer, when the car is clearly past the officer, he fires inside, and misses the suspect.  More adrenaline.  A few more turns on Cahuenga, and he is almost at the entrance to Universal Studios.  This is not the main entrance off Lankershim, so I would not expect much pedestrian traffic.  But still, when the suspect runs at this point, the Burbank PD shoot him once. 

I'm not standing up for this scumbag.  I personally feel a little gratified that this coward who stabbed his girlfriend got some hot lead.  But at the same time, to say that Burbank is a police department with issues is an understatement.  Even the helicopter pilot recognizes the novelty of their actions.  "I've never seen the LAPD do this."  And when you're making the LAPD look restrained, you've reached the depths.  And I guess that brings me to the title of this post.  There's something about this series of events that's unsavory.  Small town, suburban cops with a history of excessive force and apparently rampant racism.  Adrenaline rush.  Voila.  You have deadly force.  Isn't this what most police departments now teach to contain? 

Full post as published by Nuts & Boalts on March 30, 2010 (boomark / email).