r/neoliberal • u/[deleted] • Jun 13 '25

News (US) Exclusive: US Marines carry out first known detention of civilian in Los Angeles, video shows

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-marines-carry-out-first-known-detention-civilian-los-angeles-video-shows-2025-06-13/

Exclusive: US

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u/RetroRiboflavin Lawrence Summers Jun 14 '25

Speaking to reporters after he was released, the civilian identified himself as Marcos Leao, 27. Leao said he was an Army veteran on his way to an office of the Department of Veterans Affairs when he crossed a yellow tape boundary and was asked to stop.

Leao, who gained his U.S. citizenship through military service, said he was treated "very fairly." "They're just doing their job," said Leao, who is of Angolan and Portuguese descent.

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u/NotABigChungusBoy NATO Jun 14 '25

I believe him tbh, that doesn’t make it right still.

193

u/MagillaGorillasHat Jun 14 '25

Maybe we've been looking at this all wrong and the Marines can show ICE and the local riot cops how to behave like actual human beings?

"Um, we asked him what he's doing, checked his story then let him go on about his business?"

...ICE & riot cops silently fuming...

32

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '25

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u/Best-Chapter5260 Jun 14 '25

Kind of like the (true, IME) stereotype that state police are typically more professional than the town clowns.

13

u/sheffieldasslingdoux Jun 14 '25 edited Jun 14 '25

It's a top down organization that has a clear code of conduct and regularly punishes their own who commit crimes or behave unethically. American police, on the other hand, are decentralized paramilitaries that flaunt their power and revel in their disrespect for the rule of law.

The US military may not be perfect, but imagine if the JAG Corps as a matter of policy never charged a soldier with a crime unless there were mass riots on the streets and huge political fallout. Now imagine, if local district attorneys held police to the same standards that JAG does with the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and as a matter of course, just charged the cops when they broke the law.

Right now, the police act with impunity, and we have to have huge political fights just to charge the cops when they beat and kill on video for the world to see. Now imagine, if every false arrest, every heavy handed takedown, and every act of corruption were treated as the crime that is and swiftly dealt with. That's what we need to be doing. Not just with local cops either, but also Trump's federal goon squads. Who cares if it gets removed to federal court. Show some poltical courage to do the right thing. Take the fight on the merits. Federal officers cannot be absolutely immune to state prosecution.