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Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect

By Jeralyn, Section Misconduct
Posted on Mon Feb 07, 2005 at 09:36:41 AM EST
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With all the talk of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, it's important to remember that abuse occurs here as well. SK Bubba has the details of a Tennessee case in which four sheriff's deputies have been indicted by the feds, and the transcript of an audio tape on which it is established that they brutally beat a drug suspect into signing a consent to search his home. The news article is here.

They launched the attack with a stunningly simple message. "It's (expletive) over, son."

For two hours, authorities say, that message would be pounded into Lester Eugene Siler's head and body, reinforced with the barrel of a gun and echoed in threats of electrocution.

SKBubba says,

The FBI transcribed this from recordings obtained when the suspect's wife turned on a tape recorder as the deputies arrived to serve an arrest warrant. This is very disturbing. It's as bad as anything at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo. The most disturbing thing is that this stuff probably goes on all the time. These guys just got caught. Read the whole thing. Even if you aren't registered, it's worth it to register and read the whole thing.

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    Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect | 10 comments (10 topical)
    Re: Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 07, 2005 at 09:57:17 AM EST
    bush's next 4 nominees to the supreme court

    Re: Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 07, 2005 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    "What is past, is prologue." In this case, it is the unholy mess of the War on Drugs to blame, which has led to this kind of barbaric behavior showing up in our civil servants. Abu Ghraib was only the latest symptom...because the vast majority of the Reservists who served there were themselves either police or corrections officers 'back in The World'. They just brought their habits with them and thought they had free rein to carry them out, under color of the invasion. This time it was recorded; you have to ask how many other times is this obscenity is being repeated throughout the US of A. You can be free, or drug free; you won't be both. Goons like the ones caught on tape will see to that...

    Re: Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect (none / 0) (#3)
    by wishful on Mon Feb 07, 2005 at 10:22:39 AM EST
    There must be a mighty long line for those Medals O' Freedom. Are these guys near the front, or are there thousands that the corporate media just don't bother to report on? You know, those silly liberals are always trying to downplay the good news. I don't know how this particular shining example on the sacred rule of law got out, but thank dog it did.

    Re: Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 07, 2005 at 12:12:03 PM EST
    "bush's next 4 nominees to the supreme court" Of course, this would never happen with a Democrat in the White House.

    Re: Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 07, 2005 at 12:45:15 PM EST
    This happens all the time, its only a crime when he cop, has not reported it. In fact Torturing people who may have done that crime or may have not done the crime means nothing, its starting to look like normal third world ideals. We have many Abu Ghraib's inside our own country. see FBI Report on prisons. Oh yes Bush may also cut the drug war money? because our non borders mean nothing to our boys in washington, so what are we fighting for? the right to "not report crime's by our own government"?

    Re: Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 07, 2005 at 02:19:32 PM EST
    Ah, if only these deputies had beaten the crap out of their victim in Gitmo, they'd be given Medals of Freedom. Besides, I don't see any sign that the suspect died or suffered major organ failure, so what's the problem? Justice is on trial here. Get me Abu Gonzales on Line 1.

    Re: Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 07, 2005 at 07:34:53 PM EST
    Patrick - assuming innocence, of course, but still thinking with a cop's mind, what should these people be arrested for and charged with, if anything?

    Re: Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect (none / 0) (#8)
    by Patrick on Tue Feb 08, 2005 at 07:30:44 AM EST
    CA, Assuming there is a crime here, it would be up to the AUSA to decide what charges. I'm sure there are some rights violations, assault under the color of authority etc... You see, unlike most here, I don't have a crystal ball to see and know all, so I must rely on the integrity of the majority, and trust that the right thing will be done. And I do.

    Re: Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 08, 2005 at 08:17:36 AM EST
    Well the cops have been dismissed, and that's a good sign and progress from a previous, similar outrage in Tenneseee where it finally took a jury in a civil suit to get some justice. Read about that here.

    Re: Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 08, 2005 at 10:37:20 AM EST
    Yeah, but the guy was guilty. Sorry. I just had to beat the wingers to it.

    Tenn. Cops Indicted for Torturing Drug Suspect | 10 comments (10 topical)