What the ... ??!!

From wire reports, as collected by latimes.com:

Border Officer Acquitted in Excessive Force Case
September 9, 2005

A U.S. border officer was acquitted in Buffalo of violating a Chinese tourist's civil rights when he pushed her head into the pavement and pepper-sprayed her.

Government prosecutors said Homeland Security officer Robert Rhodes used excessive force against Zhao Yan, 38, a businesswoman from Tianjin who was touring Niagara Falls in July 2004.

Rhodes told investigators that he believed the woman might have been associated with a drug suspect and ordered her inside the Niagara Falls inspection station, but she took off running. He said he followed procedure in subduing her.

I have to say that I am very embarassed and sickened at the result of this trial. I know how court decisions like this can happen, however, just like in the O.J. case. But it's really sad considering the coverage this story has gotten in China. When the original incident happened, I remember the discussion on the China Daily bbs. There are a lot of "trolls" there, but here are some excerpts from one of the few actual Chinese nationals on that forum:

3) We have to face that fact that in China today, the image of cops is not good enough. We have good cops, and more often we're unlucky to have very bad ones around us. If this case happens in China (a Chinese cop beating a Chinese woman), I bet the cop will also be punished due to his brutality, but he may return to his post by Guanxi (personal connections) after he has been removed from his position. We have a long way to go.

4) Chinese cops, however, will never beat a foreigner (Japanese excepted) over any reasons. They will provide all conveniences to them they could offer. Our policy might be nice to the foreigners but strict with our own nationals. If an American tourist is endangered on a remote mountain, I bet the government will think about using helicopters to save him/her, which is very, very rare to her own nationals. Glad and sad about this.

5) U.S. people are very, very nice in general to Chinese people, and vice versa.

7) The prejudice and pride of the U.S. government has to be condemned. Double-faced, double-mouthed and everything with double standards, and it always tries to be a teacher! A teacher is supposed to set up good examples instead of bad examples, and a teacher should criticize herself before she criticise her students who make the same mistates. “Hypocrite” is the best word.

8) I hope the victim of this case could get 1 million, while they don't have to punish hard the poor officer who was on duty. He abused his power, but he was still considered responsible for his job and it's much better than dereliction of duty. He's a pathetic guy, absolutely misearable. As a bread-winner he has to raise his family, and his kids could be very hard to accept the fact that their dad now put behind the bars. As long as he realize his awful mistake, he should be welcomed to return to his post. This is generosity from Chinese people. After having been bashed, the poor woman wanted to go back to homeland at once, without thinking about any compensations or punishment upon the officers. It was those american homeland lawyers who "meddled with" the business later, they wanted to make profits from this case.

Most of the Chinese nationals I've met understand their country lacks mature political and judicial systems, and admire the United States for it's openness and ideals. What is really sad is when things like this Zhao Yan case come around to destroy those hopes ... and of course the Chinese state press has a field day, saying, "See! We told you the "American way" is a farce!"

More about the case from a local news source.