Baton-Wielding Police Medic YR394

KeithWD    says:

Well caught !

I was right next to the furthest horse at this point. Was wondering when and how they cleared those of you that were in your spot out of the way...
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

This character was really wading in. Maybe they have the medical training to know where to hit best.
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

josh is here says:

Great pic......
but disgusting, truly disgusting
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

KeithWD    says:

Missed the irony the first time I viewed your shot..
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

amateur student says:

Great capture!
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

brightbird says:

good snap.

And to think I just heard someone on the radio say we protesters would use the death of Ian Tomlinson as 'a stick to beat the police with'...
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

ludwig van standard lamp    says:

medic?!
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

jameswebster says:

I think that is the anesthetic being applied.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

menthec says:

He's just drumming up business, it's a tough old world out there!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

k_thrn    says:

Why's he hitting all those journalists?
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

nuszka says:

it's so depressing.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

foamcow    says:

What's he hitting, or trying to hit?
In front of him are just police. Anyone else is well out of reach.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

tfelix    says:

He is surely the anaesthetist in the team ;-)
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

barney.craggs    says:

Just drumming up business surely - muppet
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

What's he hitting, or trying to hit?
In front of him are just police. Anyone else is well out of reach.

He's hitting through the protective wall in front of him. After all, he's not a front line officer. His job is to use his skills in a supportive role.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

mohamedn    says:

I knew the standard of healthcare in the UK was falling but this....
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

yezzer    says:

Absolutely fantastic photograph
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Tony Austin    says:

I suppose that's one way of ensuring a bit of job security. If there weren't any injured people, he'd be out of a job!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Mikey B_    says:

What a shot... What a bastard
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

antikewl    says:

You guys clearly don't play enough RPGs. The healer always hangs at the back with his magic wand.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

For the bookmarks, a useful breakdown of how to get put in prison for taking photographs
here:

fitwatch.blogspot.com/2008/11/more-on-photogr aphy-in-publ...

Thanks to suburbanslice
www.flickr.com/photos/suburbanslice/
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

dennymeta says:

Nicely caught.

Relatedly, at the 02:09 mark in this video, you can see a medic repeatedly reaching over the front-line of police to hit people with his baton:
www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/apr/02/g2 0-protest

This is one of the few things that has genuinely shocked me about the police actions at these protests... I thought my cynicism was up to the job, but this got through.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

squidbox33 says:

Unbelievable. Police in the US and UK are apparently sharing a lot of training and crowd control measures. The strangest thing to me is that the police actually forget who they work for... they aren't the government's police, they are the people's police. This picture is shocking and sad. I hope this picture makes its way to the media.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

sheepthief    says:

But he's just holding his equipment out of the way for fear of it being damaged!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Monkey Tennis    says:

wow. that's fucked up.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Salmon Leap Consulting says:

So sad to see that Britain is a fascist police state. I knew that it had been creeping that direction for decades, but it's still sad to see how bad things have gotten.

Oswald Mosley would be proud.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

The kicker is that I just saw a representative of the met on the BBC talking about how the police have 'a duty of care' and 'health and safety obligations.'
That's cleared that up then.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

geordiebub says:

Has anyone sent this photo to the papers?
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

rcoldbreath    says:

That is a fantasic photograph!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

tomd_eats says:

Reminds me of the officers' testimony at the Rodney King trial: "I wasn't kicking his head into the pavement. No, I was,uh, assisting in retaining him for his own safety, uh, by, uh, holding his head down with my foot. Yeah - that's it!"
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

33 Boroughs says:

6.000 views and counting ! This photo really has caught people's imagination and illustrates a big issue. I hope it gets seen by even more people. It deserves to go to the press, IPCC etc.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

dirtywaterclub says:

It's a good joke to say that he's trying to drum up business for himself. Except that police medics are only really there to treat injured police officers. The general public, like the poor chap who had a heart attack, will just be left to die, for all they care.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

cjb22    says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Police Brutality at the G20 London, April 1st 2009, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

cjb22    says:

IPCC Online Complaint
www.ipcc.gov.uk/index/complaints/forms/form_c omplaint.htm
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

cclegal73 says:

Would like to discussing using this photo for a related report. Please could you contact legal@climatecamp.org.uk
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

yezzer    says:

this photo is all over the place now..

www.boingboing.net/2009/04/10/british-police- medic.html
www.chickyog.net/2009/04/08/police-medic-in-j ob-creation-...
bristle.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/g20-police-m edics-just-o...
whythatsdelightful.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/w hy-they-want...
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Girl with a one-track mind    says:

@amjamjazz Saw your photo is being used without attribution - even with your All Rights Reserved copyright. As well as the above links that yezzer's noted, there's also www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/426869.html - which is where I think the lack of attribution started... You might want to chase these folk up; it's only fair that they credit you.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Chicken Yoghurt says:

@amjamjazz I've used your photo on my blog and have given you a shamefully belated credit.

www.chickyog.net/2009/04/08/police-medic-in-j ob-creation-...

Sorry for not doing it sooner - I followed the link from Indymedia and assumed it was their photo.

If you're unhappy with my use of it please do get in touch (my email address is on my blog).
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

CY.
As long as I get a credit and link, and notification of some kind, I'm happy enough in this case.
Unlike page 10 of today's edition of a certain liberal national newspaper which shall remain a nameless byword for typograciphal errors.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

pho2art says:

I've got the newspaper in front of me. and your photograph has not been credited - that's wrong!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

Poor old ink-stained dears. Up to their knees in molten lead and green eyeshades.They have a hard enough time as it is. Don't mock, it might be one of your own.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Sparrows' Friend    says:

Appalling!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

'Police Specials.com (for and about Special Constables) asks:

Police medic, What are they?
www.policespecials.com/forum/index.php?s=50c4 ef484b92978f...

Shall we tell them?
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Girl with a one-track mind    says:

@amjamjazz Send an invoice for £250 to the picture editor at the paper immediately, clarifying their unlicensed usage of your shot, and they'll pay up. I know others that've done so; it's worth chasing - you deserve to be credited for this pic.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

The paper had permission from me They actually sourced the image from here.. And promised to credit. They just didn't get round to it. I assume.
They'll pay the space rate, and I'll try to blag a bonus for not getting my publicity quota. Thanks for the thought again.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Jamie Kitson    says:

You know that this image was used in the Guardian today? Page 10 if you didn't, can't see it online.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Girl with a one-track mind    says:

@amjamjazz - Naughty! Make 'em pay! I'm actually less surprised by the paper not crediting you - being 'old media' - than I am by indymedia. I'm very disappointed that the latter used your shot uncredited: it's been re-posted elsewhere with the assumption that indymedia is the original source - as Chicken Yoghurt points out. Tut tut, indymedia, you should know better.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

You can be my agent.

To be fair, Indymedia did post a credit very promptly.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

solarider    says:

Fantastic evidence from the day!

Only £250 - this is worth a lot more than that - and I don't mean in terms of monetary value alone!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

cjb22    says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called English people, culture, landscape and architecture, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Justdoodling says:

Great photo Amjamjazz. Good that it's getting all this publicity. All credit to you for getting the shot in the first place and getting it up here so quickly.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

Thanks to everyone.
I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Unlike many on the day, one in particular.
I don't mean to milk it, but here's an animation of the context to the shot.
littlerichardjohn.blogspot.com/2009/04/police -medic-yr394...
I think it confirms what has been said about the attitude of the police on the day.
climatecamp.org are very interested in images showing officers without numbers, and other transgressions.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

dennymeta says:

Relatedly, at the 02:09 mark in this video, you can see a medic repeatedly reaching over the front-line of police to hit people with his baton:
www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/apr/02/g2 0-protest

That's your man, YR394. I'm almost sure of it. I was in the top left corner of the video frame, just out of shot, against the wall at the top end of T'needle st. My shot was taken around noon. Does it say anywhere when the video was shot?
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

pho2art says:

It seems as though the clip has been taken off.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

malkyyyyyy says:

Charlie Brooker is looking for you.In a good way.
"Twitterers! Please help Newswipe find person who took this photo -- fgclY -- ask them to contact @KufenaM asap? Ta."
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Hugh Beauchamp    says:

Excellent photojournalism! Charlie Brooker's Newswipe is trying to get hold of you re. this shot, can you get in touch via www.twitter.com/KufenaM as soon as possible?
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

alexwigmore says:

Give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he's holding a drip up for an injured banker? Bless.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Max DeBooy says:

Charlie Brooker would like you to contact his people about this photo

twitter.com/charltonbrooker
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Seniath says:

Clearly, he's just trying to charge his uber.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

mikedailly    says:

Well, he's a police medic I guess, not a protester medic :)
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

redlentil says:

Only just saw this photo thanks to the Charlie Brooker link. It's brilliant. No wonder they want to make taking photos of the police illegal.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Apesod    says:

Take two of these twice a day and see me if symptoms (consciousness) persist.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

I don't have a Twitter account, so how do I email half an address?
(@KufenaM)

WHAT?@KufenaM?
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Roberto Farrelli    says:

Bloody hell!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

tonymarshphotos    says:

You all pretty much seem to be missing the point here - This officer has merely had more medical training than his peers. Yes, the actions of the met should be called into question, but this officer is no worse than any of the others in this photo. Now, if it was an ambulance worker about to cosh someone over the head...
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Mistywabbit    says:

Underlines everything about the entire thing that's disgusted me. Well shot!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

BR-i (www.aperturepriority.co.uk)    says:

Nicely spotted and well captured. Just been reading about the alleged police cover ups over Hillsborough in The Guardian today.

Events like this make you wonder about some who work in the police. Protectors of people or thugs in suits?
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

berimbauone    says:

Hey, business is slow, need some customers for the medic! fuggetaboutit!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

mydearboy    says:

I agree with tonymarshphotos - I think you have all go the wrong end of the stick here (pardon the pun) - this is probably a copper with enhanced medical skills.

I very much doubt he's a doctor - thus the "Hippocratic Oath" jibe is a moot point.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

Moot shmoot.
He was wacking someone he couldn't see, behind two lines of helmeted lumps. He couldn't have had any appreciation of what was happening on the other side of the cordon, and no idea of the damage he migt be causing, or to whom.
The reason the Red Cross is guaranteed safe conduct in war is because it does not bear arms. By bearing arms in this way, the police medics lay themselves open to attack - which is possibly why his colleagues tried to restrain him..
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Ric James    says:

wtf - how can this even happen????
I mean, bloody hell!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Mistywabbit    says:

So he's to atone for his whacking people about with sticks by using his enhanced medical skills on them afterwards?

Oh, well, that makes it all right then.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Big Lion Head    says:

Creating work for himself. What a clever boy he is, his mom must be very proud of him.
:)
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

greengiant29 says:

might be worth giving the British medical association a ring? Ask them to clarify that this guy isn't a doctor. Would be a nice quote for a press release.

p.s - think that these medics are really shitty cops with 2 days first aid training...
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

TheOtherSimon says:

you can just imagine hes saying 'Dont worry, this wont hurt a bit.'
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

pro-imaging says:

For the record, here are two more pics of YR394 wading in with his baton:

www.web36531.clarahost.co.uk/filedump/_DEA539 7.jpg

www.web36531.clarahost.co.uk/filedump/_DEA539 8.jpg

More pics here: www.idea-digital.com/g20/g20.html
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Weardale One    says:

the cnuts just can't help themselves...

but he'll no doubt offer to bandage them up afterwards...
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

pro-imaging says:

Forgot to mention that the other medic has GD46 and sergeant stripes on his shoulders. Here are 3 more pics shot seconds apart. YR394 seemed pretty desperate to crack some heads.

www.web36531.clarahost.co.uk/filedump/2009-04 -01at13-16-1...
www.web36531.clarahost.co.uk/filedump/2009-04 -01at13-16-1...
www.web36531.clarahost.co.uk/filedump/2009-04 -01at13-16-1...

File names are date and time stamped.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

pro-imaging says:

Be interesting to find out who Tweedledee and Tweedledum are in this shot:

www.web36531.clarahost.co.uk/filedump/2009-04 -01at13-21-3...

Note that both have hidden their numbers. The guy with the stripes on his shoulders was particularly aggressive and you'll see him striking the protester in this shot:

www.web36531.clarahost.co.uk/filedump/_DEA556 6.jpg
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

Now that's a set.
And these are different PMs.

The last one here
www.idea-digital.com/g20/g20.html
might be significant as it shows the guy who was later covered in blood. The papers were saying he was bloody before he got to Bank, and that it was ink.

In fact, this might be him getting bloody

www.web36531.clarahost.co.uk/filedump/_DEA556 6.jpg
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

flamenco express says:

Was this shot posed?
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

pro-imaging says:

Quote: "The papers were saying he was bloody before he got to Bank, and that it was ink."

The papers were full of rubbish*

I can't state categorically that he wasn't faking it, but from what I saw that guy was already covered in blood about 20 mins before that shot.

I did see him take a few baton hits because he was front centre at the Threadneedle Street police line while I was about 10m to his right. Being on the right hand side of him meant that I couldn't see the blood on the left of his face -- but I did see him getting hit.

You'll note that he has cleaned himself up a bit and ditched the white shirt that he was wearing in my later shots -- but still taking hits :(

Blood has an unreal "inky" look in all the shots. In my shots of the medics using their batons you'll see that they are supposed to be giving treatment to another cop with a bandaged head. The blood on the bandages has the same unreal colour to it.

* See the post below for evidence of unthinking bias in favour of the police from BBC news. The woman is "stated" to be swearing while the copper "apparently" strikes her:

members.boardhost.com/DT3rd/msg/1239797255.ht ml
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

daze&confuzed says:

Listen to all of you; you're all a disgrace, passing judgement on situations that you have no true knowledge of, sitting on your high horse, twisting situations to give those of you that obviously have too much time on your hands, to have something to talk about.

You can clearly see in your photographs of YR 394 that he and his colleague are trying to attend to an injured male and whilst trying to do their job they are being assaulted by these supposedly peaceful protesters who obviously were only involved in the G20 protests so that they could cause trouble and get into fights with Police and Bank workers.

Police officers had a hard job that day, they were outnumbered by a large group of mostly hostile people, and a number who had came armed with weapons. Whatever their actions on this day they would have been criticised. The force that was used was in response to the behaviour of the protesters.

YR394 is trying to stop an already injured male from being further injured and trying to defend himself so he can do his job and give necessary care to the male. I think it’s a disgrace that these medics were not allowed to get on and do their hard job and treat people without being attacked by the 'protesters' and that you opinionated people think that it is in fact the medic that is in the wrong- diabolical!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

nuszka says:

I do not see the need for a medic to have a baton to be waving about in the first place, this point is made clearly enough earlier in this discussion.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

daze&confuzed says:

If it was a peaceful protest it would not be needed but peaceful was not the intention of the protesters at the G20. This person is a police officer who is also a medic, in any situation officers are armed, in case of attack, to protect themselves and others. Many Police officers abroad carry a gun. Medics in the army carry weapons also. In a hostile situation like this, brought on entirely by the protesters, police offiicers, even those on duty as medics are there to prpotect others and themselves.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

cjb22    says:

@daze&confused - indeed it seems you are. I see nothing to suggest that he was helping a fallen comrade. If you look more closely at the photo evidence you'll that his superior officer trying to restrain him and ends up knocking his hat off. Officer YR394 will be suspended
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

daze&confuzed says:

You look and see what you want to see, the police did a good job that day, despite the abuse and type of behaviour they were facing. YR394 is not and will not be suspended, as he did nothing wrong.. FACT, using reasonablt force in the circumstances as per Common Law!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

TheOtherSimon says:

hes a troll, he has no pics or profile. ignore him, better still block him.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

daze&confuzed
YR394 is trying to stop an already injured male from being further injured and trying to defend himself so he can do his job and give necessary care to the male.

Very colourful and imaginative.
What evidence do you have for your fantasy?
I was there, as you can see, and I saw no injured policeman being gallantly aided by 394 - and whatsmore, from where he was originally standing behind two rows of helmeted officers, neither could he. He rushed forward and blindly hit into the crowd. His actions prompted a senior officer to attempt to restrain him, which is an admission of guilt in itself.
If you believe that it is the duty of medics to use violence, you are playing directlly into the hands of those who would seek use violence against them. The Red Cross does not bear arms.
The violence at this demo was nothing special, certainly nothing compared with the scare stories circulated beforehand, but because of the new democratisation of image distribution, this time the police were caught out, and and their lies and tactics exposed.
It was a tragedy that a man had to die in order to provoke real outrage, but at least Ian Tomlinson (now) has sympathy of the vast majority of people, unlike other victims of police violence, such as Blair Peach, who were largely discredited and dishonoured after their deaths except among a minority. And when it is remembered that Blair Peach died opposing not 'capitalism' but fascism, the attitudes and practices of the media monopolies and politicians of the time must be brought into serious question.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

daze&confuzed says:

For cjb22 re your PM which you wouldn't allow me to respond to:

I thought that we live in a free country where we have the right to express our views. If you post photographs like that on the internet, you need to expect a response from people with both similar and different opinions to you.

I would still like to know what evidence you have on his suspension....

I wont be able to sleep tonight now, worrying that i may be suspended from flickr......
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Cobblers2009 says:

This song is worth listening to as you view the picture.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhMB2TCpZ_A
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

aze&confuzed says:

For cjb22 re your PM which you wouldn't allow me to respond to:

I thought that we live in a free country where we have the right to express our views.

You could have fooled me.
Freeedom of speech isn't the freedom to tell lies, or make up stories about events you know nothing of. And when you do so, you mnust expect decent people to come to their own conclusions and put you in your place.
You also seem to be saying you know that a complaint has not been lodged with the IPCC against Y394. If you carry on abusing the freedom of speech, you can expect the consequences. Unlike Ian Tomlinson, who was not even part of the demonstration, and died anyway.
Who told you that?
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Hughes Léglise-Bataille    says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Photoreporters sur Flickr, and we'd love to have this added to the group!


--
Seen on your photo stream. (?)
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

0zzie    says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Decisive Moment, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

amjamjazz says:

This much the better shot, of course.
members.boardhost.com/DT3rd/msg/1239897657.ht ml
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

K's Photo's    says:

great shot !
Posted 4 weeks ago. ( permalink )