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Title: Pistol-whipped Alabama cop didn’t shoot attacker for fear of making headlines: union
Source:
NY Daily News
URL Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat ... ear-backlash-article-1.2325772
Published: Aug 15, 2015
Author: Melissa Chan
Post Date: 2015-08-15 09:35:08 by cranky
Keywords: None
Views: 1510
Comments: 13
Pictures of a wounded Birmingham, Ala., police officer were posted online by law enforcement critics who mocked the wounded cop. via Facebook The Alabama police officer who went viral after he was pistol-whipped with his own gun last week said he didn't shoot his attacker because he didn't want to make headlines as the nation's newest vilified cop. The Birmingham detective, whose name has not yet been released, paused while a suspect attacked him during a traffic stop because he feared the country-wide backlash he might receive for killing a black man, the head of the local police union said Friday. "Local law enforcement officers are walking on egg shells because they're so hesitant of how to interact because of what's taking place in the media," police Sgt. Heath Boackle, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, told the Daily News. "They're losing these confrontations," he added. "He who hesitates is lost." Images of the bloodied officer lying limp and face-down on the ground quickly went viral after witnesses dispersed them on social media, where the wounded deputy was heavily mocked by cop critics. "Pistol whipped his ass to sleep," one Facebook user wrote. The plainclothes Birmingham cop was investigating a string of burglaries when he stopped a GMC Yukon and was attacked by the driver who immediately got out of his vehicle, authorities said. The suspect, 34-year-old Janard Cunningham, allegedly stole the detective's gun during the struggle and clubbed him repeatedly with it. "The officer was just trying to diffuse the situation," Boackle, 40, said. "Mr. Cunningham sucker-punched the officer, immediately knocking him to the ground and gained control of his weapon and beat him until he was unconscious." The detective, a six-year veteran on the force, had hesitated before Cunningham dealt the devastating blow, even as the suspect was quickly inching closer, the union president said. "If the officer would have pulled his weapon, we would be talking about a totally different story," Boackle said. "They're so afraid that what's going to be portrayed of them isn't going to be the whole truth of the encounter." Cunningham — who has a violent criminal history, including an assault conviction in 2006 — initially fled the scene, but he was quickly caught and charged with attempted murder in the attack. He appeared in court Tuesday, but his hearing was postponed because he didn't have an attorney, WBRC reported. The deputy, who suffered a concussion, is recovering at home after being treated at UAB Hospital, said Boackle, a 19-year veteran with the Birmingham Police Department. "He's not going to be back at work for some time," the union president said. "He's still under the doctor's supervision." The officer's family caught wind of the attack after seeing it on social media, Boackle said. "His daughter was getting ready to go to college and saw the feeds come alive," he said. "They were really, really upset. They were hurt. How would you feel if that was your family member, police officer or not?" The deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police across the country have sparked massive protests. Those at the center of the outrage include Officer Darren Wilson, who sparked an uprising in Ferguson, Mo. when he killed black teenager Michael Brown; Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who killed Eric Garner in Staten Island with a chokehold; Officer Michael Slager, indicted in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man; and University of Cincinnati cop Ray Tensing indicted for killing Samuel DuBose during a traffic stop. "There are bad apples in any profession you choose," Boackle said. "You can't put us all in there because 99 percent of law enforcement officers across this country are doing this job because they want to make a difference. "We don't do it for money," he added. "We do it as a calling." 
Birmingham Police DepartmentJanard Cunningham, 34, is charged with attempted murder after he allegedly pistol-whipped a Birmingham, Ala., cop with the officer’s own gun.
via TwitterPictures of a wounded Birmingham, Ala., police officer were posted online by law enforcement critics who mocked the wounded cop.
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#1. To: cranky (#0)
I don't believe it. I think the officer was scared shitless. I'd have shot that piece of shit if he was black, brown, green, yellow or urine colored with a diaper on his head. I'd rather be judged by 12 (and criticized by cop hating douche bags and urban animals) than carried by 6. REMEMBER RULE NUMBER ONE.
Scared? No. I believe he was simply caught off-guard. He allowed the driver to exit the car and allowed the driver to get in his face. He admits he was sucker-punched. To save face, he wants us to believe he could have defended himself but chose not to. He took one for the team, if you will. I'm with you. Back off and get back in your car or you're a dead man -- said while in a shooter's stance with a weapon pointed at his haid. Let someone else take one for the team.
There are no replies to Comment # 3. End Trace Mode for Comment # 3.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestThe Birmingham detective, whose name has not yet been released, paused while a suspect attacked him during a traffic stop because he feared the country-wide backlash he might receive for killing a black man, the head of the local police union said Friday.
#3. To: GrandIsland (#1)
"I don't believe it. I think the officer was scared shitless."
Replies to Comment # 3.
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