The details of Rene / Spruill

[OttoMets]

I worked with Montgomery police department I was stationed in Bethesda. Again you will never understand because its not your life at risk. You will never understand what is going through an officers mind in these situations it's fight or flight in this situation what if while spurill was behind the officer he grabbed his gun? Now he is armed and the officer is defencless these are the situations the happen and officers face every day. Bottom line officer safety comes first I'm going home to my wife and kids at the end of the day. Had exsessive force happened is every police officer always in the right?? No of course not but you guys judge these things not having any idea what these situations are like or what is at risk. This isn't an office job where if you misjudge or make the wrong decision you might lose a client in these situations it can be your life and honestly that is how a police officers mindset has to be they have to extra cautious.

If Spruill grabbed the officer's gun...I don't even know how to complete that sentence. He'd better be facing some stiff consequences.

We don't know what happened the other night. Hopefully there were some clear-headed witnesses, maybe there's even some video. I'm not casting any judgment on Spruill or the officers until more facts come to light. Rene, however, would do well to refrain from standing in the middle of the street at night. Just about every Syracuse University student could use a lesson in how to behave and how not to behave on Euclid at midnight.

 

[OttoMets]

Spruill is lucky to be alive. In many cities and neighborhood across the country he wouldn't be.

If that's a fact, then it's a very sad one and represents a failure of our society.

 

[billsin01]

We don't know what happened the other night. Hopefully there were some clear-headed witnesses, maybe there's even some video. I'm not casting any judgment on Spruill or the officers until more facts come to light. Rene, however, would do well to refrain from standing in the middle of the street at night. Just about every Syracuse University student could use a lesson in how to behave and how not to behave on Euclid at midnight.

We don't know legally but I think we do know at least in terms of football consequences -- these guys acted like idiots and will have to deal with whatever consequences come their way.

And, by the way, I say that without judging. They drunk and/or high -- who cares, but can't they just not get caught? i really don't care what they do but I have no sympathy for dudes that A) make a major -ing scene publicly and B) don't even get slightly sober when police and police dogs appear. Seriously? i've literally probably had 15 beers in high school and when the cops showed up at the door I was sober enough to throw my beer under the couch and pretend I was having a civil discourse on the trade implications of tariffs.

 

[ssbriefcase]

If that's a fact, then it's a very sad one and represents a failure of our society.

Unfortunately it is fact. I had a relative shot to death by a NY state trooper in the not so distant past. I also live in Denver, where it seems someone gets killed weekly by police shootings. One occurred Friday night, and there was someone shot by police last night down the street from my house. Don't know yet if he lived? Not saying whose at fault, but a fact none the less.

 

[OttoMets]

Unfortunately it is fact. I had a relative shot to death by a NY state trooper in the not so distant past. I also live in Denver, where it seems someone gets killed weekly by police shootings. One occurred Friday night, and there was someone shot by police last night down the street from my house. Don't know yet if he lived? Not saying whose at fault, but a fact none the less.

Good point - just about everyone is wrapped up in worrying about who's at fault. To be sure, establishing fault is essential in preventing these incidents in the future.

Putting that aside, though, we should all be able to agree: society is a worse place when law enforcement and citizens are killing each other. In the words of Doug Marrone (well, almost), we need to do a better job.

 

[rrlbees]

Who's gotten booted for the first time they got in trouble?

Short memory. I'll refresh it next time I see you. Not getting back into it here as it will just start another back and forth where people who don't have a clue jump in with their 2 cents of opinions. Not worth it, nor is it fair at this point.

 

[Cuse_MN]

Being a military police officer and also work in a police compacity in Washington DC I have alot of experience with these situations. You guys should look up the stats for how many officers die in the line of duty each year or are severely injured. In these situations alot of factors go into it those officers are wearing different types of weapons and there is a good bet that spuril was twice the size of each of them. Officers have and need officer awareness they don't know someone's intention or state of mind with dealing with these situations and complacency can get you killed. It's is easy to look at these situations subjectively when it is not your life at risk trying to keep you guys safe. If spuril cam up behind him and put his hands on an officer then he should have been face down on the pavement immidiately and secured. It disgusts me of the views that people have towards police officers and the broad generalization these are the people keeping you safe and protecting you a police officer isn't going to just go beat up some completely innocent person.

Totally agree cops have the right to do whatever they deem necessary to protect themselves, but you have to agree the use of excessive force can actually agitate certain situations rather than calm them down. A suspect could simply have a natural human reaction to being physically manhdandled by a cop which could then be construed as resisting arrest, etc.

One of my best friends is a cop. The stories i've heard from him make it clear the 'cops are always right' mentality is silliness. Further most cops become cops b/c it can be a job that pays well, not b/c they are altruistic patriots who want to protect citizens because doing so makes them feel good. They are usually in it for the money. Don't believe so, read about all the municipalities that are failing under the weight of police and firefighter pensions, some of which have had to massively cut services to resident b/c the unions refused to renegotiate ... this isn't just true of police, but many public sector employees receive benefits far in excess of private sector employees...yet when municipalities run out of dough, they have no choice but to raise property taxes to pay these benefits or default. So while private sector employees get less and less each year, they take another hit by public sector employees forcing higher taxes on them in order to pay for benefits that were set in a different time and different US economy. Their refusal to renegotiate contracts shows their is more greed than altruism involved.


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[OttoMets]

Oh, no doubt they do although I also have no doubt it is very very rare. That's is why I also said, if that was the case, then some cops should go to jail.

No small coincidence, but there's an article in today's Post-Standard that includes a reference to an officer who lied (not clear whether it was only on the stand or on the crash report as well). http://www.syracuse.com/news/index....acuse_ordered_to_pa.html#incart_river_default

The relevant part: "The judge rejected Cope's contention that he came to a "near stop" before passing into the intersection where he was unable to see the vehicle approaching on the cross street.
"Officer Cope's own testimony conflicts with that of the factual evidence as established by Officer (Lonnie) Dotson, to the extent that Officer Cope testified that he slowed his vehicle to a near stop directly in a location where 45 feet of skid marks showed that he was proceeding at a high rate of speed just before the crash," Cherundolo wrote in his decision."

Unfortunate it may be, but it's not all that uncommon for officers to play fast and loose with the facts in attempting to reconcile behavior that was not "by the book" with an undesirable consequence. Police reports and officer testimony often feature inconsistencies.

 

[Crusty]

Let's not turn a drunken exhibition and interference with a police officer into a tangent about the professionalism (or lack thereof) of the Syracuse or other police departments. It pretty much is a crap job where every day you deal with the lowest of the human experience and witness depravity of the worst kind every week.

This apparently is about a foolish young man throwing his future down the drain in a drunken stupor and his friend choosing the wrong way to help his friend. Happens all too often every day, this time it involved young men in the limelight who failed to understand their responsibilities to their teammates, the program and the University.
Just sad.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Gmac was given leeway because of what he did his freshman year and what that team did overall. Forth on the other hand was crushed his entire career. Waiters was jumped on for acting like an idiot and when he finally got it last year he was treated like the greatest thing in the world - rightly so.

I think your seeing something the way you want and not the way it is. I do agree with you though, people in upstate NY throw around the race jokes and comments like it's no big deal.

GMAC wasn't given any leeway at all. He was given respect because he was a scrapper and gave 100% on the floor in every game. Sure, people bitched that he shot too much (well, we had ZERO other outside scoring options) and that he didn't work hard enough in the off seasons to stay in top shape. But he gave everything he had when he was on that floor. Everything.

This thread is about players who got in trouble with the law, not players who were good kids and some moron had problems with how they played. Why are we talking about Gerry and Andy here? Or even Forth?! Should have talked about Devo instead. Or DeShaun Williams. Or Delone Carter. Or any of the other football and bball numbskulls who couldn't stay out of bad places in town...or even stay out of their own way. Imagine if Louie McCroskey had physically acted out against an officer instead of at JB? You wanna talk about leeway? That kid got leeway.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

@Michael_Cohen13
Just saw Steve Rene on campus. His right arm is in a sling.

Wouldn't his arm be in a sling following shoulder surgery?

 

[ImperialOrange]

@Michael_Cohen13
Just saw Steve Rene on campus. His right arm is in a sling.

The plot thickens. Here's the blurb from the article with some points that seemed a bit curious.

The officer again told Rene to get out of the road, and approached him, Connellan said. Rene moved toward the sidewalk and the officer tried to secure him, police said. If he's moving toward the sidewalk, why is the officer trying to "secure" him? At that moment, Spruill came up from behind and grabbed the officer by the top of the shirt with both hands and tried to pull the officer away from Rene, Connellan said.
The officer pushed Spruill, and another officer took Spruill away when he tried to move back toward Rene, Connellan said. If Spruill wanted to assault an officer and get free it would've happened here. If he "grabbed the officer by the top of his shirt" I'm not sure how 6'1 216 lb Spruill was so easily pushed away. I question the timeline here in the police report.
While police were trying to gain control of Rene and were about to handcuff him, he broke away and fell between the curb and a parked vehicle, police said. Right, police said. So he was walking towards the sidewalk, then the officer tried to "secure him" and then he "fell"? Riiiight. He fought officers who tried to handcuff him until another officer with a police dog got him to comply, Connellan said. So he fought officers who had just 'secured' him to the ground in a way that his arm ended up in a sling.

Sounds like the cops were the ones causing the continued altercation. Chasing Rene, Spruill stepped in then right back out, and the cops secured Rene to the ground in between cars.

Like most, I've had mixed dealings with cops. I know some folks that I would consider 'good' cops and I've heard plenty of stories of police getting their licks in before detaining someone which usually shows up in the police report as someone 'falling". Sounds like it may have been the case here. I would also question the timeline as to if Spruill actually stepped in before or after Rene was on the ground getting "secured". Change that one little detail in the timeline, which the cops may be inclined to do, and it sounds alot more in favor of the players. Like say, if Spruill was trying to stop an officer who was detaining the out Rene who was already on the ground? What then?

 

[FAL]

Yep, next year vs Tulane. That's the Ohio State way.

Agree--on SU's first drive.

 

[Bortukal]

@Michael_Cohen13
Just saw Steve Rene on campus. His right arm is in a sling.

Must've been his drinking arm.

 

[Whitey23]

@Michael_Cohen13
Marquis Spruill -----> RT @Sprui11z: It's crazy how the media can twist events and fabricate lies just to hype up their stories smh

 

[rrlbees]

@Michael_Cohen13
Marquis Spruill -----> RT @Sprui11z: It's crazy how the media can twist events and fabricate lies just to hype up their stories smh

Lets hope so. If the media lied about the report, I think the cops would have a talk with someone in the media.

 

[oldpinepoint]

Another question, were these uniformed or undercover cops

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Update: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/two_su_football_players_due_ba.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Court date is Dec 19.

 

[qdawgg]

GMAC wasn't given any leeway at all. He was given respect because he was a scrapper and gave 100% on the floor in every game. Sure, people bitched that he shot too much (well, we had ZERO other outside scoring options) and that he didn't work hard enough in the off seasons to stay in top shape. But he gave everything he had when he was on that floor. Everything.

This thread is about players who got in trouble with the law, not players who were good kids and some moron had problems with how they played. Why are we talking about Gerry and Andy here? Or even Forth?! Should have talked about Devo instead. Or DeShaun Williams. Or Delone Carter. Or any of the other football and bball numbskulls who couldn't stay out of bad places in town...or even stay out of their own way. Imagine if Louie McCroskey had physically acted out against an officer instead of at JB? You wanna talk about leeway? That kid got leeway.

Not sure why your attacking me, I was defending Gmac. Very strange response. Also your first paragraph confirms what I was saying, he was given leeway. You can call it respect but it's also leeway.

 

[PhatOrange]

Lets hope so. If the media lied about the report, I think the cops would have a talk with someone in the media.

It was a very strangely written article. It read like a police report which I found weird coming 10/12 hours after the incident?

 

[Cuse_MN]

@Michael_Cohen13
Marquis Spruill -----> RT @Sprui11z: It's crazy how the media can twist events and fabricate lies just to hype up their stories smh

Fact that he's even tweeting about it in this manner and given my assumption there has already been a sit down with DM, I continue to believe he didn't do a whole lot.

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[PhatOrange]

The disorderly conduct charge is the BS charge that cops write you up for anytime you don't comply with one of their orders. If they tell you to shut your mouth and you tell them to **k off - you're now disorderly. It's the easiest ticket to write and they can write it for anything.

 

[Cuse_MN]

The disorderly conduct charge is the BS charge that cops write you up for anytime you don't comply with one of their orders. If they tell you to shut your mouth and you tell them to **k off - you're now disorderly. It's the easiest ticket to write and they can write it for anything.

Every person who ever stormed a floor after a game could have been written up for disorderly conduct if the police decided they wanted to write the tickets.

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[OrangeinBoston]

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index...._player_charged_wit.html#incart_river_default

Screw the two of them. If Spruill can rehabilitate himself this Spring while not being part of practice then fine. Otherwise, screw him.

 

[OttoMets]

The disorderly conduct charge is the BS charge that cops write you up for anytime you don't comply with one of their orders. If they tell you to shut your mouth and you tell them to **k off - you're now disorderly. It's the easiest ticket to write and they can write it for anything.

Well, they can. But language isn't "conduct" and it wouldn't stand up in court.