Test Cops Who've Shot Civilians For Steroids.

[KittyWampus]

Common side effects of steroids: aggression, reckless behavior, paranoia and psychosis.

My internet searches haven't found a wealth of scholarly information. An old report from 2007 from ABC News. Occasional news reports.

IMO, cops who shoot or beat civilians should undergo extensive steroid testing to make sure they are clear.

Oh, and the last news story I included is from Miami Clinic getting busted for illegal distribution of steroids… the steroids taken into evidence disappeared.

Isn't it about time for this topic to become more prevalent? Mandatory testing in lethal use of force?

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Over the past few decades, several stories have surfaced regarding law enforcement personnel involved with anabolic steroids. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently led Operation Raw Deal, considered the largest international steroid investigation to date. The operation discovered several links to current or former law enforcement officers. This was predicted almost 20 years ago by an article in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin that stated, “Anabolic steroid abuse by police officers is a serious problem that merits greater awareness by departments across the country.”1 In addition, a story on the television program 60 Minutes in 1989 titled “Beefing up the Force” featured three police officers who admitted steroid use and claimed that their resulting aggression got them in serious trouble.

http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=1512&issue_id=62008

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But even short-term use of steroids can cause damage to brain tissue, which never grows back. And according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, steroid abuse can cause internal organ damage, jaundice and high blood pressure.

snip
Research shows extreme mood swings can occur as a result of taking steroids, leading to violence. Users may suffer irritability, delusions and impaired judgment.

"When they are used in excess, the individual crosses the line from adding muscle mass to rage or aggression or suicide," said Dr. Robert S. Gotlin, director of orthopaedic and sports rehabilitation at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. "Suppose that person is carrying a gun."

snip
In Matthew's case, he obtained steroids from a friend. At least 10 other officers in his 75-member department were users when he started taking them. Steroids are readily accessible at gyms — "if you know the right people" and online, he said.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3745740

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HAMILTON, N.J. — A new state strategy unveiled Thursday to combat illegal steroid use by New Jersey police allows departments to test officers for steroids.

Police chiefs will be left with the decision of whether to perform drug tests, allowing the tests but not requiring them. Under the current policy, steroids are not on the list of drugs that can be tested.

"The costs, frankly, are and can be prohibitive," state Attorney General Paula Dow told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We think it's a balanced approach, addressing the costs involved but putting out the real message that we'll be looking at you."

The testing is part of a new plan unveiled Thursday to combat illegal steroid use by law enforcement. An investigation by The Star-Ledger of Newark found that hundreds of officers and firefighters have been using government benefits to pay for muscle-building drugs, CBS New York reported.

http://www.policeone.com/health-fitness/articles/3951476-NJ-plan-targets-police-steroid-use/

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Last week, New Times revealed at least two Miami Police officers had been customers of Biogenesis, the notorious Coral Gables steroid clinic at the heart of Major League Baseball's biggest doping scandal, and that a former Florida Department of Health investigator refused to involve the force in his case after steroids went missing from an evidence room. So the timing was auspicious when, the same day the story landed, the Miami PD announced the force was close to instituting steroid testing for all of its cops.

Sgt. Javier Ortiz, the police union chief, says the timing was simply a coincidence. "I've received quite a few phone calls from officers and from the press, but there's no correlation there," Ortiz says. "They asked us to consider starting this last spring."

See also: Florida Investigator: I Warned Major League Baseball Not To Buy Stolen Records

Whatever the spark for the Miami PD's shift, the department is now poised to become the first of Dade County's major police forces to regularly test for steroids; Miami Beach police don't include steroids in their regular tests, Det. Vivian Hernandez, a department spokeswoman, tells Riptide.

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-police-could-start-steroid-testing-cops-next-month-6526515

[notadmblnd]

1. I agree. I've brought it up here before

For some reason, steroid use doesn't get much attention.

[H2O Man]

2. Recommended.

Definitely.

[TBA]

3. I have thought the exact same thing

Thank you for your research.

TBA

[Scuba]

4. K&R

[cwydro]

5. K and r.

[duhneece]

6. Absolutely...and more drugs, too.

While I could never believe in a million years that smoking pot could contribute to violent behavior, I do believe that pain pills can and do.

[tridim]

15. +1

Pain med addiction is a massive problem that is currently swept under the rug, because big-pharma.

I also have a theory that the entire GOP is zonked on pain medication 100% of the time, it would explain so much. I've know several average people who have this problem and I see the similarities. Shhhh...

[BrotherIvan]

22. +1

I think the pain meds thing is definitely a widespread problem. I wouldn't doubt if there is police use.

[libodem]

7. YES!

Absolutely critically important. Test them for everything but definitely steroids because 'roid rage is real.

[Lint Head]

8. I take steroid shots for pain and arthritis. They turn me into

a class A a-hole sometimes. I have to separate myself from folks until the effect subcides. Of course I do not work as an armed public servant. From personal experience I believe they should be drug tested.

[MJJP21]

14. Steroids

The steroids you take for pain are NOT the steroids causing the problems of aggression. The steroids causing the problems are "anabolic" steroids which increase testosterone and abused by body builders in order to increase mass. The aggression is a by product. It is often called
"roid rage".

[libodem]

39. They are different

But similar. Too high a dose, of even Prednisone, can cause insomnia and delusional ideation.

[Lint Head]

50. I have taken Prednisone also. Grit my teeth for a day.

[Heidi]

9. Kick!

[marym625]

10. I actually posted this same idea months ago

It's hard to believe that so many cops could be so aggressive.

This should be done randomly for all cops and always for any instance of police brutality

[valerief]

11. Boom! Of course, the test results would most assuredly be altered in their favor, cuz

cops can make that happen.

[TexasProgresive]

12. That should be part of the investigation

And all cops should undergo random drug testing- like they did my son when he was under house arrest for DWI. He would be called into the sheriff's office where he would have to strip naked make 3 pirouettes in front of a non-police witness, and then pee in the cup facing said witness. All this is to prevent the use of clean urine.

I would make one change in the procedure- that it be done at the hospital and there be a protocol that maintains the integrity of the sample.

[GoneFishin]

13. I also brought this up in the context of Ferguson. Jumping out of your car, chasing after someone,

and unloading your gun into them just seems like the behavior of someone who is unhinged with rage.

[GoneFishin]

46. Bullshit. It helps if you get your news from somewhere besides Faux news. Faux news viewers

have been found to be less informed than people who watch no news at all.

Don't try to pass off bullshit as facts.

[Sparhawk60]

16. Outstanding Idea

Out bloody standing idea. In a lot(most?) jobs, if you get in an accident, regardless of fault, you have to be drug tested. If a police office shots some one, they get tested. No exceptions, I don't care if the man the police shot did have a gun, the cop gets tested. I feel this will weed out a LOT of 'roided cops.

This may even results in few people being killed. What's not to like?

[mopinko]

17. test them all!! other drugs, too.

if you can make people who work at walmart pee in a cup, you can make those who "serve and protect".
and like they tell us- if you have nothing to hide, you shouldnt argue.

[Enthusiast]

18. Kicked and recommended a whole bunch!

[Scruffy Rumbler]

19. You know, in the medical field, in every hospital I have worked,

if I caused injury or death to myself or a patient, I am forced to have a drug test. In almost every factory, school or place of employment, the same holds true. WHY is it different for the police? They should be tested for every fucking thing as well as steroids. Shoot someone, piss in this cup and roll up your sleeve! No if, ands or buts!

Thanks for the great info!

[Dont call me Shirley]

20. Plus the skinhead hairdo, what is that all about?

[libodem]

40. Seems to be the Skinhead look

With paramilitary accents. Jackbooted thugs.

[Dont call me Shirley]

43. I perceive shaved heads as a sign of weakness, but I'm in the vast minority who think so...

"A full head of hair on a man has long been associated with vitality and virility — think of the Biblical hero Samson, whose strength was in his tresses. But new research suggests that when balding sets in, men might do better to just shave it off.

Call it the Bruce Willis effect: men with shorn heads are seen as more dominant, confident and masculine than men with hair, according to a new study published online in July in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science. A shaved head does strike a blow against a man's perceived attractiveness, however. So study researcher Albert Mannes, a lecturer at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, advised against picking up the razor unless natural balding is already underway."

http://www.livescience.com/23766-shaved-head-dominant.html

[malaise]

21. +1.000

Something is seriously wrong

[HipChick]

23. But cops murdering blacks is not new...

what is, is the advent of cellphones, and the ability to get them exposed

[Trillo]

24. Don't mean to rain on your parade, but what is the point?

The problem isn't drugs, the problem is violence.

So, cops beat a civilian suspect who is already under cops control. Cops get tested for drugs. Steroids are found. So what?

[KittyWampus]

26. First- liability. Second- demand for accountability within the department because of liability

[BrotherIvan]

25. YES!

Sometimes it's so obvious, but other times it might not be. A shooter should be extensively tested for all types of substances.

These guys just work out a lot. Riiiiiiiight.

[freshwest]

53. Holy testosterone! That's what's under their uniforms? Eek! n/t

[951-Riverside]

28. Yes but steroids arent THE only problem here

As along as police officers with psychological issues are employed within these departments, allowed to kill people with impunity and there isnt a screening process implemented to remove these police officers, no amount of protests, no amount of hash tags, no amount of "additional training", no amount of body cameras will change anything.

Lets not forget about the baby who was blown up in his crib because they didn't want someone they suspected of selling drugs, flushing it.

And lets not forget about the multiple women Fullerton Officer Albert Rincon sexually assaulted while on duty and the Orange County DA declined to press charges but the city settled with 2.

And lets not forget about the bicyclist who was ran over and killed because Deputy Andrew Francis Wood in Los Angeles decided to work on his computer while driving.

And as we just saw a black man in South Carolina was shot multiple times in the back simply for running away, a white man in California was viciously kicked in the head, kicked in the groin and punched countless times well after he surrendered with his hands behind his back.

We have a problem but steroids testing, body cameras (just like audio recorders), civilian oversight, etc are not going to an end all solution to this problem. We have thousands of racists, rapists, wife beaters, gang types and other mentally disturbed individuals joining the ranks everyday and are allowed to commit horrible crimes with impunity.

By the way, if you can't get cops fired for shooting an unarmed guy who was running away or shooting an unarmed guy who had his hands raised, you think they're going to fire a cop who comes up positive for using steroids?

[jtuck004]

32. "...racists..mentally disturbed individuals joining the ranks everyday... " < this

[KittyWampus]

33. cop comes up positive for steroids = legal liability and large amounts of money awarded

So your cynicism doesn't go far enough.

When it comes down to MONEY, things will change.

And a key to that is establishing liability.

I never suggested testing for steroids is some cure-all.

If you'd even bothered to read my post, follow links and look into the matter, you would have found that police departments ARE starting to test around the country because of this liability.

[951-Riverside]

37. Dead guy = legal liability and large amounts of money awarded

Officer Steven Gilley of Downey police shot an unarmed man multiple times in the back with an MP5 submachine gun, the city settled with the family for 4.5 million and Gilley remains on the force.

Family of man killed by Downey police settles for $4.5 million

City officials noted that a Los Angeles district attorney's office report found that Gilley's actions were legal. "The city invites anyone who is interested in the real facts to review the report," they said.

Last fall, prosecutor Stephanie Sparagna wrote that Nida repeatedly resisted arrest and ran from police three times. He also ignored warnings from police, including one from the officer that he would "blow his head off" if Nida did not show his hands.

Sparagna said police can use deadly force to prevent the escape of a fleeing felon when the suspect may pose a deadly or serious threat to officers or others.

It was later determined Nida was not the robbery suspect and was unarmed. Police detained Nida after seeing him running across a street as they searched for the robbery suspects, described as black males with dark clothing.

Nida, 31, was a Puerto Rican and white man. The father of four was getting gasoline with his wife. He had run across Imperial Highway to get cigarettes and was detained as he came out of the tobacco shop.

Initially he cooperated, but then "suddenly and inexplicably" he ran from officers, prosecutors said. Officers reported that he hopped fences and eluded them. Within 10 minutes, Gilley and another officer detained Nida in an alley behind a Walgreens.

Gilley ordered Nida to show his hands, and when he did not, Gilley said he feared the suspect had a weapon, the prosecutor wrote. "Believing Nida was armed and dangerous, Gilley fired one three-round burst from his MP5, killing Nida," Sparagna wrote.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/21/local/la-me-downey-shooting-20130522

When it comes down to MONEY, things will change.

Nope. As long as the tax payers are on the hook for the multi-million dollar settlements, nothing will change.

Again, if they won't charge or fire officers for shooting unarmed people in the back, what makes you think they will fire cops who test positive for Steroids?

[jtuck004]

29. Lol. He's not a white bigot, the drugs made him do it. Poor, misunderstood white fella.

Funny. I have testosterone injections every two weeks, and have since I was 17, yet I haven't shot anyone in the back or lynched them.

Given how ignorant most people are about science and drugs in general, seeming to get most of their detailed info from sensationalist news reports, I have to laugh when I hear people pretend that "the drugs made them do it". There are tens of thousands of people out there who take these drugs who go about their life without a problem.

Some do abuse them, but I have not seen one who I didn't think brought their problems to the table and the started taking the drugs.

This reminds me of Scott Walker insisting on drug tests for people in poverty, since the drugs are obviously are at fault.

I know lots of white folk, especially those who protest that they aren't racist, are going to be looking for an out for this guy with their same skin tone, but there is no drug that made him the murdering racist and bigot that he is. And it didn't cause him to treat a black man like an animal and murder him.

He did that all on his own.

[KittyWampus]

35. Considering there are scientifically established common side effects to taking anabolic steroids

in the large amounts taken to bulk up, and that these common side effects include paranoia, irrational behavior and aggressiveness, I think being a bigot might not be the sole determinative factor.

[jtuck004]

38. I have taken them for over 40 years. Bet I know more about their effects than you. Then again,

white folk, and a few FOX guests, need an excuse, other than his being white bigot, like many of them are.

Please proceed.

[liam_laddie]

30. Of course, steroids are likely a factor in many "cop rage" stories!

There's a male-dominance, sociopathic, pissing-match aspect to some (many?) individuals wanting a career in "law enforcement." A license to be cruel, IMHO.

[Hekate]

31. Testing for steroids? An excellent idea at this point. nt

[kelliekat44]

34. Yeah, test them for alcohol while you're at it. Just blame anything except vile, racist attitudes

and behaviors. Alcohol used to be used for most lawlessness by white men.

[KittyWampus]

36. apparently some DU'ers like to boil things down to an overly simplistic situation.

[notadmblnd]

45. it's not either or

many bigots use steroids and alcohol too.

[libodem]

52. They can have all the vile racist attitudes in the world

But they need to leave it at home when they come to work. Once they begin to act out on the attitude in a non professionals manner they need drug tested. They seem to go crazy with cowardice. Its not just fear it's cowardice. Shooting anyone in the back is cowardly. Feared for his life while someone runs away. Sounds like Zimmerman.

Of courrrrse this shit needs to be pre screened out before they join the force but people lie. And racist idiots don't see themselves as racist. You'd think that they would know. Maybe they lie to themselves.

[Sunlei]

41. random drug tests should be routine for all police.

they should not get away with ANY kicks and punches.

Everytime they use their electric shocker devices, the use should be recorded on their permanent file.

One can see the bruised and bloody faces of the beaten more and more frequently on the police mugshots. To early for most bruises to even show.

The horse rider man was kicked full out in the groin and hit on the head several times. He must have been very injured and should be in a hospital today, not suffering in some jail cell.

[libodem]

42. I've been thinking this since Zimmerman

Even though he was only a wannabe, I think he was on Rx Xanax and Ritilan.


They tested Trayvon, but not the filthy perpetrator.
Should have been done immediately.

[1monster]

44. How about mandatory random steroid for LEOs who carry weapons?

My husband is subject to mandatory random drug tests to keep his CDL. Cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles can be deadly when driven by people who are drugged up or otherwise impaired. Guns in the hand of steroid impaied cops are just as deadly.

If drug testing CDL holders prevents deadly accidents, it follows that steroid (and other drug) testing of LEOs could prevent deadly incidents.

[RoccoR5955]

47. I couldn't agree more.

A lot of these bastards look like they are having serious 'roid rage.

[one_voice]

48. That's good idea.....

I think there should be mandatory therapy too. Where they're evaluated on a routine basis--someone outside the 'system' to make sure they're still ok to do their job. Maybe have some mandatory time off or something.

[SwankyXomb]

49. Unfortunately

kop unions will whine and cry and threaten until the idea is dropped or watered down to the point of uselessness.

[Vinca]

51. That's an excellent idea.