There has to be more to this story. Well, at least he wasn't in Dekalb where probably would have been shot.

Now if only they could figure out how to take down all those criminals that attend Dragon-Con and the Bronner Hair show!

Did you watch the three part interview that is on the linked page? If you do, you can see what a clearly dangerous man he is. And then imagine what his eight hour experience in the Atlanta Jail might have been like.

In the interview, he says the inmates were far more courteous than the APD. His real crime apparently was not recognizing an APD cop's jacket as a uniform, and asking him for his ID to prove his authority.

At which point his feet were knocked out from under him and he was handcuffed.

It should also be noted that all charges, from jaywalking to interfering with an officer, were dropped. I'm sure to this historian, it is as if it never happened.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=39561637

The cop is a Gator, so there's no telling what he's capable of.

I have to say, this is my favorite story of the week. Leonpacher didn't assault just any old history professor - that was Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, one of those Jared Diamond or Paul Krugman types who writes books for laymen and has lots of monthly columns in newspapers.

I'm sick of the Atlanta PD. I know they do a great job in some cases - but really, we deserve more. I'm sick of their seedy, brutal, inhumane attitude. Sure its legal to smack around a jaywalker, or a teenage kid - but we deserve to be treated better than this. Atlanta has grown up, and the police force needs some polish as well.

I'm missing something I guess. How did an off duty, Hilton-privately employed police officer, arrest someone so abusive for such a mild offense?

It's really more a bad judgement call on his part. Surely his private employer would never have advised to continue in such a manner. Their "jurisdiction" stopped at the edge of the street.

When in his government employed job, he may threaten and physically restrain his subjects at will, up to a certain point.

Hilton would never want to take on that possible liability. That's why they paid him, a certified officer, to handle security. It will look better in court, especially in these kinds of cases.

For whatever Hilton paid this guy, they contracted out the manpower cost per hour, plus tacked a lot of inherent liability on his shoulders.

I doubt this kind of stuff goes on very much.

Bit of a slippery slope there, gator. How many cases of "bad judgment" before we have an actual problem? How many embarrassing situations before we conclude that there might be a lack of training?

Writing this off as an isolated mistake because the board of directors presumably wouldn't sanction it is, in my opinion, a rationalization that misses the real issue.

Gator, this stuff goes on everyday. I can assure you of this. I work in downtown Atlanta and I've seen cops harass people who were standing on the sidewalk minding their own business. The bicycle cops are the worst. I guess they have to pick on someone to make themselves feel better since they were stuck on bike duty.

But then again, they only harass people when they aren't all standing around laughing and talking - just generally hanging out.

Folks, I think we are more on the same track than not. As I stated, I don't beleive the motels hire officers to carry their duties this far on their dime. Save the energy for a purse snatcher or some other criminal measure.

What you state the officers get by with on the City beat, people won't be as "forgiving" with when they assume private security details. This very article illustrates that theory. Plus it's a lot easier to sue a hotel than City Hall.

I don't live even close to the Metro Area, so I'm not familiar with the APD daily antics.

So, when I sated that, "I doubt this kind of stuff goes on very much", I was applying the factor that due to today's litigous ease of recourse, private industry won't be addressing "jay walking" with these strongarm measures. You think?

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