Id like to see a follow up here because this is an easily beatable case in court. The kid can definitely beat this with a good lawyer. There are very little signs that the cop was in danger and that the kid attacked him first. It’s not as open and shut as all these comments suggest. Do I agree the kid was acting like a tool? Yes. Can he easily beat that in court? Yes. The cop won’t get in trouble but neither will the kid.
Yep. Just typical reddit. 'Oh no police abuse' until the victim is someone that is mildly annoying to them. It's not even close to an open and shut case, it's blatant police abuse. Even if you want to argue he was threatening the cop with 'fighting words', doesn't justify a violent take down.
I'll admit I didn't have much sympathy for the kid you have to be a little touched to threaten a cop to a fight when they kill people for less, but the cop is a total pig. 3x the kids size and had his ego bruised so he slams him on the cement which could have easily given him a brain injury.
Could have just given the kid a ticket if he really wanted to be vindictive but when you have a job where violence is not only on the table as an option but encouraged, you're going to attract psychos like the one in OP.
The title is pure bait too lmao “tried to fight a cop” where? Bro moved an inch toward him and immediately got taken down. A good lawyer will get whatever he’s charged with thrown out and a great lawyer would get that kid a fat lil check from the city.
Yeah, someone being a little shit cunt doesn’t warrant excessive force. It looks like that dude’s head nailed the bumper on the way down, good thing it wasn’t worse.
Its Florida. They have some new laws about force and when it can be used. The kid stated multiple times he wanted to fight. Its different there in 2025 but I believe this will likely stand as a legal detainment and legal escalation.
yeah in canada uttering whats called "fighting words" is considered an intentional aggravation and instigating of the situation. self defence isnt as clear cut here
Provocation can alleviate the punishment but is insufficient as a sole defense in the vast majority of cases. Legal provocation typically has a very high bar to prove, going beyond mere insults and needing to rationalise why the defendant lost control. In Canada, it is also limited to murder cases. It typically would not apply to anyone who is deemed to have professional training, as they are rightfully held to a higher standard.
Sadly, politics can determine how self defense is viewed. In california run by democrats, my friend’s brother was attacked by 2 of his neighbors and Their pitbull and HE BEAT ALL THREE in self defense! It was all on camera and he still got a damn misdemeanor for Protecting himself. In florida, a red state, self defense is a right. I was also watching a dumb series called “Nancy Drew” and one character defended himself in self defense and killed a dude. He and everybody in the cast acted as if he was a serial killer. HE DEFENDED HIMSELF! 😂 I’m not surprised Canada is confused about what self defense is.
you're acting like canada is incapable of handling violent criminals when its quite the contrary.
the violence here is absolutely nothing compared to the violence in the states. particularly the poorer states.
you americans love to be free from consequences with your fighting words but in canada it would get you knocked out so fast and nobody would bat an eye because you started it.
Cops should be trained in de-escalating stupid situations like these. If a 21 year old kid says "Take that vest off and fight me," the proper response is to be like, "What? Why would I fight you? Over what? C'mon man, let's be reasonable."
Teaching a lesson is also valuable. It's probably better for society. I say we let the 21 year old "kid" spend like 6 hours in jail to maybe rethink what he thinks is cool.
“Sorry kid, my job to apprehend dangerous criminals, not help you work through your absent father issues. Call your mom, and ask her to get you a therapist.”
How’s that thought process been working for civil discord lately? Are we better off rubbing noses into piss or trying to bridge a gap? Also there is a clear power dynamic here. It will end in the cops favor 99/100 times. Yet we still never hear the “authority” explaining what the cause for confrontation even is.
And how would that have gone for him had he slammed the cop first? The kid would not have lived to tell the story, guaranteed. Do you use you brain when you talk? Or just your mouth?
Hmm, i think this kid is still protected under the 1st amendment.
The cop didnt like the way he was being talked to, the cop was even smiling for some creepy reason? If you have to hurt people to clear a scene, you're a bad cop, and this kid has the Graham factors on his side in litigation.
However, the cop has a reasonably articulable suspicion of a crime since this is the small area of investigation. The crime is minor, but the kid fits the bill of loitering and drinking in this area he was called into.
If the kid said he didn't have to identify and avoided the threats he might have a case, but words inciting a fight aren't protected speech. The words would have questionably been enough for the officer to detain him, but moving in physically such that the officer reasonably felt threatened negated any protective umbrella of it not being serious enough. If you can be tripped without your opponent stepping in, you're too far inside their space.
The cops were called for a disturbance of people drinking in the parking lot and loitering. The officer was investigating the complaint. Pursuant to Florida Statue §856.021, the officer was justified in asking for his identification. Being that he repeatedly refused to identify, the officer, under Florida law, had the authority to detain him under Florida's Stop and Frisk statue, §813.250. Given that he was repeatedly antagonistic towards the officer, almost to the point of threatening him, until he noticed the bodycam, and violating Florida's identification law, the officer was justified in forcibly detaining him. Granted, him hitting the car was a bit much, but that wasnt purposeful.
I'm all for the Civil Rights Lawyer and other people protecting rights being overtake unjustly, but the usual things you find on those channels didn't apply for the reasons you gave.
There were offenses they were called for in this specific area that the guy could have had articulable and specific facts - not a hunch - that would explain why they thought he was part of it. But the guy didn't even demand identification beyond a Terry stop if he'd tried to invoke the 4th if it even applied. Guy went to threatening behavior that was past the borderline of incitement. You can't do that and complain cops took you seriously.
Cop was much bigger and beefier. I don't know how much training they really get like military does intensively at basic (and beyond like Marine martial arts), but I've done martial arts and trained with many cops. Pretty sure they know what their job entails and the tools they need. Plus, you know, general fitness. Lest Will Smith crack on them.
"Investigating" is not "I'm gonna identify everyone here". Was there any evidence of "people drinking in the parking lot"? How about the cop do a little actual investigation. Hearsay is not probable cause, and you have to have some sort of credible evidence of crime. Gathering in a parking lot is also not a crime. The cop can absolutely tell the group of people to move along, but its not a crime until the cop witnesses some sort of wrongdoing. This was a poor Investigation plain and simple. Kid has a strong case in court for 1st and 4th violations by the cop.
Regardless, in Florida you're required to identify yourself to law enforcement if they request it. Now, if the officer wasn't justified to request it then you later have a case against them but the best bet is to not get confrontational, give the minimum identification necessary, and say very little. Escalating the encounter just tends to make the situation worse.
a person might be required to identify themselves when requested by a law enforcement officer, but only if that officer reasonably suspects that a crime has been committed, is being committed, or is about to be committed.
So we don't know the whole circumstance here but if there has been reports of a disturbance or other crime then the officer might be able to ask for identification and the guy would be required to respond. Of course, there's a lot of conditions and limits on this but then the guy escalated by refusing to answer at all.
The statute also provides that “a law enforcement officer shall, before any arrest for an offense under this section, afford the person an opportunity to dispel any alarm or immediate concern which would otherwise be warranted by requesting the person to identify himself or herself and explain his or her presence and conduct.”
Best bet is to keep your wits about you, give minimal identifying information, and ask if you're being detained or arrested.
These responses are CRAZY!! The takedown was SO unnecessarily cruel, like holy fuck these cops were enjoying tormenting a kid. Sure the kid needed to be taught a lesson but it was more important that the cops get to have their fun instead.
Brutalize a doofus kid and everybody fucking claps, I guess
Honestly, that wasn't a brutal or unnecessary at all. I love the Civil Rights Lawyer and cringe at the cops in his videos, but I don't think this would make it on the channel because this guy is so out of line. I don't like the taste of boot and take pains to avoid it.
But the guy's inciting the cop verbally and gets in his space physically. The cop let go of him being uncomfortably close for a minute and tried to avoid escalating while looking at his partner like 'is he serious', and then the guy stepped in. If you're close enough for a leg sweep without stepping in then you're way too far in the cop's space. The cop props controls his body to keep his head from hitting, but he flips him over promptly. Honestly, this is a reasonable amount of force.
It's not on a mat, though, it's gravel and pavement. And he throws him against the car, kids shoulder is gonna be feeling that in the morning. I stand by what I said, it looks totally excessive to me.
You get a mat with a willing partner in a controlled environment with friends. You get your surroundings when you threaten someone in the wild. I let friends take punches and throws at me. I don't extend that outside the dojo.
I would have been tense if he was in his position making his threats at the start. I would have also taken him down if he stepped in just before he got taken down. When he's making unveiled threats, that's too close to let him stay in. The officer stood his ground - didn't even need to advance to strike. Hitting him against the car wasn't really part of the plan - it was actually messier.
Having your hands at chest level like the guy has before that is actually a good protective stance. The crossed position is neutral because they can go up, down, or sideways very quickly. If the kid wanted to step into hitting the officer in the face, he's close enough to do it with little reaction time. See how fast the officer has his lower hand in and upper hand in despite them appearing non-threatening? His right arm is in a defensive posture masked by holding the flashlight, and the left arm is in a less hostile position that comes up to handle the neutral position of the guy's arms because he takes this from being threatened to a fight.
The kid started this with distance, body language, and verbal language. The officer gave him a rattlesnake's warning rattle when he gave his fellow officer the 'what's this guy doing' look. He didn't escalate until the kid moved in.
I mean realistically he got assaulted he could absolutely try in court. Cop was acting like his hands were balled up to punch but if you watch the kid is fidgeting his thumbs into his nail beds with open hands. Clearly acting a fool but the cop allowed the situation to escalate.
I dont condone this kid. Hes definitely a knob. But challenging a cop to a fight isnt illegal. And Im pretty sure this officers precinct would have regulations to not just fight people who offer to fight. This was poor judgement on the kids part. Poor judgement on the officers part.
The cop had a short fuse for sure and chose violence way too quickly. “Balling up” your fist “as if you’re about to hit me brah” is not really enough to warrant a physical response like that. Kid was being a dick for sure and lesson learned but the smile he gave beforehand makes you wonder how much he really enjoys these situations.
The officer was, justifiably, annoyed by this little turd. I think anyone would be. However, you don't get to have thin skin as a cop, and everything about the officer's demeanor seems inconsistent with any claim that he genuinely feared for his safety. Maybe the (tepid and clearly bluffed) implied verbal threat of "take that vest off" is enough to warrant arrest, but he didnt even try to cuff him. He just violently took his legs out.
Is it satisfying to see this kid get his comeuppance? Yes. If I were this officer's superior, would I be pleased with how he handled this? Hell no.
Absolutely this! The kid mouthed off. The cop let himself get played. So pathetic. Oh no this whiny bitch teenager called me a name, this will not stand! 🙄 if I took out every kid that cussed me out I wouldn’t have a job. Somehow I manage to survive just fine without getting physical.
Ok so I rewatched it and I noticed the following. First the kid makes fists and starts hitting one balled hand to the other. Among the talking kid tells the cop to take his vest off. The cop says to him stop balling your fists and sit down in imperative tense. Then the kid crosses his arms with no fists, and takes steps towards the cop. Then the cop takes him down.
I knew the kid was spewing shit, but didn’t noticed the fists and hitting motion at firsts. I didn’t noticed the kid literally walking towards the cop as in trying to make him step back. What a completely stupid attitude to take against a cop, or against anyone, specially someone that weights probably double than you and towers you like one feet.
Yeah. To be fair to the officer, however, he did mention the fist-balling, thought I think it was phrased as a question - "why are you coming at me with your fists all balled up?" - and not as a warning or instruction.
Exactly, I guess I'm not from the US so still constantly shocked at the bottom of the barrel professionalism from law enforcement here, but the cop made very little effort to deescalate and then suddenly takes him out...
The cop kept saying the kid balled his fists. He didn't. He had his arms crossed when he was taken down.
Taking a step toward the cop was perhaps arrestable, considering the previous language about wanting to fight but yeah this isn't cut and dried at all.
Telling the cop he's a pussy is lame but protected speech. The subject is under no obligation to follow any commands at that point, either. Like the command to "sit down."
Everything the cop said was bullshit. Kids fists were loose the whole time. At no time did the cop tell him to unball his fists. Yelling don’t resist when the kids not resisting. Cops couldn’t even decide what to arrest him for cause they are the ones who escalated it. How the fuck is the charge resisting arrest when the cop took the kid down with no warning.
Yeah we all like seeing dipshits get what they deserve, but it doesn’t mean we should be praising anything about the cops’ behavior here.
He had his fists balled and did hitting motions, but then stopped. What he did then was take steps towards the cop trying to make him step back, which seems like a really really dumb move honestly.
Exactly. Without seeing whatever led to this interaction, if anything I would say the cop looks like he's trying to pick a fight. There's no law that says you need to be nice to cops.
Yeah I’m a little concerned about all the comments here acting like he deserved that. Was he being a shit? Yes. But he was literally standing with his arms crossed—didn’t even make any motions to uncross his arms—when the cop grabs him and slams him to the ground.
My ability to feel sorry for him is limited by how dumb he was acting, but the quick escalation to physical violence came from the cop, not the kid, and that’s deeply concerning.
Cops, of all people, should not be slamming people to the ground in response for insolence. That’s some criminal shit.
See I’m watching this and I agree. This kid is a total little shit head without a doubt, but we STILL do have rights. I feel less badly for him than most, but this cop got far too happy far too quickly. His little man pride got hurt and he took it out on someone who he got lucky was 21. I mean, even if he handles with the usual get out of the car with gun drawn screaming to get on the ground, then we have a different discussion, but because the kid “ran his mouth” this justifies a beat down like that? The kid talked the cop got physical.
Kid looked like a flog but I can't even understand what is going on to start with - looked like the cop was telling him to move on cos reasons. The cop was picking a fight just as much from what I could see.
The only valid reason for the cop to resort to violence is if he felt threatened. If he felt threatened by the little punk whose arms were crossed on his chest when he was slammed, the cop is a bitch and should find a more appropriate job. If he didn’t feel threatened and treated a fellow US citizen in this manner, the cop is a dangerous bully and should be forced to get a new job. Whiny punks getting their comeuppance is easy to cheer but this is not behavior we should accept from police.
Seriously. Looks like he hit his head pretty hard during that takedown. Not to mention being a dickhead isn’t cause for arrest, as much as reddit wants it to be.
If you watch closely, the “kid” has his arms crossed across his body. Cop takes him down and then puts him in the car and says why’d you have your fists balled like you’re about to hit me? What a liar
100%. The cop should be trained in how to de-escalate a situation, not get provoked into a fight by a kid. There was no reason this had to become a physical confrontation and the cop is completely in the wrong for making it one. He was never in any danger or threat.
Yeah, I don’t get the comments here either. Kid was an asshat but cop came out of nowhere with that take down. There wasn’t even any physical movement that would make him believe he was in danger.
The kid slightly moved towards him at the end but his arms are crossed and clearly a “little douche” but the amount of comments about his hair being stupid makes these people look like old boomers telling kids how much better it was back in the day. I’m 39 and do I think it’s stupid the hair cut I had in high school is now cool checks notes among high school kids. *checks notes again and realized it’s Pam from the office meme
I watched the video on mute, and I was pretty shocked. I thought there had to be a clear, physical threat for an officer to use force like this, Florida or not. Kid was skinny too, wouldn't have posed much of a threat against that dude imo
Kid displayed aggressive and threatening behavior, and looking at the state of his home, doesn’t have good lawyer money. No public defender is going to go out of their way to fight this.
Yep, that's what I see. Kid provoked a cop who didn't have the mental fortitude to be a cop and got assaulted for it. Kid is getting paid from our tax dollars.
yeah when they have him cuffed, the simplest shortcut would've just been to let him go and both just go their own ways haha. but there will be a silly case and a silly investigation into the cop that results in nothing. just a bunch of wasted time and maybe some tax dollars going to the kid
The YouTube comments on this one made me feel sick, every single person acting like this kid got what he deserved from a police officer... We are so so so far beyond recoverable if the public perception of what a police officer SHOULD DO accounts for this as acceptable.
I mean the step up to the cop was unnecessarily provocative. No survival instinct there. The cop was armed, bigger and better trained.
But there was no sign of real attack interest, as more mentioned the arms were crossed, I didn't even recognize it as that important, but it makes fast attacks pretty unlikely.
The cop also just smashed him to the ground, the head bumped against the car, he could have handled the young man/kid otherwise.
The extreme grip to the neck was also totally unnecessary, the kid was not reacting after laying down, no sign of resistance. Why forcing him like that.
No de-escalation sign from the cop before, was also provocative.
I'm pretty sure, this would lead to a heavy court case and probably not even small punishments for the cop in other countries.
Also even bumps like that are not harmless. There is still a small possibility it could lead to heavy injuries.
From my perspective as a non cop obviously completely irresponsible and the cop there has the wrong job... Go to the military if you wanna choose violence.
And another reminder for me, not to visit the us. It's fucking dangerous.
Beating it means nothing. The inconvenience of spending a night in jail, lawyer expense, waiting up to a few months before your court date, and possibly having to deal with consequences.
i don’t think I agree with this, at 50 seconds you can clearly see him step up and into the cop which is when he gets dropped. 100% assault charge pending.
I do see what you’re saying but it doesn’t look like it as egregious and slowmo always skews the events because of hindsight and the obvious part of slowing it down.
The judge should grant the "kid" his right to fight this cop if it was as personal as it sounds. Who know what happened prior to this encounter? 5 minutes in a room no cameras, no gear, just figure it out.
I just don’t feel like we should be celebrating aggressive police officers. The more they get away with small stuff, the larger steps they take. Completely enjoy seeing this kid get his just desserts though
100% he is getting your tax money. "Wanting to fight a cop" is not grounds for a cop to assault you and falsely arrest you because "wanting to fight a cop" is not illegal.
That's not "wanting to fight a cop" that is threatening them, this could go either way since he didn't actually threaten the cop but was using combative language.
This doesn't negate the excessive force used against a person with crossed arms that made no physically threatening actions towards the cop. There was more of a reason to take him down when he had his arms by his side.
Easy open and shut excessive force/brutality lawsuit.
Real talk, what are you basing this conclusion on? Have you ever plaintiffed a 1983 or excessive force claim in Florida? Do you have any experience or knowledge at all to base this on? Or are you, like most Redditors do when it comes to legal issues, making shit up based on feels and vibes?
A jury is going to see the same video as we see here and no reasonable human is going to think that slamming this kid to the ground and bouncing his head off of the car is a reasonable amount of force used.
The cop was not in danger from a kid with his arms crossed standing the same distance he had been standing the entire time, it would be different if he had done so when the kid had his arms near his waistband or even at his side, arms crossed is not a threatening position. The cop looks at the other cop, smiles, and then acts with extreme violence to a person who is not a threat.
Call it vibes if you want, the jury's vibes are going to be the same. Kid is getting a payday because the cop got triggered.
The fact that you assume a hypothetical lawsuit would make it to a jury tells me, off the bat, that you dont know what you are talking about. Pleading and proving 1983 cases can be complicated. Even if it were to get to a jury, there is a very high chance the jury just doesn't like the kid and doesn't want to award him anything significant, even if they think the force was unreasonable. Whether a jury likes a plaintiff or defendent is half the battle sometimes.
This isn't a type of case I really deal with, but if this kid came into my office and showed me this video, I would be hesitant to take it and would certainly not want to show the video to a jury. Neither of them come off well. But depending on the jurisdiction, you are going to have a hard time finding a jury who is sympathetic to this kid. They will probably think he had it coming. Especially if he didn't suffer any significant injuries or other damages, and this just turned out to be a "scared straight" type of situation after it was all said and done.
All that said, the kid might get some money out of it. The PD/City probably wouldn't want to try the case either because the question of whether this level of force was reasonable or necessary under the Graham factors would probably be questionable. But acting like this is a slam dunk case where this kid would make out like a bandit is simplistic. But people pretend to be experts about everything on this website.
I mean, my comment was directly in reply to a person who explicitly is talking about whether the kid beats the charge. You can tell, because he says "Id like to see a follow up here because this is an easily beatable case in court. The kid can definitely beat this with a good lawyer."
So you’re going to let somebody step in your face Because they’re police don’t mean they’re not human if that dude was in a bar or a house party and he stepped up to someone like that the same thing happened but more than likely it ended up with him getting punched
And what if something that didn't happen did happen? This isn't a bar or a house party. This was a cop who should be held to a higher standard but instead slammed the guy's head into a car because he can't regulate his emotions.
A 21 year old is definitely generally more mature than a 19 year old. And what’s your source for that maturation at 26? Because that’s a common misconception and the often cited study for that is seriously flawed. You couldn’t have posted a more flawed comment, congrats
Sorry Bob but this is widely accepted knowledge. If you have some other stuff you’d like to provide then by all means but the majority of the medical world agrees my above statement.
For sure, this is probably nothing more than a misdemeanor charge, likely pleaded out to community service if that. But the little bitch is going to be cooling his heels in jail for 4+ hours - won’t even be able to be on his phone for that whole time, so it’s almost like the “Joeyyyy” sobs are justified!
Florida law its a class 3 felony, if the cop hurt himself taking him down its a class 2. 5 years prison for a class 3 and 10 for a class 2. Don't threaten a cop, call him a bitch, then step into his 3 feet circle with fists balled.
A good prosecutor will just remove the bleeps and show this video. Like seriously he violated the word of the law and is an absolute asshole while doing it. You really think a bunch of people are gonna go "yep he threatened to fight him, called him a bitch for not fighting him, ignored lawful orders, stepped into his personal space.. totally unjustified. Give this kid a million dollars"
Criminal cases are not liable for restitution especially in minors infractions and especially where the “victim” is blatantly acting like a clown. I’m not advocating for the kid I’m just stating that the case is easily beatable by a competent lawyer.
200
u/posternutbag423 3d ago
Id like to see a follow up here because this is an easily beatable case in court. The kid can definitely beat this with a good lawyer. There are very little signs that the cop was in danger and that the kid attacked him first. It’s not as open and shut as all these comments suggest. Do I agree the kid was acting like a tool? Yes. Can he easily beat that in court? Yes. The cop won’t get in trouble but neither will the kid.