He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother
The only reason we are hearing about this is because it was a young cop coming forward to help prosecute the case. He hasn’t been desensitized to the police culture of violence – yet.
A South Auckland constable plans to tell a jury he was acting as a responsible police officer when he backhanded a handcuffed drunk man in the back of a patrol car several times.
Alexander Grant is charged with injuring Hemi Koia with intent to injure while transporting him in the back of a police car in July 2003.
The constable, who has been stood down, is alleged to have hit Mr Koia up to 20 times, knocking him out and leaving his nose bleeding.
Constable Wayne Mead, one of the first officers to arrive at Mr Koia's house that night, told the court he found him to be "very angry, stroppy and yelling abusive words".
He said police had decided to leave because they were aggravating the situation but Mr Koia kept "nutting off" and swearing.
"That's when Constable Alex Grant then said, 'I'm not putting up with that - he's coming with us'."
Mr Mead said Grant hit Mr Koia between 15 and 20 times in the face, head and upper body while making comments like " ... how do you feel now that you're not f...... in control" and "don't call me pigshit".
At one stage Mr Koia lost consciousness. He heard Grant say, "Shit, I think we better call an ambulance" but he then managed to wake Mr Koia by gently slapping him on the face.
Mr Mead, then a very junior officer, said he was shocked and distressed by what happened in the car and at one stage feared Mr Koia was dead.
"I was totally against what Mr Grant was doing to Mr Koia. It was disgusting."
The trial continues today.
posted by Bomber @ 11:39 am
49 comments
49 Comments:
After watching some of the abuse Police are forced to put up with, its unsurprising they sometimes snap. Root cause anyone?
Someone needs to break it to Bomber that the behaviour of the Police is merely a reflection of the society they are recruited from and work in. Sure you might be able to screen out the kind of clowns who drop concrete blocks onto the motorway or drive into a crowd of people with a car. But you can't honestly expect to weed out everybody who might loose their rag after copping a shitload of abuse under the stress of dealing with the former types of stupidity on a daily basis. The Police have 10,000 odd staff and all we ever hear from Bomber is a drumbeat of negativity resulting from their inevitable fuckups. You might as well try judge the worth of Maori from the Kahui family or Islam from OBL and his mates.
Good analogy...
i understand and accept that police officers put up with a lot of abuse. for that reason i can see why it happens.that in no way means that his [the officer's] behaviour was acceptable. it was not. unfortunately it seems that their training might be inadequate in some situations and there might not be some superior over-looking the officer and identifying the stress before it goes over the top. like any citizen. if he's guilty of that assault, down he goes.
yes shane, take it from me he is gone and no one is defending him. but for martyn to label all police the same over and over is bullshit and its nice to know that those that agree with him are the minority of society
"what bomber fails to understand is that these actions of police officers that abuse their powers are carried out by a very small portion of 10,000 police. he seems hell bent on judging the entire police force on actions of a very small minority."
A LARGE proportion of police abuse their powers and an even larger proportion of police turn a blind eye to it.
20 blows. Why is that acceptable? I dont think it is. Arent there people in prison for doing far less than that?
so I get it, its ok to lose your rag at anyone as long as your a police officer. Yes yes Mr. Koia was totally in the wrong for vebal abuse and deserve to be knocked unconscious while in handcuffs, yet how many officers turned up to this, and only one stood up for the right of another person. Anon 11/10/06 7:24 PM, you are so right all the other officers that turned a blind eye are such saints. Gee i am so glad that we have peple like that, that protect us from the bad people
you people need to spend a day in South Auckland. Walk a mile in the same "boots" and see if your opinion changes. However, with rights come responsibilties.....but this is accurate for both POLICE and Civilians.
The onus is on the Police, as the enforcers of the law, to be far more responsible than ordinary citizens. Why are thugs like this allowed to become Police in the first place? Why are there so few "Good" Cops that have the guts to inform on the "Bad" ones. Thank goodness that there are actually some "Good Cops" around. I still have a lot of respect for the NZ Police although it is diminishing.
Walk a mile in Mr Koia's shoes. To be handcuffed and then suffer multiple blows to the head, face, and body. I believe this is called "The Bash"
"the bash" maybe the conseqeunce but what was the cause? At the end of the day / investigation, Mr Koia was acting in a antisocial manner which resulted physical harm.
Jack says
"A LARGE proportion of police abuse their powers and an even larger proportion of police turn a blind eye to it."
Do you have any links to back up this claim Jack?
Any evidence. You know, facts.
Because if it is just your opinion, then it means jack, Jack.
So you say Mr Koia deserved to be bashed when he was already handcuffed and not a threat - his crime being "antisocial". Struck by 20 blows? I thought we lived in a better society than that which Police have free reign to assault people in such a manner.
"A LARGE proportion of police abuse their powers and an even larger proportion of police turn a blind eye to it."
I believe so, and every now and then one breaks the Blue Wall of Silence and speaks out.
This brings back vivid memories of a Police officer on the Shore who sprayed mace in the face of a handcuffed prisonor, and still nothing has been done about that! Who can the public have confidence in our Police, and this case is yet enother example of why New Zealanders don't want their Police armed with tasers
Anonymous said...
you people need to spend a day in South Auckland. Walk a mile in the same "boots" and see if your opinion changes.
i live in south auckland, was that suppose to mean we are all thuggs and hood and should be treated like this guy.... Its this mentality the all south aucklander or poor or low income or Maori or Pacfic Islanders are crooks... that crap holds fast with the police and the attitude towards South Auckland residents... Thats why alot of youth here in this area hate police because most are blood crooks themselves and they treat people out here like shit.
too right right anon above me, im from central/east auckland but have lived in south. you don't know unless you live there to make judgement. i go to penrose and we have alot of students who live in south and am friend to alot of them. also have a fair amount of gangs at school who i am also affiliated with, not the gangs like tagging buildings and little school scraps, i mean the ones in groups of 100s, this is not a joke. i know of a gang that has killed someone too. the reality is harsh and REAL. it takes one to know one as they say, you gotta be there to see it.
Such 'gangs' should be cracked down upon and dealt with without mercy. Please tell us what positive benefits you gain from associating with such people Luke?
firstly by what i said as "a fair amount of gangs", i didn't mean numbers of gangs, i meant people into that stuff.
what i was pointing out judge was that these things are real and they are real people. you have got to know the right people at a school like mine to look after yourself, it sounds stupid and petty but its true. some of them are old friends that have got into this through high school and some are in just to look after themselves.
there are the gangs in the area that go around causing trouble like vandals and junkies and all them but the gang people i know from my school are in it to look after the neighborhood and our students, theres never any trouble started by them or doing anything illegal, its whenever a person is bullied wrongfully and they hear wind of it they give the person(s) a beating (not the best solution but thats how to deal with it at schools in our level of school). all we do is spend time talking, listening music, walking the school and playing basketball.
the ones that killed a guy are not from my school and i do not know any of them, i know a guy who knows a guy in that gang.
i do not support the gang idea, but i cant deny it so i accept it. i dont get into anything they do as a gang, im friends with the PEOPLE, not the GANG
"but the gang people i know from my school are in it to look after the neighborhood and our students, theres never any trouble started by them or doing anything illegal, its whenever a person is bullied wrongfully and they hear wind of it they give the person(s) a beating (not the best solution but thats how to deal with it at schools in our level of school)
"That sounds kinda like vigilantism (sp?) Luke...its what a lot of people in a previous thread were decrying when it occurred in Palliser Bay...Surely once again this is proof of the need for an effective and probably more visible police presence, so as to ensure that people are not required to take action upon themselves to protect the physical person and property of themselves and their friends?
yes ive pointed out before numerous times that we need better police training to better interact with these communitys to help decay these "gang" commmunitys.
arh but you see there is a difference from a town chasing 2 teens and shooting at them and rolling boulders than a group of teens beating up other teenagers.
the problem is that this can and probly will escalade to worse violence it will will branch outside school as many of this already has.
Is there a difference though...the mentality is surely the same, the effect is just a matter of degree...actually you do seem to acknowledge that in your last paragraph, in which case I think we are in agreement.
"there are the gangs in the area that go around causing trouble like vandals and junkies and all them but the gang people i know from my school are in it to look after the neighborhood and our students, theres never any trouble started by them or doing anything illegal, its whenever a person is bullied wrongfully and they hear wind of it they give the person(s) a beating (not the best solution but thats how to deal with it at schools in our level of school). all we do is spend time talking, listening music, walking the school and playing basketball."
Gang culture, violence, intimidation and vigilantism all condoned
"(not the best solution but thats how to deal with it at schools in our level of school)"
by our very own Angry Young Man
Luke.
It's funny Luke, but the other gangs say exactly the same thing; they are peaceful, community orientated guys it's just Lukes affiliated gang that causes all the trouble.
I guess you are part of the problem, not the solution huh Luke.
"i do not support the gang idea, but i cant deny it so i accept it. i dont get into anything they do as a gang, im friends with the PEOPLE, not the GANG"
Then either do something to get your friends out of these gangs, or stop hanging round with these friends, or you are part of the problem.
Luke.
What a sad example of today's education system.
Learn to spell!!
cheers tim, yeh it really is a BIG difference in shooting teens and teens fighting.
jimmy, now remember im at school, the people who i know in these gangs are at school aswell, if they had the intentions to be causing trouble they wouldnt be at school (which students who have been and are drop outs roaming the streets)
the gang i interact with actually dont do anything but what i said before, playing music etc. i dont see how thats any problem to anybody is it?
think of it more like...school police. obviously not the same and less power but with similar principles minus the unlawful beatings. theres these few spots of the school where we hang out, we dont claim them like the whole get outta my hood thing either.
or if ud like, think of it as a group or club you know? its not a racial gang, there are pacific islanders and maoris and this asian dude and me (part caucasian/part cook island) if you want to have another go at me.
watever anyway you don't go to my school so you wouldnt really have the slightest idea of how to interpret what we do or what the gangs ideals are.
to anon, judgement of a system/country/religon due to one persons mistakes is very dumb.
just like having a grudge on all americans.
ill learn to spell when it actually has an importance to what im saying...it doesnt so i wont.
Luke,
Unless you are dyslexic or have or some other reading difficulties then there is NO excuse for not being able to spell.
You CANNOT be taken as seriously as you want to be if you cannot cobble a sentence together.
Lazy speller, lazy thinker.
The rest of your post is backpeddling bullshit.
You said;
"i do not support the gang idea, but i cant deny it so i accept it. i dont get into anything they do as a gang, im friends with the PEOPLE, not the GANG"
Shall we put it another way.
I do not support wife beating, but I can't deny it so I accept it...
I do not support vigilantism, but I can't deny it so I accept it...
I do not support youth violence, but I can't deny it so I accept it...
I do not support the war in Iraq, but I can't deny it so I accept it...
Do I need to spell it out to you some more?
You can spin, or justify your friends anti-social behaivour as much as you want, but it doesn't make it right, and you shouldn't accept it.
Stand up on your own two feet Luke, ditch these friends, and stop being part of the problem.
"to anon, judgement of a system/country/religon due to one persons mistakes is very dumb.
just like having a grudge on all americans."
Best direct that to bomber, he is the king of generalisations.
Unless you are dyslexic or have or some other reading difficulties then there is NO excuse for not being able to spell.
You CANNOT be taken as seriously as you want to be if you cannot cobble a sentence together.
Lazy speller, lazy thinker.
haha don't you mean slow thinker. explain your theory a little more indtead of just making a statement.
Oh Jimmy your effort is much appreciated but i seriously dont give a toss of your judgement on me:)
The need to out wit me is quite boring. Yes, yes i just say all that stuff to help justify what they do when all they actually do has been ignored by you obviously.
Re-read my comment: "watever anyway you don't go to my school so you wouldnt really have the slightest idea of how to interpret what we do or what the gangs ideals are" So you can't make all these comments about me justifying what they do with implications that what they do is bad.
How am i apart of a problem? What is the problem? Please tell me so i don't further make up justifications for my bad social/moral decisons of the people i choose to be around.
"Best direct that to bomber, he is the king of generalisations"
Well the comment about bombs generalising has been discussed before. If you read bombers posts on things, read it and think is he talking about the whole group or the ones in questions. When he refers to american politics and snides USA i feel he means the public that support bush and bushs administration. There isn't room in debates to always have to outline who specifcaly you are talking about and who you aren't unless that issue is raised in the debate. If you think he generalises then tell him, not me. You'll then get your explanation or your proof that your right.
oh great your gonna pin me for "explain your theory a little more indtead of just making a statement."
Re-read my comment: "watever anyway you don't go to my school so you wouldnt really have the slightest idea of how to interpret what we do or what the gangs ideals are"
So what you are saying Luke is only talk about what you have experience in?
Care to follow your own advice?
over what matter? school gangs?
Luke,
Do you live in Iraq?
Then how can you possibly comment on something you don't know anything about?
Luke were you in the town when the locals chased the kids and the police had to save them?
Then how can you possibly comment on something you don't know anything about?
etc...
The trouble with your argument Luke, is that I HAVE been to school and know what school gangs are like.
So I CAN comment on these things.
But go read your original quotes about gangs, and stop backpeddling.
"i go to penrose and we have alot of students who live in south and am friend to alot of them. also have a fair amount of gangs at school who i am also affiliated with, not the gangs like tagging buildings and little school scraps, i mean the ones in groups of 100s, this is not a joke."
No, it isn't a joke, gangs are gangs bub.
"When he refers to american politics and snides USA i feel he means the public that support bush and bushs administration."
Feel he means? Not getting his point across as clearly as he wants it appears.
"There isn't room in debates to always have to outline who specifcaly you are talking about and who you aren't unless that issue is raised in the debate."
Yes there is. Only lazy people don't put their points into context.
I don't know who or what you are talking about, you have to tell me. You also have to tell me so I don't misconstrue your argument.
Debating skills 101 Luke.
Luke.
If my friends were wife beaters, and I knew this, accepted it, and did nothing to prevent it, I am part of the problem.
Get it?
I think Luke has got it.
Hey quick guys, the 17 year old is on the floor, fucking kick him jimmy, in the face now come on Jimmy, kick him in the face. Big man Jimmy, what do you do for an encore, push around old ladies?
What our friends here seem to have missed luke is what you point out - people who don't feel connected to the society form their own gangs - partly from a need to protect themselves, partly because of alienation - but those topics seem to be a little bit beyond the 'own your problem, up by your bootstraps' intellect of our challenged friends here.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bomber,
Stop treating Luke as a child.
He comes on to a talkboard and wants to be treated like an adult, so that is what I am doing.
What he doesn't need is some minder stepping in to fight his battles.
Looks like bomber doesn't think you are an adult either Luke.
Read what Luke wrote bomber, and my responses.
Luke wants his cake and to eat it too. It doesn't work like that.
Luke cannot say that he can pass comment on a topic, but nobody can comment on his topic (school gangs).
Luke cannot say that other gangs are violent, but his isn't. Don't you think that is what all gangs say?
In South Auckland there is a problem with gang culture.
These gangs are now murdering each other on a fairly regular basis.
For Luke to say that there is nothing wrong with gangs is patently untrue.
For Luke to say that he can't change them so he accepts them is a cop out.
Luke may feel disconnected to society, shit we all did, but that doesn't mean he needs to join a gang.
Luke, get an education, remember where you came from as you go forward, but for fucks sake don't get tied up with gangs.
...
wow, didn't officer jimmy get respectful all of a sudden
Don't like being wrong do you bomber?
Can't be a man and admit that you are treating Luke as a kid by stepping in to fight his battles.
Don't worry bomber, it takes a big man to admit when he is wrong.
...
Grin – look at Officer Jimmy all pumped here – Officer I didn’t say that Luke needed protecting, he’s a great blogger with some refreshing cynicism to the usual slop that passes for opinion. I just stepped in to remind you he’s 17, and the full face kicking you were giving him was, how does one put it, like a bully. And I love standing up to bullies.
Bomber.
Luke wants to be treated as an adult.
I did.
I did not bully him.
The full face kicking you refer to is me winning an argument with Luke. Love the over-the-top description though.
Do you expect me to "lose" an argument to Luke because he is 17?
How fucking patronising to Luke.
His age is irrelevent.
Now, until Lukes asks for your help, why don't you mind your own business.
haha jimmy i been watching this. his own business? hahaha
come on folks, im putting my word in and asking for response i can work off. not rehetorical questions and slags.
dont worry bombs im fine, its funny though how a debate or discussion turns into a fight lol
Luke.
This isn't a fight Luke, it's a discussion and you know it.
If you can't or wont argue the point with me, thats fine.
But if you are losing an argument, be a man and take it on the chin.
To everybody reading this discussion, they will know that you could not defend your position.
They will also have noticed that bomber waded in to save you from an argument you couldn't win.
Bomber patronised you Luke, and you can't even see it because your blind admiration of him wont allow it.
I treated you like an adult, Luke.
Bomber, by constantly refering to your age, didn't.
Ok jimmy lets look at the discussion. you said to me:
Luke,
Do you live in Iraq?
Then how can you possibly comment on something you don't know anything about?
Luke were you in the town when the locals chased the kids and the police had to save them?
Then how can you possibly comment on something you don't know anything about?
etc...
hrmm no but does that mean that my morals or ethics to these events do not count? is this not a blog where people can speak their mind and say "HEY look whats going here guys, do you really feel that other human beings should do this or that we should look at whats going on and think why arent we changing this?"
Everyone has a say in what goes on in this world as human beings whether or not they are there ok. If you feel that i have NO say in this then at least don't be a hypocrite and just stop blogging ok because your say means nothing because you yourself are not at these places.
The trouble with your argument Luke, is that I HAVE been to school and know what school gangs are like.
So I CAN comment on these things.
my apologies but unless your still at school, i can bet things have changed in the last 10yrs. yes there are school gangs but im sorry it isn't or drugs and violence buddy. have you noticed the infulence hiphop culture has made in new zealand in the last 5 years? its no longer the time of NWA with its morals of shoot everyone, fuck every bitch and do weed. its now got people like kanye west, scribe, outkast etc. these are artists that don't promote any of that stuff. the gang thing is still about being top dog etc but it is no longer tied with having to be violent and break the law.
and that leads to this point of your comment here:
Luke.
If my friends were wife beaters, and I knew this, accepted it, and did nothing to prevent it, I am part of the problem.
Get it?
there isn't a problem with the people i am with. beating your wife can have NO moral justification at all compared to beating a guy up for bullying or hitting one of your friends/family right?
Luke cannot say that other gangs are violent, but his isn't. Don't you think that is what all gangs say?
In South Auckland there is a problem with gang culture.
These gangs are now murdering each other on a fairly regular basis.
For Luke to say that there is nothing wrong with gangs is patently untrue.
hrmm but as you say that "gangs are now murdering each other on a fairly regular basis" don't you think that they would be pretty upfront with how dangerous they are or like to feel they are? if u know what you say you do then you will know that gangs like that go round looking for fights and are happy to point out that they will hurt you.
I say that there is nothing wrong with gangs like the one i associate with at school who i have already pointed out are no problem.
This isn't a fight Luke, it's a discussion and you know it.
If you can't or wont argue the point with me, thats fine.
But if you are losing an argument, be a man and take it on the chin
yeh it was a discussion but u ignored what i said about the gang i associate with, you boldly say:
"Luke cannot say that other gangs are violent, but his isn't. Don't you think that is what all gangs say?"
now isn't that just one big assumption? theres no evidence to your point that what i said was wrong. its just a snide comment putting my statement aside as a joke.
good enough response?
Luke,
Well it was a long enough response.
What you are saying is you can speak with authority on any subject you care to, as this is a blog which asks for peoples opinions.
Fair enough.
You then state that I can't comment on street gangs with any authority as I haven't been to school lately.
So, which do you want Luke, all opinions count, or none at all?
If you can comment on Iraq, I can comment on school gangs.
"have you noticed the infulence hiphop culture has made in new zealand in the last 5 years? its no longer the time of NWA with its morals of shoot everyone, fuck every bitch and do weed. its now got people like kanye west, scribe, outkast etc. these are artists that don't promote any of that stuff. the gang thing is still about being top dog etc but it is no longer tied with having to be violent and break the law."
WTF? So you are telling me that there is NO problem with youth street gangs?
"I say that there is nothing wrong with gangs like the one i associate with at school who i have already pointed out are no problem"
Luke, it's always the other guys fault.
Weare only ever defending our selves/women/children/property...
"there isn't a problem with the people i am with. beating your wife can have NO moral justification at all compared to beating a guy up for bullying or hitting one of your friends/family right?"
Beating up someone for bullying your friend is assault, vigilantism, and taking the law into your own hands.
A criminal offence just like wife beating.
Luke,
The fact that you cannot see anything wrong with taking the law into your own hands, or your friends doing so points to you being part of the problem of youth in this country forming gangs and taking the law into their own hands.
"You then state that I can't comment on street gangs with any authority as I haven't been to school lately.
So, which do you want Luke, all opinions count, or none at all?
If you can comment on Iraq, I can comment on school gangs."
i only said that because you claim here:
"I HAVE been to school and know what school gangs are like.
So I CAN comment on these things."
what i meant was yeh for your time you can comment.
"WTF? So you are telling me that there is NO problem with youth street gangs?"
no, sorry but once again i didn't make myself clear. i was referring to the gang in question i associate with.
"Beating up someone for bullying your friend is assault, vigilantism, and taking the law into your own hands.
A criminal offence just like wife beating.
Luke,
The fact that you cannot see anything wrong with taking the law into your own hands, or your friends doing so points to you being part of the problem of youth in this country forming gangs and taking the law into their own hands."
sedition is also a criminal offence and Tims in jail for that, is that right though?
Whats more important to you? Law or Justice. They are different Jimmy.
Luke,
You taking the law into your own hands is NOT justice, it is assault, vigilantism and a criminal offence.
You say your gang is innocent, but you have admitted that they use violence to solve their problems.
Another kid dead this weekend. Another kid going to prison.
Violence solves nothing.
Tim broke the law, Luke, and is being punished for it.
Tim had no right to put an axe through a window. He made a political act, and recieved a political conviction. He should wear it with pride.
Justice is important Luke, but it is not up to you or your friends, or Tim for that matter, to enforce it.
I see how you are looking at this now jimmy, and I accept we have different views. Agreed?
My viewpoint is that violence is pointless, and gangs of youths defending their honour with violence is pointless.
"Street justice" is not justice, it is vigilantism.
If your viewpoint differs from this then that saddens me.
It saddens you because you can't accept that this is how it is.
I myself believe that violence is not a good thing but at this point in time and in these situations with gangs it is the only thing they know to do. Yes that is VERY ignorent of me to say but can you think of a way to stop it right now? a practical, realistic way that would work and for you to tell these gangs to do and that they would follow, making things better?
Post a Comment
<< Home