GenderLife Forum: The Information Exchange

Police officer brutally beats a transsexual woman in memphis, TN.

Source: http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=8515744
Video is at the link


MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - Exclusive video obtained by Action News 5 shows a Memphis police officer beating a suspect at 201 Poplar in an apparent case of police brutality.

The video, recorded February 12th, shows Duanna Johnson in the booking area at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center after an arrest for prostitution. The tape clearly shows a Memphis police officer walk over to Johnson - a transsexual - and hit her in the face several times.

"Actually he was trying to get me to come over to where he was, and I responded by telling him that wasn't my name - that my mother didn't name me a 'faggot' or a 'he-she,' so he got upset and approached me. And that's when it started," Johnson said.

Johnson said the officer was attempting to call her over to be fingerprinted. She said she chose not respond to the derogatory name the officer called her.

"He said, 'I'm telling you, I'm giving you one more chance to get up.' So I'm looking at him, and he started putting his gloves on, and seen him take out a pair of handcuffs," Johnson said.

The officer hit Johnson several times with the handcuffs wrapped around his knuckles. In the video, you can see the flash of the metal. The tape shows another officer holding Johnson's shoulders as she tries to protect herself.

After taking several blows, Johnson stands up and swings back.

"I was afraid. I had had enough. Like I said, I thought the other officers that were witnessing this would at least try to stop him," Johnson said. "I mean, he hit me so hard. Like the third time he hit me, it split my skull and I had blood coming out. So I jumped up," Johnson said.

But then she sat back down, and the officer her in the face again. Then he maced her. On the tape, other people in the room are seen turning away and fanning their hands because of the smell.

"We wanted some acknowledgement - my client did - so she would know that the Memphis Police Department didn't condone this," said Murray Wells, Johnson's attorney. "We were optimistic that they would be as outraged about this as we are, and we haven't gotten any indication that they're interested in it at all.

"These are the people we depend on to protect us, and I think the majority of officers in Memphis are good officers, and when you see what you see on that video, it's a scary sight to see that that could happen to any one of us," added attorney Arthur Horne.

On the tape, Duanna is eventually handcuffed and left on the floor. A nurse comes in, and goes directly to the officer.

"I couldn't breathe, and they just made me lay there," Johnson said. "Nobody checked to see if I was okay. My eyes were burning. My skin was burning. I was scared to death. Even the nurse came in and she just ignored me, and I begged her to help me."

The video clearly shows the nurse walk right past Duanna as she's rocking back and forth in pain in the background.

A copy of the tape was reviewed by both the FBI and the District Attorney's office, the latter of which dropped all charges against Johnson. An FBI investigation into possible civil rights violations is still underway.

Meanwhile, the Memphis Police Department confirmed to Action News 5 that the officer holding Johnson was on probation, and has been fired. The officer who threw the punches is currently on non-enforcement status pending an administrative hearing.

Here is your keepers of the peace.

Fucker ! Cowardly fucker ! Duanna Johnson better get a couple million from this and his ass out on the street.

What is incredible to me is that this all happened months ago and yet the officer is still being investigated for an administrative hearing? Where I used to work that hearing would have been held before 7 days - 14 at the most. Today, June 18 this was released------------>

This is something I know first hand. I've had my share of run in with the "Fine Members of Law enforcement" A.K.A The police, "The Pigs".

It goes with the territory. If your working as a Prostitute. The Cops bust you Then you are at their mercy. For they have none for a Transsexual hooker. To them you are a Freak, a Thing, an It. My father taught me to take a beating..

When the Cops did the same, I didn't allow them the satisfaction of showing fear, didn't beg for mercy. Lucky for me I can withstand a lot of pain.

Unfortunately There is Jack you can about the police. They have all the cards and the power. Later on, I took them on directly. Either way you cannot win. Sometimes you have to "Go down with the ship"

However not all Cops are Brutal Motherfuckers. Twice I actually caught a break from them.

Granted I have not been the most upstanding citizen, Bank Robber, Prostitute, Heroin Addict, Former Federal prisoner, So I cannot complain about Police Brutality in my instance.

Others are not so lucky.

Why do we need police anyway? If everyone followed the same code of behavior and that code was equitable then there would be no need for police. Since that has proven unachievable we spend massive resources on law writing and law enforcement. That means there is a lot less that can be spent on other things like education, helping the poorer members of society, health care etc.

Maybe the rigid societies have a better solution. We should ask the Taliban. Drug production in Afghanistan has soared since we got rid of them or removed them from power. I betcha the crime rate has also escalated.

Yeah, well, I had my own run in with a bad cop in Humboldt County, California. Forty-Five mins over the hood of a squad car. Opinions freely given on TS on subjects such as genitals, breasts and more. Especially funny was being accused of being a potential tërrorist. He goaded and goaded me for an excuse to 'haul my ass off to jail' in his words.

Ah well, I got a full apology from the chief and the cop allegedly put on a course. What more could I ask for. Justice was done.

Heh, I especially liked when he asked if English was my first language...I thought..'well it would appear I speak it better than you!'. It's rather funny looking back on it all. I used to watch the real life cop shows, never dreamed I would get to take part in one.

My crime: A busted headlamp. I'd bought the car for 500 bucks 20 hours previously. I also got done for no insurance, no DL(I didn't know I had to carry it on me at all times, everywhere else I have been in the world, you get 24 hours to present it at a station). The no insurance was lifted, but he did cause every trouble he could by ticking non-correctable on the headlamp violation..which caused a lot of probs....the sergeant himself had to take time off his coffee break and come out and see the non-correctable..but fixed headlamp.

Where I grew up, the police weren't necessarily the good guys. I don't trust the police. Fuck. I don't trust anybody.

I have a number of friends in law enforcement, so I may be able to give some perspective on this kind of problem. One problem arises from the police being authority. This makes the job attractive to people who are power hungry. In other words, they get to throw their weight around, pushing people around. Such conduct is not professional, and it certainly does not describe all LEO's.

These same individuals are also the least competent with their firearms. It would seem they see their sidearm more as a badge of office (though unpleasantly heavy and uncomfortable to wear). At the same time, they love the authority, they have not come to grips with their handgun being a very dangerous tool, that may be necessary to save their own life and/or the life of an innocent party.

Ah, cops. The largest, most ruthless gang out there. As any minority knows well.