Althouse: "I just don't understand," says the St. Louis Chief of Police, who breaks down and cries.

June 2, 2020

"I just don't understand," says the St. Louis Chief of Police, who breaks down and cries.

For the sudden descent into weeping, go to 2:50. It comes as he thanks God that the 4 police officers who were shot did not die. He recovers quickly and cries out: "Can we make sense of this? Can we make something out of something?"

41 comments:

rhhardin said...: Chaos is good for "black leaders" because the MSM makes it viral and sells eyeballs to advertisers.. There's the sense that it makes.

Business is business.

This particular black guy has responsibilities that don't sell as well.; 6/2/20, 6:10 AM
mezzrow said...: Meanwhile, this from Milwaukee. The press upbraids the Chief for being disrespectful for using his cellphone while he should be giving the press his undivided attention. Here's his answer.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1267474764442013702; 6/2/20, 6:18 AM
alanc709 said...: Cops in several cities were shot or at least attacked last night. Still think these "peaceful protests" are valid?; 6/2/20, 6:21 AM
Temujin said...: I don't know. I just watched a bit of ABC news and CBS news this morning and they were very concerned, but not about the rioting. They seemed very concered...about Trump using the National Guard to give himself a photo-op. They did not see him clearing out Lafayette Park as a symbol of anything. They did not get how important that was and what it signaled. BUT....they did say there were some isolated incidents of extreme violence here and there.

Yeah. People getting beaten in broad daylight, or killed. Businesses getting destroyed, looted. Portions of cities being killed for years to come. And the rioters? They'll be able to go back to their nice apartments, mom's basement, dorm rooms. And they can tell their friends and families years from now how they 'marched for peace'.

Screw this. This is all wrong. This is not about anything but chaos and destruction. If this was about Black lives, they would not be destroying Black communities.; 6/2/20, 6:21 AM
rehajm said...: Chief Hayden has impressive credentials and served as deacon of his church. Seems like a straight shooter. Elected officials let him down...
Maybe vote Republican next time?

No, that doesn't feel too cynical at this point.; 6/2/20, 6:21 AM
gspencer said...: VITO CORLEONE

You can act like a man!

(then, after slapping Johnny Fontaine on the face)

What's the matter with you? Is this how you turned out? A Hollywood finocchio that ah cries like a woman?

(then imitating Johnny, as Tom giggles)

What can I do?! What can I do?!

What is that nonsense? Ridiculous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niP-uHBg-pU; 6/2/20, 6:30 AM
Roy Lofquist said...: I'd follow him anywhere. As long it doesn't involve inclement weather or live ammo.; 6/2/20, 6:30 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: You can make sense of it if you are willing to face the facts.; 6/2/20, 6:30 AM
rehajm said...: Yesterday all the mayors and governors came out and declared they weren't going to allow this to happen in their cities. Not on their watch. Trump is bad...

Where the fuck were you on Saturday when social media was crackling with Antifa announcing their intentions for Sunday? Haven't you heard of Reddit?; 6/2/20, 6:32 AM
Jim in St Louis said...: Chief Hayden is a good man. We heard sirens and choppers, and gunfire(fireworks?)and smelled smoke all night. We live closer to the Arch so about six blocks from this foolishness. Took a walk this morning while Althouse was taking her sunrise photos, there were lots of people (volunteers!) out sweeping up glass and picking up trash. The 7-11 that was torched always smelled like curry spices, I don't know what the Indian family that ran it will do now. I only knew them in passing and time of day type stuff.

The law and order people say: Most cops are dedicated to constitutional protections who are on the job to serve and protect. But yeah there are a few bad apples, and its very hard to get them out of our ranks.

The social justice people say: Most protesters are dedicated to constitutional rights and are here to solve some of the tough social problems. But yeah there are a few bad apples and its hard to get them out of our ranks.; 6/2/20, 6:34 AM
Bob Smith said...: Lemme splain. We spent the last 50-60 years trying to build a consequence free society. Don’t feel like working? Here’s a welfare check. Feel like having kids out of wedlock and not supporting them? Here’s AFDC. Feel like getting high all the time? Clearly you are disabled, here’s Social Security Disability at 18 for life. Don’t want to get and education? No problem, drop out whenever you feel like it. Somebody will support you. Feel like taking whatever you want whenever you want it? No problem. Here’s probation over and over again. And now after all this fol-de-rol you are surprised. Chief, there are always consequences. We just try our best to ignore them.; 6/2/20, 6:34 AM
Quayle said...: He hasn’t lost his heart in the struggles of life. The set of recent posts by Ann show the stark contrast in various politics leader’s responses, which seem to be captured in what I happened to read this morning in the Book of Mormon:

“See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength. Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love.... Do not pray [or speak, one might add] as [some] do, for ye have seen that they pray to be heard of men, and to be praised for their wisdom. Do not say: O God, I thank thee that we are better than our brethren; but rather say: O Lord, forgive my unworthiness, and remember my brethren in mercy.”

This guy seems like someone that could help unify a city.; 6/2/20, 6:35 AM
Odi said...: I happened to work overnight in downtown St Louis, and this was a tough night. I think the chief speaks for most of us.; 6/2/20, 6:39 AM
michaele said...: His heartfelt comments were very powerful and really made an impression. I live a peaceful life in the country away from big city mayhem but I will be thinking about this police chief's dismay about the situation and concern for his officers and his city.; 6/2/20, 6:44 AM
Lawrence Person said...: What's to understand? Antifa and #BlackLivesMatter are both Marxist revolutionary organizations who view the police in general as the enemy and black cops in particular as "race traitors."; 6/2/20, 6:49 AM
wildswan said...: In one way, what matters is what he isn't saying - as a community leader and as a leader in the black community, he isn't saying that this is justified outrage over the terrible death of George Floyd. The MSM and Antifa are saying that and he's contradicting them. But he isn't calling them out by name so it's a weak way of making a point.

In another way, he, like others in his situation (mayors and police chiefs in Democrat-run cities), is leading a very weak response to great violence. Crying in frustration because there are bad people in the world willing to to steal and loot and shoot in the name of George Floyd's death isn't a good look in a police chief. You'd think he would have noticed bad people before and that he would have been selected as a police leader because he knew how to respond to that fact. He seems like a very nice, a very human guy and he doesn't seem to have another side that, together with the first, would make him a good police chief. The triumph of PC is have people like this confronting criminal violence and unable to do anything but cry.; 6/2/20, 6:55 AM
iowan2 said...: The police chief must be a white supremacist.
Nobody is pushing back on the narrative, by examining 60 years of democrat rule, often including black governors, mayors, majority city councils, Public Safety commissioners, police academy management, Police Chiefs, Captains, Sargents, etc. Why have African Americans not been able to create the system they demand? There are answers. All require self examination. The toughest exam ever.

Yesterday lots of leaders have asked the same question. What do you want? I don't see minority communities policing themselves. Look at public education. Students that lack enough self control to make it through 6 hours of school. That same lack of self discipline permeates cities.; 6/2/20, 6:55 AM
Mr Wibble said...: What a weakling.; 6/2/20, 6:59 AM
Leland said...: In Houston, the Mayor, head of the city government with the power to fire and hire the police chief, will "peacefully protest" the city government and its police force today.; 6/2/20, 7:19 AM
wendybar said...: Temujin said...
I don't know. I just watched a bit of ABC news and CBS news this morning and they were very concerned, but not about the rioting. They seemed very concered...about Trump using the National Guard to give himself a photo-op. They did not see him clearing out Lafayette Park as a symbol of anything. They did not get how important that was and what it signaled. BUT....they did say there were some isolated incidents of extreme violence here and there.

Can you imagine if Saint Obama thought of this, and did the same?? He would be on the cover of every newspaper (Halo over his head for effect) and the MSM on TV would be swooning about how much he loves the old church, and the people and how the water is going to stop rising, and the climate was going to clear up, and Utopia would be upon us.....; 6/2/20, 7:22 AM
JAORE said...: If we could only get people of color into roles of leadership in police departments.

If only we elected Democrats to keep the racist Republicans out of positions of power in our city, our county, our state.

Just imagine what heaven on earth we could bring.; 6/2/20, 7:33 AM
Brian said...: I don't know. I just watched a bit of ABC news and CBS news this morning and they were very concerned, but not about the rioting.

They are concerned because they know the riots will be ending. And Trump is going to get the credit. Best thing Biden could do right now is to meet with Al Sharpton and Attorney Ben Crump and say that the riots are over. The independent ME report is the new "victory" and they can all go home. The stores are all looted now anyway.; 6/2/20, 7:55 AM
Francisco D said...: Back in the Sixties, the Radical Left used violence to push liberals into choosing one side or another. I chose to move right over a period of 10-15 years.

Our leftist commenters are the target audience for these riots. Their statements will indicate if the Radical Left is successful this time.; 6/2/20, 8:04 AM
n.n said...: turned the state from a purple state into a red state

This is dangerous ground. Democrats, while fanning the flames of diversity and dreams of redistributive change, seem committed, believing they will manage, progress from our at risk "Weimar" Republic. We'll see if Republicans can mitigate this progress before left-wing factions force an uncontrolled dysfunctional convergence.; 6/2/20, 8:06 AM
Fernandinande said...: It comes as he thanks God that the 4 police officers who were shot did not die.

Good old God, always a day late and a dollar short.; 6/2/20, 8:09 AM
Ralph L said...: Having a black or female police chief doesn't seem to have improved race relations or police competence. Perhaps they should hire on merit.; 6/2/20, 8:21 AM
JAORE said...: One reason he is so emotional is that these are HIS men and he loves them. Another reason for the confusion and pain is he probably knows that this will not just fade away. Action, likely harmful, brutal action may be required.; 6/2/20, 8:27 AM
Lucien said...: How bad would things have to get before we scrap police unions?; 6/2/20, 8:27 AM
Oso Negro said...: Blogger rehajm said...
Chief Hayden has impressive credentials and served as deacon of his church. Seems like a straight shooter. Elected officials let him down...
Maybe vote Republican next time?

The last Republican Mayor of St. Louis left office in 1949. The population in 1950 was 856,000. In the 70 years of Democrats since, the population has dwindled to 293,000. If you want to feel absolute shock, visit North St. Louis. Clearly, this shows the need to elect more Democrats.; 6/2/20, 8:50 AM
Tom T. said...: The Washington Post reported on the shootings under the headline, "Violent Clashes Escalate."; 6/2/20, 8:55 AM
Charlie said...: I sense this guy is like a lot of average African Americans, especially in flyover country. Maybe they'll be a few more GOP voters in the fall.; 6/2/20, 9:00 AM
ga6 said...: I don't see minority communities policing themselves.

Some do:On the use of the brown fist symbol. That did not work too well for some looters that went into Cicero Ill thinking there would be some easy pickings. The inhabitants of Cicero are largely Mexican or of Mexican decent. They residents do like to see their neighborhood businesses looted. The result of this is two dead looters and a couple of more wounded. Being very intelligent the residents returned to their homes before the police arrived.

On another Chicago crime note the body count for the month of May has been revised upward: May 2020 - 390 shot, 81 homicides; 6/2/20, 9:05 AM
Birkel said...: Democratics cannot understand why cities led by Democratics are so awful?
Surprise! Dumb ass.; 6/2/20, 9:05 AM
Big Mike said...: I think shit got real for Chief Hayden.; 6/2/20, 9:21 AM
Rick said...: Maybe vote Republican next time?

Nah. They shit the bed , now let them lay in it. Voting Republican only allows Dems to spread the blame. A Rep figurehead can't get anything done when the left still controls every other institution.; 6/2/20, 9:38 AM
Rick said...: Our leftist commenters are the target audience for these riots. Their statements will indicate if the Radical Left is successful this time.

Our leftist commenters chose long ago. The tell is their reaction to antifa violence. Their reaction is to argue it's wrong to focus on antifa, which is the best argument an ally can make.; 6/2/20, 9:42 AM
n.n said...: Good old God, always a day late and a dollar short.

God, the supreme being, set the universe in motion. God, the philosopher, gave us the rules ("religion"). Some people prefer mortal gods and goddesses, and secular indulgences. With consciousness comes responsibility. The spoiled child is a clear and progressive risk.; 6/2/20, 9:46 AM
richlb said...: Is the Andre Braugher character on Brooklyn 99 based on him?!; 6/2/20, 10:30 AM
DavidUW said...: St. Louis is a shite hole. It's lost more people (percent basis) in the past 50 years than detroit. It's the worst.; 6/2/20, 11:45 AM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: Great point, spencer ! No one who can’t control his emotions in public should be in a position of authority.

Also, this Affirmative-Action police chief, this blubbering finocchio, threw Chauvin under the bus, violating his right to the presumption of innocence.; 6/2/20, 11:53 AM
Joanne Jacobs said...: David Dorn, 77, a retired St. Louis police captain, was shot and killed early Tuesday morning while trying to protect a pawn shop from looters. Dorn, who was black, was a friend of the shop's owner. He'd served as a liaison between the business community and the police. https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/retired-st-louis-police-captain-killed-protecting-business-looting#stream/0; 6/2/20, 9:41 PM