Baltimore cops V.S. skateboarder
February 13, 2008 - 4:48 pm
Baltimore Cop Vs. 14-Year-Old Skateboarder. Something tells me that Officer Rivieri is going to have a lot of explaining to do to the chief of police tomorrow.
Crazy, Weird And Funny Place
Bizarre ,Weird And Funny Place
February 14th, 2008 at 12:28 am
What a jerk…I would totally call police brutality on this guy…and I would sue him for pushing me around, stealing my board, and threatening my life! What are we in Nazi Germany again?
February 15th, 2008 at 12:21 am
I would love to know where I can get tickets for the power trip that this cop is on! It’s no wonder that the cops aren’t respected! Fortunately, this A-hole cop was suspended. With any luck, he will be unemployed.
February 16th, 2008 at 2:37 am
“Learn the meaning of respect” huh? Good idea, Slappy McShades. This is why I love citizen journalism!
Also love when aggressive people tell you not to get defensive… that makes sense.
February 16th, 2008 at 4:01 am
This isn’t police brutality. This is a policeman doing a kid a favor. The kid is guilty of interfering with a duly sworn officer of the law. He should have been arrested and handcuffed.
It’s one of the problems with children today. Their worthless parents buy them skateboards and cell phones somehow forget to teach them respect for authority.
I hope Officer Rivieri receives a commendation for his performance.
February 16th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Larry you’re an idiot.
February 16th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
This cop had a bad day. There’s NO reason for the cop to be such a dick. Yea, the kid called him dude. That’s not against the law.
Skateboarding in the park may be, but there are better ways to handle it. “You can’t skate here.. Sorry.” or “hey, ya know it’s illegal to skate here. If I see it again I’m going to have to confiscate the board and take you home”
not the rant this asshole went on.
February 17th, 2008 at 12:42 am
This would be a lot funnier if the cop was played by Will Farrel
February 17th, 2008 at 1:17 am
I think someone should find his phone number so everyone and their grandmother can call the guy and say “Duuuude, How’s it goin’?”
February 17th, 2008 at 3:35 am
Larry, if you actually think this is justified and balanced then its apparent you are a fascist idiot and will find yourself in the minority. Watch the video again, and again until you can properly assess the idiocy in it.
February 17th, 2008 at 4:29 am
Doing the kid a favor? The guy isn’t being professional at all! Flipping the fuck out doesn’t help the situation at all.
February 17th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Larry. You are joking!
February 17th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Larry… would your last name happen to be Rivieri?
February 17th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Larry, you’re an idiot. People who respect authority for no other reason than its authoritative position are what we call sheep. Authority does not deserve respect simply because it is authority. This “duly sworn officer” is a power-tripping egomaniac who is taking out his repressed anger on these kids instead of the ones who bullied his fat stupid ass in high school.
The law DOES NOT give a police officer the right to verbally or physically assault a child just because he isn’t stroking the officer’s gigantic ego. On top of that, a middle aged man should know better than to throw a temper tantrum in public.
I wonder of Maryland is one of those states that won’t take cops who score too high on an intelligence test.
February 17th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Not really larry… I know alot of the officers and they don’t mind if I skateboard in my town…. It’s not a whole big deal… he should get arrested himself. No cop should do that to a kid who’s quite…
February 17th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Typical of today’s society that the cop is in the wrong here. This little punk kid needs a good hiding for disrespecting authority. If a policeman asks a question, you answer politely, otherwise you deserve what you get. We all want the cops when we need them, but otherwise they are seen as jokers by kids like these.
Well done officer…keep up the good work
February 17th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Hey Larry, I’d hardly say that physically assaulting a non-resisting member of the public is doing them a favour, or even commendation-worthy.
The cop was obviously aggressive towards a person less than half his size and then he put the kid in a headlock and put him on the floor. He sure is a big man.
If police want respect, they should be more polite to the public instead of charging around acting like they’re in a John Woo movie.
I’ve seen good policing, and this ain’t it.
February 17th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
This officer was suspended, as well he should be. The kid was doing nothing that merited that sort of response. I’ve been reading too many reports of cops going far beyond the limits of their duty.
February 17th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
The kid did not interfere with the police officers job. He had listened top the officer, and did not resist him. He asked questions, and questioned the actions of the officer, which he is allowed to do. The officer berated the child, and threatened him verbally. He also abused the child physically by throwing the child to the ground, and verbally abused him. He insulted the child’s family by accusing the child’s parents of having poor parenting skills. There was no reason to arrest the child, as they had pretty much obeyed the officer and managed to show surprising and admirable patience and obedience to the officer on his power trip. Otherwise, this officer very well might have arrested the child… and yes, it did come off as a power trip. While officer Rivieri was talking about respect for authority, he failed to take into account the lack of disrespect for his orders other than the child’s bafflement about his skateboard being taken away. He failed to put himself in the child’s shoes, who is, remember, only 14 after all.
While police officers have the authority to be stern and be forceful when necessary, they should only use such force and authority if absolutely necessary. They still have a responsibility, and a duty, to be courteous and sensible to its citizens, especially if they are pretty much cooperating the entire time.
As for disrespecting the officer, the badge, and the police department, I believe officer Rivieri had disrespected himself, his badge, and the police department more than those skateboarder kids could ever have done through their actions and decisions shown in this tape.
Power to the Peaceful!
February 17th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
WOW who ever thinks this cop was justified is obviously an idiot. The cop was completely out of control. He had no reason to attack that kid and put him in a headlock.
February 17th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Seriously, this is ridiculous. I would have asked for his badge number and called 911 to report him. An officer of the law should NEVER act this way while on duty, especially to a 14 year-old boy, whose only crime, as I can tell, was skating in a no-skating area, and calling an officer “dude”(the latter, I know to be a force of habit, especially in a stressful situation like that.) And especially at the end, when the officer was on the verge of freaking out at the kid who was recording it. “Is that thing on? I swear if I find myself on-”
February 17th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Wow. I dont understand why the cop was that pissed off. The kid was was being completely compliant. It was funny how at the end when he asked if the camera was on and the kid said no and the officer said “If I find myself on Youtube….” I wanted to hear the rest of that sentence.
February 17th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
He’s not a DUDE….he’s an ASSHOLE….glad he got suspended, he should be fired, or charged. What would he have done if it was some other citizen harassing these kids?
February 18th, 2008 at 2:29 am
Callum
-Typical of today’s society that the cop is in the wrong here. This little punk kid needs a good hiding for disrespecting authority. If a policeman asks a question, you answer politely, otherwise you deserve what you get. We all want the cops when we need them, but otherwise they are seen as jokers by kids like these.
Well done officer…keep up the good work
Hmmmmm…… Anyone would be in the wrong for treating someone this way.(even a child, Callum) Had these kids done something to provoke him, physically or verbally, perhaps a heightened response would be necessary. In this case, you have an “Officer” that is very caught up in his own self-rightieous, indignant mind-trip. Just because you wear a uniform doesn’t mean you can ignore the law, treat anyone however you want and can lay your hands on a minor child. Had the kid been armed, yeah, knock him the #$%! down. Disarm him. But manhandling a 14 year-old while you are wearing a flak vest and carrying a firearm???!!?!?!?! Pleeeeeease….
February 18th, 2008 at 2:42 am
Jerry and Callum, sorry to see that you feel that way about this video. May I remind you that assault is also a crime? Even if this kid was skateboarding, and I don’t think anyone is debating that, was that enough to cause physical confrontation?
It is obvious from the video that the kid was wearing headphones and was unable to hear the officer. This “lack of respect” is complete nonsense. Is it lack of respect when someone with a hearing aid doesn’t hear you because it is turned down too low? I think not.
As for calling the officer “dude” and “man,” sorry to tell you, but that’s common among youth throughout the nation. It is possible that the kid would have called this officer “sir” or “officer” had he not been physically assaulted and in obvious stress.
And, on the lighter side…. What the heck kind of car was that in the background?
February 18th, 2008 at 4:47 am
that is so fucked up my brother and father work for the police now their NOT police officers their the lawyers but no in my county would dream of doing shit like that those kids were just minding their own business and larry and callum you two are fucking stupid if you really think that cop was in the right
February 18th, 2008 at 11:24 am
The kids friends should have knocked the shit out of this fucking pig with their boards. I know skateboarding in America is frowned upon, but this is nothing short of assault!
I hope this cock sucker gets sued!
February 18th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I used to respect cops until I opened my eyes and saw more of this going on than any actual heroism. This guy needs to be shot - he is a danger if he is allowed to continue to wear a badge. He is an immediate danger to the safety and liberties of all he encounters, and his actions and those like him will lead to the eventual destruction of our society. I have an extremely low tolerance for punk teenagers, but even I couldn’t find anything wrong with what this kid was doing. Thanks to the officer, however, this kid has an excellent chance of growing up to be a delinquent due to losing respect for the law and officers of the law.
February 18th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
The problem is double-edged. In the suburbs, it’s hard to even see it as a problem.
You see, in the city, kids are rough and tumble. It’s part of street life to be abrasive, to break the rules, the laws, and ignore/push cops. It’s the attitude. I’m not saying it’s right, but it’s very different than elsewhere. Cops have to be tougher (perhaps not this moronically tough) and less accepting of disrespect from kids, because they never know which one will have the gun stuffed in the back of his pants to blow his ass away.
People want the cops to manhandle and “take care” of the bad guys. The cops know that if they aren’t “tough”, the kids - potential future perps, if not present - won’t respect (read: fear) them. So they are taught to treat the people they police - and are supposed to protect - with prejudice, rashness, and, if necessary, brute force… and largely, the people embrace and accept it, right up until it’s them being beaten down with a stick.
Don’t bash me: I fully agree with the majority here. Officer Dickhead here shouldn’t ever be allowed a gun on the streets, much less a badge and authority to use it.
February 19th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
This is actually pretty hilarious… I don’t really now what the kid has done wrong, but this cop is WAY out of line… He obviousl has some issues (I think he lost one of his parents when he was young, and I’m guessing it was his mom) He was obviously raised in a world where power means everything. You can see how that shit gets people fucked up… Officer Rivieri has absolutely got no clue on how to handle the child. He starts yelling because there’s nothing left to do… A last resort, kinda sad to see an officer of the law failing like this. You’d think these guys get training or something… Or maybe a history lesson? (Fascisme = Evil) This guy shouldn’t be out on the streets in my opnion. Imagine your kid coming home completely shocked, how can he ever trust a police officer again?
February 20th, 2008 at 2:20 am
That kid seemed like an asshole to me. I’m 15 and I know not to fuck around with cops. Obviously that cop was a little more aggressive than what was called for, but I don’t think that kid’s going to go skate boarding there again. Back to the kid, I’ve known kids like that they’re “bullys” with a big ego trip and when a point of authority is near they feel its there duty to be the biggest prick possible and expect to that point of authority (in this case the cop) to kiss their ass.
Now the cop, if you were a cop wouldn’t you be pissed as hell when there’s signs all over the fucking place and then some “punk” (I’m using the cop’s language here)is skateboarding around? Doesn’t give him the right to do what he did, but its a good rule of thumb not to fuck with a pissed off police officer. You have to cooperate with the officer, which the kid didn’t do. If an officer asks for your skateboard, give him your skateboard dumbass. that guy had to have weighed at least two bucks with plenty of change so its a pretty dumbass move to try to play “keep away from the cop” with your skateboard.
One other thing, my last one I swear, why is everyone so pissed off at this cop? He did have somewhat of a powertrip I’ll give you that, but it’s not like he pulled out a club and beat the shit out of the kid. You see videos of cops beating the hell out of minorities all the time and they’re getting treated better than this guy! All this guy did was scare some kid shitless and take his skateboard.
Say whatever you want, but I’m arguing for the cop. That kid was an asshole, a dumbass, and is lucky the cop didn’t beat the shit out of him. If you want to bitch at me for supporting the cop I made a special email just for this purpose. It is : iamdashiznitbiotch@gmail.com.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:22 am
I am totally on the cops side. F that kid, little bastard
February 21st, 2008 at 2:05 am
The cop was rightfully suspended. He was clearly out of line. Regardless of any counter opinion, in the eyes of the local mayor’s office, he’s in the wrong.
Here’s the story:
http://wjz.com/local/youtube.salvatore.rivieri.2.651552.html
He’s also under investigation for pulling other things like this:
http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=4f8b7c0f-6d4a-47b7-9e9b-569803ea7db8
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Aw, Matt, you’ve gone and scared all the trolls away
now all that is left is for people to agree.
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:20 pm
he has a really pants police outfit, why cant they dress like propper police?
and im on the side of the kid, i’ve been in his situation, but the police were witty and friendly, and everybody was compliant.
nice shorts… fatty.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Have you seen the news recently? He was at it again, caught on tape, kicking kids RC car around and going off. They interviewed the kids on the news and they are seeking action against the cop. Not sure where to find it, but I saw it last night.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:28 pm
I’m a middle school teacher and let’s get serious the kid was a little smart ass jerk and deserved everything he got. The only thing Officer Salvatore Rivieri got wrong was not taking the camera and smashing it. I am totally confident Baltimore’s finest will know better next time.
Money quote: “Obviously, your parents don’t put a foot in your butt quite enough, because you don’t understand the meaning of respect. First of all, you better learn how to speak. I’m not ‘man.’ I’m not ‘dude,’ I am Officer Rivieri.”
February 23rd, 2008 at 12:37 am
the cop should be fired, sued, etc. the way you get respect is to show it, fatcop did neither. i used yes sir and no sir with my son even at 2 yo. he learned by example.k_rosey48@hotmail.com i don’t care who knows my e-mail i can always delete what i don’t like.
February 23rd, 2008 at 1:36 am
That guy should have called him asshole instead of dude.
I sincerely hope Officer Asshole lost his job.
The boy didn’t do anything to deserve that kind of treatment. The video didn’t go long enough to hear all of the threat he gave the person video taping!
Why do “men” who become police/cops/state troopers think because they wear “the uniform” can treat people anyway they want, be arrogant,defiant, and “assholey”!
Where I live, I was at a party where the entire police force was there drinking heavily and then they went to work! Is it fair? Just because you wear a uniform doesn’t mean you are above everyone and everything.
February 23rd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Sorry. Facts FTW.
February 23rd, 2008 at 11:15 pm
That cop is so FAT, clearly depressed because he is FAT and venting his anger on other people. Why do they employ unfit flabbies like that?
He looks ridiculous on two counts, his uniform looks like his trousers go up to his arm pits. And his car looks like he’s trying to play the role of Noddy, I’m try to spot his partner Big Ears. How embarrassing for him to have to look so foolish, no wonder he tries to get respect from minors, no-one else is going to give him it.
February 25th, 2008 at 6:27 am
-Schalk
“The kids friends should have knocked the shit out of this fucking pig with their boards. I know skateboarding in America is frowned upon, but this is nothing short of assault!
I hope this cock sucker gets sued!”
I’m with you Schalk. I’m glad that piece of shit got rightfully suspended.
Maybe someone has enough sense to put a bullet or two in him. He is a danger to the people he is entitled to “protect and serve”, as far as I’m concerned.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Unfortunately I’ve run into cops like this. There are a lot of people who I am proud to have serve and protect me and the rest of our citizens, but there are also people like this who do not deserve the badge they wear. I had a police officer berate me like this for HITTING ME WITH HIS SQUAD CAR WHILE I WAS IN A CROSSWALK. They feel like since they wear the badge they can do no wrong, and thus it is the citizen’s fault when they fuck up. This guy should be removed from the force, it’s people like him that give our honest, hard working police a bad name.
February 26th, 2008 at 3:55 am
So funny, the last thing the cop says
“Is that camera on? I better not find myself on you…” And it cuts. BHAHAHAHA what a dick ass fucking cop. Wasting his time busting kids. Although I don’t know if the kid was bad mouthing the cop, the cop shouldn’t have pushed him around and all.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:08 am
If your training was so insufficient, that your unable to handle a child being argumentative, you certainly do not need to wear a gun and badge.
Larry and the other idiot, you argue that because he wears a badge that automatically we should shudder when his shadow crosses ours. Remember that silly Declaration of independence? Specifically the pursuit of happiness? Shaking and being submissive to authority just for authorities sake was not what the forefathers had in mind.
Legally, the man would arrest another adult if he witnessed him grab that child and push him down like that. If another adult argued that the kid was badly raised and a smart ass he would still be just as arrested. Why is this policeman not being charged? It’s caught on tape is it not?
March 8th, 2008 at 1:25 am
Holy crap; that made my blood run cold. If a cop tried that here in Britain his feet wouldn’t touch the ground; he’s not even fit to be a security guard. Police need to remember that they are servants of the people, not some sort of freelance militia. Sure they deserve respect, even obedience, but not utter submission, terrified humility and deference.
Get a grip those who think that the kid deserved it, and rather than bending over and greasing yourself up for the police, get a bit of self respect: your taxes mean that you own the country, and you own the cops; it’s not the other way round.
March 8th, 2008 at 1:46 am
Clearly you’re all missing the best part of this video,right at the end where the cop goes, “Is that camera on? I’d better not find myself on you–”
Also, since this is a “police brutality” video, asking for his badge number would have gotten him tazed.
March 30th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I love how Officer D###head makes the kid use his cell phone to make a call he should be doing with his own equipment. Not only is he aggressive and totally unacceptable as a civil servant, he also makes the kid pay for his duty. What an a$$hole.