Tommy Rees and Carlo Calabrese arrested

[Whiskeyjack]

So here's a question. Unless you're a kickboxer or MMA guy how the hell do you "knee" someone in the chest? Sounds pretty far fetched.

It's a pretty basic technique. I'm sure a guy as athletic as Rees could do it.

 

[MNIrishman]

I lived off-campus my senior year, south in the vicinity of Lafayette Square. In order to get to school every day, I rode my bike up ND Avenue. During my time there, it seemed like there was a student mugged on that route every week. I never saw the cops patrolling except on Friday and Saturday nights.

One night, while traveling home, a large man came at me from behind a car and tried to throw me off my bike and mug me. Fortunately, I manage to escape and get home safe, just a couple blocks away. I called 911 and the patrol car they promised never even bothered to show up. The South Bend Police are a horrible organization. I don't know what they did to Tommy or what he did to deserve it, but I'll never forget all the crime that happened on their watch while they focused on breaking up off campus parties. Scum. (The NDSP is not to be lumped in with the ISEP and SBPD...generally good guys.)

South Bend in general hates students. While riding to and from school, I got cursed at several times for obeying the laws regarding bicycles (not allowed on sidewalks, must stop at stop signs, etc.). They just want money without the university. South Bend is straight turr-ible, even for a rust-belt city.

 

[Patulski]

Right, the cops are afraid to make arrests in the "unsafe" parts of town.

I understand the frustration with SB police making arrests for minor violations, but this idea that they target white ND students has to be placed in some context. I don't think it's an exaggeration to state that in every city of every state in this country, police are substantially more "overzealous" in poor, minority sections of town than they are in more affluent, wealthy parts of town. Police aggression is a constant threat for African Americans in South Bend, as is true everywhere else. Aggressive policing tactics and arrests for 'public order' violations have been rising since the early 1990s, and these tactics have been targeted on minority men - whites in wealthy neighborhoods may experience this kind of thing occasionally, but it is a constant concern for men of color. It is annoying when an avoidable incident like this happens, but I imagine it is much more annoying to be stopped and frisked on a routine basis because you are black and live near a housing project. This is how America's cities are now policed - and the kicker is, most people don't have qualms with it and it has probably contributed to the decline in crime since 1990. It just sucks when it affects you or someone you know.

I think there is a racial line in South Bend where there is profiling, but in the ghetto of South Bend, I think the cops are reactive, not active.

As for drinking: When is the last time a minority bar was raided for underage drinking in South Bend? It happens all the time at mostly white, ND Student bars like Boat Club, Finnegan's etc.

Note: I made my previous statement about black athletes hanging in black bars based on my experience at ND. I've been told it doesn't happen anymore. I'm going to check with my black friends to see (a) if there are bars that cater to an all black crowd and (b) if the black athletes are hanging out in these bars.

 

[aubeirish]

Why would you live there if you don't love Notre Dame and it's students. I don't get it.

 

[jerboski]

Some of these posts are pathetic, like stating that most cops abuse their power and act as bullies on poor, innocent people or that cops won't go into black neighborhoods because they want the easy bust! I have been a police officer for 7 years in Denver and can tell you that we will go into any neighborhood at any time to enforce the law, the point most of you miss is the cops are called to location, not the other way around! Somebody complained and called it in so police officers are required to respond, as far as only catching Tommy, there are many probable solutions to this but probably because one officer began to pursue Tommy so the rest generally follow, hate to tell you guys this but we are trained to work in groups and not all seperate after 4-5 different kids. We act as a unit and its generally best to catch one than none at all because after all usually the "ONE" can you lead to the others. Its a joke that some of you are hammering a police agency for doing their job, I am sad that Tommy was involved in this but give me a break, he had to be pepper sprayed so spare me the poor Tommy act, and get a grip! Whether they are ND students or not, obey the law and respect authority, face your consequences like an adult.

 

[bert2834]

Agreed with Jeroski.

During my DUI I was very respectful to the officer. He was nice as can be.

If you are nice to them even though you were caught in the wrong, generally they are very nice back.

Just admit what you did was wrong and that it was your fault, and not someone else's.

In other words, be a man. Own up to it. Take responsibility for you own actions.

 

[loomis41973]

Some of these posts are pathetic, like stating that most cops abuse their power and act as bullies on poor, innocent people or that cops won't go into black neighborhoods because they want the easy bust! I have been a police officer for 7 years in Denver and can tell you that we will go into any neighborhood at any time to enforce the law, the point most of you miss is the cops are called to location, not the other way around! Somebody complained and called it in so police officers are required to respond, as far as only catching Tommy, there are many probable solutions to this but probably because one officer began to pursue Tommy so the rest generally follow, hate to tell you guys this but we are trained to work in groups and not all seperate after 4-5 different kids. We act as a unit and its generally best to catch one than none at all because after all usually the "ONE" can you lead to the others. Its a joke that some of you are hammering a police agency for doing their job, I am sad that Tommy was involved in this but give me a break, he had to be pepper sprayed so spare me the poor Tommy act, and get a grip! Whether they are ND students or not, obey the law and respect authority, face your consequences like an adult.

Best post in this whole thread!! Props

Tommy was in the wrong and shoulda took it like a man. VERY poor decision making to say the least.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Some of these posts are pathetic, like stating that most cops abuse their power and act as bullies on poor, innocent people or that cops won't go into black neighborhoods because they want the easy bust! I have been a police officer for 7 years in Denver and can tell you that we will go into any neighborhood at any time to enforce the law, the point most of you miss is the cops are called to location, not the other way around! Somebody complained and called it in so police officers are required to respond, as far as only catching Tommy, there are many probable solutions to this but probably because one officer began to pursue Tommy so the rest generally follow, hate to tell you guys this but we are trained to work in groups and not all seperate after 4-5 different kids. We act as a unit and its generally best to catch one than none at all because after all usually the "ONE" can you lead to the others. Its a joke that some of you are hammering a police agency for doing their job, I am sad that Tommy was involved in this but give me a break, he had to be pepper sprayed so spare me the poor Tommy act, and get a grip! Whether they are ND students or not, obey the law and respect authority, face your consequences like an adult.

Agreed with Jeroski.

During my DUI I was very respectful to the officer. He was nice as can be.

If you are nice to them even though you were caught in the wrong, generally they are very nice back.

Just admit what you did was wrong and that it was your fault, and not someone else's.

In other words, be a man. Own up to it. Take responsibility for you own actions.

What do your experiences as a cop in Denver or a perp in Ohio have to do with the practices of the SBPD?

 

[MNIrishman]

Having been a student at Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Minnesota, and having spent a large amount of time working at Michigan, I can tell you that South Bend cops are different. This isn't like you think--that people are just defending a football player because he's a football player. Frankly, I expect him to be punished just like any other student would. However, there is a point to be made in the way the cops and the town in general act with regard to the student body. For Pete's sake, they tried to pass some BS party law a few years back while all the students were gone for the summer so they couldn't object. South Bend exists because of that university (ND-1842, SB-1865) and they HATE that fact. The cops don't patrol the way they should and barely respond to acts of real, violent crime against students in favor of enforcing some dated morality law which doesn't exist in most nations around the globe. If you've been to East Asia, or to Europe, you'd know that setting the drinking age to 18 reduces the problems associated with alcohol instead of exacerbating it. That's not our law, and I can't blame the cops for doing their job, but I can blame them for setting excise law enforcement above the prevention of violent crime on the priority totem pole.

 

[jerboski]

None, so because I dont personally live in South Bend and have never had any experience dealing with SBPD, I am suppose to believe they are a bunch of bullies picking on Notre Dame students? How many of you have met Tommy? How many of you have met the officers involved??? HMMMM so you can have an opinion because you live there?

 

[jerboski]

I would be really surprised also if a police agency places more emphasis on minor alcohol related offenses rather than violent crimes as you put it, the reason you hear more about this is because one minor alcohol related offenses happen much more than murder/rape cases and secondly because this one involves a few ND players

 

[irishff1014]

None, so because I dont personally live in South Bend and have never had any experience dealing with SBPD, I am suppose to believe they are a bunch of bullies picking on Notre Dame students? How many of you have met Tommy? How many of you have met the officers involved??? HMMMM so you can have an opinion because you live there?

Its a lost cause trying to tell the south benders anything Bro.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

None, so because I dont personally live in South Bend and have never had any experience dealing with SBPD, I am suppose to believe they are a bunch of bullies picking on Notre Dame students? How many of you have met Tommy? How many of you have met the officers involved??? HMMMM so you can have an opinion because you live there?

I lived and studied there for 7 years. In your position, I would also be skeptical for the very reasons you mentioned. But the complaints against the SBPD have merit, in my opinion. Just flipping back through this thread you'll find many accounts of serious crime that were reported to the SBPD, but they were either ignored or blown off after a perfunctory visit. Yet these guys never hesitate to kick down a door at an off-campus party and hand out a bunch of MIPs to harmless ND kids.

 

[jerboski]

Apparently, I respect most if not all of you as Notre Dame fans and find this board very informative and a good time, but after reading some of these posts, I was in shock with some peoples opinion about law enforcement.

 

[loomis41973]

Its a lost cause trying to tell the south benders anything Bro.

Right cause we don' live it. You people and your Police bashing need to stop. The kid was wrong..end of story.

I can count numerous times the cops let an athlete or student off the hook when caught with alcohol.....funny thing is, none of them ran or assaulted a PO.

I find the quote from CC telling....it's the mentality of many ND students.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Apparently, I respect most if not all of you as Notre Dame fans and find this board very informative and a good time, but after reading some of these posts, I was in shock with some peoples opinion about law enforcement.

I know (and am related to) some very good cops. I don't support the sweeping condemnations against the profession.

But there are bad cops out there, and there are departments that tolerate unjust practices. In my experience, SBPD is such a department. Your blind condemnation of anyone who has a problem with SBPD is no more justifiable than those who think every cop is a power-hungry bully.

 

[jerboski]

Whiskey,

I am not going to say that SBPD has never made mistakes or made attitude arrests because that is the nature of the business, but based on a lot of posts here it is my position that you guys think they are a bunch of bullies who have no clue how to perform police work and that is where we disagree. I have not researched any cases they have done or their policies and procedures but if MIP's arent enforced then based on my experiences that leads to more DUI driving and fatal accidents!

 

[jerboski]

I dont have an issue so much with you guys having some issues about SBPD, its the lack of respect for the officers and the whining that the police are just busting a bunch of college kids that get old! Tommy made a decision and his decision was wrong and its purely his fault, not the SBPD!

 

[RallySonsOfND]

Some of these posts are pathetic, like stating that most cops abuse their power and act as bullies on poor, innocent people or that cops won't go into black neighborhoods because they want the easy bust! I have been a police officer for 7 years in Denver and can tell you that we will go into any neighborhood at any time to enforce the law, the point most of you miss is the cops are called to location, not the other way around! Somebody complained and called it in so police officers are required to respond, as far as only catching Tommy, there are many probable solutions to this but probably because one officer began to pursue Tommy so the rest generally follow, hate to tell you guys this but we are trained to work in groups and not all seperate after 4-5 different kids. We act as a unit and its generally best to catch one than none at all because after all usually the "ONE" can you lead to the others. Its a joke that some of you are hammering a police agency for doing their job, I am sad that Tommy was involved in this but give me a break, he had to be pepper sprayed so spare me the poor Tommy act, and get a grip! Whether they are ND students or not, obey the law and respect authority, face your consequences like an adult.

Hold up. As much as I would love to think all cops are great guys, (and in no way am I defending Tommy) some of them get all excited about taking down minors just trying to have a good time (aka partying). 2 summers ago on fourth of july weekend at our summer home, a buddy and I had 2 pontoon loads full of people out on the water, hitting up all the lakes on our chain. We got pulled over for 'suspected DUI'. At this time I'm under 21, completely sober. The cop called in a road-cop for backup (only happens on the water if they plan on arresting someone) before I even talked to the guy. Had to get off my boat, take a breathalyzer and when I blew ALL zeros I didn't even get an I'm sorry, or thanks for being a safe driver. ONLY reason I got pulled over is because he thought he was going to be a big shot and get a drunken kid on a pontoon that is costs his yearly salary arrested and ruin his weekend. There was a lot more to this story about what all the shenanigans he pulled and tried to pull over me and my friends that day but I won't go into all of it.

 

[MNIrishman]

Jerboski,
1) I personally know many people who were mugged on Notre Dame Avenue.
2) I traveled more than a mile on that road two or three times daily (at different times of day) for almost a year. In that time, I saw 3 patrolling police vehicle. Just three. On the weekends. At Minnesota, I usually see two or three going home over a shorter distance than I traveled at ND.
3) While I personally have never been arrested (I chose not to drink until I was 21, this isn't some personal vendetta I'm holding), I am familiar with (ie, either attended or heard about from close friends) several parties where the cops had several cars and usually a paddy wagon or two there to bust the party without ever attempting to try a more peaceful method.

 

[jerboski]

Some cops can do stupid things and get excited about minors, but that is the exception not the norm.

 

[loomis41973]

[/B]

Jerboski,
1) I personally know many people who were mugged on Notre Dame Avenue. Me too, some were by other ND students.

2) I traveled more than a mile on that road two or three times daily (at different times of day) for almost a year. In that time, I saw 3 patrolling police vehicle. Just three. On the weekends. At Minnesota, I usually see two or three going home over a shorter distance than I traveled at ND. Total falsehood.

3) While I personally have never been arrested (I chose not to drink until I was 21, this isn't some personal vendetta I'm holding), I am familiar with (ie, either attended or heard about from close friends) several parties where the cops had several cars and usually a paddy wagon or two there to bust the party without ever attempting to try a more peaceful method.

Why is this about the police? Did they do something wrong by responding to a call?

 

[jerboski]

All of you have stories about multiple cops coming in and breaking up a party and doing their job, which ya'll find excessive, however that is their job to enforce laws and uphold the peace. I have just as many stories where these innocent parties lead to rapes, assaultt on innocent people and officers and murders! bottom line, if the cops are called to a large party, it will be a multiple car response, that is typical protocal for all police departments

 

[BobD]

Wow I just heard the news. Bad day for us and especially bad for those two.
I went to parties and drank before I was 21 so I can give Tommy a break on that. I ran from the cops once or twice at parties, but never got caught and I was a friggin tackle so there is no forgiving getting caught or kicking an officer. Geez what was he thinking?

I can't read the whole thread because I'm at work. Has anyone ratted out any of the other players at that party?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Whiskey,

I am not going to say that SBPD has never made mistakes or made attitude arrests because that is the nature of the business, but based on a lot of posts here it is my position that you guys think they are a bunch of bullies who have no clue how to perform police work and that is where we disagree. I have not researched any cases they have done or their policies and procedures but if MIP's arent enforced then based on my experiences that leads to more DUI driving and fatal accidents!

I'm skeptical, as countries in which the legal age is 18 don't have higher rates of DUI.

I dont have an issue so much with you guys having some issues about SBPD, its the lack of respect for the officers and the whining that the police are just busting a bunch of college kids that get old! Tommy made a decision and his decision was wrong and its purely his fault, not the SBPD!

Not defending Tommy at all. He choose to run and got caught. If he'd just stayed put, this would be a mole hill instead of a mountain.

I don't expect cops to stop handing out MIPs, either, but the frequency with which off-campus parties are raided in South Bend isn't coincidental.

 

[RallySonsOfND]

All of you have stories about multiple cops coming in and breaking up a party and doing their job, which ya'll find excessive, however that is their job to enforce laws and uphold the peace. I have just as many stories where these innocent parties lead to rapes, assaultt on innocent people and officers and murders! bottom line, if the cops are called to a large party, it will be a multiple car response, that is typical protocal for all police departments

Did you read my post? Please. No tickets, charges or ANYTHING came out of my debacle with law enforcement, but not for the lack of trying.

Just another detail about the situation, people were shooting off fireworks across the channel the entire time, while at this time fireworks were STILL illegal to set off!

HAPPY FREAKING FOURTH OF JULY! ahaha

 

[jerboski]

I read your post Rally, and yes there are over zealous cops, but just to clarify I have pulled over hundres of people that I have suspected of DUI and called another officer over and it turned out they were as sober as the pope, sometimes we are incorrect in our assessments.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Some cops can do stupid things and get excited about minors, but that is the exception not the norm.

Do you know that's not the norm in SBPD? Because to those of us who have lived there, even with the benefit of hindsight, it sure felt like we were being targeted.

All of you have stories about multiple cops coming in and breaking up a party and doing their job, which ya'll find excessive, however that is their job to enforce laws and uphold the peace. I have just as many stories where these innocent parties lead to rapes, assaultt on innocent people and officers and murders! bottom line, if the cops are called to a large party, it will be a multiple car response, that is typical protocal for all police departments

According to news reports, this wasn't a large party. In fact, this was the first party that Goodman and Newman had hosted this academic year, and according to some eye-witness accounts, it wasn't rowdy either.

Which is sort of besides the point. This could have been a fluke, except the SBPD and IESP are raiding off-campus parties of every sort virtually every weekend of the year. All while many parts of the city remain scary places to be after dark. That is why many of us question the priorities of the department.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

And rally it was 4th of July weekend. Without getting into the whole constitutionality of DUI check points.
Would you have been as upset about being pulled over for a check point?

 

[RallySonsOfND]

I read your post Rally, and yes there are over zealous cops, but just to clarify I have pulled over hundres of people that I have suspected of DUI and called another officer over and it turned out they were as sober as the pope, sometimes we are incorrect in our assessments.

I'm sure you at least had the decency to say 'sorry' or 'thanks for being a safe driver', or something along those lines though