I read about this incident when it happened in November: An African-American charter school principal in Springfield, MA pulled into a convenience store parking lot after he started to suffer a diabetic attack. Five cops called to investigate broke the window of Douglas Greer’s BMW, pulled him through the opening, called him a drug user, beat him, and shackled him, claiming that they believed his behavior indicated he was in the throes of a drug-induced high.
Yesterday, Springfield’s police commission has voted 3-2 not to discipline the officers, calling the beating “a case of misunderstanding” (here).
Apparently it is considered good police work to assume that the black man who is incoherent and convulsing must be on drugs. Would this have been acceptable police behavior even if Greer had been on drugs? He wasn’t a threat to anyone’s safety except his own. He was obviously distressed.
And if he’s not on drugs, well, heck folks: Misunderstanding. Black man thrashing around the front seat of his car and screaming… you can understand why the police felt impelled to protect and serve the public by beating, choking and kicking him.
