It doesn't matter if it was before Robert White or before Spiro Agnew - what that cop did was beyond reprehensible. He grabbed a kid talking on a phone, beat him with a steel sap, and then lied despite the video evidence. The police union continued to defend him even though they knew exactly what he'd done. When a cop like Sparks is allowed back on the force, the Denver PD is badly tarnished and makes me (among others) distrust any of them.