By now most of you have seen the disturbing video of 15 year old Malika Calhoun being beaten by Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Schene in Seattle. According to his partner she was being “lippy.” Julie Chen, of CBS’ “The Early Show,” interviewed Malika Calhoun. Malika doesn’t quite grasp the concept of “stealing” vs “borrowing a car without permission”, but that is not the issue. Yet that doesn’t stop Julie Chen from probing to fully explore what Malika did to “provoke” and attack by somebody who ought to know better. I really don’t care what Malika said in the cell outside the cell in the car. She’s not the trained gun toting professional. I mean it isn’t like someone working in law enforcement could anticipate people being unhappy with being arrested or anything (NOT)The issue is excessive force:
DO I really need to analyze a fully grown man kicking punching and slinging a 15 year old girl around by her hair? If you don’t like talking on the phone, don’t become a receptionist. If you don’t like public speaking, don’t become teacher. If you suck at math, please don’t become an accountant and if you can’t handle a teen age girl talking smack, then please don’t apply for a job allowing you to carry a run and enforce the law.
32 comments ↓
This is absolutlely disgusting. Has the officer been placed on any type of leave while an investigation is being conducted?
Man, you’d think these cops had just subdued a huge, dangerous opponent, esp. how that one cop is just pounding on her again and again…
So when will this white man be referred as a “man child “?
He should not be a cop … period and needs to be in jail. He obviously has no self-control. I would bet if we looked in his closet he’d have a few battered women tucked away. He seems like the woman beating type–look what he did to a young girl.
Wow. This shouldn’t come as a surprise either. I can’t help but think about Duanna Johnson after watching this. At least there was a tape. Now where’s Rev Al and the NAACP on this?
I’m probably going to say something here that y’all aren’t gonna like but here goes anyway.
Did the officer use unnecessary force? A.B.S.O.L.U.T.E.L.Y.
Does Malika lack discipline and respect for adult authority? Yes.
Are all “3” parties in the wrong? You betcha.
I am disgusted that this officer felt the need to pull, kick, punch, and severely beat a child! Nothing she did warranted his treatment of her. But- and no I am not blaming the victim- at the same token I am disgusted that Malika, felt it necessary to steal/borrow (whatever- you’re 15, you can’t legally drive anyway!) her friends mother’s car, kick her shoes at the officer, talk back, and be disrespectful overall to said officers. As a teenager, YOU show respect the adult authority figure- they don’t owe you the obligation of talking to you in a way that “you feel” is appropriate. Parents, hello?
She didn’t deserve that…but i bet that behind won’t be going back to jail anytime soon.
This person did what he did because 1. He wanted to and 2. He knows that there will be no negative fallout for abusing a black female. Where are the NAACP and Rev. Al. If this had been a young black male being abused, the cops would have hell to pay.
many black folks are blaming the girl and laughing at the whole incident. (can i just say this?… more and more i am beginning to feel unsafe around my own people.)
To Zabeth:
“Does Malika lack discipline and respect for adult authority? Yes.
Are all “3” parties in the wrong? You betcha. ”
Zabeth, are you kidding me? Because this girl kicked her shoe off and had a minor hissy fit, she doesn’t respect adult authority??? That’s crazy! The only people wrong in this taoe are the two cops. Also, if you watched the video tape, she didn’t steal anything. They borrowed their parents car against their will – typical teenaged behavior that many people go through.
You are soo blaming the victim here – a 15 year old girl being assaluted by two large, male, meaty, 40-year-old-plus armed cops for absolutely no reason otherthan having a girly-fit.
Your response is sad and scary. I truly hope you don’t have children if you feel that these horrible monsters actions are in anyway justified, and this innocent young ladies actions were in anyway wrong or at fault.
WOW. I’m at a loss for words…
@Lena
I watched the video, a few times, and I watched the interview. Like I said, I am in no way blaiming the victim nor am I justifying the officers inappropriate actions. But, what I am saying is that there are problems here. She admitted to kicking her shoes off, having a hissy fit, talking back, and not liking the way the officer spoke to her. Excuse me, you’re a 15 y/o girl, the adult in the situation is not obligated to speak to you as if you are one of his peers or a 30 y/o woman. You’re the minor, you don’t get to have a ‘tude.
Were the officer’s actions inappropriate? Yes. Were her actions inappropriate? Yes. Did it justify him attacking her? NO! That’s what I’m commenting on. It’s not okay that our youth are stealing cars (semantics- taking something without permission is stealing) and talking back to cops. That’s NOT what I was doing at 15, so no it’s not typical teenage behavior; the fact that you can so easily label it as such is what is scary. What message are we sending our kids? Perhaps this isn’t PC to say, but with a certain level of discipline and parental control she probably wouldn’t have been driving a car without permission and without license- thus avoiding the situation altogether. IMO, this is all symptomatic of bigger problems.
But the bottom line is the officer’s response was violently innapropriate, and they should have his badge.
She was asked to remove her shoes. You are blaming the victim, Zabeth.
Okay, remove the shoes; don’t kick them at the officer.
Zabeth–you so are blaming the victim it’s embarassing. You are totally blaming the girl because she was being a 15 yr old.
No matter what–she did nothing to warrant the kind of physical assault that that cop-fink gave her.
The deputy abused Malika and he abused his position. There are no winners here. Malika is a victim of abuse but that does not take away from the fact that she is also a thief.
In all of the interviews I’ve seen, at no point does Malika take responsibility for her actions which landed her arse in jail. Her statement that the officer was being rude by saying, “So you guys steal cars” wasn’t rudeness at all. It was a fact. Her friends mother, the owner of the car called it in stolen, not “borrowed”. Sadly Malika will probably not learn from this. She will soak in every last bit of media she can and get money for being the victim of police brutality and shaking out of her what little sense she had to begin with.
Question: Why does Malika’s father seem so calm over what has been coined as such a “severe beating”?
What do you think the father should do BP?
Seems like he can do nothing but hire an attorney and sue. Getting all upset about a situation you cannot control, sounds like a wise decision.
“Sadly Malika will probably not learn from this. She will soak in every last bit of media she can and get money for being the victim of police brutality and shaking out of her what little sense she had to begin with.
Question: Why does Malika’s father seem so calm over what has been coined as such a “severe beating”?”
Now we know why this cop felt it was safe to beat a young, black woman. What is Malika supposed “to learn” from being beaten by a man twice her size, a man licensed to kill or shoot someone? I hope no one thinks these types of assaults by police cause anyone to learn to respect authority.
Last time I looked, we don’t sentence alleged thieves to beatings by police in isolated, lock-up rooms.
Maybe Malika’s father “seems calm” because he doesn’t have a problem with men hitting women.
Blaming the victim has been an epidemic, esp. when the victim is a black woman. “Stay out of the way of my fist!”
I’m waiting to read the comments posted when it’s a black grandmother beaten by a cop.
This violence is unwarranted, unacceptable and the police officer should be tried in court. The girl is also a thief who clearly needs to screw her head on straight.
The two realities have nothing to do with each other which leads to my question: why do so many people have the pressing need to ‘balance’ brutality against black women with recitations of the woman’s imperfections?
Did with do this with Rodney King? Where were the inquisitions about Amadou Diallo’s possible character flaws? How many of you would get up and march if this same beat down was given to one of the Jena 6 boys?
Can’t we finally admit that we just don’t care about violence against black women and girls? Let’s dispense with the phony analysis of this girl’s obvious flaws.
By the way, my comment wasn’t directed to the people who posted on this thread, who I believe are genuinely concerned about black women and girls.
I am, however, exhausted by the endless critiques of the failings of black female victims of violence. We are the ONLY demographic who can reasonably expect ‘mitigating factors’ to be immediately applied by the general public after being violently abused.
Cop was dead wrong no matter what the girl said or did. and like she codes said there are issues that are totally separate. We are not discussing child rearing however, we are discussing police brutality.
I agree with Gina. I am sure if there was no tape and the young lady complained about the brutality, no one would pay her any mind.
thats the sad part
I’m with shecodes on this one!!!!!!!!!!
Zabeth,
I agree that the girl was wrong, but the officer clearly went too far. Even if she kicked the shoe at him along with insults, it didn’t warrant the beating she got. In all honesty, I’m careful about advocating for bw when that have committed crimes. However, the officer’s actions were uncalled for.
What we should learn from this is that the stress cops are under causes some of them to go off the deep end. We have to be very careful how we approach them. This DOES NOT mean that we provoke violence, it simply means that with certain people (in this case cops), we must me extra careful.
Isn’t it true that there is a higher rate of spousal abuse among police officers.
If that was my daughter he nor his partner would be walking around—”believe that!!!!”
No one is even stating the obvious. This was a GROWN ASS MAN beating the snot out of a MINOR. Period. End of story.
Chantal,
You definitely should always be conscious of the fact that you’re not any more protected around black people as you would be around non-blacks. Some black people so horridly mimic white supremacy that you should–for your own safety–never view them as allies–especially if you’re a black child/girl/woman.
Please believe your eyes & ears & not the RHETORIC.
In response to deborah, that said the father was “calm”. This incident took place in November of 2008, and time plus the reality has made him less agitated and more careful about what is said and exhibited in public. They plan to get PAID, and that has made him more calm. The footage speaks volumes and there is no need to be anything other than angry but calm.
I’m Old School. You mess with the bull, you get the horn.
If my daughter kicked a shoe at the police, mouthed off at them all night, and stole my car, I’d be the one slamming her by the hair, and probably catch a case myself.
I don’t support my kids when they are wrong.
I’m not sure why there is an overwhelming criticism of Zabeth’s commentary; perhaps folks are not Reading and Comprehending what was written. I’ve worked for a Police Department in the past and have had my own words with police during traffic stops and I’ll tell you, you’d better remember that they are officers of the law and they can either treat you with respect or not depending primarily on Your Attitude and Response to the instructions given. Yes, the officer in question over-reacted, but these kids should learn something older Black Americans already know; you do Not give these Testosterone laden hot-heads a chance to violate your civil rights by being a smart-aleck. Malika was mistreated, but she could have prevented an incident by calmly following instructions given by the officers and not putting herself in harm’s way by agitating the officer with silly childish BS. I’ll bet hard lessons were learned by this young lady and she’ll show both respect and more appropriate behavior when approached by law enforcement in the future.
Recommended viewing for teenagers, and obtuse adults..Chris Rock’s How not to get your azz kicked by the police!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0mtxXEGE8
There’s really no excuse for the actions of the officer, but this girl is trouble & needs to be locked up.
The other officer in the cell after the incident should have placed the “short fused” cop under arrest immediately for assault on a minor and child endangerment EASILY. No ifs, ands or buts. If the “short fused” cop was playing verbal judo all night with the girl, he should have known better.
Should the girl have known better, yes, she should have asked if the person driving is allowed to do so, otherwise, you’re asking for trouble. Secondly, she should know, respect authority, it is one thing to do always.