by A.man.I

Growing up in Northern California, my personal feelings about law enforcement were shaped early on. The police in the Bay Area were quick to turn on their flashers, and question this black male.

Nope, I’ve never been arrested, but the po-pos regularly pulled a brotha over back in tha day. Maybe it was because my ’67 Chevy Bell Air looked like the cars that the young dope boys pushed. Racial profiling was the rule not the exception as far as I’m concerned.

The icing on the cake was the Rodney King beating. That was truly a historic beat down, and it made it very easy to repeat the N.W.A. anthem “F*%$ Tha Police.”

Before I moved to Florida to continue my education at the University of Florida, my father gave me some sound advice.

“Don’t mouth off to those cops down there. They play by different rules in the south.”

Great advice pops.

I have to say that I’ve never had a problem with the boys since I’ve lived in the south. Too bad that isn’t the case with everyone.

15-year old Shelwanda Riley is learning a tough lesson from Florida’s Ft. Pierce Police. You have to watch the video.

First, Officer Dan Gilroy walks Riley in front of his dash cam to document the arrest. Riley apparently was violating the city’s curfew. It doesn’t help that she resists arrest, and then eventually bites the officer on the hand…Wrong move. He forces her head against the hood, and then whips out the pepper spray. Now she’s facing felony battery charges.

It’s hard watching a cop manhandle a female teen, but cops are going to be cops.

What’s equally interesting are some of the comments left by the readers of the TCPalm.

JerseyGuy: “i’m sorry but this vid gave a chuckle ”

HEAVENSENT: “Good thing i’m not a cop I would have shot her.”

iceman02: “I would of knocked out a couple of her teeth.”

TalkLeft provides more thoughtful commentary:

Even if arrest is warranted for a curfew violation, handcuffing a teen in back is unnecessary force. It’s painful. They are children. Surely he could have cuffed her in front. She’s screaming in pain and then he slams her face into the car hood. It’s not until afterwards that she finally bites his hand (which is protected by a glove.) Then he hits her and sprays the pepper spray directly in her eyes.

It’s hard to say who’s right or wrong in a situation like this. Riley was certainly resisting, but you have to wonder if there was a less physical way for the officer to handle the situation.

Link from FieldNegro.