GALVESTON - A story finally hit the
local paper in Galveston today that has been circulating around the country for almost two weeks, and it is sure to add fuel to an already burning fire of anti-police outrage that could probably be expected.
Local lawyer Anthony Green recently filed a lawsuit against four Galveston police officers claiming they beat and abused a 12-year old Galveston school girl. The lawsuit contains all the standard and typical allegations that lawyers put in brutality suits, especially when they are positioning the case for a money settlement.
For more than a week, The Police News has been receiving emails from across the U.S. and Canada, all of them from people who have read news accounts based only on the allegations in the lawsuit. We know we can expect these kind of emails from those who don't like cops in the first place, and those who are impatient and jump to conclusions before they hear the other side of the story.
As usual, police officials cannot comment on the particulars of the case because it is now in litigation. They will not and cannot release the police report to the media because the case is under investigation and in litigation. That's their right and that's the way it should be.
We at The Police News, want our readers to know that there is another side to this case. It DID NOT happen as alleged in the lawsuit and all the facts will be known when this litigation is settled, and it will be. We know the officers involved personally and we are confident they DID NOT use excessive and/or unlawful force when dealing with the plaintiffs in this lawsuit. These officers have children of their own, they DO NOT beat up kids, and when all is said and done, you will know this as we do, and we are privy to some of the particulars of the event that has not been made public.
The Police News has obtained a copy of the lawsuit and it is attached below for you to read, but don't rush to judgement after reading it as some have already done.
CLICK HERE to read the document
After reading the document, you may also send us your comment by using the link below. You must type your name at the end of your comments if you wish to be recognized, otherwise, you will remain anonymous.
CLICK HERE to make a comment
COMMENTS FROM READERS:
This is just another example of ambulance chasing lawyers looking to line their own pockets at the expense of a much abused and misunderstood police force. The child in question was almost surely coached by these slimy lawyers for obvious reasons. Let's all ask ourselves a simple question - why would any police officer want to hurt a 12 year old girl, and why would they even have to? After all, they are grown men and do not need to use force on a 12 year old girl, regardless of the circulstances. The court system should put the lawyers in jail for misrepresenting the case for their own gain and for wasting the court's time. Although the court system probably lacks the backbone to do the right thing, they should automatically fine these lawyers for slander of a police officer who was simply doing his job. As far as I am concerned, if it takes some force to uphold the law, an officer should be able to do his job, age be damned. There are a lot of kids out there, 12 year olds included, who would shoot ot stab a cop with no remorse. Hey, let's leave the police officers alone and let them do their job. Unsigned
Someone ought to line these f...rs up against a wall and shoot them. Galveston cops are the scum of the earth. Unsigned
I would be interested in the Police Officers' side of the story. Not all 12 year old girls are children, either in age or size. Rose Granholm, Bastrop, Texas
How in the world can any decent human being defend what the Galveston cops did to that child? and please Breck just because your and ex-cop don't feel you have to protect your brother officer's. they do enough lying without your help. Patrick Dunn
Happy Holidays Amigo, wishing you and your family the best for the coming season and year. You drew a bit of fire from a reader several months ago over story about a Brazoria County murder that occurred at the dump in Damon. Feel free to put my opinion in the letters from the editor if you so desire. Dear Sir, I read the article in you publication a few months ago about the murder of an elderly woman some 30+ years ago whose body was dumped in the Damon, Texas garbage dump. You drew some fire from a reader about printing a somewhat graphic story about a horible murder. The article was very well written and cleared some points that some of the locals in the Fort Bend/Brazoria did not know. Having spent 35 years as a cop and 23 in Houston's Homicide Division I would add that I was impressed by what I read. The story's main point to me dealt with the orientation of the suspect, who was the worst variety possisble to deal with--a good intelegent and organized psychopath. Thank you for such work. If people knew how many of these are out there they would have problems sleeping at night. Best Regards, Brian Foster--Guy Texas
The Galveston police may have a plausible explanation for all of it, but arresting a 12-year-old at school on charges of assaulting a police officer three weeks after the incident makes it look more like an exercise in intimidation rather than the pursuit of justice. CharlesWT
There may be two sides to the story, but unless the police in question announced, "We are the Police, you are under arrest for prostitution. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law...", BEFORE the beating commenced, then the Police's side of the story is completely moot. They did not follow proper arrest procedure, they did not check and cross-check their facts before their "Prostitution Sting", and they did not clearly identify themselves before beginning their assault on a lone, small black girl. Whatever actions she and her family took to defend themselves would be completely within reason, and the GPD will have to pay for the GPD's crime. Unsigned
It is sad that people will read a law suit an assume that it is true a factual. They want the officers to burn. God forbid that the lawsuit is BS and the acussers should actuall be accused themselves. It will great when the truth comes out in the light of day and those throwing stones will have to eat crow!!! Unsigned
Galveston is/has become a city ridden with prostitution and drugs. MS-13, black and Hispanic gangs, "little" girls who are wannabe prostitutes roam the streets. Granted, 12 years old seems pretty young to many of us, but NOT on the meaner streets of Galveston, with its generational welfare recipients, to say it nicely. Many of these people are the scum of the earth, and so are their offspring. I side with the cops these days. So often, you can't tell the bad guys from the good guys in Galveston. They all look alike, and the kids are posing as gangsters, so cops have a doubly difficult time telling the players apart. I'll hold my judgment until the rest of the story comes out. I don't believe anything that the Galveston paper prints, as they are too liberal and hate folks, who have morals and conscience. Unsigned
As far as the Police Officers SUPPOSEDLY beating the 12 year old girl, I'll wait until more information is available and not just what some scum bag lawyer looking for deep pockets will put into a law suit before I form an opinion. It seems there are enough EXPERTS out there wanting to condemn all cops for anything they can. Keith M.
With regard to the story about the 12-year-old girl beaten and arrested by Galveston Police officers: I know a few police officers. I know that not all police officers act professionally all the time. However, Sworn Police Officers, because they have life-and-death authority over other citizens, must be held to a higher standard of personal behavior. This level of behavior must be maintained all day, every day, until the officer quits or retires. That is why most people cannot ever be successful police officers. If the details of this report as presented in the media are true, then these officers have to be fired and prosecuted as criminals. Unsigned
The state of humanity never ceases to amaze me. I think I remember somewhere in my distant past learning about a legal instrument called the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I do believe if memory serves me, that there is a legal system in this country. Of course, I could be wrong. Under our legal system cases are tried in the courts and not in newspapers. All defendants are given the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. Personally, I chose to wait until the court system; complete with all its' flaws; makes a determination as to the facts involved in the case. Unsigned
I'll make my judgement after I here the cops side of the story.. DK
To automatically assume that because a lawsuit is filed, one must assume that there is a justifiable reason. Unfortunantely in this day and age, one does not have to have probable cause to file a civil lawsuit in the state of Texas. I do not know any particulars of this case. It is sad when anyone has to use any type of force on a child this age. I have two teenage children and there has been times in my life when they have been out of control and placing my hands on them has been the last resort to control them. I have witnessed many children, teenagers and pre-teens speak to adults in a manner that is disrespectful and rude. I have witnessed children strike adults and other children and never face punishment of any type. At my daughter's school just this past month, I listened to a young man cuss and when my children and I walked by he glanced up and continued cursing a blue storm. It comes down to respect for self and others. There are children who have no respect for themselves and no respect for others and they are amazed when the police show up and tell them that they cannot do or say what they want when they want. There are very few limits placed on children who have not been taught respect. In every profession, there are people who bend the rules. This may be the situation in reference to the officer who took this case.. I do not know. To take a blanket look and say all the Galveston Police Officers are bad is the easy way of the situation and encourages civil disobedience. If you bad mouth the officers who are responsible for enforcing the laws of our cities, states and nation... what are you teaching our young people? Don't trust the people who are charged with the responsibility of protecting us and our community? Show a negative attitude to those we entrust our safety? I am not saying you should not cut out bad apples... just don't lump human beings in a basket, shake your hands and say they are all bad.. that is lazy. Thank you for allowing me to express my opinion. Nancy Ludlow
No question and without a doubt that there is another side to this story. Don't you think this has been reviewed by the DA, the City Legal Office, etc.? You can bet your a$$e$ that there is a whole lot more to this and I can't wait to hear the truth. Anthony Griffin is famous for this crap, has done this before and is doing it again. He ought to lose his license for this one.
Unfortunately mistakes in identity happen. This is even more likely when your father deals drugs out of the downstairs of your home. Most people who know the family involved are not suprised because the girls father has been dealing drugs for years. It would not be unusual to see a protitute coming from the side of this house. Many neighborhood dealers deliver through doors and windows. It is sad the mother ignored the fathers business and exposed the family to this activity. Cops make mistakes daily.. How the mistakes are handled is usually the biggest crime. Since this is a civil suit the full story might come out. Unsigned
If the arrest report and other documents are confidential, how do the editors of this site have access to them without the officers involved breaching such confidentiality. Perhaps that ought to be investigated. Unsigned
We did not say we had access to reports or documents, we said we are privy to information that has not been made public. You are an example of people that read things that are not actually there. Editor
The Galveston Police department should have had internal affairs or the Department of Justice investigating the department as a whole with the complete disregard the department has for it's residence and guest.
Sent from my iPhone Tony Hernandez
In reference to the situation where three Galveston law enforcement officers assaulted a twelve year old girl, I have to say that until I read and or hear the officers' version of what happened, I lean toward hanging the officers out to dry. This thing smells to high heaven. Just for the record I am a former police officer. AEA Missouri It does not sound good on the face of it. Why did the officers not call uniformed assistance upon initial contact? Could this be a "Rambo" syndrome? Not assuming, just asking. Adrenalin does things to your behavior that clouds your judgment. My first sniff at this suggests that. Plain clothes police MUST(!!!!!!!) call for uniformed backup on first identifying themselves and should (!!!!!!!!!) arrange for uniformed backup in the AOR. The only excuse for not arranging backup is an unexpected situation where lives are at risk. In this case, it sounds like the officers knew that they were headed out as they were responding to a call. THEY SHOULD HAVE ARRANGED UNIFORMED BACKUP!!!!! This goes with a DOUBLE UNDERLINE in Texas, as Texans have an understanding of their rights to defend themselves on their own property. When a plainclothes policeman declares their identity, they should expect the person to only have a half-hearted presumption that they are telling the truth. It's no longer 1950 people! Training...Training...Training...Training..... - Unsigned
This is an unbeliveable story. I cannot imagine 3 police officers being that careless and over reacting in such away; but I was not there. To be a policeman in this day and age is probably one of the toughest jobs there is. I hope the truth comes out, because there is NO DEFENSE AGAINST THE TRUTH. - Unsigned
JUVENILE BEATEN BY COPS: I am retired military and live on the Island. I know a LOT of Galveston PD Officers. Those I know are ALL fine folks trying to do a difficult job under the leadership of Mayor Moron and her team of advantaged weasels. Something in this doesn't pass the smell test. When the truth comes out, I get the feeling these officers might be vindicated. As for the Galveston Daily ULTRA-Liberal view Rag....well, no use reading that to get what's going on around here. They wouldn't print the unbiased truth if it were tatooed on their foreheads. Unsigned
About the child beaten by Galveston cops, "we are privy to some of the particulars of the event that has not been made public." well... if you are so intent on defending these brutes who beat up 12 year olds... why don't you share these "particulars" with us. How can ANYONE defend beating up a 12 year old! What other possible story could there be? Cops beat a 12 year old. What more facts are you looking for? I am so glad that I live in a free country, and not a paranoid police state like the USA. Signed, Wee Willie in Canada.
