What is White Collective Power? White Prosecutor says White Wisconsin Cop did not use Excessive Force in Violent Arrest of Black Woman
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at 02:13AM What is white collective power? From [HERE] A white Bayfield County Attorney has decided that no charges will be filed against a white Superior Police Officer accused of using excessive force during a violent arrest of an unarmed Black woman in January.
The investigation has been nearly nine months long.
Bayfield County District Attorney Fred Bourg issued his findings Monday of an investigation into the actions of Officer George Gothner, saying no criminal charges should be pursued.
Gothner was accused of using excessive force during the controversial arrest of 28-year-old Natasha Lancour in the parking lot of Keyport Lounge on January 5. The arrest was caught on dash-cam video.
The video partially showed a violent altercation between Lancour and Gothner, with the officer punching her twice in the face and forcefully slapping her until he moves her outside of the cameras view. However, the beating continued. On the video the bystanders are seen reacting to the white officer's conduct.
In his written decision, Bayfield County District Attorney Fred Bourg criticized Officer Gothner's actions saying "His failure to make any attempt to reasonably assess the situation when coming onto the scene, his aggressive approach, his rude verbal assault on Lancour, and the manner in which he attempted to overcome Lancour's verbal and physical protest, bring disrepute to his police agency."
Bourg went on to say use of force protocols were also not followed, and the public was offended to see a police officer punching a woman in the head as opposed to using other tactics to overcome her resistance.
Bourg says not following protocols, however, is not akin to committing a criminal act but that there was ample evidence that Gothner's actions were rude, in poor taste and unnecessarily violent.
"An important part of the decision making process was an opinion issued by the Wisconsin Department of Justice-Division of Law Enforcement Services- that the use of force to overcome the resistance offered by Ms. Lancour was consistent with training offered by the State of Wisconsin and was not excessive," said Superior Police Chief Charles LaGesse.
Lancour is facing charges of disorderly conduct stemming from the altercation.
She has a status conference on October 31.
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