Please Watch.

This sickens and saddens me. Remember how we just talked about the police officer who held a Houston Texan's player outside of a hospital for rolling through a red light (when NO ONE else was in the intersection) - while the man's mother-in-law was dying? If you haven't heard this story, you can read my take, and see the video here.

Sunday night, another incident of police on a power-trip occured - sadly this time they resorted not only to verbal abuse but actual physical brutality.

The Bamboozle Tour (Sickest Kids, Mercy Mercedes - I'm a country music girl, but have heard these bands are good) was wrapping up a show in Philadelphia at TLA, and one of the band members backed their van/trailer up to the loading dock - as instructed by the venue manager. 3 bike policemen came up, told him to move, ignoring his explanation that the venue had TOLD him to load/unload in that particular spot, and gave him 3 tickets!

The bands continued to load their stuff, and the officers came back a few minutes later. The band member (same guy), was backing the van out of the alley, and ran over a water bottle that was laying behind the van. The water squirted onto one of the officers, and all hell broke loose. They slammed the guy into the van, screaming at him, threw him on the ground where he bashed his head open on a glass bottle, and beat him with metal batons. The tour manager came out to try to help, and he was screamed at to get back (and I think they also hit him as well).

It is important to note that NONE of the band members/tour manager ever raised a hand to one of the officers, or made any type of threatening movements at all. Fans were all around, and several got the incident on videotape - one of which you can see below. Police officers were shining their lights in the cameras, trying to destroy the videos and obviously the evidence that may later incriminate them for police brutality. One of the other band members actually called 911 during the incident, telling them to send help because their officers were beating innocent people.

Please note that I think law enforcement is a necessity, and don't wish to stereotype by saying that all police officers are brutal and on a power trip. But I sincerely hope that this incident, as well as the Ryan Moats incident will make our law enforcement system sit up and realize that our system as it stands is seriously flawed. The police pledge to serve and protect... not brutalize and cause mass terror.

Sorry for such a serious post, but this story made me cry this morning as I was driving to work at the absolute lack of compassion and humanity. What do you think about this situation?