It appears that roughing up skateboarders isn’t Baltimore Police officer Salvatore Rivieri’s only pleasure. An artist from Washington DC who was video taping people’s reactions to a moving box (on top of a remote control car) caused the same officer to lose his shit. When the artist heard the story about the skateboarder, he knew it was the same officer and he shared his video footage with ABC 2.
Follow the link for the video.
[Link: Skate and Annoy]
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Angry, golf cart driving, skateboard grabbing, kid choking, smart ass Baltimore Police officer (and Internet Celebrity) Salvatore Rivieri is thankfully still fired even though the Baltimore Police Union thinks he is such an amazing officer that they are fighting his removal from the police force all the way to Maryland’s Court of Appeals (and maybe the Supreme Court), according to a story in the Baltimore Sun.
Maryland’s second highest court on Friday upheld the firing of a Baltimore police officer who was caught on video berating and pushing a 14-year-old skateboarder at the Inner Harbor in 2007. . . The Court of Special Appeals ruled that Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld III had the authority to terminate the 19-year veteran officer, Salvatore Rivieri, despite a recommendation from an administrative hearing board that he be suspended for six days and lose six days of leave.
For those following along this is the second time a high court has upheld Rivieri’s firing. The last time was in March of 2011. To anyone who watches this video (even five years later) it is almost laughable that Rivieri ever had a badge in the first place. He is a disgrace to anyone who wears a badge and the the Baltimore Police Union should be ashamed that it spent the last five years in court trying to keep him on the force.
[Link: Baltimore Sun]
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With all the talk of “union busting” going on as many states attempt to come to terms with their budget crises, the Baltimore Police Department is showing the world just how tough it can be to take action against a police union member, and more importantly, how difficult it is for a police commissioner to reign in a police force that appears to believe that roughing up kids is a good way to interact with the public.
As many will remember Baltimore Police officer Salvatore Rivieri was caught on video back in February of 2008 being an abusive, authoritarian ass to a 14-year-old skateboarder. Thanks to Youtube the officer was suspended. Then, two years later a police board found the officer ‘not guilty on charges of using excessive and unnecessary force and uttering a discourtesy.”
In August of 2010, three years after the original incident, Rivieri was finally fired from his job as a Boston Police officer. The union representing the officer, Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 3, claimed that the officer’s firing sent “the wrong message to all our police officers” and they fought his firing.
Now, On Monday, February 28, 2011, a judge has reportedly upheld the firing, according to a story in the Baltimore Sun. But apparently this entire issue is not over yet.
The ruling by Judge Sylvester B. Cox sets the stage for an appeal, which lawyers said is likely, promising continued debate over Salvatore Rivieri’s actions and his vitriolic lecture on parenting and youthful indifference that was watched by hundreds of thousands of people on YouTube. . . “The court is not here to second-guess the police commissioner,” Cox ruled after hearing arguments in a courtroom filled with Rivieri’s family and former colleagues on the force. “The commissioner acted well within his discretion. This court is not going to disrupt his position.”
The original video has now been viewed over 5 millions times. Sounds like former officer Rivieri should hang up the badge and get a reality TV show. People obviously enjoy watching him lose it on video.
[Link: Baltimore Sun]
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Baltimore, Maryland Police Officer Salvatore Rivieri who was caught on tape at least two times being a complete asshole way overstepping the bounds of his badge (click here for all the coverage) has finally (and thankfully) been fired by Baltimore City Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld, according to a story on ABC 2 News.
Not so suprisingly, the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 3 thinks the firing was was wrong, according to the story. In their statement they said:
For the PC to increase the punishment to termination is an abuse of his discretion and not only does it end the career of a 19 year veteran who was out there doing his job, the PC’s decision sends the wrong message to all our police officers who are expected to aggressively keep our streets safe but cannot expect to be treated fairly and not discriminated against in any disciplinary proceedings.
Oddly, we believe this firing is one of the first times the right message is being sent to other police officers regarding how they handle skateboarders in general and children specifically. If not for Youtube.com this man would still be harassing people with his badge like a school yard bully and the sooner other officers realize that this is not proper police behavior the better.
Then the Baltimore Police can get back to the important stuff like allegedly shooting unarmed war veterans outside nightclubs.
[Link: ABC 2 News]
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Can’t believe it has already been three years since Baltimore Police officer Salvatore Rivieri was caught on video jumping out of his golf cart and roughing up a 14-year-old skateboarder (click here for all the stories). Now, according to the Baltimore Sun, that officer has been “cleared using excessive force and discourtesy.”
A three-member police panel called a trial board held a hearing last week and found Officer Salvatore Rivieri guilty of failing to issue the youth a citizen contact receipt and file a report but not guilty on charges of using excessive and unnecessary force and uttering a discourtesy.
It is difficult to imagine a police officer be more discourteous to a kid, short of beating them, but apparently in Baltimore that’s perfectly normal police behavior.
[Link: Baltimore Sun]
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When video of Eric Bush being harassed and pushed around by thuggy Baltimore police officer Salvatore Rivieri surfaced in February of 2008 it became a Youtube.com sensation.
Eric’s single mother then sued the city in civil court. Now, however, Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Judge Evelyn Cannon has thrown the case out, according to a story on WTOP.com.
Blackford says Judge Cannon’s decision essentially trumped another Circuit Court judge’s decision to allow the civil case to go forward, even though it was filed more than 180 days after the deadline. . . Blackford had argued Maryland’s law was unclear whether a juvenile’s complaint can be held to the same 180 day standard. . . “The family has the right to appeal, and I believe has a very strong case for appeal,” Blackford says.
Everyone should be happy to know that Officer Rivieri has been back out on patrol for a while now like nothing happened. Apparently, the City of Baltimore likes their cops rough and thuggy.
[Link: WTOP.com]
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Eric Bush, the 14-year-old Baltimore skater who became web famous when a Youtube video of him being harassed by police officer Salvatore Rivieri showed the rest of the world what many skateboarders put up with on a daily basis, has be given the right to sue the officer.
A Baltimore judge ruled Eric Bush can continue with his case, even though he was late notifying the city of his intent to sue.
The judge denied a motion to dismiss the case, saying Bush had shown good cause for missing the deadline.
Officer Salvatore Rivieri was removed from street duty shortly after the incident made headlines and, thankfully, has yet to return.
[Link: WBAL TV]
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Pop will definitely eat itself. Eric Bush, the kid who was shown on Youtube being thrown around by Baltimore police officer Salvatore Rivieri is now getting all kinds of media attention. Maybe he can turn it into a career in reality television.
[Link: Baltimore Sun]
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We’d like to hear more stories like this one from the Baltimore Sun:
A Baltimore police officer was suspended Monday after a YouTube video surfaced on the Internet showing him berating and manhandling a teenage skateboarder at the Inner Harbor.
On the video, the officer, Salvatore Rivieri, puts the boy in a headlock, pushes him to the ground, questions his upbringing, threatens to “smack” him and repeatedly accuses the youngster of showing disrespect because the youth refers to the officer as “man” and “dude.”
Here it is in all it’s glory. A nice reminder to keep those cameras rolling no matter what. Guess this is what happens when a grown man is forced to patrol the city in an electric golf cart. Congrats, Officer Rivieri, you deserve all the trouble you’re getting, dude.
[Link: Baltimore Sun]
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