Police brutality (?) in Vienna

[Tender Branson]

http://www.vice.com/alps/read/cop-watch-wiener-polizei-911

Please watch the video of a bystander in the link.



The story is this:

A 22-year old female student left her home in Vienna to go shopping at the Mariahilfer Street, a popular shopping street.

A guy not much older than her followed her and asked her stuff. She felt annoyed because he followed her constantly and then she went into a shop while he waited outside. In the shop, she called the police.

The police came and asked him to show an ID and asked what was going on.

Side note: The man obviously has psychological problems, because several witnesses saw him suddenly attacking the police officers, trying to punch them.

The police fixated him on the ground and also around his neck.

A bystander started to film.

The guy shouts: "I don't get air. Help me. Please call the police."

A bystander says: "I can't help you man, the police is already on top of you."

Guy on the ground: "Call the real police !"

Bystanders: "The police is already here."

Woman tries to wipe away the camera of bystander and says: "Why are you filming this ?"

Bystander: "Because that is police brutality and I want some documentation of it."

Black bystander to police: "Get off his neck ! You are choking him !"

Another: "Stop choking him !"

...

The guy on the ground looks like a white Austrian man (also judging from his accent).

[Antonio the Sixth]

One should always assume the worst when it comes to police behavior.

[Tender Branson]

One should always assume the worst when it comes to police behavior.

Yepp.

Obviously, their behaviour was not 100% professional. Why choke him and fixate him on the ground for a few minutes when there are 5 police officers who could simply handcuff him ?

The guy's likely a ticking timebomb too, but at least nothing worse has happened.

In the US, they would have probably tasered him or killed him ...

[bgwah]

One should always assume the worst when it comes to police behavior.

So open minded and fair! Good thing we have people like you to remind us what a true progressive really is!

[dead0man]

So a stranger is following a woman around and being so annoying that the cops are called.
Cops show up.
Odd stranger attacks cops.
Camera turns on.
Long "choke" hold with lots of yelling.
Video makes it to internet where ignorant people jump to conclusions.

Some points:
1.that's NOT a choke hold (ie, a hold designed to block air from getting to the lungs and/or brain), that's a restraining hold (notice where the V of his elbow is)
2.for the 100th time, tasers are MUCH safer than what happened here.....for cop and nut alike.  Being against tasers is ignorant.  (one can say they are used too much and may have a point, but having NO tasers is bad for everybody)
3.how do the cop haters think this should have went down?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

One should always assume the worst when it comes to police behavior.

Most of police personel are normal people, but there's still a number of psychos drawn to the badge which gives them a sense of power, so you better be very cautious until you know you haven't dumped on one of these types.

[solarstorm]

That retiree makes me aggressive.