Baltimore Cop vs kid

wjz.com - Officer Suspended After Appearing In YouTube Video (http://wjz.com/local/youtube.salvatore.rivieri.2.651552.html)
Officer Suspended After Appearing In YouTube Video
Richard Sher BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
A 17-year veteran of the Baltimore police force has been suspended with pay pending an internal investigation of his actions involving a 14-year-old skateboarder at Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
Richard Sher reports video of the confrontation in question appears on YouTube.com.
It happened mid-summer when City Police Officer Salvatore Rivieri asked 14-year-old Eric Bush and his friends to stop skateboarding at the Inner Harbor. Skateboarding is illegal there.
Bush's friend was videotaping the exchange, which at one point shows the officer grabbing Bush's skateboard and throwing him to the ground.
"He was just like up in my face, yelling at me...then he tackled me," Eric said. "It was like scary because I have diabetes and my blood sugar went crazy 'cause he scared me."
"I started watching the video and couldn't continue. I flipped out," said Peggy Miller, Eric's mother.
"I saw the tape. The officer handled the situation so poorly. It is very clear this is unacceptable," said Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon.
Officer Rivieri, a 17-year veteran of the BCPD, has been suspended with pay while the department conducts an internal investigation.
"The police commissioner, the mayor and the top command staff saw the video and are disappointed," said Sterling Clifford, spokesperson for the Baltimore City Police Department.
The attorney whose law firm represents Rivieri is defending the officer's actions.
"Police officers have a hard job. in this particular video, you dont see what happened before the officer took the boy down to the ground," Henry Belsky said. "Until you see the totality of what happened, one really does not know what reappy happened down there."
Many viewers have emailed Eyewitness News supporting the officer suggesting that what occurred before the confrontation was not shown on the tape.

Heres the story from a local Baltimore station.

wjz.com - Officer Suspended After Appearing In YouTube Video (http://wjz.com/local/youtube.salvatore.rivieri.2.651552.html)
Officer Suspended After Appearing In YouTube Video
Richard Sher BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
A 17-year veteran of the Baltimore police force has been suspended with pay pending an internal investigation of his actions involving a 14-year-old skateboarder at Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
Richard Sher reports video of the confrontation in question appears on YouTube.com.
It happened mid-summer when City Police Officer Salvatore Rivieri asked 14-year-old Eric Bush and his friends to stop skateboarding at the Inner Harbor. Skateboarding is illegal there.
Bush's friend was videotaping the exchange, which at one point shows the officer grabbing Bush's skateboard and throwing him to the ground.
"He was just like up in my face, yelling at me...then he tackled me," Eric said. "It was like scary because I have diabetes and my blood sugar went crazy 'cause he scared me."
"I started watching the video and couldn't continue. I flipped out," said Peggy Miller, Eric's mother.
"I saw the tape. The officer handled the situation so poorly. It is very clear this is unacceptable," said Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon.
Officer Rivieri, a 17-year veteran of the BCPD, has been suspended with pay while the department conducts an internal investigation.
"The police commissioner, the mayor and the top command staff saw the video and are disappointed," said Sterling Clifford, spokesperson for the Baltimore City Police Department.
The attorney whose law firm represents Rivieri is defending the officer's actions.
"Police officers have a hard job. in this particular video, you dont see what happened before the officer took the boy down to the ground," Henry Belsky said. "Until you see the totality of what happened, one really does not know what reappy happened down there."
Many viewers have emailed Eyewitness News supporting the officer suggesting that what occurred before the confrontation was not shown on the tape.

Heres the story from a local Baltimore station.

I don't think anything supports physical force unless the person is A) Resisting or B) Threatening the life of the officer.

What the hell is a scrawny kid like that gonna do? I have no problem with him yelling at the kids (granted, I thought it was a bit harsh) but as soon as he put his hands on him, I was done.

Now how in the world can that be taken out of context? We saw the officer walk up to the kids and there is nothing whatsoever that indicates that the kids did anything wrong other than skateboard. I'm also curious as to why the cop wasn't charged with assault.

I can predict what will happen. The cop is going to enjoy his nice paid vacation, he will get a written warning, and that will be the end of it. Hopefully he chokes on a twinkie.

The guy mentioned nothing about a priot situation other than the"I told you not too skate here" He made it VERY clear he was upset with the kid's behavior IN THE VIDEO.

dude!

Ive had many run ins myself with the law and cops are people. Some are good and some are bad. However, if someone is given the authority and power they're given it should be monitored and when things like this happen, he should have his authority stripped. I'd give him a parking maid job on double secret probation.

dude!

LOL...maybe this can be the next budwiser commerical

Cop = Tool

This is a douche. Even if I was 14, and he put his hands on me, F-it, I woulda started swinging, cop or not. He had no right to get physical with the kid.....

Cop = Tool

This is a douche. Even if I was 14, and he put his hands on me, F-it, I woulda started swinging, cop or not. He had no right to get physical with the kid.....
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that reminds me of one of my friends in tx. he was 15 and really skinny/lanky... his father lost control of him one day and called the cops over. another friend and i showed up first and when the cop showed up he got physical with my friend ryan and ryan knocked him out cold with one lick.... the cop was snoring.

the look on his dad's face was f'ing priceless. he def. got arrested later on, but it was one of the most bizzare things I had seen up to that point.

.


that reminds me of one of my friends in tx. he was 15 and really skinny/lanky... his father lost control of him one day and called the cops over. another friend and i showed up first and when the cop showed up he got physical with my friend ryan and ryan knocked him out cold with one lick.... the cop was snoring.

the look on his dad's face was f'ing priceless. he def. got arrested later on, but it was one of the most bizzare things I had seen up to that point.

Wow. I give that kid props just for taking the heat for what he believed in. Like I said, at 14-15, F-it, that cop is probably eating concrete if he did that shiz to me.