wheresrhys

Delroy 'Someone get the Febreeze' Smellie versus a threat to the nation

I’ve recently started, against my better judgement, watching Deadwood, which everyone says is a must-watch tour-de-force. It’s better than Lost, I’ll give them that, and is in fact pretty enjoyable. Set in the untamed gold prospecting frontierlands of America, it’s a grittier, darker, more unpredictable picture of the wild west. I’ve just watched episode 4, in which a guy who shoots *censored* dead in front of a bar full of witnesses is found not guilty. It’s unexpected plot turns like this, drawing the world as a corrupt, depressing place where certain people are beyond the reach of justice, that make the series so compelling.

I’d like to say that events like today’s acquittal of policeman Delroy ‘What’s that stink?’ Smellie, who famously hit a rather small woman protester several times on camera make life a more compelling experience, but alas they just give it a sinister air. If you watch the video I’m sure you’ll agree that his defence of ‘self-defence’ is fiction enough for a whole series of Deadwood. Though not as cleverly written; apparently only judges can suspend their disbelief long enough to find the main conceit credible.

The district judge, Daphne Wickham, said there was no evidence that his use of the baton was not approved, correct or measured, adding that Smellie had a “mere seven seconds” to act, and other witnesses had feared for his safety.

Personally I think that “7 seconds to act” when faced with being shouted at is a poor excuse for violence. Especially when you’re a policeman. And if you watch the video I have no idea where this “7 seconds to act” comes from. Just because he lost his cool in 7 seconds and lashed out does not mean he had only 7 seconds to act, it just means he needs to find better ways of dealing with confrontation than violence. I’m reminded of Begbie in trainspotting.

Now that an election’s up for grabs I wish one of the two main parties was less in thrall to the police. I really do. Maybe I’ll write to my MP.

Or maybe I’ll just snigger at the fact that Delroy ‘wake up and smell the faeces’ Smellie is so stupid he beats up girls  in front of  about 20 photographers. And then cower in fear.