Discussion
  • Read More
    kiracJia Tolentino
    3/18/15 6:12pm

    On Twitter this person says he is Martese Johnson's roommate and that it was in fact Martese's real I.D. that he presented.

    I suspected this when the charges against failed to include a fake I.D. charge.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      RegalAlienkirac
      3/18/15 6:19pm

      Well, that's a whole 'nother level of awful.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      HarvestMoonkirac
      3/18/15 6:19pm

      Wow.

      Not that a fake ID deserves assault, but jeez, he was assaulted for being a model citizen.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    fighting polish is David Schwimmer as Rob Kardashian SrJia Tolentino
    3/18/15 6:14pm

    Jia, you went to UVA, right? After everything that your school has been through, what are your feelings about your alma mater?

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      standpoor178fighting polish is David Schwimmer as Rob Kardashian Sr
      3/18/15 6:35pm

      I'm a grad student here; before I knew about this, I heard two undergrads walking behind me talking about how UVA has been a microcosm for everything happening in our country right now. That sums up pretty well how I feel about it (I know you didn't ask me); I'm experiencing small-scale basically every fight I care about (there's been a fair wage thing going on, too). I don't hate UVA. I'm really glad Sullivan contacted McCauliffe; the majority of young black men who are assaulted by the cops don't have a large and powerful institution behind them. That said, all of the things that give UVA the power to instigate such an investigation also preserve all of the structures of oppression that are so prevalent throughout the country.

      I'm also really worried and sad for the undergrad population — Hannah Graham, three suicides, and now this.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      fighting polish is David Schwimmer as Rob Kardashian Srstandpoor178
      3/18/15 6:39pm

      Thank you! I appreciate it.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    bjerrnerJia Tolentino
    3/18/15 6:08pm

    He "was injured"? Uh, no, he "was assaulted".

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Jia Tolentinobjerrner
      3/18/15 6:11pm

      the ABC statement is so bad: "the arrested individual sustained injuries"

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      RegalAlienJia Tolentino
      3/18/15 6:15pm

      Yeah, like, one minute he was fine and the next he had "sustained injuries"! Sure, in the 59 seconds in between one of our officers slammed his head into the ground, but whatevs.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    Carbs & BarbsJia Tolentino
    3/18/15 6:33pm

    One of the officers kept repeating, "stop resisting" and "put your hands behind your back" WHILE HIS HANDS WERE BEHIND HIS BACK, SOMEONE WAS STRADDLING HIM, HE WAS BEING CUFFED AND HIS HEAD WAS BLEEDING PROFUSELY.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      JoeDuncanCarbs & Barbs
      3/18/15 6:47pm

      That's for the benefit of any audio recording, but basically it's the equivalent of "stop hitting yourself, stop hitting yourself"

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      BlueJeansCarbs & Barbs
      3/18/15 6:50pm

      Can someone explain to me — is the use of phrases like "stop resisting" and "get down" and "hands behind your back" (and even "he's going for my gun") when they do not match reality something that cops are now specifically trained on because of the prevalence of filming?

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    TolkienNegroJia Tolentino
    3/18/15 7:00pm

    "This has nothing to do with race." - some white guy in 3...2...

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      TzaTolkienNegro
      3/18/15 7:04pm

      We've already got "NOT AN FBI AGENT" spreading the gospel of thuggery, so why not...

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      Avada Yo MamaTolkienNegro
      3/18/15 7:14pm

      Even usual non-racists are up there deflecting the point to "why does Virginia have ABC anyway?" >:(

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    Ari Schwartz: Dark Lord of the SnarkJia Tolentino
    3/18/15 6:54pm

    Firstly, the fact that these ABC jackboots (yeah yeah, shit on me for being hyperbolic, I know what I'm saying) even exist is absurd. Does a state really need a special squad of alcohol nannies to protect us from the horrible crime of drinking? I'm curious what rationale there is for having SUPER SPECIAL MISSION POLICE for alcohol. Protect college students from being dumb? Keep the hooch moderated? Ensure that nobody buys a 40 after 2 am?

    It's state stupidity. It does nothing to keep anyone safe.

    However, more importantly, why the fuck would you bother arresting someone for this heinous crime? To what end? Write the guy a ticket, fake ID or not (except not in this case, but the state authority wuvvers will say you can never be too sure!) and leave him to pay his stupid fine (or appeal.)

    I really can't help but wonder what the state authority boners will say about this to defend the cops here. Maybe it's his fault for being completely legally right?

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      MisterMcGibbletsAri Schwartz: Dark Lord of the Snark
      3/18/15 7:24pm

      Law enforcement is barely a secondary concern for the ABC. It exists solely for the generation of revenue. Rather than just taxes, the state also gets the profit from all liquor sales in Virginia. Imagine the revenue generated by bourbon alone. The agents exist to enforce the monopoly by shutting down competition with the force of law. It's not even legal to own a functional liquor still here.

      That's all bad enough, but the real problem is that they were basically given jurisdiction over all alcohol-related laws. This became yet another revenue stream. When they bust underage people for fake IDs or possession, they're not really concerned about enforcing the age restriction. That kid is a means to levying a fine against the store/bar that sold them the alcohol.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      Ari Schwartz: Dark Lord of the SnarkMisterMcGibblets
      3/18/15 7:26pm

      Oh, I figured as much. They're as bad as the ticket trap police forces whose sole purpose is to generate revenue for shit towns in the middle of nowhere by setting up speed traps.

      It has nothing to do with safety, and everything to do with make additional money for the state (as in, the authorities.)

      It erodes public trust in state purpose while doing little to improve life overall. Lose-lose!

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    NicoleamariaJia Tolentino
    3/18/15 6:48pm

    I hate that this needs to be a thing but I'm thankful for whoever filmed this.

    Seriously, if you see a police agency fucking up, please record it in whatever way you can. It doesn't always help (see Eric Garner) but it might make a difference.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      BlueJeansNicoleamaria
      3/18/15 7:16pm

      As depressing and fucked as the Eric Garner non-indictment was, I would still argue that filming "helped" in that it put it in front of the public and made it harder for people who'd otherwise be wishy-washy to justify non-engagement. People know Garner's name now, and that's something — if his name (like Brown and Rice and and and.....) continues to drive advocacy, then at least something came out of people's decision to film.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      NicoleamariaBlueJeans
      3/18/15 7:18pm

      That is such a good point. I was thinking about how it didn't help with an indictment, but that video definitely made the situation very clear to the general public.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    Andrew DaisukeJia Tolentino
    3/18/15 6:17pm

    Apparently;

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Set Fire to the Room--do it now (fiends NOT friends)Andrew Daisuke
      3/18/15 7:04pm

      That took me an embarrassingly long tine to get. Then again, I didn't get into UVA.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      ad infinitumSet Fire to the Room--do it now (fiends NOT friends)
      3/18/15 7:18pm

      Ha, I kept going, "What's the S for? You... stop for haters?"

      s-m-r-t!

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    ConanJia Tolentino
    3/18/15 7:07pm

    Virginia ABC is a disaster. They put my then 85 year old grandfather in cuffs due over the incorrect claim that one of his wine festival volunteers had sold to an underage drinker.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Ari Schwartz: Dark Lord of the SnarkConan
      3/18/15 7:10pm

      This is one of the bigger issues with vice policing in general. What are you actually trying to accomplish with this shit?

      It's one thing when you give someone a citation that dissuades people from being dumbasses, but when you empower these buttholes to cuff and arrest people for the slightest infraction you waste so much state goodwill in order to protect us from ourselves.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    April Ludgate-Karate-DwyerJia Tolentino
    3/18/15 11:15pm

    I just keep thinking how my old roommate used to get into bars on the Corner by showing them a piece of paper with an edited copy of her passport she'd made using Photoshop and my printer.

    And they arrest and assault this guy, who may have in fact had a real ID.

    Like…goddamn.

    I hope T-Sully can actually help this guy and get someone justice for once.

    Reply
    <