Police Taser race relations group founder in the face.

Original post by joecphillips

You do realise that the police are human don't you? They can't just know that the person who looks like the suspect isn't the suspect but somebody who has been confused for him before?

I'm aware that they're only human but this kind of mistake could have been avoided if they were notified of the incident that took place earlier. It depends on whether the real criminal is a wanted man or just a criminal that is known to police that they stop an search from time to time.
Either way, they do have to have some accountability. It's not Mr Adunbi's fault he looks how he does. If it's left alone this sort of mistake will happen over and over again to the same man.
Well I'm sure by now all the police in that area are aware Mr Adunbi isn't the person they are looking for.

Reply 183

Original post by Willy Pete

I'm sure you would be aggressive too if the police were trying to arrest you again over mistaken identity.

1. The mistaken identity could have been resolved in seconds by Adunbi identifying himself, as reasonable requested by the police.
2. I wouldn't be aggressive with the police if they asked me do identify myself. I have been asked on several occasions and each time I have complied immediately. I have even submitted to a search on a couple of occasions. Every time, I was walking away without being tasered.

It's not rocket science.

Which is more aggressive? Shouting at a police officer to leave you alone because they have the wrong person AGAIN or trying to arrest the wrong person while aiming a taser at them?

They didn't attempt to arrest or even detain him until he refused to identify himself and tried to forcibly leave the situation.

So I would say that Adunbi was the more aggressive initially. The police merely responded. They were not to know what his intentions were. It's all very well in hindsight to claim what people should have done, but as far as the police at the time were concerned, there was a man who matched the description of a wanted criminal who was being obstructive, refusing to identify himself and trying to escape the situation. He could have been armed and violent. Yes, it turns out that he wasn't but the police were not to know that at the time.

It is a clear cut case of crap policing and unreasonable use of force. When she fired at him he was standing still and not even moving forward to do anything aggressive.

No it isn't. Don't be stupid. I think the use of the taser was probably excessive, or at least premature, but responsibility for its deployment rests to some degree with Mr Adunbi. To claim otherwise is to deny reality.

Reply 184

sleepysnooze

3

Original post by Willy Pete

I'm not sure pushing someone off you constitutes violence. He was certainly aggressive but not violent.

yeah it does - that's resisting arrest - how else do you resist arrest?

Reply 185

Original post by StrawbAri

This is it

That video clearly shows the police initially behaving in a calm and reasonable manner, while Mr Adunbi is being deliberately obstructive and provocative.

I don't think the taser was necessary, but responsibility for its use lies to a large extent with Adunbi. If he has simply provided ID as reasonably requested, it would never have been used.

Reply 186

Joep95

19

Original post by StrawbAri

I'm aware that they're only human but this kind of mistake could have been avoided if they were notified of the incident that took place earlier. It depends on whether the real criminal is a wanted man or just a criminal that is known to police that they stop an search from time to time.
Either way, they do have to have some accountability. It's not Mr Adunbi's fault he looks how he does. If it's left alone this sort of mistake will happen over and over again to the same man.
Well I'm sure by now all the police in that area are aware Mr Adunbi isn't the person they are looking for.

How? All it would do is make some officers less likely to go and ask people they suspect of being the criminal to stop, it likely would not stop most officers from stopping a someone who matches the description of someone they are on the lookout for.
The fact they say they are looking for this person suggests that it is not just a someone they stop and search.
They do have accountability but they are not wrong for stopping someone the police are looking for, if you match the description are the police wrong for stopping you? It is unfortunate that some people may be stopped multiple times but the alternative is to restrict the police's power that they can not stop people who match the description and that is wrong.

It would be good to know how similar the person they are looking for looks to Mr Abundi because it is more than possible if they look the same this could happen again or this could help the suspect by stopping the police doing their job

Reply 187

Original post by princechromey

I know - sometimes the police get things completely and utterly wrong, and this was one of those cases. I wonder if the police would like it if they got tasered when they tried walking back into their house?!

But they didn't get it "completely and utterly wrong". They attempted to question a man who matched the description of a wanted man. They explained this to Adunbe, but he still insisted on obstructing the police and subsequently resisting arrest. I think that the use of the taser was wrong in hindsight, but everythiung else was perfectly justified and reasonable.

Reply 188

Original post by Willy Pete

Not just one of those cases, the second time it has happened to the same guy.

So he obviously looks like the other man, who is obviously a career criminal. After the same thing previously happeneng, surely Adunbe would want to clear the matter up as soon as possible by showing the police some ID. Why on earth would he want to deliberately instigate and escalate a confrontation with the police. What could he possibly gain from doing so?
I'm sure the compensation received after the first incident had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Reply 189

Original post by QE2

That video clearly shows the police initially behaving in a calm and reasonable manner, while Mr Adunbi is being deliberately obstructive and provocative.

I don't think the taser was necessary, but responsibility for its use lies to a large extent with Adunbi. If he has simply provided ID as reasonably requested, it would never have been used.

That's not the completely unedited video as pointed out to me by Willy Pete. I linked that one in post 161.
Still,
The police man was in his face and supposedly (according to Mr Adunbi himself in the article) accused him of being someone else as the video begins with him calmly telling them to leave him alone. He only escalates as they continue to harass him.
The witness in the video said that the police were the initial aggressors and I am more inclined to believe him as he was there and I wasn't.

OR
maybe the policewoman should have issued a proper warning as is the protocol before firing. Probably he would have calmed down and tried to reason with them.

In the end, it is a case of poor policing. On the part of the policewoman for not handling the taser according to protocol and the police force in general for repeating a mistake that could have been avoided if the police officers were informed beforehand of the issue that took place in 2009 because without that simple knowledge this incident can take place ten more times just because he unfortunately may bear resemblance to a known criminal.
And this is whether you think Mr Adunbi was justified in being annoyed/agressive or not because you can't actually charge him with anything as he did not act outside his rights.

Reply 190

JTurner1700

I would say the police here generally are very good. Back home my uncle was arrested and beaten for wearing his wife's undergarments in his own home

Reply 191

Original post by joecphillips

How? All it would do is make some officers less likely to go and ask people they suspect of being the criminal to stop, it likely would not stop most officers from stopping a someone who matches the description of someone they are on the lookout for.
The fact they say they are looking for this person suggests that it is not just a someone they stop and search.
They do have accountability but they are not wrong for stopping someone the police are looking for, if you match the description are the police wrong for stopping you? It is unfortunate that some people may be stopped multiple times but the alternative is to restrict the police's power that they can not stop people who match the description and that is wrong.

It would be good to know how similar the person they are looking for looks to Mr Abundi because it is more than possible if they look the same this could happen again or this could help the suspect by stopping the police doing their job

Well what do you think should be done then?
Incidents like this keep happening, the person keeps getting arrested mistakenly, the person keeps suing, tax payers money continues to be wasted.

And I'm not saying they shouldn't stop people that fit the description, just that they should be informed of who mr Adunbi exactly is so anytime he's the particular one they spot they won't go to Harass him.
It all really depends on
1. How alike they even look
2. How many Rastamen are there in Bristol that fit that description (Im guessing really not that many since the same person was mistaken twice)

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 192

Jammy Duel

21

Original post by StrawbAri

He wasn't being aggressive. The accusing way they approached him was wrong and he refused to be addressed that way. He simply tried to walk back into his home and they tasered him.
How the hell do you justify that?

Is "failure to comply with police instructions" a bit much for you to comprehend? At the end of the day while the police were silly he was in the wrong, maybe if he's the head of a race relations group he should be setting a good example, not the example of "just ignore the police so you can kick up a fuss"

Reply 193

Original post by StrawbAri

This is the second time the police are mistaking this man for the same person.

So he obviously bears a resemplance to him.

[quoteIt is incredibly stupid that since 2009 the police still do not know how the actual suspect looks like/possible location [quote] If Adunbe looks like the criminal, then he looks like him. A previous case of mistaken identity will not change that.
So, wanted criminals always stay in one location do they? News to me. And probably to the police as well.

and will willingly harrass any black man that vaguely fits the description.

"Asking for ID" is not "harassment". Especially if there is suspicion of an offence having been committed. I think that you may be letting the man's colour cloud your judgement on this.

What are the odds that a wanted criminal will stay in plain sight going about normal business even though he knows he is wanted by police?

"Walking up a quiet street with your hood up" is not "staying in plain sight". Not every wanted criminal holes up in a basement or flees to Mexico.

Most normal people would've reacted the same way

No they wouldn't.

if they were notable peacemakers in their society and have literally made it their job to help race relations in their community only to be harassed not once but twice just because of the way they look.

In which case, he should have been even more concerned with cooperating with the police and avoiding unnecessary confrontation. Watch the video. He deliberately and knowingly escalated a simple case of mistaken identity, which could have been instantly solved by showing him his ID. But he repeatedly and aggressively refused. Some "notable peacemaker".

Reply 194

Original post by QE2

So he obviously bears a resemplance to him.

If Adunbe looks like the criminal, then he looks like him. A previous case of mistaken identity will not change that.
So, wanted criminals always stay in one location do they? News to me. And probably to the police as well.

"Asking for ID" is not "harassment". Especially if there is suspicion of an offence having been committed. I think that you may be letting the man's colour cloud your judgement on this.

"Walking up a quiet street with your hood up" is not "staying in plain sight". Not every wanted criminal holes up in a basement or flees to Mexico.

No they wouldn't.

In which case, he should have been even more concerned with cooperating with the police and avoiding unnecessary confrontation. Watch the video. He deliberately and knowingly escalated a simple case of mistaken identity, which could have been instantly solved by showing him his ID. But he repeatedly and aggressively refused. Some "notable peacemaker".

Why are you picking older posts of mine to reply rather than the most recent ones where I have replied you?
I can't be repeating myself multiple times because you wish to pick apart all my posts in this thread. If you wish to carry on doing it then fine but I've addressed pretty much everything in my recent replies to you.

Original post by Jammy Duel

Is "failure to comply with police instructions" a bit much for you to comprehend? At the end of the day while the police were silly he was in the wrong, maybe if he's the head of a race relations group he should be setting a good example, not the example of "just ignore the police so you can kick up a fuss"

He was within his rights to do what he did as no charges can be placed on him and the ones that were were dropped as he did nothing illegal.
Whether you think he was in the wrong or not is personal opinion because other people will justify what he did as self defence and annoyance at the situation but from what can be seen if the police followed protocol with the taser the incident could have been avoided.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 195

Original post by StrawbAri

What does that have to do with the police instigating agression initially?

But they didn't. The video clearly shows the police initially acting in a restrained and reasonable manner, while Mr Adunbe is uncooperative, obstructive and aggressive.

Why would you use 'restraint' techniques on someone getting home from walking his dog when you're not even sure he is the criminal?

You wouldn't. But you might reasonably on someone who is uncooperative, obstructive and aggressive, and who is attempting to get away from police who are reasonably conducting their enquiries.

It seems that your defence of Adunbe's actions are based on evidence other than the video that you linked to. Could you please provide this extra evidence so we can form a proper opinion.
Thanks.

Reply 196

Willy Pete

3

Original post by QE2

But they didn't. The video clearly shows the police initially acting in a restrained and reasonable manner, while Mr Adunbe is uncooperative, obstructive and aggressive.

Is deploying a Taser when asking who someone is reasonable and restrained? Because to me that seems pretty aggressive.

Reply 197

Watch the full video at the bottom of the article.

Original post by Willy Pete

That video clearly shows Adunbe being uncooperative, obstructive and aggressive with two police officers who are calmly and reasonably asking him to provide ID, and explaining the reason for requesting this.
Perhaps the taser was premature or excessive, but that does not change the dynamics of the incident. It was escalated from a simple ID confirmation to a violent confrontation by Adunbe, not by the police.

Police (calmly): "How do I know that you're not Mr X"
Adunbe (shouty): "Because you don't know who the **** you're talking to!"

Duh, no **** Sherlock! So why don't you tell him who he's talking to, soft lad? After all, that is the only thing that they asked you.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 198