The Washington herald., 1922-05-17
Those Rude Policemen.


We are hearing much these days
about the inclination of certain
members OF the police and detective
forces to engage in fsticuffs with
citizens who have been unfortunate
enough to be placed under arrest
by these ringmasters. the balance
Of power lying in favor OF the Of
ficer. In the same breath we hear
many references to the dsrespect-
full attiture Of the average Amer
lean citizen toward the uniformed
representative OF the law. conspicu-
Gus among these references being
a recent editorial in The Herald in
which attention is called to the
deferential conduct OF the citizenry
Of other countries with reference
to its relations with the police. No
allusion Is made, however, TO the
conduct Of the foreign policemen
toward the foreign citizen: but We
are obliged to conclude that mas
much as like begets like the situa-
tion embraces an exchange of cour-
tesies. The riddle of modern
sphinx night yell impose upon its
auditors the xlrden of assigning a
reason for TIE extreme change in
disposition u many Americans. con-
current with the donning of a UNI
form. which causes them to imagine
themselves to be deputies of an ab-
soluts monarch II not an absolute
monarch himself.
Aside from the convictions that
the average American citizen de-
rives from his personal contact
with the police his distrust is
accounts Of brutal treatment Of
some alleged offender at the hands
of the officer OF the law. Certainly
such Incidents as the dance hall af-
fair of a few days past could not
be calculated to inspire admiration
for the "hard-boiled Smith" variety
of detective or policeman. unless
the genesis Of such admiration be
found within the hearts and minds
Of brutes. Personal observation of
two of these episodes have left an
impression with me which places
me among the advocates of drastic
punishment for the policeman OF
detective without self-control.
The first Of these incidents 7 Wit
messed at Florida avenue and Tenth
street northeast, several months
ago. Two policemen were pursuing
a man northward on Tenth street.
the rapidity OF the pace and the
proximity Of the pursuers prevent
ing the fugitive from turning
either to the east or west when
Florida avenue was reached. Flor
Ida avenue marks the northern ex-
tremity of Tenth street in wash
blind at this point. Upon gaining
he north side Of Florida avenue the
pursued man, realizing that II was
too late to continue his flight owing
to the awkwardness of his position.
threw up his hands in a gesture OF
surrender, keeping them raised un-
til the two policemen seized him.
They Immediately set upon him
with their sticks. beating him un-
mercifully about the head and
shoulders, because he committed
the perfectly natural act of trying
to avoid arrest The popular dread
Of arrest and imprisonment will
impell the majority of men. no
matter how innocent they know
themselves to be, to try to escape.
Moody. innocent or guilty. wants
to be arrested. The inclination to
endeavor TO escape Is so natural,
so obvious. and SO well understood
that II Ia expected: even to the end
that elaborate systems have been
'srfected to frustrate possible att
tempts.
The second Of my experiences
would seem to indicate that II is
not even necessary TO try to escape
to earn q little rnanhandling from
some uniformed brute. A few
weeks ago I noticed a congregation
at police box at Thirteenth and
streets northwest. Two detec-
ives and q uniformed policeman n
had taken an intoxicated soldier
into custody and were awaiting the
arrival Of the patrol wagon The
Soldier was verbally demonstrative
out not profanely so. His condition
was such that he little knew what
he was doing or saying. All three
of the ofhcers were holding him
his arms having been trussed UP
hammerlock fashion behind his
back. He was at the time incap-
; able Of showing any resistance ex-
cept the passive resistanee Of the
intoxicated man. This was toe
much resistance for one Of the de.
tectives, however, for with an oath
he whipped out . blackjack and
struck the soldier a stunning b1sv
on the head with his right hand
while with his left he pushed him