A shameful act of thuggery

The clueless police in Atlanta apparently don't care that they've embarrassed all Americans by tackling a British historian and holding him in the jail for eight hours - for the horrifying crime of jaywalking and then (gasp!) refusink to show the officer his papersss. Try reading this without cringing because you're also an American ...

Police in America tonight defended the actions of an officer who allegedly knocked a distinguished British historian to the ground after he crossed the road in the wrong place ...

The city’s police department launched an internal inquiry after the slight, bespectacled professor claimed Officer Kevin Leonpacher kicked his legs from under him, pinned him to the ground and then called several burly colleagues to help hold him there.

Tonight a spokesman said supervisors did not think excessive force had been used or that any rules had been broken.

“The officer asked the professor to comply several times but he refused,” Joe Cobb said.

“He tried to jerk away from the officer.

“The level of force was dictated by the professor, not by the officer.” ...

“This gentleman had his British driver's licence on him the entire time,” Mr Cobb said.

“All he had to do was provide that to the officer and the worst-case scenario is he would have been given a ticket.

“At this point we don’t see where any violation of policy or procedure occurred.

“We feel like the officer acted appropriately given the circumstances.”

I was appalled by the first reports to think this level of thuggery could be perpetrated in broad daylight on the streets of a supposedly enlightened American city. But I'm left speechless to see the attack strenuously defended by the police department's knuckle-dragging PR flak. In a perfect world all of the officers in this photograph would be under indictment for assault (or aiding and abetting) and tossed off the force - but apparently this is what passes for protecting and serving in contemporary America.

Read the Irish Examiner article carefully, Mr. Cobb, and take note: America in general is being judged as a crowd of brutal barbarians because of the actions you defend as appropriate. And given the circumstances, I don't blame them for thinking so. I'm ashamed at how a U.S. government assaulted Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, and the fact that you're not only unashamed but willing to defend the assault indicates you are no friend of truth, justice or the American way.

Oh yeah, and a side note to the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce: I wouldn't be caught dead in your city. This incident is a disgrace and embarrassment to the U.S. of A. Clean up your act.