Unforgivable

I agree. Trump is delusioned, and a danger

He said at a news briefing about higher employment figures that George would be looking down from heaven and would be happy about the US jobs. 'It's a great day for him and a great day for everybody.'

Yes, when I heard that I felt I was watching a mad man. Why can't the Republicans say he's ill and put Pence in charge?

I was also upset and incensed by that video. I couldn't believe that the police would just walk on by when it was obvious the elderly man was badly hurt. You could see the blood coming from his head.
Donald Trump has to be the worst thing to have happened to the American people but there are thousands that revere him.
I'm so glad we live in a country where our police are not armed .

ginster I think they have resigned from the unit not the police force per se they are still on full pay as I read it
It is corrupt to the last inch

The image of that poor man lying unconscious with blood streaming from his head after being pushed to the ground is appalling.

Then to see police officers walk past and make no attempt to help him defies description.

At the beginning of the clip it appears the gentleman is either touching or grabbing the officers weapon and is pushed away, he then stumbles and falls back, another officer is then seen speaking into his mic. (possibly asking for medical support).

What is unforgiveable is one officer preventing another from going to his aid, and the number who chose to walk past without offering assistance. The end of the clip shows someone in camouflage (army?) kneeling by the man presumably helping him.

They are adamant that the victim slipped and was not pushed.

It seems this is all going to escalate, Trump is not going to clear this up any time soon. I think that individuals and police forces have take responsibility for their actions otherwise nothing will change.

No old woman he does not go for the officers gun at all I read that the elderly man pickEd up a helmet (it’s in his left hand ) and was trying to hand it back it looks to me as if he has a phone in his right hand I believe that’s an army paramedic at the very end

It is a distinct push no one can see that as a trip

Has anyone read how he is? the last I saw it said seriously ill in hospital

I am disgusted with this. I cannot understand how they could just walk past this poor man when he was lying on the ground bleeding! Where is the compassion from these people?

I cannot believe that their police can just get away with the violence that they use.

I hope that this poor man recovers okay.

It has been reported the police forces in the USA are sketchily trained and one State trains a policeman in half the time it takes to train a barber.

To lack of proper training add the class divisions in a society where material possessions are over valued and people are fearful of strangers taking away their prosperity and you have a society where the police forces are set up to maintain the status quo of deep divisions between the haves and the have -nots.

For historical reasons, slave consciousness, the poor are largely African Americans .

This is Why there are groups in America who are ready to film the police on their phones most stand and watch because they are struck with fear, aghast how they behave.
George Floyd wasn't the first to die in the way he did there's a good document on BBC NYPD the real gangs. It makes you trully understand that Black lives matter needs everyones support.

Very true words Jishere

If the police can behave like that, when they know there are witnesses and cameras about, imagine how they'd be out of view!

America seems to be a country of fear and hate with very poor law enforcement.
The rich fear losing their wealth and crime and carry guns to protect themselves.
The poor fear the police and get very little justice. They fear getting ill because they cannot afford healthcare.
Everyone fears poverty, diversity seems almost unheard of except in small pockets of liberalism.
The vast central states seem to fear anything and everything including their government and all things foreign.
Makes me grateful to live in the UK.

This is their police force. Can you imagine how the US army behave when they invade the various war zones they get involved in.

Re the elderly chap, I only hope he has medical insurance as there will be no hesitation in presenting him or his family with a bill if and when he recovers.

Something for us to look forward to when we become the 51st State.

I remember when visiting relatives in America and on a long drive my DH's cousin telling us that if you get stopped anywhere in America while driving by the police the first thing to do is to put both hands on the top of the steering wheel because if they can't see your hands they could think you are reaching for a gun and have the right to shoot you!!

jacq10

Exactly what we were told over 35 years ago when we visited our daughter who was working in LA for a year.

Disgraceful behaviour. It's not as if the policeman didn't see he was a man of more mature years.

However I'm hopeful they had their bodycams on so we can see what the altercation was about

The gentlemen clearly approached the police and at one point appeared to be wiping something on the pushing Policeman's sleeve

Was it a phone?

Why was he doing that?

But that aside his actions were totally unnecessary and to think the poor gentleman is seriously ill in hospital is very sad.

Trump has been a bully all his life, even as a schoolboy he beat up a teacher, and his attitude is now being reflected in much of society. It is very concerning and will get worse if, as seems likely, he wins the November election. This coupled with the fact that the unions seem to protect the police from any scrutiny or disciplinary action makes me concerned for friends over there..

It's not only US police brutality. I have just read BBC reports of British police rape , lethal restraints, and lifelong spinal and brain injuries caused by police officers in their vans and cells against black people. More worrying is the officers responsible seems not to have been brought to justice or if they have they have been let off.

I read these BBC reports on my grandson's page on Facebook but don't know how to copy them to here.

Don’t believe everything you read on FB. I’m not saying our police are perfect, but they rarely act the way these thugs do in America and it’s usually one random individual. They are probably still institutionally racist but at least the have the sense not to act out thuggery en masse.

My nephew lives in Buffalo with his family. It doesn’t surprise me that this happened there. They think the sun shines out of Trump’s nether regions and he can do no wrong.

It's not right to make claims against the British police without proof. There are a few bad apples but it seems that in the USA there are a whole barrow load.

Having a President like Trump doesn't help. Can't believe what he said about George Forman.

Are we totally surprised when the US is led by a buffoon?

Banks comment

Such things have happened here to, although it is not so frequent.

Back in 2009 a newspaper vendor died after being struck by a constable at a demo in London. At the first inquest the jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing. The officer was charged with manslaughter and found not guilty but dismissed from the police force. The first autopsy concluded that the man had died of an heart attack.

After the post mortem a video filmed by an American tourist came to light which showed the constable hitting the victim with his baton. The victim, who was merely on his way home and not taking part in the demonstration got up but collapsed and died soon afterwards.

Subsequent post mortem showed that he'd died following blunt force trauma in association with cirrhosis of the liver.
The manslaughter charge failed because of the differing pathology reports.

Another example is Blair Peach, a New Zealander who attended an anti NF demo in 1979. He died of head injuries. 14 witnesses said they'd seen him being by the police. No charges were ever brought but a report made shortly after by a Met Commander, but finally released in 2010, concluded that Peach was likely to have been killed by one of six riot police officers.

Our police are nowhere near as bad as those in America but do occasionally misuse their authority.