Police Brutality: Top Four Most Shocking Cases
Posted by Lauren DiDonato on July 18, 2014 in
Viral Stories | 1078 Views | 4 Responses
Are police getting out of control? Numerous
shocking cases of police brutality are popping up all over the country. Police
have been reported of using excessive force on citizens, resulting in serious
injuries and in some cases even death. Often, these cases do not make national
headlines. Here are four cases of police brutality all of which have occurred
recently.
1. Attack of Iraq war veteran
Guillermo Balseca is an Iraq war veteran who
spent ten years in the United States Marine Corps, and was active on several
tours in Iraq. Balseca miraculously made it through his service completely
unscathed. Now, he is facing life with permanent disability from wounds
inflicted on him in an attack by an Amtrak cop, William Gonzalez, who was off
duty at the time. Police have stated that the event took place earlier this
month at a housewarming party in Gonzalez’s New York City home. While the cause
of the attack remains unknown, Balseca claims that those in attendance at the
party had been drinking alcohol. Gonzalez reportedly knocked Balseca out on the
deck of the house. Witnesses claimed that the officer continued to attack
Balseca, even after it was clear he was unconscious. The level of violence from
the attack resulted in bleeding and contusions around Balseca’s brain. He is
now suffering with short term memory loss, and is also having difficulty moving
his left foot. There is an ongoing investigation and Gonzalaz, who was arrested
on July 5, and charged with aggravated assault, has been put on desk duty until
police can look into the charges.
2. Marlene Pinnock
On July 1, 51 year old Marlene Pinnock, a
homeless woman, was attacked by a California Highway Patrol officer on a
freeway west of downtown Los Angeles. The officer involved in the attack has
not been identified. Pinnock was reportedly walking along the high way, and may
have been suffering from psychiatric problems.
The Police officer was attempting to restrain Pinnock. A passerby caught
the shocking event on a cell phone, and the video has gone viral. In the video,
the CHP officer can be seen using excessive force on Pinnock, who was
reportedly not resisting arrest.
The officer is shown grabbing Pinnock from
behind and throwing her with great force to the ground. He then straddled the
woman and began repeatedly punching her upper body and directly in her face.
Pinnock, who claims she feared for her life during the attack, is still
hospitalized for head injuries and personal trauma. The police officer has been
placed on desk duty.
3. Eric Garner
43 year old Eric Garner is the next victim on
the list. On July 17, Garner, a New York resident, referred to by friends and
family as a “gentle giant,” was questioned by a plainclothes officer for
reportedly selling untaxed cigarettes, a crime he had been arrested for in the
past.
In the video caught by a witness, which has gone viral, Garner was
visibility upset and denied the allegations, asking why he was being stopped.
Stating that he had been “messed with,” by officers every time he came into
contact with them, he can be seen in the video refusing to put his hands behind
his back. Garner asked the officer not to touch him, and at that point two
other officers on the scene moved in to make an arrest. The video shows one
officer putting Garner in a choke hold and throwing his head violently to the
ground. Garner, who suffered from chronic asthma, can be heard in the video
begging for his life, screaming to officers, “I can’t breathe,” multiple times
before going quiet. Witnesses, who expressed anger at the police officers, said
that Garner was foaming at the mouth. Garner, a married man and father of six
children allegedly suffered a heart attack during the attack, and died on the
scene.
4. Jianqing “Jessica” Klyzek
In an incident that occurred in July of 2013,
Chicago police are being accused of physically and verbally abusing at the time
32 year old Jessica Klyzek, a manager of tanning salon and massage parlor.
Police were called to Klyzek’s store after a police officer was reportedly
offered sex by an employee. Klyzek was apparently not cooperative when police
raided her store. A video of the incident shows a police officer yanking
Klyzek, who weighs only 110 pounds and stands at 5’2 tall, from a hallway and
shoving her into a corner. Klyzek claims that the police officer then covered
her nose and mouth resulting in her being unable to breathe. When Klyzek was
handcuffed with her hands behind her back and on her knees, a cop can be seen
striking her in the head.
The attack resulted in numerous abrasions and
scratches. Police were also verbally abusive to Klyzek which the video shows as
well. One cop can be heard saying he was going to use a taser on the woman “ten
(explicative) times,” and threatening Klyzek, who is of Chinese origin, that he
was going to “send her back to wherever the (explicative) you came from.” Two
of the officers involved in the attack have been charges in the past with
abusing immigrants.
These are only four shocking cases of police
brutality. Sadly, more and more are being reported around the country. While
the victims in these cases may not have been cooperative with the officers, the
excessive force and abuse that took place in each event, many feel, is
completely uncalled for. The videos of each of these violent crimes can be seen
in full online.
By: Lauren DiDonato
