Cops watch a man drown.

[Swede]

It's like they don't even want to do the job. Just drive around being assholes.


snip
Three police officers in Arizona have been placed on leave after they failed to rescue a homeless man from drowning.

Newly released bodycam footage and transcripts show the man, Sean Bickings, 34, getting into Tempe Town Lake last month and warning police he was "going to drown".

But none of the officers on the scene intervened to save him, with one heard saying: "I'm not jumping in after you."



https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61712871

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. Their job is to create the illusion of safety by oppressing the marginalized and protecting capital.

And so they showed up where they weren't needed, accelerated a situation when they realized they couldn't arrest anybody, and then didn't help because they're not required to.

[Bettie]

2. How do you stand and watch someone die

without trying to help?

[lark]

3. PIGS!!

We had it right in the 70's.

[867-5309.]

4. But they risk their lives for us every day!

Do I really need a sarcasm tag?

[LizBeth]

5. Lifeguard and competitive swimmer for a couple decades. It is dangerous rescuing someone

drowning and as likely as the rescuer drowning also. There are techniques that give rescuers the ability to survive a rescue. If a person does not know these techniques it is dangerous for them to attempt. In panic, the victim grabs hold and is likely to take rescuer under climbing up his body to get to air.

[DURHAM D]

6. Thank you.

[ripcord]

8. I approached too close on a rescue one time

People don't understand the strength people have in life and death situations. The man latched on to me and was pulling me under in an attempt to keep his head above the water. I was very lucky to be able to escape and make the rescue from the rear but it scared the ever loving shit out of me.

[LizBeth]

9. Right. Approach keeping eye on person, then arms length away, go under.

At the knees firmly turn person around so their back is to you. Climb up their body hand by hand while pushing them up so their head is out of water. When above water, the arm goes around chest and grabs firmly under arm pit. If a person is panicking, pinch the shit out of under arm. Get body laid on side of body with firm grasp, always keeping their head above water, scissor kick to shore.

Everything has to be about dominance and control. If a person does not know how to do it their odds go way down. Both drown.

[Lurker Deluxe]

13. Very dangerous

I, like you, was a competitive swimmer and lifeguard.

I was very fast, crazy strong, and could swim for a mile (88 laps) non stop ... easily. I was a lifeguard at the local pool for two years and then went to Surfside for one season.

At the local pool there was no issue; plenty of people, multiple lifeguards, shallow water. The season in Surfside was the opposite; very few people, solo duty, deep water. I was involved with one rescue in Surfside and that ended my stint ass a lifeguard. Simple fact was, although in crazy good shape and could outswim the majority of the population, I was not physically strong enough to control a two hundred pound man in panic.

Survived we both did, injured we both were not. Close to dying? No. Close to having to let that man die? Yes. There is no reasoning with someone drowning, no bargain, no compassion ... live or die, basest survival instinct.

[LizBeth]

14. Close to having to let that man die? Yes.

Your last paragraph, right on the mark. Blunt and reality. I would never lifeguard ocean.

[Bengus81]

7. Oh oh...if this blows up in the media they better call the bikers in to suppress coverage

Funny how their the biggest "free speech" bunch in Texas but call in bikers to trying and stop PROTECTED free speech.

[ForgedCrank]

10. What people

are expecting is for an officer to basically commit suicide just for the sake of jumping in and showing effort.
Granted, their language isn't all that impressive and doesn't convey an attitude I would expect from a professional public servant, but the average person can't just jump in, swim 30 yards out to a drowning person, and successfully drag them 30 yards back to shore. And in this arena, yes, most officers are no more skilled than the average person and couldn't even make that swim alone with their clothing and gear on (which also takes quite a bit of time to remove), let alone dragging along a drowning person who has abandoned all reason in a primal attempt to climb onto anything that will get them above water. It's a very bad situation. for the untrained, it's nearly as risky as jumping off a cliff to save someone who already fell off. Not a wise choice for the average person.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. These police officers need to be prosecuted and fired

Link to tweet

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/man-dead-after-jumping-into-tempe-town-lake-police-say

- Three police officers have been placed on administrative leave after they reportedly watched as a man drowned in Tempe Town Lake, transcripts revealed.

The incident began as a reported domestic violence situation at Tempe Beach Park between the man, identified as Sean Bickings, and his wife. Both denied that any fight had taken place.

[asa4ever]

15. No, police are not lifeguards,

and even lifeguards have floatation devices when they try to save a drowning person. When I go out in my boat, everyone is wearing a life vest, not just children, plus I have a floatation ring attached to a rope. I am also hooked up to the kill switch to shut the motor off if I lose my balance.

[maxsolomon]

12. Cops responded to an domestic argument at 5:30 am.

Bickings then went out into the lake knowing he couldn't swim. It sounds like the cops thought he was playing at first - hence the "I'm not jumping in after you".

Do I have that right?

[Captain Stern]

16. Not sure if this is as bad as it sounds

If the cops had a means to save the guy, like a floatation device, and just held on to it, and didn't throw it in, then I think they should face criminal charges.

If they didn't, and just refused to jump into the water and grab the guy, then no.