big richard wrote on May 4, 2007 2:18 PM:I truely wonder how these guys are trained. If someone is walking away from you then that obviously is not aggression. If there is a news crew filming you. One would think not to attack them as they are obviously not agressive. I wonder what were these guys thinking? Surely in order to become a policeman there would have to be some kind of aptitude test and physicological evaluation before being allowed to wear a badge. I would like someone to please explain to me a good reason for the police to act as they did.

Daren wrote on May 4, 2007 3:52 PM:Looks like 'big richard' has already done an independent investigation, interviewed witnesses, looked at all available evidence and rendered a judgement. I guess no other investigation is necessary.

James S. wrote on May 5, 2007 1:48 AM:How many times do we have to see actual footage of police brutality in this city? Until these cops start getting sent to prison for felony assault, other cops will continue to act under the belief that the worst thing that will ever happen to them is a temporary suspension or maybe losing their job. When you hit someone with a wooden baton, when they haven't committed a crime, that is felony assault.

big richard wrote on May 5, 2007 6:21 AM:Pictures speak a thousand words. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to see that its wrong to beat obvious members of the media as they are filming and reporting news. I think the police are well within thier rights to protect themselves from rock and bottle throwing illegals. It just doesnt help thier cause when they cant distinguish between innocents and miscreants. They are just shooting themselves in the foot and helping to give these illegal immigrants a platform to stand on.

Memo23 wrote on May 5, 2007 11:10 AM:I'm with you, Daren----big richard is on the case!!

steve wrote on May 6, 2007 9:03 PM:I am always happy to see a member of the media get a taste of their own medicine. They hurt the lives or careers of people almost daily without caring. It is good that occasionally they take a kick in the butt.

little richard wrote on May 11, 2007 11:35 AM:list me with Daren and steve. This woman from the picture has NO CLAIM. She and other reporters / camera people violated the lawful order to stay within the reporters designated area. In her anxiousness to get film, she went running out, making herself a illegimate, and becoming to the police a legitimate (to them) target. Simply put, she got what she deserved. Or - she deserved worse. As a minimum, all those law-breaking reporters need to be arested, prosecuted and sentenced for their crimes that day. The police were doing exactly what they should - taking action to cut of the mini-riot before it escalated into bigtime. You want blame? Blame the rioters, the professional agitators, the troublemakers who were totally blocking, side to side, Wilshire Blvd middle of the street, who were throwing rocks, bricks, cans, and bottles. The news media has consistently downplayed the agitators role by saying they were throwing plastic bottles and other stuff. Not All the bottles were plastic, and basicly the heavy thrown material constitutes criminal assault with a deadly weapon with intent to create serious bodily harm. The police should have shot back with REAL bullets. The police response was MILD. There is no basis for all this nonsense about the poice behavior. Fire Chief Bracken for not backing his men. Send the perpetrators to prison.

susan wrote on May 13, 2007 7:19 PM:Reporters and their camera crews are reporting the news so we, the public, can see what is going on in the world. When my son, a Captian in the United States Marines, was in Iraq they had reporters embedded with the Marines so we could get an upclose veiw of the war back home. These reporters and their camera crews put themselves in harms way to tell us the story. Never did the Marines turn on the reporters or their camera crews. Maybe LAPD should take a lesson from the Marines?