The latest from the cops-gone-wild department: literal ball-busting.
Philadelphia Teen Alleges Severe Abuse During Police Pat-Down (The Root)
Darrin Manning and his high school basketball teammates were dressed for the cold when they hopped off the subway on Jan. 7, wearing hats, gloves and scarves given to them by a teacher, the Raw Story reports.
But the 16-year-old student at Mathematics, Civics & Sciences Charter School in Philadelphia found himself in a quandary when one of his classmates may have smarted off to an officer who was staring them down, according to the article, which cites the Philadelphia Inquirer. Things became complicated when the boys ran as the officer began approaching, sparking a chain of events that left Manning with a ruptured testicle and misdemeanor charges. He says he did nothing wrong.
The boy's mother is quoted as saying, "I blame myself. I taught my son to respect cops, not to fear them. Maybe if he was afraid, he would have run like the other boys and he would have been OK." Yep, there's your problem. While there are good people with badges, as institutions our police forces are corrupt and brutal and should always be viewed with suspicion and caution. "Police privilege" makes any interaction with cops dangerous.