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Home » Assault » Police Brutality Comes to Light in Horse Chase Incident

Police Brutality Comes to Light in Horse Chase Incident

"See any helicopters?"

“See any helicopters?”

Yes, the title says it all: three sheriff’s deputies in San Bernardino, California are looking at charges for assaulting a man trying to escape… on a horse. All of this was caught on camera and shown on TV, so even though the whole situation sounds absurd, everyone’s very sure that it happened. The chase itself happened in April, but the officers responsible for beating a guy on a horse have just been charged today (Tuesday).

You’re Probably Wanting More Details

And rightly so. Apparently, the chase started when officers tried to serve Frances Jared Pusok a search warrant while investigating a case related to identity theft. It’s uncertain whether Pusok is guilty of THAT crime, but he was already wanted for accusations of motorcycle theft and other burglaries. Don’t ask me how, but reports say he stole 3 motorcycles.

When the police came with the search warrant, Pusok escaped in a car. Eventually the chase led to the desert, and by this time Pusok had ditched the car and managed to steal a horse. So here’s what you should be imagining: a guy on a horse, in the desert, chased by cops on foot, while a TV news helicopter flies overhead. Again, this is real life.

At some point Pusok fell off the horse and was “ineffectively tased” by one of the deputies in pursuit. So he’s caught. He’s laying on the ground, face down, arms crossed behind his back, legs spread – perfect posture for an arrest. Time to arrest him, right? Take him back to the station and tell the sheriff about this crazy stuff that just happened? Not quite yet: apparently these deputies figured that they should probably beat the crap out of him first. You know, for the cameras.

You can look it up. Pusok lies on the ground, having submitted to his captors, who proceed to punch and kick him. One of the deputies even lands a well-aimed crotch shot. Thus ends the great horse chase of 2015.

Police Brutality: Not a Small Problem

If you’re wondering why the cops beat up this guy while there was a news helicopter flying overhead, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe they didn’t know it was there. But that’s kind of hard for me to imagine – they were in the desert! It’s not like there’s too much else going on that could obscure vision or sound. Then again, I’ve not spent much time around helicopters in the desert, so.

Let’s not ignore the most disturbing part about this: police brutality. It doesn’t matter what kinds of crimes this guy committed. The fact that this happened at all means that police officers are capable of it. Which hopefully makes you wonder how often this happens when there aren’t people filming it for us. Police officers are supposed to serve and protect – this is LITERALLY their job. And that’s not to say that we should start being suspicious of all cops, because surely the vast majority are wonderful, justice-loving people.

It really, really sucks for those police officers who are doing their job well. Because aren’t we in the middle of a time during which many people are, you know, not so trusting of law enforcement? Remember the kid who got shot by a cop? How about those riots in Baltimore, where tons of people felt this issue was such a concern that they had to address it violently, just to be heard? Obviously riots are never justified – but doesn’t explain away the reasons why these started in the first place.

So, again, sorry those in law enforcement who’re doing their jobs. Stuff like this doesn’t help them look good. It’s a real shame we don’t know which police officers are good, and which are willing to abuse their power. Nobody can tell them apart until it’s too late – which means people can’t really afford to trust any of them.

Assault in Tennessee

In Tennessee, people who commit the same crimes as those deputies who beat up the horse guy would also be found guilty of assault. The injuries of their victim don’t seem to have been too serious, but if they were, those deputies might have been looking at aggravated assault charges. Tennessee state law defines simple assault as “intentionally or recklessly causing bodily injury to another.” That crime becomes aggravated when you add either a weapon, displayed or used, or the injuries caused turn out to be serious.

So, we can safely assume that the charges for the horse-chase beating would have turned out similarly in Tennessee… as long as they were still filmed. Because without that news crew in the helicopter, it’s unlikely the guilty deputies would have owned up to the assault. And who would be trusted in that situation: the horse thief, or the police officers? Something to think about.

Hire Nashville Criminal Attorneys

At Turner Law Offices, P.C., our team of attorneys has years of experience working with clients in a wide variety of criminal cases, including both simple and aggravated assault. If you’re accused of such a crime, you should seek immediate legal representation – evidence for such cases has a tendency to go stale fairly quickly, and the sooner your defense is prepared, the better. Call today, or go online to set up your Free Initial Consultation, and meet with a skilled lawyer who can get you on track toward the justice you deserve.

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