Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Vancouver Police Officer Smashes Car Window, Drags Driver Out

A YouTube video showing a Vancouver police sergeant smashing a driver's window is turning a spotlight on how much force police officers should be allowed to use.

The motorist, who uses the name Bodhi Sattva on YouTube, apparently recorded the incident in November, and uploaded it this week.

The driver opens his window slightly and asks why he's been stopped. When the officer refuses to answer, and the driver declines to get out, the exchange gets more heated.

The sergeant then says he can smell marijuana in the car and warns that he's going to "break the window now in two seconds," asking again that the driver either roll down his window or get out.

He refuses, and the glass shatters moments later.

"You must think I'm f***ing joking," the policeman says before pulling the man out of the car and onto the street.

On a blog that appears to belong to the driver, he wrote: "I was physically assaulted and it has left me emotionally traumatized. I do not feel safe anymore, I’m living in fear now. I was given a road side examination and I was not found to be impaired or under the influence. What happened that night was a violation of my constitutional rights. I don’t deserve to be treated this way."

The driver has not responded to media requests for comment.

Vancouver police Const. Brian Montague said drivers should co-operate if they want to avoid a confrontation.

"It is quite simple. If someone does not want the police to use force then they need to comply. We never have to use force with a co-operative person," he told The Province.

Criminal lawyer Paul Doroshenko told CTV News that there's no justification for the officer's actions.

"The behaviour of police is just, frankly, shocking to me," Doroshenko told the outlet. "You've got somebody pulled over at the roadside (so) you have an obligation to tell them why you're detaining them."

The driver has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession for the purposes of trafficking and obstructing a police officer, reported CBC News.

On his blog, the driver said that he has a prescription for medical marijuana.


Original Article
Source:huffingtonpost.ca/ 
Author:Rhianna Schmunk

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