4 Lessons Learned from Pool Party Breakup

Authors Current Events Police State Rapid Fire S.H. Blannelberry This Week

I want to address the recent pool party incident in McKinney, Texas, where police officer Eric Casebolt used what was arguably excessive force to detain 14-year-old Dajerria Becton.

Casebolt resigned on Tuesday after footage from the incident went viral.

Why do I want to discuss this incident? What does this have to do with gun ownership, gun rights and the Second Amendment?

More than one might initially think.  Here are four points to consider:

Coming in Hot

Looking at the video it’s abundantly clear that officer Casebolt is a threat. He is running around like a lunatic (note that that tumble turned into a tactical roll at the outset of the video), yelling at everyone. Sure, he’s a law enforcement officer but that doesn’t change the fact that he is armed and angry. Bad combination.

To quote McKinney police chief Greg Conley, “Our policies, our training, our practice, do not support his actions. He came into the call out of control, and as the video shows, was out of control during the incident.”

As a gun owner, my first instinct is to get as far away from that man as possible. I do not want to be around when he pulls his firearm — which he does when some teens confront him after he slammed the victim to the ground.

My takeaway, you see someone coming in hot you run in the other direction. Now, I’m not saying run from the police if they’re pursuing you, but if you are in the vicinity and you see a officer flying off the handle, get out of the way ASAP — or as Arnold might say, “GET TO THE CHOPPER!”

Teach Your Children Well

To quote Graham Nash, “Teach Your Children Well…”

What I mean by this is that while right is right and wrong is wrong, there are certain maxims that trump common morality because not everyone prescribes to the same values. For instance, even if the cop is in the wrong, don’t resist his instructions. Live to fight another day and take the issue to court as opposed to attempting to resolve it in the street or at the scene.

Obviously, if you’re life is endanger all bets are off and do what you got to do to protect yourself. But in this particular scenario, the best thing for the girl to do would have been to simply and calmly comply with Casebolt’s commands.

Yes, in the heat of the moment it’s very difficult to do, especially when you know that you are not doing anything wrong and that your Constitutional rights are being violated. Nevertheless, you should comply.

Teaching your children this lesson could save their lives. The focus should always be on de-escalating the situation and the best way to do that with an ornery officer is to follow his orders and be as polite and as accommodating as possible.

Media Wants a Race War

Perhaps aside from the Obama administration, there is no more divisive apparatus in this country than the mainstream media. Coming from a fraternity that has an institutional culture that praises the saying, “If it bleeds, it leads,” the fact that the media wants to stir the pot should be a surprise to no one.

For many media outlets it’s not about getting the story right or presenting the facts, it’s about creating controversy and stoking the flames to pit blacks against whites, cops against citizens, one neighbor against the other.

This incident was no exception. Immediately, the media emphasized that Casebolt was white and Becton was black to play up the racial angle. Was it really a factor in this story? I’m inclined to say it wasn’t. I have a feeling that Casebolt would have responded aggressively to almost anyone who got in his way.

To that point, Jane Bishkin, Casebolt’s attorney said the following, “He believed that those who fled were possible suspects. He was not targeting minorities. In fact, he also detained a white female who you do not see on the video. His effort to gather information was hampered by some teenagers who were instructing others to defy police instructions.”

The lesson here is to remember that the media always has an agenda — one that is not just to inform and instruct.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

Walk a Mile…

Nothing will justify Casebolt’s behavior, but perhaps we should try to walk a mile in his shoes before we begin throwing stones.

“The video that everyone has seen only depicts a small part of Eric’s actions that day,” said Bishkin, who explained that prior to the pool party Casebolt responded to two suicide calls one of which involved a man who shot himself in the head in front of his family and another in which a girl was threatening to jump of her parents’ roof. Casebolt was able to calm her down so she didn’t jump.

“With all that happened that day, he allowed his emotions to get the better of him,” Bishkin said. “Eric regrets that his conduct portrayed him and his department in a negative light. He never intended to mistreat anyone, but was only reacting to a situation and the challenges it presented. He apologizes to all who are offended. That day was not representative of the 10-year service to the community of McKinney, and it is his hope that by his resignation the community may start to heal.”

It was a stressful day for Casebolt, but still, it doesn’t excuse his behavior. It should also be noted that Casebolt had won “officer of the year” in the past. All of this leads me to believe that Casebolt isn’t a bad guy, rather he just had a really bad day.

We’re all human. And before we judge one another, we should really get to know each other’s story.

Conclusion

Yeah, so that’s what I learned or was reminded of in watching this pool party incident unfold. Avoid threats, teach your children to comply with law enforcement, be wary of a divisive media and walk a mile in one’s shoes before you outright condemn them for their actions.

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  • John Hoglin June 28, 2017, 3:07 pm

    You forgot one: there is always a camera on.

  • Vic June 28, 2017, 2:16 pm

    I could not disagree more with the notion that the Patrol men’s actions were somehow unreasonable or he deserved to be fired.

    In fact he was far more patient and articulate in explaining to those detained why they were detained than I would expect under such a chaotic circumstance. He said to the boys sitting on the grass complaining about their detention…. Paraphrase “you were told to leave.. you did not and now your here till this is all resolved” Pretty darn clear.. In no way unreasonable. That at one point he tripped fell and recovered is relevant? Not!!! It is only their to mock him/demean for smartly rolling out of a fall. To insert the word “Tactical” as if all the Patrolmen there were not in a Tactical Situation.. one with considerable potential for violence and risk to their safety as well as others.

    We have seen repeatedly where unruly partys of young people results into real violence either during or immediately after the event.

    http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/4-Maryland-Teens-Charged-in-Killing-After-Leaving-Party-396840791.html

    We have seen where a reasonable request by a citizen to calm things down results in violence.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaU9qO-kjI8

    Ask the old women attacked in the above video how she would have felt about an Officer running to her aid forcibly and rapidly interceding as she was assaulted, battered.. How could the Patrolmen in the first incident know the circumstance if he he and the other Patrolmen did not quickly take charge and get to the center of the incident?

    Such unruly/unlawful gatherings represent a real threat to public safety and Peace Officers personal safety.

    See how Agenda driven Really Fake News CNN fans the racial flames.

    http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/08/us/mckinney-texas-pool-video/index.html

    See how the local PC agenda driven news.. Beats the “Racial” Drum theme..

    “Texas teen says cop slammed her to ground, pulled her braids during pool party raid: ‘Him getting fired is not enough’
    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/texas-teen-details-body-slammed-pool-party-article-1.2250588

    The young female was lawfully ordered to disperse along with everyone else.. She did not.. She should be prosecuted.. not made into a 15min of fame Celebrity.. That is the wrong message to send to her and many other young people who see the results of Political Correctness run amok..and take it as License..

    Young persons walk away from these incidents thinking their actions are justified.. They are not. We can be sure some of them, will be in other incidents. They take the wrong lesson away from this incident. To no one’s benefit.

    Below is the real effect of encouraging belligerent self entitled young people

    Listen to the young female in this instance “Throw her in bro… Throw her in ” encouraging violence.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zi96xuWabM

    That was a Felony Battery.. The elderly women could have easily died from the trauma of being dropped on a concrete surface (Blood Clots resulting in Pulmonary Embolism) a Broken a Hip (often a death sentence for the elderly) she could have died from shock, or drowned from being tossed in the pool.. If she were on blood thinners she could have easily died right there on the scene.

    Look at the preferential if not deferential treatment of a clearly violent suspect..

    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/05/teen-viral-pool-party-attack-video-gets-pre-trial-home-detention-allowed-basketball-school-church/

    In both instances the decisions of Senior Public Officials (not the Peace Officers on Scene) to not clearly condemn and seriously prosecute young people committing real crimes. Can only result in the increase of such violent criminal behavior.

    Those Senior Officials and their actions are in fact very clear examples of the “Deep State” and their Minions in the Fake Lame Stream News of encouraging violence and chaos to disrupt and destroy our society.

    It must be made clear to young people their unruly unlawful actions have real consequences.

    Considering the forum we are in.. Let us pose a Hypothetical..

    What would have been the Fake media and Senior Public Officials Response had that old women produced a handgun and used it to defend herself?

    I think she would have been condemned and an effort to some how blame her the victim of attack and prosecute her for protecting herself is what would have happened.

    Am I mistaken? I think not.

    Vic

  • Will Drider June 14, 2015, 2:09 am

    The origional “Call” was for trespass and then the event escallated when teen girl(s) and an adult woman were fighting. It becomes a civil disobedience and assault to the officer X2, once from hes left, the two males to his right which the officer drew his weapon. Why didn’t the media show the “Ladies fighting” video? No charges were filed. Lesson 5. This is another case of adverse media negates criminal charges. If a man refused to comply with a officers commands and resisted arrest just as the teen did nobody would care about the light physical force that was used.
    Lesson 6. Use of force includes verbal commands. If persuasion doesn’t work. Be authoritative and direct, then yell sternly. No results? Get attention and compliance using term to get their attention and know this is the last chance before chem, taz, K9 or physical force is use. Being P.C when outnumbered against this mini teen mob will get you hurt. Is there anyone out there that really believes these teens never use the language that was found so offensive?
    Their texts, vids, music and dad to day conversions contain worse language.
    Lesson 7. The media and general public only armchair quaterback events. Their narration is spun to support their agenda, be it more viewers, race issued, lives matter issues, gun control, police brutality or the flavor of the week.
    These media hype lynch mobs condem without understanding. While surrounded by a disobedient mob, the Officer trying to contain an uncooperative and unrestrained suspect is charged by two men brandishing clenched fists and close to a fighting stance. The officer is facing 3 to 1 odds. WE know our use of lethal force laws right?
    The most important lesson here is Officer Casebolt was doing the best he could as one officer trying to control a dozen unrestrained and some uncooperative suspects. There’s worse language on your TV every night, the physical force used was minimal for a resisting suspect (including his knees and body weight as he was out of cuffs and needed to scan and possibly defend with free hand). He used restraint not shooting the two aggressors. Finally, he resigned at great personal sacrifice to calm the waters and protect the honor of his Department from the shark infested media, race hustlers, P.C. Utopia idiots and his town from potential rioting thugs looking for any reason to burn, loot and shoot more cops. It wasn’t perfect response but it wasn’ t bad either if you know what your talking about. A policeman’s “life” matters too. When you throw them under the bus and support uninformed media and public condemnation this will be the United States of BALTIMORE.

    • Gary MacNeill July 31, 2016, 8:53 pm

      I’m sorry there is no justification for that. Once you put that badge on you don’t get to have that kind of a bad day. All he did was make it harder for the other officers who are left behind to do there jobs. He had no business being on call that day if the previous calls were to stressful for him. If that had been my daughter that man would have to sleep with one eye open. Period.

  • Thang Nguyen June 12, 2015, 3:53 pm

    Those kids need to learn to shut their mouths off arguing with the authority, to walk away from trouble scenes and go home to their parents. And NO, they decide to be their own police, by disobeying the instructions given,arguing about everything, AND play DUMB. I Don’t blame the officer, he’s one running up and down trying to keep these kids safe and keeping things under control. The kid should learn to shut the hell up and obey, that’s the common problem of the kids these days, they thought they are mature enough to keep themselves safe and out of troubles but they don’t obviously. And some parents as well, they complaint non stop at first sign of troubles accusing the police not doing enough to keep their kids safe and sound.
    Well,I guess that my comments end here before to get to uglier non necessary.

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