2015/10/29

TORONTO — A viral video has surfaced online showing two officers intimidating a man for filming a citizen being arrested.

The video starts with a black teenager being arrested.

Allegedly, the teen was being arrested for possessing cannabis, a plant that is less dangerous than Tylenol and caffeine and alcohol, but which has been declared “illegal” because it gives governments a pretext to fill prisons-for-profit.

Mike Miller happened to be walking by the area of the arrest, and decided to film the incident to ensure the safety of the citizen.

This is when the unthinkable happens.

Two officers approach him and get right in his face.

At one point an officer’s lips nearly touch the camera lens.

Police often engage in what departments call “taunts.”

Taunts occur when an officer either physically or verbally tries to force a citizen to defend himself.

For example, an officer may crowd a citizen’s personal space so that the citizen naturally lifts an arm to protect himself.

A successful taunt will result in the citizen using a natural reflex, which the officers then use as an excuse to escalate force and stack charges against the citizen.

This is part of the “unwritten” training among many police, because the more arrests and charges they make, the more likely they are to score points back at the department and gain career boosts.

It appears that these two officers may have been trying to taunt Mike Miller.

Whatever the case, their actions were decidedly unbecoming of men who are tasked to “protect” us.

In fact, they come across as common bullies trying to block Miller from seeing what was happening to the teen being arrested.

“When you express your rights, this is how police sort of deal with you, they want to put you in your place and belittle you and make you feel humiliated,” Miller says.

Thankfully, their intimidation didn’t work and Miller kept the camera rolling. If he had shut it off, there’s no telling what the officers may have done.

Miller is to be commended for his bravery.

As for the officers, Brian Smith and Shawn Gill, we are awaiting more information as to whether they will be held accountable for conducting themselves in this manner.

Watch the video below: