I was on the VMI Judo team as a cadet. This was a "club" sport as opposed to a varsity sport, but we traveled to matches in the eastern parts of the US. Yes, I had my ass whipped all over the place, had a couple of broken bones (small bones). You heal well at that age. You get the idea, not a great athlete but a willing participant for several years. The experience was very useful during my army career. This was not because I was a "sidewalk superman." No, it was because the experience built up my self-confidence.
I learned a lot. One of the basics was concerned with chokeholds. These are legal in Judo with certain restrictions. The method is simple. From the facing opponent position you cross your wrists, grasp the lapels of the person's judogi and rotate your arms inward so that your forearms press against the carotid arteries. If he can't break loose he loses consciousness in ten or twelve seconds from oxygen starvation in the brain. From a position behind the opponent you do a similar thing with the same result.
In Judo, when the opponent claps his hands you immediately release him. If he loses consciousness you immediately release him. Why? He will die if you maintain the pressure on the carotid artery or arteries.
Are we supposed to belief that the ass in blue did not know that? The man was unarmed, was cooperative and was handcuffed. Other asinine policemen (please don't call every cop an "officer") stood around and watched as their colleague ignored the pleas of the victim and onlookers to let him up.
Murder is murder. Throw the book at them. At the same time let us remember that these were Minneapolis police, not state of Minnesota or federal police. pl
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/28/minneapolis-protests-george-floyd-death/
Frad
I am certain of that.
But, this is a self-inflicted wound.
Posted by: Babak makkinejad | 29 May 2020 at 10:57 PM
I never heard of 3rd degree murder before this case.
In some jurisdictions criminally negligent manslaughter can be tried as 2nd degree murder if there was a 'willful or depraved indifference' to human life. Not sure what the statutes are in Minnesota.
If I have a heart attack while somebody commits aggravated assault on my person, I have still been murdered. I thought chokeholds were banned by police departments nationwide back 40 years ago.
Posted by: JP Billen | 30 May 2020 at 12:01 AM
Looking more likely this could be the work of the Bernie Sandernistas - primed for revolution and anarchy, after their prize was stolen a second time. Rioting at CNN headquarters, fercrissakes?
Every two-bit rabid white liberal "celebrity" is now piling on. They know they will lose in November, so they are pulling out the stops just to make one last mess of things.
Posted by: Deap | 30 May 2020 at 02:00 AM
Babak,
Yes. I call anyone, regardless of skin color, with a felony record/nature of the crimes like Floyd's, a "savage".
Coroner is saying that he wasn't asphyxiated by the cop's knee. It was bad health and drugs. When you decide to make your life a one man crime wave and you resist arrest and have bad health and take drugs and then die, yes you bear some responsibility for your fate.
It is entirely possible to apply a knee to the neck or upper back without the full weight of one's body focused on the point of contact. You can regulate the amount of pressure. What appears to be a cop killing a man - even I reacted that way at first - might just be a cop restraining a man who was resisting arrest.
But don't worry Babak, the riots will continue and America will continue to be damaged. This will be a satisfying summer for you.
Posted by: Eric Newhill | 30 May 2020 at 08:34 AM
If you want to control somebody on the ground with your knee, just put it on his head and immobilize it in a similar squat as in the video. Very easy and very effective.
That way you don't hurt the person you control, but he will hurt himself when he tries to move.
There are some trained people that can escape this without hurting themselves, but the average person in the street will not be able to do this. In that case you can always proceed to something different.
Posted by: Adrestia | 30 May 2020 at 12:59 PM
Backsdrummer,
Right. Let the investigation conclude. The cop is probably guilty of manslaughter (at least - at a certain point he and his partners should have been to get Floyd into the car), but we don't know all of the facts and we don't know how those facts correspond to the PD policy on topics like restraining when there is resisting arrest.
Posted by: Eric Newhill | 30 May 2020 at 01:07 PM
Eric Newhill
I suppose all protestors everwhere in the Western Diocletian Land at anytime are Savages by your account.
You need to take a step back and try to unknot yourself.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 30 May 2020 at 01:08 PM
All
This what happened last night in front of the WH when an almost altogether white mob attacked a Foxnews crew
https://twitter.com/VenturaReport/status/1266598932387450880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1266750894730870789&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Fmedia%2F500272-journalists-voice-support-for-fox-news-crew-hounded-by-protesters-unacceptable
IMO this is the antifa anarchist group in action.
Posted by: turcopolier | 30 May 2020 at 01:40 PM
There are a number of anomalies.
Videos show two different "police" cars involved -- the first shown making a U turn to pick up Floyd is marked Park Police, unable to discern license tag; car number 832. Rear of this car is unmarked.
The car where Floyd is videod w/ (supposedly) Chauvin's knee on his neck while several other men in blue police-like shirts look on is #322, has "Minneapolis" in bold white letters across the back, clearly visible license tag is POLICE.
A medic was called to check Floyd's vitals even as the knee remained in place. Strange.
Video shows Chauvin with hand in pocket while he's kneeling. Curious posture.
His other knee is on the ground -- that is, his full weight is not on Floyd's neck.
Numerous photos appearing showing IDF in knee-on-neck posture restraining Palestinians. Israel is known to train numerous police; Atlanta chief said, Yes, they train in anti-terror tactics and we will continue the relationship.
It's not apparent that filming took place surreptitiously; that is, it seems Chauvin was aware of being filmed. Why did he continue for 8, 9 minutes?
How does a man who cannot breathe call out "I can't breathe."
Posted by: Artemesia | 30 May 2020 at 01:55 PM
Sir,
Everything points to a large well organized/ well funded network jumping off a coordinated attack against the country.
In LA last night, two federal LEOs were shot while guarding a federal building. One of them died this morning.
I am sympathetic to the black protesters, though not the rioters, arsonists and looters.
Posted by: Eric Newhill | 30 May 2020 at 02:10 PM
RedState has a first perso account claiming ANTFA is just OWS re-branded. Steven Bannon actually did an excellent documentary years ago called "Occupy Unmasked" (how ironic) that delves into the links between those who brought ACORN to life and what came with it.
The face off at that time was between the growing TeaParty and its thread to the radical leftist cause - and OWS emerged from the melee. It was also the same time, post the 2008 meltdown, that the growing wage disparity between public and private sector workers was becoming obvious.
Everyone else was losing ground after the 2008 meltdown, except public sector union workers. Same can can be said today - everyone is losing ground due to government mandates, except the public sector employees. And out comes ANTIFA and friends to create distraction.
Posted by: Deap | 30 May 2020 at 03:48 PM
Deap
The same situation obtained during the Great Depression, with state jobs giving their holder financial well-being among a sea of poverty.
Posted by: Babak makkinejad | 30 May 2020 at 04:11 PM
The message I got was first: Don't resist arrest. Cooperate with the restraining officer. Best for all concerned. We have seen this play before.
Posted by: Deap | 30 May 2020 at 04:35 PM
Babak
Yes, my father was a highly literate and well read sergeant in those days. The government could not afford more than 180,000 officers and men. He was careful not to do anything that would make the army discharge him.
Posted by: turcopolier | 30 May 2020 at 04:35 PM
Deap
I am skilled in unarmed combat. If you kneel on someone's neck for that long you are likely to kill him
Posted by: turcopolier | 30 May 2020 at 04:37 PM
Artemesia,
RE: How does a man who cannot breathe call out "I can't breathe."
It doesn't have to be asphyxiation. Could have been pressure on the carotid artery did him in. Google up the old banned sleeper-hold technique.
Posted by: Mark Logan | 30 May 2020 at 07:24 PM
babak,
Given Floyd's criminal record, had he lived in Iran, he would have been executed years ago. An appreciation of irony and self-reflection are virtues that you appear to lack in your lust to attack America.
Posted by: Eric Newhill | 30 May 2020 at 09:39 PM
The Minneapolis law enforce code states police can use the knee on neck technique to subdue a prisoner. Chauvin kept his kept his knee on Floyd's neck long after he had been subdued. The cop kneeling on his back also obstructed Floyd's breathing. The night club owner who employed both Floyd and Chauvin said both were nice men but Chauvin showed poor judgement a few times by needlessly pepper spraying the crowd out front. Whatever made him snap during Floyd's arrest, whatever Floyd's past sins, Chauvin is the one that's a savage. To me it looks like he killed Floyd on purpose. You would think a psychological evaluation would never permitted him to be put in a position of authority.
The media mentions over and over the rioters are a small minority, most are peacefully demonstrating. Unfortunately the media don't give the police the same courtesy by saying it's only a small minority of cops that step over the line. Some people, too many, believe cops hunt Blacks, and that Blacks are victims of relentless victims of White supremacy. The truth is 90% of interracial crimes are committed by Blacks. The media and some politicians ignore the reality and promote the myth.
In some Black communities there is a war between them and the cops.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/lapd-releases-dramatic-police-shootout-chase/story?id=63274462
The video cuts away while the crowd grows and continues to harass the police.
This video shows how fast cops have to react. Looks straight out of a cheap horror movie.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bodycam-footage-shows-st-paul-officer-being-attacked-shooting-man-n1058291
Posted by: optimax | 30 May 2020 at 10:23 PM
Governor Newsom declared states of emergency in LA county, California. A few cities are under curfew from 8PM Saturday till early morning. The Governor deployed about 1,000 National Guards in as a back up for law enforcement.
George Floyd protest started about noon Saturday peacefully, and then turned violent. Looting in Melrose going on after the curfew.
Posted by: TonyL | 31 May 2020 at 03:21 AM
Eric Newhill
Matthew 7:5
Posted by: Babak makkinejad | 31 May 2020 at 10:09 AM
ex-PFC Chuck,
"Floyd was a bouncer at a nightclub and may well have received it as a tip. "
That's a keen observation. Having worked with off duty police officers at the same place over many years he also would have been well versed in how they handle arrests, and shouldn't have been concerned over $20 of fake money. Pissed off when the store he realized it was fake and he realized he got ripped off, but it would be obvious quickly he didn't print it up. There's a lot more to what went down than we are seeing, but the press isn't interested in that nor at this point are the rioters.
Babak,
The riots weren't inflicted upon the state by itself nor does the state condone killing suspected criminals in custody.
Posted by: Fred | 31 May 2020 at 11:45 AM
Photo does not show "kneeling" on his neck; it shows locking his head in place with one knee only, and with the officer actually leaning backwards, hand in pocket for counter-balance, that appears to actually keep lethal pressure away the front of his neck which so far has been supported by the initial autopsy report.
The moments between resisting arrest and going limp will need further evaluation. Again, the autopsy report(s) will provide far more data than commentary on our subjective photo analysis from afar. Neither of us were there. Nor aware of his rap sheet, when this was unfolding.
It is not about who is right or who is wrong at this time, but letting due process duly unfold.
Posted by: Deap | 31 May 2020 at 02:16 PM
Optimax,
Just for the record. Check press reports about the autopsy. The defense is going to have a strong argument that Chauvin was unaware that Floyd was dying from the sudden, violent stress that was overwhelming his cardivascular system due to the combination of a long-standing, well-established morbidity, including heart disease, hypertension and possibly asthma, and also a psychiatric problem that would be diagnosed as susceptibility to panic attacks. A deadly combination. Something like that. The video that we may never see, though the jury will, will show the inside of George Floyd's cardiovascular system and/or brain. That will decide the case. They've already said it was not suffocation. The knee didn't do it.
Posted by: Tidewater | 31 May 2020 at 03:02 PM
Deap,
The people protesting aren't going to read an autopsy report a week from now, they are responding to the video and still images.
Posted by: Fred | 31 May 2020 at 04:00 PM
A lot of information about Derek and George's commen employer, the nightclub ENR:
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/05/31/sunday-talks-crump-on-floyd-we-dont-understand/
Also speculations about its possible connections to the USG.
Posted by: Keith Harbaugh | 31 May 2020 at 04:41 PM