Comments by "Mat Broomfield" (@matbroomfield) on "Cops Cleared After Shoving Elderly Man" video.

@gregoryleewalker Don't be an idiot Greg. He didn't just stand there - he stepped up to them then obstructed them during execution of their duty. I'm absolutely certain none of them wanted him to fall over.
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I'm no cop lover, but they were not reacting as though he was a threat. They shooed an annoying old man out of the way and he fell over.
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@deldemetri911 They're riot police not care givers. Had they WORSENED his condition by rendering inappropriate care, they could be sued for that. Thank the lawyers for ruining society. Step up in front of riot police during an altercation, and you can expect a response.
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It wasn't excessive. He got in their faces during a protest/riot. If he lacks the stability to take a few backwards steps, maybe don't get in their faces. I am NO fan of the police, but they get a total pass on this one.
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@forloveofthepage2361 Clearly I comprehend the laws better than you as nobody was found guilty. If this had been a Trump supporter, how much compassion would YOU have had? I don't wish it on him, but HE put himself in harms way. Americans have an entitled attitude where they think that they can simply confront or aggressively approach police at any time with no consequences. Don't step into the lion's den if you can't fight lions. As for whether a member of the public could do the same thing back to a police - your question reinforces the fact that it is YOU who doesn't comprehend the law. The police are a justifiably protected class. OF COURSE the public cannot be permitted to assault them - even mildly like this. They place themselves in danger daily and it cannot be open season on them without consequences. We can have a reasonable discussion about the unreasonable levels of protection that they receive, and whethr SOME of them really OUGHT to face direct consequences proportionate to their heinous actions, but this was not such a situation.
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@gregoryleewalker Again, don't be an idiot Greg. The response needs to be PROPORTIONATE to the situation. If they'd shot a non-threatening person, that would NOT have been proportionate. Shooing an aggressive, obstructive person out of the way WAS proportionate. The shove was a little hard, but perfect measured power in a pressure situation is not easy. It was the old guy's unsteadiness on his feet, and his behaviour that caused the problem.
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@ec7876 That's okay - maybe you can educate yourself.
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@forloveofthepage2361 I didn't ignore that fact. It was not relevant. They were foolish to do so, and they should lose their jobs for that. The issue was not whether they were honest, but whether the force was excessive or inappropriate. An independent arbitrator judged that there was no intent to harm, and the force used was not excessive.
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@LumpyHeadStudios I sleep absolutely fine thanks Jeffrey. The man didn't show his proof of age before getting in the policeman's face and endeavouring to impede him in pursuit of his duty. The shove was not intended to cause harm and if you get up in the face of a policeman during a protest/riot, a light shove is a very mild response.
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@LumpyHeadStudios You made a point of talking about the man's age, as though the cop should be aware and give him dispensation.
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@LumpyHeadStudios " If we’re going to give a human being that sort of privilege or power it shouldn’t be your average idiot who can’t differentiate an elderly man from a young person at close range." As with the military, a high IQ is a disqualifying factor for police - they don't want people troubled by morality or second-guessing - they want team players. Don't you remember that report that noted that anyone over 120 was automatically disqualified from joining the New York police? An independent arbiter examined this evidence and came to a different conclusion to the ones you reached Jeffrey. They said there was not intent to harm and no malice. It's easy to look at a stress situation and talk about how you would have played things - everyone's an armchair quarterback until someone throws them the ball. I absolutely can't stand the American police in general, but in this situation, I have a little empathy for their position. They're trying to quell a riot, and some guy is getting in their face and in their way. There isn't time have a conversation and ask him nicely to step aside. "Those men at the very least don’t deserve the privilege of the position they signed up for." TBH, I'd say that about 90% of US police.
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