Local News

BALTIMORE (WJZ) ― "I support the office the the skateboarding story. There is no respect from kids these days. Everyone is forgetting that this kid said that they enjoy getting in trouble with the police. And If it said no skateboarding they should not have been skateboarding. People complain about prison overcrowding, but if these parents don't teach their kids respect for the law. Prison is axactly where these kids will end up." -- Chuck

"I think it is a shame the officer is the one being critized and the skateboarder is crying 'woe is me'. The young man was in the breaking the law - in the wrong! The officer gave him a speach - that the parents should reinforce (breaking the law, disrespect to an adult / officer, resisting the officer). The young man should have stayed down as told - picture him 5-10 years from now 'breaking the law and not obeying an officer' that could be devastaing to both the young man and the officer. Don't use this as a way to get attention and tell everyone else it's ok to do as you like and forget the rules - use this as a lesson." -- Patsy Davis

"We should be thanking this police officer, not crucifying him. We cannot see the full extent of the boy's comments to the officer nor his actions when asked to give up his skateboard. It appears in the video that the boy is fighting the officer for it. I am a high school teacher and put up with disrespect like this all day. Calling a teacher or police officer "dude" repeatedly, even after being asked to stop, is wrong. Skateboarding in a public area where it is banned is wrong. Not complying with a police officer's directions is wrong. It seems that this mother has no interest in disciplining her son or teaching him any kind of respect. He comes off as a total punk. As for his blood sugar dropping? Give me a break. Have you interviewed any physicians who will confirm that this child could've died because the officeer upset him? I am glad this police officer taught him a lesson. Some teenagers think they can get away with doing and saying whatever they want, and what's different nowadays is that rather than backing up the authorites, their parents take their side and make them out to be victims. It happens every day with teachers and administrators. We can't discipline kids for anything anymore. This is political correctness run amok. That kid was breaking the law, got a smart mouth with an officer, and refused to comply with directions. He deserved what he got." -- Liz Clayton

"My opinion is that this officer's behavior was appalling and he needs to loose his job! What right does he or any cop have to speak to anyone this way, let alone physically attack a teenager for obviously no reason? I lived in Baltimore for 4 years while going to University and it saddens me that the circulation of this video worldwide has tarnished the City and its residents, not to mention the few good cops in the city. I also lived in the United Kingdom for nearly 7 years and I can guarantee you that this would never happen over there!  While living there I witnessed law enforcement from a very different perspective and I moved back to the USA having developed tremendous respect for the police officers in England. They are so much more professional than most cops in our country. They treat the public with the utmost respect while at the same time performing their duties very efficiently and with solid results. They know they don't need to get ridiculously forceful and by showing respect they in turn earn respect! I dearly wish police departments in this country would take training from British police. It would do our entire country a lot of good!" -- Rusty Hill

"My opinion is that this officer's behavior was appalling and he needs to loose his job! What right does he or any cop have to speak to anyone this way, let alone physically attack a teenager for obviously no reason? I lived in Baltimore for 4 years while going to University and it saddens me that the circulation of this video worldwide has tarnished the City and its residents, not to mention the few good cops in the city." -- Viewer 

"Parents need to teach kids respect to all people, not just the ones they see fit. At some time in our lives we will all need the help of police officers! Do not degrade them for doing a parents job!" -- Viewer

"It is clear that when you watch the entire video on Youtube.com this officer has completely lost his mind! He should be fired without pay! I can't imagine what he would do in a truly volatile situation. People like this poor excuse for a Police Officer need to be more tolerant of kids who are enjoying a day of skateboarding with friends. The boys realized that they were in the wrong and looked like they were ready to move on but instead witnessed what happens when a egocentric over hyped cop has a bad day!" -- Pete Rocky

"When my husband and I were teens living in East Baltimore, when a Police Officer told us to move, we replied, "Yes, Sir." and we moved.  Had we been disrepectful to the Police Officer, as were these skateboarders, and our parents found out about it, we would have been severly punished.  Had these skateboarders done as the Officer requested, there would have been no incident." -- Bonnie Hunt Conrad 

"The last sentence makes mention of what may have happened before the video started. I would like to respectfully remind these people that Officer Rivieri had absolutely no legal right to lay a hand on the boy, whatsoever. By touching that child he is guilty of aggravated assault on a minor. The only thing that would have allowed Rivieri to put the minor in a choke hold would be an attack on the officer or trying to flee. We are told not to use excessive force on our own children or we will go to jail. So why would we tolerate it from an officer losing control, or the people who have sworn to protect us? He used excessive force on a child because he lost his temper." It Was Clear The child WAS Attacked BY THE officer. And to talk about respect, what about what he said about the boys parents. I feel he lost control, and assaulted a minor. This is why our children do not trust the police today." -- Viewer

"I believe this officer was trying to help this boy...child out, by giving him a wake up call due to the failure of not realizing the situation he was now in. I believe this boy...child's mother had no idea of where he even was or of the damage skate boards do to concrete and railings etc.  The boy child and his friends probably could care less about the damage they  leave behind as they look for thier next fun spot. Museums, Theaters and Library's seem to be the main attraction so the damage continues to esculate at the tax payers expense.  The boy...child's mother probably saw the film clip and is seeking a lawyer to file for damages this boy... child brought on himself. I believe this boy...child left his mother to early. I can only hope he's not Irish and his first name isn't  Martin." -- Johnny K.

"This is a no-brainer. I think the officer should be promoted. Parents don't care what their kids do, and respect nill. If a sign says "don't drink the water", and they drink the water, the parents would file a lawsuit. In this case the sign read "no skateboarding." This was a case of a spoiled brat not being taught at home what respect was all about." -- Roger Von

"I think the officer was wrong - police officers are suppose to be role models, etc.  I am a bus driver and if I handled a situation of this nature in that manner I would be sued and lose my job.  Even when a parent is reported treating a child in this manner they can be charged with child abuse." -- Bill S.

"If parents aren't allowed to put their hands on their children to correct them, then police shouldn't have the right. I didn't see that the child was any threat to the officer, so the tactics he used were unlawful." -- Vernon Crawley "I saw the video on youTube and on your news show.  I think that cop is was acting unjustified with the teenager.  Considering the cop was much larger man-handling a teen half his size and weight.  The cop in the video is merely a "bully with a badge" and doesn't represent responsible law enforcement officers." -- Viewer

"After watching your broadcast over and over about the police officer and skate boarders I felt you really favored the kid's side and did the police and police officer a disservice. Maybe some day someone will give your kid's some Tough Love and you and them will be better off for it. You often hype up a better Baltimore and will not stand up for the people working in the streets. It is not always pretty nor easy and they the police are not perfect. This officer did that kid better then any judge or government program could ever have and maybe even taught his friends something. I know you make your money from headlines but this weren't mews it was work though not pretty. -- Bill Lord

"I think this video should be discarded. This officer had no idea his voice was being recorded and a camera with audio is an electronic device and should fall under the wire tap law. He did not consent to this recording." -- Jimmy Zane

"First of all let me start by saying my grandfather was a captain of the Sparrows Point police department. What I saw on the You-Tube video of the incident was a disgrace to the uniform. That officer went about the wrong way demanding respect from that child. I am a father and it infuriated me to see and hear what he did to that boy. Our police have lost control of the city and its citizens for reasons like that as we saw. To demand respect you must give respect. That boy is NOW traumatized by what that officer has done to him. All I can do is hope that people don't judge all the officers we have in our city by that ignorant one." -- Michael Swearingen

"I fully support the officer's action with the skateboarder. I live in the Inner Harbor and have seen the way these spoiled brats behave. Not only are they destroying the infrastructure (see the Columbus Statue in front of my home, Scarlett Place) they are threatening, use filthy language, threatening rhetoric and will not stop their destruction of our beautiful Inner Harbor. Bravo Officer whoever you are...we need more like him." --Rosalind Heid

"I am a middle school teacher and must say if I hear anyone say "he's only 14" again, I will go insane. It's so funny how he could be so disrespectful to a police officer in front of his friends but such a little crybaby on the news. I am so sick of seeing the guilty party glorified by the media while those who should be glorified are given a bad name. This little punk was showing off for his buddies and needed to be put in his place. There is nothing wrong with skating, but the laws must be obeyed.  What is happening to our country? Why is it against the law to enforce the law? If this is how police are treated, how am I supposed to enforce rules as a teacher?" -- The Birch Family

"I think this a total outrage, first of all what is there for kids to do anymore?  They can't go to sporting events, most parents can't afford it. They can't afford to send them to the movies either. That's $10.00 a pop, so if they want skateboard and they are not hurting anyone what's the crime.  The fact this kid had diabetes is even worse.  What if he would have gone into shock. I hope he ends up with a fat college fund on the city of Baltimore after this." -- April from Essex

"I totally understand why the officer was angry at the skateboarder. I feel the officer was justified and that the youth should have listened and perhaps learned something from the incident. It was obvious that the youth knew he was doing something wrong, and it is obvious from your interview with the youth that he has a lot to learn about basic courtesy, manners, and respect. If this is a typical example of the youth of today, I am worried about our future. This officer should be reinstated immediately." -- John Davis






"I would like to commend the officer reprimanding the skateboarder. Although he did not have the right to push the boy down, I believe he had every right to chew him out. After reviewing the video on YouTube, it looks to me like the boy was disrespecting the officer. In my day, the skateboard would have been taken away and my parents would have to retrieve it along with my apology to the officer. Perhaps if this happened more often the kids would learn to respect authority like we did and we would have less violence around. The police don't get the kind of respect that they should and they certainly aren't paid to be babysitters." -- David Mullauer

"I just saw your story on the officer that disciplined the youngsters for their skateboarding incident. I commend the officer for what he did, obviously the parents don't care enough the way their kids conduct themselves, and their disrespect of the law. The kids today think they can get away with anything, they don't have to answer to anyone, and are out of control. I work in a major broadcast center, and see where teens are mugging people, carrying guns and using them, destroying property for the fun of it, and often with no consequences. Clearly, the teens thought this episode with the officer was cute, so they published it on the Internet, when they should be fined for violating the law, including their parents for letting them get away with their careless actions. I say hooray for the officer, put him back to work, and let him do his job.....the only thing he hurt with those boys was their ego, it's time law enforcement gets tough with these juvenilles that have no respect for the law or the rights of others." -- Michael Eckert

"The trouble with the video is that you can't hear the 14-year-old. When an officer tells you to do something I think you need to show respect & do it, not a smart mouth so you can show off for your friends.Two things I would not want to be are a teacher or a police officer, with the way a lot of these children are raised today. Both these professions have my respect." -- Diane Lorenz

"I just saw the story on the police officer suspended for reprimanding the teenager. What's the big deal? Isn't that his job? Many teenagers have no respect for adults or authority. I hope the kid's parents thank the police officer. I couldn't hear from the teenager said but I can imagine. I've heard it myself. What he should have said, and what I would have said at his age was, "yes sir", "no sir", "sorry sir". That police officer demands respect, we all should demand it of our children." -- George Fleming

"I work at a local police station. I have seen today's youth disrespect not only police but their own parents. Do I think the officer went overboard? I think both were wrong. The teenager shouldn't have been skateboarding where it is not permitted and Yes I think the officer was a little rough. I work with a fine group of officers that go out and protect the community. I think if there was a little more family involvement at home some of these juveniles wouldn't be walking the streets and breaking the laws." -- Mia K.

"I am a parent of a child that enjoys skateboarding on a regular basis. Although I believe that the children should not have been skateboarding in the restricted area, this police officer should have had better self-control.  The word "dude" is not being disrespectful, but instead just simply a term. I do not care what kind of police officer he has been in the past, he needs to take full responsibility for his actions.  This child is a minor and did not show the officer any aggression." -- Mary from Perry Hall

"I am glad I can respond to that video and I pray you can send this to our mayor Sheila Dixon. I don't believe the officer was wrong, and I believe if he has to be reprimanded, a smack on the hand will do. These kids these days are very, very disrespectful. Their parents don't teach them how to respect adults or authority figures.  We as a society keep coming up with reason why the kids the kids are being disrespectful, unruly, etc.  The parents at home are not doing their jobs.  That is why these teenagers are beating people on buses, skateboarding at Harborplace when he should not have been.  Was this on a school day, why is he calling the officer dude? Where is the respect? Then the mom gets on the news and doesn't say anything to her kid. Something has to be done about it.  I think we should start hitting the parents with financial fines when these kids/teenagers get out of line. Trust me I know it is the parents, I have a couple of these people in my family." -- Debbie Hicks

"Skateboarding is not allowed in the Inner Harbor for safety and damage reasons.  The cop is right in this area. I am not a proponent of police, but I am willing to admit when they do the right thing." -- Heath Morgan

"Most people do not understand that incidents like this one are the
reason why people refuse to give the police any respect.  Yes, there are
some good cops out there who are trying to just do their job, but how
can they do their jobs protecting decent citizens and families when cops
like this one make everyone else look bad." -- Dionne

"There are a lot of police officers who take advantage of their positions.
I have run into some of them myself in more than one occasion.  I think
that these officers are not being punished when they do things like this
and this is why it continues and it will never stop. This particular
officer was suspended with pay pending an investigation but what more
do you need if you have it on tape? They need to be reprimanded and it
will stop." -- Reeta

"In the article concerning Officer Salvatore Rivieri, the last sentence
makes mention of what may have happened before the video started.  I
would like to respectfully remind these people that Officer Rivieri had
absolutely no legal right to lay a hand on the boy, whatsoever.  By
touching that child he is guilty of aggravated assault on a minor.  The
only thing that would have allowed Rivieri to put the minor in a choke
hold would be an attack on the officer or trying to flee.  What that
officer did was the same as if a teacher did that to a student for not
paying attention in class, disrupting a lesson, or talking back.  We
would not tolerate that in our schools so why would we tolerate it from
the people who have sworn to protect us?  He used excessive force on a
child because he lost his temper." -- Viewer

"I agree wholeheartedly with the mayor in saying this is unacceptable.
The terrifying thing is that incident was caught on tape; the odds of
that occurring are slim.  So I ask, what kind of behavior are our
officers displaying which isn't caught on film?  Very rarely is anyone
caught the first time they do something wrong.  More often than not it has
been occurring for some time and finally came to light.  I believe our
officers are losing sight of their oath and constitutional limitations
to police power.  Their power is granted by law, and under no
circumstances are they above that.  The trend is increasing where
officers act as if they believe they are."  -- Unknown Viewer 

"Whether it's the college student tasered at a political rally for having
a big mouth, the Muslim kid tasered in the UCLA library for not having
his student ID, or simply watching a cop car scream by you on the
highway only to pull into McDonald's for their morning coffee, we've all
seen it and it's time to stop it!  You have a unique opportunity to take
a stand for yourselves and your viewers and bring these cancerous
attitudes to light.  Please be a driving force to change the things that
are wrong with this society and help restore it to the peaceful utopian
ideals of public service and care.  Let something good come from this
senseless crime. Thank you for your time." -- Ryan Trippensee

"Ah...come on. Skateboarding in an area posted saying no skateboarding. Disrespect to the police for doing their job.What happened if someone was walking in that area and got hit by the skateboarders????Parents giving permission to skate in an area marked no "skateboarding." How many times have the boys been skating in a NO
zone.You should have spent more time on the breaking of the law!"
-- Jan Thomas

"Who is Mayor Dixon making such a statement "just one bad apple?!"
Kudos to that officer! I'd bet my paycheck that that kid was being totally disrespectful and deserved constructive discipline. Shame on that kid! Next time just lock him up, and fine his mother!  Maybe the message of 'yes you'll face a consequence for breaking rules' will get out there instead of a kid once again thinking that they can do whatever they want when they want.  Remember, kids like that can grow up to be a menace to our society!" -- David Wineke

"In regards to the police officer and the skateboarder--there are tons
of signs down there that say "no skateboarding, etc., etc.".  The boy
was breaking the law, and when the cop told him to give him the
skateboard, he should have.  That cop could have lost it when the kid
started wrestling with him for the skateboard, but he didn't. All that
cop did was yell at that boy - the kid was totally disrespectful to the
officer - but judging by the boy's mother's attitude I can understand
why the kid has no respect for authority.  You have to give
respect to get it."  -- Laurie

"I just wanted to comment on the 14-year-old and the officer.  I agree
100% with the officer and believe if we had a police force of officers
like him, crime in the city would be much lower.  That kid was obviously
out of line and disrespectful.  Maybe a little fear in kids today is
what we need because most kids nowadays are doing what they want.  I was a prime example. I was a father at the age of 15.  I also became a
trouble teen for police officers in Baltimore and it took for me to join
the military to straighten me out.  Maybe a little military attitude on
the streets with our teens might be the key to a greater Baltimore." --Joseph

"After watching the news clip of the skateboarder I think all of it could
have been avoided if his parents had taught him to respect his elders and
law enforcement officers. My other comment is the so-called mayor of
Baltimore should not make those type of comments about those who are
trying to protect her city until all facts are in." --Fred

"I support the officer in his treatment of the skateboarder, other than
touching him everything he did was necessary. I have seen the police
handle situations in some of the most disgraceful manners, but I felt his
handling of this, disrespectful, uncooperative young man was justified.
This young man will be fine. And a suspension is unwarranted, sometimes I believe we go overboard in our pursuit to appease the public. When our officers are out there actually doing their job they should be
supported. A refresher class in the handling of an unruly youth was all
that was needed. And this is coming from a African-American mother of
two adult male children." --Mry

"I feel that you have been too sensational about the officer's treatment
of the skateboarder.  What did he do that was so terrible?  He pushed
the disrespectful young man down?  That seemed a bit much, but we didn't hear the previous dialogue or if the kid refused to do what the officer
asked him to do. And the reference to the kid dying was excessive.
However, would it have been preferable to handcuff him for refusing to
do as the officer asked?  I'm sure that the officer would have been
crucified for that as well. Nobody has taught that young man respect for
authority, obviously not his mother who is outraged at this "horrible"
treatment of her son. Good luck to her with the rest of her life with
this son of hers...I can just imagine how he treats her, or his teachers
and administrators at school, or how he will treat a boss, etc. He'll be
lucky if he can hold down any job. Good luck, Mom!!!" -- Viewer

"I feel that the officer acted inappropriately.  Unfortunately the boy may not have had any respect for the cop but it is not that police officer's job to "teach" him respect.  That responsibility is left to the parents and if they choose not to do so then that is on their head.  I am sure I speak for a lot of people when I say that no one wants someone else disciplining their child.  I am a parent and I stress the importance of treating any adults with respect, but I would be furious if someone treated my child like that officer treated that young boy regardless of the situation.  How do you think the police officer would have felt if someone treated his child like that.   I would discipline in my own matter that is not his right to do that.  The cop deserves whatever punishment he gets for his actions." --Angela Long

"On the police officer and the 14-year-old skateboarder is an abomination and an injustice to the officer. Police officers deserve some respect and this kid is a little punk. It is a shame that the officer is going to be made an example of, and that our joke of a mayor has taken such a strong and unjust stand against the officer. All this story does is make our police force weaker and opens a can of worms for other law breakers to take advantage of the system. Did anyone even take a look at the video and consider that the office was somewhat set up? Did anyone think this teenager was pushing the officer's buttons just for the video? I would like an explanation for this un-news like story that does nothing but give the officer a bad name and potentially cause him to lose his job,"  -- Steve Heiger



"That 14-year-old and his friends show again, how little respect many teenagers now have for anyone other than themselves. I suspect they knew they were illegally skateboarding. They also knew Mommy would run to their rescue. Mom should have paddled his behind first for being involved in an illegal activity and secondly for disrespecting a police officer or any adult. His blood sugar dropped? I doubt it. He asked for the confrontation when he argued with the officer, insisting he didn't do anything wrong. He should have walked away. Apparently the friend wasn't too afraid, either, as he very calmly, steadily, taped the incident. These boys are not innocent little children. They know how to play the game. It would be interesting to know if they play the same games in school - telling their teachers they don't do anything wrong when they know they break school policy. I am so sick of having teenagers run the roads, the malls, and the streets. Their attitudes and foul language are disgusting. Few people will stand up to them; and all too often that includes their parents. I sincerely hope I am wrong and he turns out to be an academic success with a clean record and high regard for mankind. Right now, I just don't see it going that way. He has learned that he can break the law, argue with a police officer, Mom will back him, the media will turn him into a victim rather than a law-breaker, and everyone will feel sorry for him. He and this incident have given he and his mother way too much power and publicity. Instead of the disrespectful brat he is, he will be perceived as the 14-year-old hero that broke the law but fought the police and won because he knew how to push an officer's buttons. I'd like to be the mouse in the corner the day he needs a police officer's help. I hope he remembers his attitude and disrespect,"  -- Jean Nist

"I think this was totally uncalled for the way this child was treated throughout the whole video.  You can see the cop was a complete jerk and he was just yelling for the heck of it and then he slams the kid down putting him in chokeholds and talks about the boy's parents. For what? Because he told him he didn't do anything and calling him 'dude'.  THIS IS YOUR TAX DOLLARS!" -- Kamesha Thomas

"Officer Salvatore Rivieri needs to be fired and his mother needs to sue the Baltimore Police Department for using excessive force. The teenage boy was not being disrespectful and this officer clearly has anger and rage issues. He kept going and going. Who knows what happened after the camera was turned off.  I am outraged at this behavior. That police officer was certainly not doing what police officers are sworn to do - uphold the law and protect the citizens. That was harassment - plain and simple harassment. If that officer maintains his position on the police force - I will definitely not be going to the Inner Harbor with my child. I am absolutely outraged and vote for his firing from the police force," -- C. Broome 

"I have been skateboarding for most my life.  I am 19-years-old.  I had my close encounters with the law skating, and when I see a young kid skating and getting harassed and thrown on the ground I think it's ridiculous. What do they want, us to stand on the corner and sell drugs or steal cars or what?  Hopefully you will respect my thoughts on this predicament.  I think if kids want to skate they should be able to skate and not get harassed. They really don't cause any problems and like I said once before, do they want us to sell drugs and steal cars? 'Cause its trouble I mean, skating is making kids these days who they are and what they stand up for, but this officer yelling and pushing this kid around shouldn't be taken lightly they should have his job.  What if it was your son or daughter that was thrown down? Would you take it so lightly?" -- Timothy J Kaszak.

"I am outraged that Officer Rivieri has been suspended. He should be given a medal for this. If the young man had been given the proper mental and social tools by his parents, he would have shut his mouth and not had that happen to him. How can we expect everyone to respect the police officers if every time they make a justifiable correction no one stands up from the Mayor's office and says, 'The young men were breaking the law and Officer Rivieri enforced it. We stand behind our law enforcement.' This is just one more situation that shows how we are catering to the youth of America and causing them to grow up to be a bunch of entitled, lazy slackers. What pains me the most is that, being a father of two, one day my kid may need to be corrected by the police and they may be too afraid of being suspended to do it. I was brought up to believe police officers are there to help you and should be respected. Not to be disobeyed or disrespected," -- Jason Clark

"Let's face it, those kids knew they were wrong the moment they showed up there with their skateboards, yet no one is mentioning that fact. Nor are they talking about how the kids completely disrespected the officer. They only see a poor little child being "roughed up". When in actuality, the teenager should say thank you."  -- Unknown Viewer

"The police officer shown on YouTube should be suspended WITHOUT pay. He was totally out of line with those boys. With all the murders going on, you would think he had something better to do with his time. His behavior was totally unacceptable and he is lucky it wasn't my son he spoke to in that manner. He should lose his job-PERIOD!," -- J. Jennings

"I went to your site to see the weather, when I saw the YouTube video with the cop and the 14-year-old skater. That cop should not deserve to get paid while not working. I feel as though he does not even deserve to have a job. This was a 14-year-old boy, not an adult. Also, the boy was skateboarding. Can these hot head cops worry about something else in the Inner Harbor than skateboarding? That is what is wrong with cops in this area? They think that they are gods and can do as they please. I myself have been pulled over because I had a hoodie on and the [cop] harassed and yelled at me for "having drugs in the car." I had never been yelled at like that before in my life. I never even got a ticket or repair warrant or anything. He had no reason to pull me over. I was in my mom's car trying to get a tow truck for my car which had broken down the night before. They are full of complete ignorance and someone needs to step up and take these cops off their high horse because they do more harassing than protecting and serving. This I can prove true as well because a former co-worker of mine had been being physically harassed by his parents to which we called the cops together only to get a response of "it's called discipline son there is nothing we can do." I saw these marks on his face and that was straight abuse. Thank you for your time and let's get some help with these wannabe cops. We need police officers," -- Eric Alban

"I just saw the story on the police office suspended for reprimanded the teenager. What's the big deal? Isn't that his job? Many teenagers have no respect for adults or authority. I hope the kids' parents thank the police officer. I couldn't hear what the teenager said but I can imagine. I've heard it myself. What he should have said, and what I would have said at his age was, "yes sir," "no sir," "sorry sir." That police officer demands respect, we all should demand it of our children." -- George Fleming

"I saw nothing out of the way on what the officer did. He was trying to teach that kid some respect for police that his parents should have given him since birth and didn't! A little shove that he gave that kid was fine to me nothing wrong with it, he was trying to get the kid's attention! That is a lot of the problem today people DO NOT RESPECT THE POLICE! And too, don't you find it a little odd that his friend had a camera right there before it happened? Like, maybe those kids didn't like that officer because they had problems with him in the past, so they would set him up on YouTube and get him in trouble. And of course here's the media blowing it out of context and not seeing it was a set up the whole time! -- Charles Brown

"Are you kidding?  That police officer had every right to nail that kid.  And Disrespectful kids, no clue how to address authority.  "My poor little baby, I've taught him everything I know and look what happened to him!"  Better hold on America, we're headed for big trouble.  Now the good guys are being made out to be the bad guys.  The losers of this country are the squeaky wheels that are going to take us over the edge of the mountain," -- Craig Gleason

"My opinion from what I saw online was, both were at fault.  The police officer went overboard running his mouth and slamming the boy to the ground.  But listening close even the boy's friends told him to just be quiet.  The young man did not listen and did not show any respect not only to an officer but to an adult." -- Debbie

"The officer who was suspended for the way he handled the skateboarder was not punished enough. I think he should be suspended without pay myself. He treated that boy as if he committed a major crime. And he has enough nerve to ask for respect? Haha! That's a laugh. He doesn't deserve respect,"  -- Phyrn Liebsch

"The Baltimore cop, shown on YouTube, who had an encounter with the teenage skateboarder did nothing wrong!! I work at an elementary school and have been the victim of bad attitudes by students and see parents siding with their children's poor behavior and disrespectful attitudes. We need more policeman like this! We also need government and school officials with a spine and parents need to stop and realize kids need guidance and to show respect. These parents infuriated me with their finger-pointing and blaming the policeman!" -- Dave Hartzell

"It's a shame an officer had to do what his mother never did. Give that officer a medal!" -- Joan Mollick

"If you want to be ugly and rude to people, put on a military uniform and have a real purpose other than making a fool of yourself and thinking you can get away with it because your dealing with a child. This guy is a joke and needs some social skills. He puts shame to anyone in public service, and I hope he doesn't have kids of his own." -- C. Stanley

"Are you serious.  All these people who are saying the officer's actions are justifiable are crazy.  You can clearly see that when the officer was telling the boys to stop skating. Eric had headphones on and did not hear him, so his friend had to stop him from skating, then the officer gets out of control because he is being called "dude" and "man." I mean come on the kid is 14-years-old. He probably says "dude" and "man" a million times a day, and it's probably a habit and part of his everyday life, so you have this out of control 220lbs officer yelling at him in his face, and grabbing him around the neck in a headlock, then taking him to the ground like he just threatened the officer's life. All I heard the kid say was he didn't do anything wrong and call this officer "dude" and "man." Last time I checked there was something called Freedom of Speech in America, obviously not Baltimore, this cop obviously abused his powers, and if you ask me he disrespected his own department and his own badge." -- Tommy Metreyeon

"Comment on the skateboarding incident. When I was growing up in the Baltimore area, all of the adult neighbors were allowed to swat us if we got out of hand. Then we had to worry about what was going to happen to us when we got home. If that were my son I would have to apologize to the police officer, then I would take away the skateboard from my son. As a parent, you have to nip these things in the bud. If you don't back the police officers now, who will apply for one of these jobs down the road? Scaring the beegeebees out of the boy probably a great thing," -- Mike

"I am a mother of two teenage boys, one being 14 and the other 17. I was sick to my stomach watching the police officer manhandle the 14-year-old the way he did. First, let me say that I travel 70 miles a day to and from work at the Univ. of Maryland Hospital. I am appalled at the fact that the Baltimore City Police would treat a young teenager the way he did, because he called the officer "dude" and "man" which transpired his anger. Whether this young boy was from the county or the city should not matter. I don't think he was being disrespectful, I think he was being a 14-year-old, and 14-year-olds use the words "dude" and "man" and surprisingly enough "whatever"! I drive through the City and on so many occasions I am competing with dirt bikes, motorcycles, mini-bikes and now scooters that are either driving on the sidewalks, through the middle of the streets and running red lights, (not to mention no helmets!), which puts us all at great danger. Why is that situation always overlooked? As a matter of fact, the mayor was interested in giving the young bike riders a place to go where it was safe to ride their bikes. Perhaps, she will do the same for the skateboarders? The police officer had no right to touch that boy, he was not a threat to the officer, he was just being a teenager!" -- Terry Roberts 

"I do think the officer did overreact, however, you can hear the other children telling the child to sit down and shut up repeatedly.  The child was breaking the law, being disrespectful and wasn't innocent in this. I was attacked by a group of four teens around that age several years ago, things can escalate,  and while not all teens are thugs, the officer had to take control and make it clear that skateboarding is not allowed.  As I am sure these kids were aware, and have been told before.  I personally can't imagine allowing my sons to be out in the Inner Harbor unsupervised anyway. And I am a mother of 3 boys aged 10-18, so I do practice what I teach. I don't think the officer should lose his job, but he obviously needs more training.   And this looks like it happened a while ago in warm weather, amazing that this parent isn't making a fuss until now, that the world has seen this slanted view, a 3 minute peek.  Could it be that she has dollar signs in her eyes?  -- Heidi

"Suspended WITH PAY!"  Are you kidding me? I don't care what the circumstances were leading up to this incident, if there even was any incident at all beyond a 14-year-old skateboarding where it is not permitted. WITH PAY? The only thing I see is an one pathetic officer with an over-inflated ego on a power trip, period. It was a child, with a skateboard. How much more before the guy pulled his gun and killed an innocent child because he perhaps shot up on steroids? Or did he just have a bad day on his police bicycle?  If that were my child I would be taking out loans right now to hang that moron out to dry, for good. I am appalled. I hope they get justice, and he gets FIRED,"  -- Suzanne Robinson

"I have a real problem with this story, I am the mother of a skateboarder. I feel like some children today are verbally disrespectful, but that does not give a authority figure such as an officer the right to treat young men this way. This is why there are so many young teenage offenders in society today.  All I know if this were my son, I would have this officers badge, and he would make a public apology to my child," -- Grace

"I think something happened in the first part of that tape. That was not showed. I have seen kids that ride skateboards and I don't mean to sound bad but they make you feel they show no respect for people's property or when you say something to them they are not respectable towards you. Also, if the parent had respect, they would not let their kids destroy things that don't belong to them. Like city walls, railings steps let look at that to. Ask the parents what the think of that." --  Robert

"This shows the lack of respect kids have these days.  If Eric had been more respectful like his friends this would never had happened." --  Joe

"I do not think it was right for the so-called mayor of Baltimore to speak out against the officer without the investigation being conducted by the Internal Affairs Department.  It was very unprofessional and degrading for her to say that the officer was "one bad apple."  You only have the one side to the story, did the officer get a chance to say what happened.  NO, we didn't hear his story, we just heard what these kids put on YouTube.  Maybe before the mayor makes accusations, she should have gotten the whole story.  From what it looks like in the video this happened some time ago because the officer was in short sleeve shirt.  Why did the concerned mother wait so long to bring this to the attention of the media?  She is looking for a hand out from the City of Baltimore and from what the Mayor said she will probably get one.  Today's kids and teens do not respect anyone of authority, or their own parents for that matter." -- Viewer 

"Although he should not have been skateboarding, the police officer was way too aggressive. He could have asked the boys to move. How are the boys suppose to respect the police when the police are abusive? I would rather see them skateboarding than spray painting." Kim R.

"The officer was doing his job, plain and simple. Too bad the Mayor isn't smart enough to see that. A kid that has a skateboard for one thing and refusing to put it down. The officer used minimum force to take a potential weapon away from him. When the boy was sitting down did you see how the tone in the officer's voice changed because he was finally able to get this boy in a position of control. He could now speak to him in a normal tone. Then once on the ground the kid tries to get up after being told to stay there. Yeah he tells the media I was "scared." No way, scared people would do as they were told and he did not." -- Clay

"I support Officer Rivieri and I can't see why the Mayor does not back her officers!" -- Milton Kaufman

"I am shocked that the officer in the skateboarding incident has been suspended. The appropriate response of the skateboarders would be "Yes, Sir," or "Yes, Officer" with immediate compliance to his direction. I am a teacher and mother, and I teach children of the working poor. When this kind of behavior is tolerated, the end result is rarely good.Where is the respect for the law? There are good reasons why skateboarding is not allowed. That young man's mother should be concerned that her son doesn't know how to behave in public. I hope the officer is exonerated." -- Viewer

"We did not see the whole tape but it was very clear these young men disrespected the officer by calling him dude. These young men need to learn respect for authority. These young men were skateboarding where they knew was not allowed.The officer kept telling the one boy to lay down and you can see the boy kept getting up. This officer does not need suspension when he was doing his job to the best that he could with the young men disrespecting him," --Sharon Thorton

"I am writing in defense of city police Officer Salvatore Rivieri. Officer Rivieri was doing the job that Eric Bush's mother and father should have done. Eric's mother should be ashamed of her son's behavior. Rather than pressing charges, she should be requiring her son apologize for the trouble he caused. The officer did not hurt the boy. He showed restraint and control. He was trying to impress upon him the respect for authority that his parents have not given him. The lack of respect will most definitely cause him trouble in the future. Perhaps the officer was doing this young man and society a favor," -- Deb Latite

"You mentioned that "Many viewers have e-mailed Eyewitness News" supporting the officer.  Suggesting that what occurred before the confrontation was not shown on the tape." I submit that that shouldn't matter. The incident in question clearly was escalated by the officer's hostile and overbearing manner, with a DEFINITE overreaction of the seizure of the youth's skateboard and the headlock and takedown. It certainly wasn't a violent situation before the officer's horrid behavior. And then the verbal berating of all the youths in the area was just icing on the cake. As for 'not knowing what went on', we also don't know what went on after the officer started threatening the other youth who videotaped the incident, which you can hear at the end of the uploaded video. ALL police should be subject to videotaping at ALL times when on duty. I ask the question: what would have happened if this hadn't been videotaped? The answer is nothing. We wouldn't have known that this horrible behavior on the part of our public servants happens. And if this kid had tried to say anything, would ANYONE have believed him." --Dan "I would just like to say that I have met officer Sal on several occasions. He is a visitor to my work quite often and he is always very pleasant. I don't think that he should be punished for the way he reacted to punk kids who most likely knew that they weren't supposed to be skateboarding at that location and tried to push him to the limit. I also believe that officer Sal was most likely a stunt to put on YouTube just to have a good video so the kid could impress his friends. I think that officer Sal was right in that the kid should show him respect and not call him "dude", he earned his badge and takes his life in his hands every day to protect others. This boy should also be taught this by his parents. Being a new graduate from college, it's really sad to see my generation and younger proving to others that respect is not important anymore to us. (well some of us) I just wish that people like this kid wouldn't give those of us who are still respectful to our elders and people in positions such as officer Sal, a bad name," --Krisren Ritz

"In my opinion the officer in the video needs to be fired. Regardless of the youth's action prior to what was shown, the officer is well out of his bounds. First off we see no evidence of the youth acting out of line. We do see him acting pretty calm and undeserving of the anger displayed by the officer. Second, even if the youth was acting disrespectful, he's 14, what would anyone expect? My expectations of an ARMED officer of the law however, are that he act in a professional manner. Officer Salvatore Rivieri acted anything but. Not only did he show himself to be a poor example of our Baltimore police force, he showed himself to be a possible danger to the community. Who would trust this man in the type of tense life and death situations that the police often times find themselves in? The YouTube video is stark evidence that we should not, and that he should be fired before there are real consequences," -- Shawn Petersen

"I just wanted to say that it doesn't matter what happened before the video started. There is nothing a 14-year-old could have done to illicit a reaction like that from a veteran police officer. I am also a skateboarder and understand that during busy times, the Inner Harbor is not the best place to skateboard. However, the skateboard park which the city has provided for public use is in one of the more high risk neighborhoods in Baltimore. It is actually safer to skateboard in and around the Inner Harbor, especially for kids around the age of the kid in this story. This is not the only incident where skateboarders have been treated like this in Baltimore City. I have friends who have been handcuffed and harassed for no reason other than they were skateboarding. Unfortunately there wasn't a video camera for those incidents. The city should take initiative to provide a safe place for skateboarders to go, just like they provide basketball courts and other areas for other sports. With all the reconstruction and renovations going on all over the city, why not build a park for skateboarders? It can even look like a normal park. Other cities in other states such as Kettering, Ohio have built 'skate plazas' for skateboarders to safely skateboard on obstacles which replicate those that are found around cities. I guess what I am getting at is if the city provided a safe place to skateboard and we weren't treated like criminals, maybe incidents like this would never arise. I also think the officer involved in this incident needs to show some restraint when it comes to dealing with minors. Most skateboarders will cooperate if we are treated like fellow human beings and not criminals. I hope this message doesn't get lost or ignored. Thank you to whoever reads this and gives it some real thought," -- John House

"The fact that some people e-mailed and commented positively on the officer's side of this confrontation is a little sickening. I wanted to make sure that you have some from the other side. That police officer showed nothing but power-tripping, jack-booted, shorts-wearing thuggery. Period. If an officer cannot handle a 14-year-old skater's mouth without overreacting in such a ridiculous manner, then he should not be anywhere near the public. He should be assigned to an area where his need to crush the little guy can be fed (like a prison).  I shudder to think what he would do faced with a real crisis or a real criminal. I sure hope he is not in charge of your DARE programs," -- Lisa Moran "I really don't think it matters what happened before the officer approached the boys. Regardless, he had no right to manhandle that boy and no right to yell like he did. What a nut. The only solution to this is termination. I wonder how many times he has done this," -- Jen Thompson

"The video of the police officer harassing and intimidating a bunch of 14-year-old kids is pathetic. I'm sure bullying children and driving around in a golf cart all day really gives him a deep sense of satisfaction with his life. And let me tell you, as an American taxpayer, I couldn't feel any better about the type of people receiving my tax money. But in all fairness, I'm from Chicago and the police here would have been beaten them with a nightstick and destroyed the tape on the spot. Good to know that if I'm ever in Baltimore the police will just toss 'ya around a little," -- Ron Faulkner "I have read many comments on the issue and I must say that I agree with most of them. The "police officer" acted out of line and disgracefully. Not only did he disgrace his name and title, but also the people of Baltimore. He has no right to place his hands on the teen given any disrespect if any was present. Teenagers such as this kid have their own vernacular. Dude might be seen respectful but in no way did he defy the officer afterwards. Unless you want to get picky and say that his interruption where he stated that he had no father was defiance. The cop is the keeper of the law, not a pseudo-parent figure of the Baltimore Harbor," -- Roberto Mapp

"Why is the family of Eric Bush coming forward now with this problem with Officer Rivieri? Obviously it didn't bother them so much when it happened over the summer," -- Viewer

"I normally don't give opinions on news stories but I am making an exception this time. Your story on the skateboarder at the Inner Harbor was alarming. What message do you think that boy is getting? I'll bet he thinks that he is a hero and will move up a notch in his rudeness. What ever happened to showing respect for people in charge? "Dude" doesn't show anything except lack of discipline. I am sick of parents saying that their kids are just expressing themselves. Kids need to be taught right from wrong and unless that happens, they will only get worse. And the idea of going national with this story - why don't we just give the kid the keys to the city while we are at it? I am not suggesting that the officer was right in the way he handled the situation because he was not, however we are sending a message to a growing young boy that his actions weren't wrong also," -- Debbie Kuhn

"When is the last time you told a story of a police officer saving a life or putting their life on the line to take down a dangerous criminal? And if you did, did you run the story for days like you do when you get a story like this? Officer Riverari is a well respected police officer who has put his life on the line many times and because he is human and maybe had a bad moment. You have ruined this man for a little story. You in the newsroom especially should understand what police go through everyday. It's bad enough when a police officer does something really bad. We have to deal with that. We have families that expect us to go home safely every night. and everytime you shows something like this on the news you make it hard on the police to do our jobs and protect the public because the public loses faith in us. If you get a story like that give to the department so our internal Affairs unit can deal with it. Everybody including police are innocent unit proven guilty." -- Viewer

"What exactly does this BCPD officer think is wrong with this boy being "from the county or something". I hope he gets reprimanded fiercely for this obvious abuse of power." -- Viewer

"The officer is simply acting like a bully due to an overinflated sense of importance. Does he really hate being called dude so much that he has to assault somebody literally half of his size? This man deserves to be shunned by the entire state," -- Matt T.

"Just another comment from somebody out on the Internet. In regards to the story on Officer Sal Rivieri, I am going to have to agree with those that say the officer was somewhat overreacting. All I know is what I've read on your website regarding the story. Maybe the YouTube video was taken out of context, but it seems to me that unless the scrawny, quiet, 14-year-old actually posed a serious threat to the life or well being of Officer Rivieri, there was little reason to put the kid in a headlock and take him to the ground. It appears that the officer yelled to the bunch of kids to stop skateboarding, and Eric Bush was the last one to stop, maybe he had his headphones on, maybe he was doing it to push the officer. Whatever the reason, I don't think yelling at the kid and pushing him to the ground is going to give him any more respect for the police. Why can't the officer just walk up the kids and calmly tell them not to skateboard there anymore, or he'd call their parents. No need to yell at the kids. Certainly the officer would not have ended up on YouTube, suspended or made himself look bad (even though he has a spotless record for all I know ) in front of countless people all over the world. It seems I hear more and more of these stories from around the country. It's a disturbing trend, and maybe it just took YouTube to make us all aware of it," -- Peter Stickney

"The police officer was right in the skateboard case. The boy was sassy and did not obey the law. The mother was not there," -- Dorothy Sineath

"When I was that age I was also a skateboarder and often police would approach us and ask us to leave certain properties. Never in my life have I seen an unprovoked response like that.  I have yet to figure out why a 220 pound police officer felt the need to pick up and physically handle a compliant 100 pound 14 year old. He wasn't arresting him, he wasn't protecting himself. He was simply trying to physically dominate a child. They weren't causing any problems, they never threatened the officer or made him feel like his safety was in danger. His reaction towards them did nothing to help the situation and from now on will make them very skittish and rebellious against police officers. I've had many good interactions with police officers, even when I was being kicked off property for skating. They are just doing their jobs. But this disgusts me and I really hope the parents of the child that was thrown to the ground press charges against the officer. I'm absolutely outraged about this," --Timothy Moore

"Gimme a break! Your coverage of the police officer and skateboarder is beyond biased. This officer was doing his job and the kids were breaking the law. Richard slides that right by us and concentrates on the officers demeanor. What about the kid who continually refers to the officer as "dude?" After seeing and hearing this child's mother I am not surprised he is rude and disrespectful. Sheila Dixon referring to the officer as a "bad apple" before the officer has been heard is another poor example. If the officer is fired it will prove to be his good fortune. Why risk life and limb for a society that rewards delinquent behavior." -- Pam Collett 

"In my opinion, after watching that video, if the teenagers had said anything to him besides "dude" or "man", when the officer was spouting off those words he didn't like the boys saying to him; he would have mentioned it. In his angry and inexcusable frame of mind, he wouldn't have only repeated the way he did," I'm not dude and I'm not man"!  The officer also looked like he was aggressively trying to pull the skateboard out of the boy's hands. All the policeman had to do was nicely tell the boys skateboarding is illegal at the Inner Harbor, and to "Move along," That's all he should have done! I totally agree with the boy's Mom's attitude, and I wouldn't accept an apology from him either! Maybe Mayor Dixon should make the officer do community service!  That would teach him!" -- Marsha

"How can anyone support the cop abusing a minor, or anyone for that matter. Certainly it is unprofessional. As always, some have to be supportive of the police abuse citing: perhaps the boys did something to "get his goat." That's tough. He is the professional and is required to keep his cool. If his parents did the same thing, the cops and probably WJZ would be on their butts. The alleged officer has anger issues and needs to have those cured. The cop is right. He is NOT "man," and it would be a stretch to call him "child." Permanent suspension WITHOUT pay and criminal charges under Title 18 USC," -- Viewer

"I have been watching your story about the police officer versus the skateboarder. Why don't you show the side of the officer? I worked for 15 years at the Inner Harbor and have seen many kids like him in action. They are very rude and inconsiderate with their behavior and actions. If the mother was so concerned about lodging a complaint against the officer why did she not go up higher within the police department instead of waiting for a call from July that never happened? Better question yet, why would she let her 14-year-old son go to the Inner Harbor alone without adult supervision? This is just asking for trouble and then when something does happen it is always someone else's fault. I guess this young man forgot how to read as well because I know no skateboarding is posted in various areas. I have witnessed many times when the officers try to do something about these kids; they just run off. Many times they return after a short period or just move to another area. The officer did not make the rules he is just trying to enforce them. As I see it the officers are in a damn if you do and damn if you don't situation. I don't believe one minute that he was in any way afraid of the officer if that was the case why did he keep mocking the officer? Maybe if the officer had issued a citation to the kid, his mother would have thought he was being to hard on him too. Or better yet maybe the city should send her a bill for the destruction that her son caused while skateboarding. If her son would have fallen and gotten hurt would she have blamed the police for not stopping them? I think this whole issue has been blown way out of proportion," -- Robin Coulbourne

"Today's teens are very disrespectful and they sure didn't waste anytime getting this on to YouTube. I don't feel this officer has anything to apologize for and who knows what wasn't shown on the video. It looks like the boy got up in the officers face and I am sure the group knew that skateboarding is illegal where they were at. Just another way of showing disrespect for the laws. I hope the officer makes out well. I see nothing wrong with his behavior. He's doing his job and punks don't like this," -- Gerry Steen

"I just want to voice my support to the officer on his actions.  What kind of messages are we trying to send to our children when we are condoning the disrespect of an adult and a police officer? He did not use profanity and his messages are loud and clear.  Be respectful and listen." -- Huan Nguyen "It is airing on YouTube and the officer was way out of line and needs to be suspended." -- Jon Esler

"Whoever e-mailed you supporting the officer blindly obeys all authority, this officer was wrong for what he did and anyone defending him should think about it for a while. The video clearly explains what occurred before the confrontation - the officer told him to stop, but he had headphones on, so his friend had to get his attention to take them out, then when the kid had his headphones out, the officer went berserk on him - the video shows this clearly, and at the end of the video you can tell the officer knows what he did was wrong because he asks about the camera and makes a threat along the lines of "if I find myself on..." I wonder if he'll follow through with that threat now that he's found himself plastered across national media the only honorable thing left for Rivieri is to step down and disassociate his shameful self from the Baltimore PD," -- Benjamin

"This is not as simple as it looks. There are two sides to the story and the video could be deceptive. The teen may have known the incident was being caught on video and could have been doing some things to cause the officer to respond the way he did. What was the officer to do with the teen? Was the teen previously warned about skateboarding in a certain area? At least the officer was willing to talk to the teen's parent. Looking at the video, and concluding the officer was rough, is not fair to the officer. Just keep in mind YouTube is popular and there are some out there who are looking for things to put on YouTube. Here is a question. Has the officer had complaints against him? Has the teen been in trouble in school?" -- Stan

"I believe if teenagers has such little respect for the law and a police officer what does that say for how they are being raised was his mother not embarrassed over this ....I would be and what happened from the start of this confrontation its sad that our mayor has such disrespect also for the Baltimore police that she would look at a you tube video and make her mind up from that to say how terrible the police officer was ...did she even talk to the officer before she made her little comment on TV??? --Cam Girl

"To be honest any person who does not believe this cop did not over-react is likely quite uneducated. The cop needs some real psychological work if he feels the need to flaunt power on children like this." --   Michael Saers

"Ever since I saw your story on the Baltimore City police officer and the 14-year-old skateboarder I've been furious to say the least. I don't understand how he can be suspended WITH pay?!?! I understand that there's a certain procedure that needs to be followed but if that happened to you or I, we would've been terminated from our job, no questions asked. How can there be a pending investigation when there is video of the incident? How can there be a suspension WITH pay when the city's own Mayor is criticizing? I just wonder how many more times that something like this has happened with that or any other officer off-camera?" -- Sean Little

"Are you kidding me? People have e-mailed in support of an officer who ASSAULTED a 14 year old child because they think he might have been "provoked." No matter what these CHILDREN did, it does not justify a violent assault by a police officer. If there is anything I can do to support this boy and his family in what should be their pursuit of charges against this officer I would be glad to assist. I am BOYCOTTING the Inner Harbor which I visit about twice a month with my teenagers until I can be assured that it is a safe place where we don't have to worry about being assaulted by the people who are supposed to be there to protect us," -- Cynthia Tenicela

"I can almost bet you that most of the people who have written to say that this `officer' was 100% correct in his response to this situation don't have kids. This man had no right at all to touch this boy at all and should be prosecuted. I agree that Eric needs to learn how to respect authority and everyone else for that matter, and should have been reprimanded, but grabbing a kid around the neck and throwing him to the ground is way out of line. This officer's actions were beyond the call of duty and you can tell that this guy was on a complete ego trip. We don't need people in power positions like this in the world, we have enough problems. I hope to God that he doesn't have kids of his own," --Daralene Cimino 

"I think the Police need to be careful how they handle kids. This is a grown man vs a teenager. If the police witnessed the kid's parent behaving in this way, would they have arrested the parent? The police need to follow the same laws as the rest of us. The teen may have been wrong but the officer let things get out of hand," --Bonnie Boyer

"This officer should be FIRED without pay. There is no reason for cops to act like this. The video makes it obvious that it was all caught on film, and nothing happened off camera that is worth mentioning. Many cops act like this, luckily this kid caught it on tape. I hope he's fired," --Brandon DeLozier

"The very first thing I noticed when I moved to this state was the lack of respect that people in general do not have for others. I am in favor of this officer who sees that and decided to make a case of it. The way in which he handled it may be very much disputable based on the fact that the very parents of a child are no longer at liberty to raise a hand to them and also the difference in body size.  Most do not take into account the fact that skateboarding is not allowed and had those kids hurt themselves or even worse, hurt another person, then we wouldn't be hearing about it. All in all, I favor this officer very much and hope more like him bring back that respect back into the city. People wonder why there is so much crime there but still cry louder when someone does something about it. Yes! it starts by showing respect. Look, cops are always there when we don't want them but they also put their lives on the line for us everyday. That deserves respect. I'm also glad this was not another racial story. As a Hispanic, I'm tired of hearing about that," --Jess"As any parent of a teen knows, kids are out of control. That child was WRONG in the way he spoke to the officer.  He was WRONG in the way he deliberately called the officer `dude' and `man.'  He clearly egged the officer on and that officer did what the teen's mother should have done long ago and put him in his place. He did not beat the child, he did not `manhandle' him. he put his butt down and told him how to correctly speak to an officer. If either of my two children were doing something illegal and then when corrected by an officer, called him `dude,' I would be thanking the officer for putting them in their place. Kudos to Officer Rivieri! Get that man a medal of honor," --Viewer "I thought the officer was very unprofessional. Someone paid to protect and serve the community must be held to hire standards then the general public.  Obviously this officer is emotionally unstable and should be removed from duty. Hopefully this officer wasn't carrying a weapon; someone could get shot for playing in the wrong place," -- Rick Phipps

"Yes, he got upset but two things you have to remember.  First, this kid was now thinks he can get away with anything. The officer was rightl he was disrespecting the badge and the city and the kid's parents are at fault.  Second, the officer's civil rights were violated because he was being taped and it appears it was a setup to sue the city," --Ron Lopp

"I think the officer had no right to handle the child in that manner. Bad cop goes bad?  I can't believe that he's still being paid while they are investigating this. Also, if he put his hands on my child, I would be the one in trouble. He has no respect for himself, the badge or other people," -- John Alexander

"I'm  64 years old and I've been called dude.  That's how  kids talk today.  It's  no big deal.  That cop is one angry dude," --Marilyn Bevin

"If that had been an incident with my son, I would not have called to report it and wait for someone to get back to me. I would have been at the station, and would not have left until I got some satisfaction. That officer belongs on desk duty, he also needs some heavy anger management courses. Also, Peter Angelos would be my best friend," --Suzy

"I just cannot understand how hard we come down on the police for a moment of maybe losing control of a situation, if any of us performed as well as the police do in our jobs we would have something to complain about. I know for sure that woman does not perform in her job as well as the policeman does. Ditto for the mayor.  Political correctness is killing this country," --William

"As a public safety employee, I am angered by what I witnessed watching the video.  I understand in some cases officers have to use firm words to enforce the law and in other cases use force to repel force.   However, the force used by the officer can only be equal to or just enough to overcome force to enact an arrest.   His actions by engaging the youth with force around the neck in my opinion was an illegal act, as the only resistance that could have been perceived from this youth was verbal in nature. We can let politicians put the political spin on this saying this demonstrates poor training or need for additional training.  There are people that can recognize this is nothing more than an abuse of power, equal to an untrained civilian victim responding with violence as a vigilante and not the actions of a 17 year veteran public safety employee acting within the law.  We should demand more of our officers and better response then a political spin from our elected politicians.  Unfortunately this is the actions police take with civilians in the less affluent areas of Baltimore on a daily basis.  It is only being brought out as public outrage because the youth is white and the incident occurred in a tourism district of Baltimore.  Put yourself in the position of the parent of that child and post how you would respond.  I for one would be banging on the door of an attorney like William H. Murphy Jr.  asking him to help me seek satisfactory legal justice for my child.  If I was given the runaround by the courts and politicians and my son was victimized further by the judicial system, I could see myself becoming the next vigilante, as I would be waiting to show this officer what street justice is all about," --Brian

"Just a few things about this situation, has anyone thought that this kid & officer ever met before? What I'm trying to say is has the officer ever had to talk to him before about skateboarding of any other crime he has committed?. I have 22 yrs experience in security. I have just worked in every aspect of security & from what I saw without knowing the complete history if any about the kid, I'm not sure if the cop was wrong or not. The only way that any police officer can take anything like a skateboard away from someone is if he was a repeat offender. So instead of passing judgment on someone, was the kid yelled at earlier that day for the same offence? The kids today have no or little respect for authority figures. And then the parents that don't help; they don't teach them to respect. But the the parents are the first to call & complain about a situation like this. Why was a 14 year old at the harbor without adult supervision? That situation happens too often. Police & security have to be babysitters to those kids that parents really don't care where or what their kids are up to. We have bad cops & good cops out there. If the parents are so concerned, then they should be out there watching their own kids. Not police or security. It's a shame that parents today are so different from when I was growing up in the 60's & 70's," --Joe

"I agree with the lawyer.  We are only shown the video.  It is very easy to clip out only what one wants to be seen.  There is little respect for authority any more.  #1:  The sign was in plain view that skateboarding is not allowed...and if that child was hurt I am sure the parents would be the first one to sue the city over the accident.  #2:  RESPECT...if someone kept calling me "dude" in a disrespectful manner, I would be upset also.  Maybe the policeman went a little over the top but I fully  support him," --Liz 

"The 17 years veteran was very correct in his decision to correct the teenagers. We need more officers, who are concerned about their job as he. Teenagers are breaking rules and laws that governs bad behavior. We must stand for what is right! These days and times, people get on the side of immoral behavior and chastise those who are right. How can police officers function if always chastised for during their job? People cry about crime, but are not doing anything to solve them. Someone can get hurt by teenagers skating at the Inner Harbor. Teenagers are aware of the rules. Rules are posted, usually. They take chances committing wrongdoing, just like teenagers who take chances riding illegal dirt bikes in the highway. The 17 year veteran was only trying to stop a potential crime or injury. You people, my God, need to pray for understanding, or need to stop crying when a crime is committed! I am a criminal justice major. My class talks about teenage violence. We need to teach our children the right way. Then, police officers will not have to chastise them for bad behavior. Children always have excuses to commit bad acts. Their parents are always trying to find a reason to sue the police department. I never have stood up for police officers before. However, this officer did not commit a crime. The word "dude" is disrespectful in its own nature. How can parents allow their children to disrespect the police. If the children had listened to him, the police would not have taken action. What did they teach police at academy? The answer is to give an lawful order. The subject must obey that order. If not, the police has the authority to see that the order is carried out. We did not see the police strike the children. We saw him take the skateboard and restrain the child. We did not see all of the children's behavior. The tape was biased. The videographer showed what they wanted everyone to see. What we saw were "keeping the order of peace" and avoiding a potential "crime" or "injury"!"  --Glenda

"The officer was protecting the public, which he is sworn to do! Skateboards at the Inner Harbor are dangerous and not allowed. They often go out of control striking passersby or causing them to avoid certain areas which are public to everyone.  I applaud his efforts at curbing this activity from an arrogant, disrespectful teen," --Karen

"I believe the officer MAY have overreacted, HOWEVER, with that said, my boys were taught the difference between right and wrong. ANYTHING a police officer does to you after "STOP! POLICE!" you deserve..........The 14 year-old knew skateboarding IS NOT allowed at the Inner Harbor, but still was there with his board. His mom should be beating his a**, instead of being upset at the police officer, trying to get the respect he deserves from a 14 year-old brat," --Proby

"Would Officer Rivieri have approached the real criminals that Baltimore has on our streets with the same authority that he used on  a unarmed 14 yr old skate boarder?  I strongly doubt it!," --Kelly

"The police officer may have been a little out of line, but kids today don't respect the police at all.  The child showed total disrespect for that officer.  Why do you think he never told his mother?," --Larry

"The kid was playing stupid when he kept asking, `What did I do wrong?'  Here the little jerk was skateboarding where the signs were posted.  They knew it but chose to do it anyhow.  So why were they filming?  Could it be to capture themselves violating the law or was it to set up the cop?  I think both," --Tom

"I am writing to say how disappointed I am in the reporting of this incident. I felt the piece was done in a very one-sided manner. My questions would have been where is the beginning of the video tape? Those boys only showed what happens when the officer got upset. What started the interaction between the officer and the boys. To me, they must have been disrespectful to him by calling him "dude". I was brought up to say sir or officer. Why were the boys, when interviewed, never asked about the fact that they were doing something that was not allowed at the inner harbor-skateboarding! Not one of them apologized for their wrong doing. The mother didn't even take responsibility for her son and state that she was sorry that they disobeyed the rules. So, we have now told the kids it is ok to do something wrong but you can get away with it if you can make the officer mad enough to get him in trouble. I am also disappointed in Mayor Sheila Dixon in her comments. She never once acknowledged that those boys had been stopped for a legitimate reason- no skateboarding allowed and yet, she only focused on how the police officer handled himself. She is telling these boys that it's ok to do what they did. I am not condoning how the officer handled the situation when he grabbed him but I do not think he was too harsh on those boys when he was verbally reprimanding them! Why didn't those boys just sit down and listen to the officer in the first place--even if they felt they had done nothing wrong. We have once again encouraged our young people to pull a Rodney King and told them that it's ok not to stop when a police officer wants them, too and that if we get the officer in trouble our own faults will be ignored and no punishment given. So, in closing Mr. Sher, I feel you neglected to ask some key questions to the boys about the incident before making it seem as if the officer was the only one at fault," --Lora"The officer was right in my book. The kids don't respect the cops as well as others because they are protected or upheld in what they do. Home training, such as respect for others, politeness, selflessness, etc. has fallen by the wayside.  The kid should have kept his mouth shut and obeyed the officer. The officer was right. Why doesn't the officer get backing from his department?" --Viewer

"This is a prime example of an overzealous police officer over demonstrating his authority.  It's too bad that some of these officers have to be so aggressive against children, and sometimes women, instead of the criminal elements on our city streets.  It is clear to me that the officer overstepped his authority in handling the situation with the skateboarder.  He, the officer, should be punished for his actions," --Cynthia

"I think that the real reason is going unmentioned.  The boy was breaking the law.  If my child disrespected the law in any way, I would not only take the skateboard, I would make my child make a public apology," --Sharon

"It truly infuriates me that a police officer that is supposed to `protect and serve' would abuse his badge and his power and cause a 14-year-old kid possible emotional damage. I can only imagine how scared he must have been. I know I would be if I had a cop on a power trip yelling and screaming at me for no reason," --Tia B.

"I am a retired police officer of 24 years.  I am appalled with the officer's reaction to the young boy.  First of all, you are not to put your hands on any child unless you fear for your life.  The officer's attitude was not under control and maybe if he had acted a little calmer, he would have gotten better results.  As far as the `Dude' comment, that is a personal issue with the police officer.  I have been called a lot worse and still kept my calm and wits about me and I was able to keep the situation under control," --Viewer

"This officer should be given a medal and a raise in pay. If this child's mother had taught him to be polite, the officer most likely would not have wrestled him to the ground and confiscated his skateboard. Where is the civility in our society?  That 14-year old boy will most likely be the one coming up from the ground with a handgun when he is 19. Little wonder that the police have a tough, thankless job. Yes sir, no sir will get you a long way in life. My mother would have made me ingest that skateboard if I would have been disrespectful to a police officer, school teacher or authority figure for that matter. I would have only called my father 'dude' in a disrespectful tone one time at that age.  God bless Officer Rivieri," --Randy G.

"You stories about this incident continue to demonstrate the untenable situation you want our police to operate under. You decry the violence and disorder of our city, then force the Police to discipline an officer that is trying to help these kids before they get really out of hand. I believe he was making the point that in an orderly society, we must respect people that are performing their job. If you don't approve of the skateboarding ban; take it up with the people that make the law, not the enforcement officers. Making a presentation to the teenagers that is a bit over the top is required in this media heavy age - do you believe they would take a kindly admonition to heart, or just wait until he was out of sight? None of your coverage of this event provides any insight into a better way to handle the issue; but just tries to inflame a reaction based on the confrontation instead of discussing the situation and actions that led up to it. This kind of coverage does our officers and community a grave disservice," --Grant

"This is a no-brainer. I think the officer should be promoted. Parents don't care what their kids do, and respect nil. If a sign says "don't drink the water", and they drink the water, the parents would file a lawsuit. In this case the sign read "no skateboarding" and if the kid got hurt these same parents. This was a case of a spoiled brat not being taught at home what respect was all about," --Roger

"I believe the City Police Officer involved in this matter did what the boy's father and mother should have been doing throughout the raising and training of their son.  What the boy did was disrespectful to authority and the mother enabled and defended her son's poor behavior.  Police officers are certified by the State of Maryland and are qualified to work for any Maryland police department which allows for lateral transfers.  If I were a police chief, I'd welcome this officer in my department.  Incidentally, the politicians who condemn him are not much better than the mother.  I speak from many years of experience as a Maryland State Trooper and father of three grown children.  This boys disrespectful manner would NEVER have been displayed by my children because I would not have tolerated it," --Joe

"How anyone can say the officer was out of line without knowing the entire situation is beyond me. Our officers should not have to demand respect - they've already earned it. The mother should be ashamed that she has failed to raise her son to show respect to authority. "DUDE" is not a term of respect. There's a time and a place for civil disobedience. Skateboarding in the Inner Harbor doesn't qualify as an appropriate form of civil disobedience. The boys' actions were prohibited, they're old enough to know that, and even if this was their first offense, we wrong to disobey the laws," --Kathleen

"The kid had a skateboard…not a gun, not a knife!  The officer was twice his size.  Does he also go home and beat his wife & kids & kick his dog?  This is why our youth have little respect for authority today.  You have to earn respect.  If the officer had actually talked to the kid like a human being maybe he would have been responded to with some respect.  A little kindness goes a long way!" --Kathleen

"Whatever happened to the young being taught to be respectful.  It went out the window. When an officer gives an order, whether you agree or not, it should be obeyed.  Otherwise, why have police???" --Viewer

"My feeling is that the officer was too lenient on the kid.  It's time that people start showing more respect for authority.  There is no accountability in this country for anything.  The time has come to change that," --Pat

"My son is a skateboarder and I feel the officer was justified in his actions.  I have seen what skateboarders do to public and private property to do their stunts and the ugly countermeasures businesses do to stop the boarders from grinding. The skateboarders are a nuisance and public and private concerns are looking out for the general public when they ban skateboarding.  The youth in the video just doesn't get it that he was doing something wrong, he violated the no skateboarding ordinance at Harbor Place, then he was disrespectful to the officer," --Ken

"It was a setup. Look at how long the policeman in the beginning of the video is the main subject, but no interaction has yet to take place. And why so long  for this to come out? Couldn't get a lawyer to buy in?  One reason--the almighty dollar. Set up and sue. A sad state of our society," --Jeff

"This video is being sensationalized by the media. The police officer was absolutely justified. A 15 year old has recently been accused of killing his own family in Balto. County, and people think that the cop was too hard on the kid? If the parents of the 14 year old would have taught him some respect and then supervised him instead of letting him run wild, this incident would not have taken place. Anyone who opposes the actions of the officer has probably been on the wrong side of the law a time or two, and should learn some respect themselves," --Louis

"Total inappropriate use of force!!  That kid was just running his mouth.  I doubt the officer ever felt that his safety was threatened in any way or that that child intended bodily harm!" --Serena

"I can't believe the way the officer reacted. My son is 13 and an avid skateboarder  If it had been my son, God couldn't stop the wrath I would have rained down on the officer. There are a lot worse things the boy could have done," --Vincent

"I support the officer.  The boy was breaking the law, and the officer probably would not have taken the skateboard if the boy had shown the officer more respect.  In the military, we were taught that when you salute an officer,  you are not saluting the man, but the uniform.  When talking to a policeman,  you are to respect the uniform not the man.  This means you do not call him dude," --Thomas

"This police officer needs help before he truly hurts someone, and yes the young man should have stopped calling the officer dude but he didn't have the right to pick him up and throw him to the ground. I believe that our police department needs a major overhaul. That would be a good thing for the new commissioner to do. Because we have officer that need to go to anger management classes. But I think that this officer should go to a class like that and not just get a slap on the hand that most of time that they do.  But we also have good police officers that do their job wonderfully! And yes I would not want their job. God Bless the men and women in blue," --Lenny

"Why don't we just let everyone do what they want to do. This sounds just like the dirt bike and quads racing around our streets no chase law. Laws are laws. Skateboards can cause damage the way they are used today. Ever sit on a wood bench skateboarder have ridden across. Don't slide your butt, you'll get a splinter. What ever happened to, yes sir and thank you sir. Respect is lost. God save us all!" --Karen

"The officer was completely out of line and unprofessional and should be fired. He started off the "interview" on a defensive note and HE was the one being "disrespectful" and threatening toward the children. Telling this kid he was going to spend time in "juvenile" was completely ridiculous, as was raging over the kids' use of the term "dude". I had the feeling this officer has some sort of interpersonal problems and was taking it out on these kids - is he unable to control his own children?  This was an embarrassment for Baltimore City where we have real criminals that need to be off the street instead of focusing on a few harmless kids," --Wendy

"While I believe that the officer could have handled this situation better, I see a youngster that needs to learn respect for the law and authority. This young man was old enough to read the sign and understand that he was breaking the law. As far as addressing the officer as "dude" remember the men and women who wear the badge have earned the title Officer and I think we all need to understand that most police officers are hard working and deserve the respect that should go with the badge. That begins with the child's parents doing the job of teaching them common decency and respect. The officer in this case should be disciplined and so should the child and possibly his parents. For the record, I am not a police officer. Just a citizen who is tired of seeing the few things police do wrong played out for a week, while the many good things they do hardly get mentioned. A product of the news being more concerned about ratings then the truth," --Don

"I do not agree with this officer's actions.  It did not warrant that much force.  And to everyone who does, if it were your 14 year old being manhandled by a grown man twice his size with a badge and a gun, I very much doubt you would agree too," --
Louis

"I watched the full length video from youtube. Being a videographer myself i can tell when pieces of a movie/video are deleted. From my observations there were no cut scenes. From what i saw i do believe that the officer had no right to take action in the way he did. I fully understand that yes, it may seem disrespectful to repeatedly call the officer dude but the police officer did overreact," Gabriella

"First of all, Eric showed a lack of respect for the law and not the police officer by skateboarding in a no skateboarding zone. The police officer should have kept his focus on Eric's breaking the law, not himself. I think the police officer reacted too hastily. The other young man told him that that he thought Eric had head phones on.  Eric should not be left unaccountable for not responding to the police officers request," --Tamara

"Thanks for the opportunity to express my opinion on the video from youtube. I fully support the actions taken by the officer and had his actions been supported by the administration and the kids parents may have kept the kid from becoming another Baltimore City Thug.  Now, the system has empowered him.  Today, I am certain he feels invincible and is no more worried about the consequences of his future actions than the man in the moon.  Track this kids future, I bet it isn't bright.  I watch Ch 13 all the time and have to admit when I first viewed the story on WJZ TV I was really upset with the negative spin the news portrayed of the incident.  I was even more appalled when the Mayor made her statements which again portrayed the officer as a bad cop, or a bad apple.  She owes that officer a public apology and should learn to not make rash statements until the investigation is complete and all the facts known.  I was not the least bit surprised when the mother was interviewed and expressed her concern for how her little baby was attacked by the police officer (Did anyone else hear, I think I can make some money off this in her statement?  I bet she already has a lawyer all lined up for a lawsuit) She should have been saying, yes, my son did that and he will be disciplined for it, but obviously there is weak or non existent parenting skills at work here.  If anyone should be apologizing, it should be the mother.  The officer was doing his job.  The officer was very cool when he approached the youths about skateboarding in the Inner Harbor (doing what he is paid to do).  Had the youth said, I'm sorry officer I wasn't aware, and left, this issue ends.  But no, he had to talk back to the officer.  And then wouldn't give up his precious skateboard again failing to obey a lawful order.  So what should the officer have done?   just walk away?  Not do his job?  I think not. It would be refreshing to hear a public official say, you know what, this is exactly the kind of behavior we are not going to tolerate in Baltimore.   And the mother needs to teach her son about respect.  I can't imagine why anyone would want to be a police officer in this country.  There is no respect for authority and it continues to get worse," --Viewer

"About the skateboarding incident in the inner harbor; I believe the Officer should be returned to duty with a reprimand only.  What about the boys parents, allowing him to take a skate board to the inner harbor, when it is well marked, no skate boarding. Don't parents teach their children to respect Police Officers, teachers, etc; This is a good example of a child who lacks training; Dude doesn't cut it at my house," --Robert

"If the young man with the skateboard had shown any respect to the officer, as he should have, the officer would not have had to continue in such a forceful way. We raised two boys and they were taught to show respect to all adults.  This officer should have everyone standing beside him and not the Mayor of Baltimore saying there are some bad apples. This boy's mother obviously  needs a lesson herself.  I want this officer to protect me. He was handling a situation and keeping it under control. The young boy should learn from this and be taught respectability. Please do not condemn this officer of 17 years," --Penny

"First we should give the officer a commendation, then try to hire more like him. In my day the kid would have gotten his a** busted when he got home for talking back to an officer and not obeying the law to begin with. This is the biggest reason we have all the trouble with crime now. And yes I'm a Republican," --John

"I feel that the officer was being provoked by the young man's disrespectful reference to him but he was also offensive in his initial approach.  He still had no right to touch the child, if anything, he could have called someone to take him to juvenile hall if he thought he had broken the law.  I personally thought his ranting and raving was way over the top and as a parent, I would have been very upset," --Harolyn

"My husband and I support Officer Rivieri, kids today are out of control. Eric Bush's parents should be ashamed of their son," --Brenda

"This teenager's mother has not taught him to respect authority. The proper response to a question is SIR," --Bill

"I am behind the police officer 100%.  Signs are clearly state "No Skateboarding" yet this recreation continues to be a constant nuisance.  The offenders have an "attitude" and we, the pedestrians, must move quickly to get out of their way.  I wish more could be done.    What ever happened to obeying the rules?  What ever happened to having respect for our police officers?  As a kid, I would have never even thought of responding to an officer with the word "Dude".  First of all he is a police officer and next he is an adult.  Dude?  I don't think so!  Ok, so little Billy got roughed up a little...Why? .   Because he failed to respect the clearly posted law, respect the officer attempting to enforce the law from the very beginning, and, continued to show disrespect by responding in a disrespectful manner.  It appears he was challenging the officer instead of keeping his mouth shut and obeying an order.  Not a smart kid.  Yet, when the TV cameras are rolling as he sits with his Mom, he is acting bewildered, has little to say, and appears to be so innocent...almost angelic.  Are you sure you had the same kid?  Whatever happened to the smart mouthed "big guy" who was challenging an officer of the law? As for Mom, Shame on you!  Instead of taking up for your ill mannered, arrogant, disrespectful young man, you should take a good look at yourself, those lessons you have taught him in life, and what you have molded in the form of character and values that will ultimately influence the rest of his life.  Don't support his disrespect of the rules and those who enforce them and give him a positive example to follow.  Understand  Mom, it is not too late.   If you are not equipped to do a better job, enroll him in a good leadership program, get him involved in the community helping others, become active in Church and Civic activities, send him to a Military School, encourage him to consider a career in the Military, serving his country.  Any of these will certainly mold a young person with the proper values and teach them respect.  Unfortunately, we live in an era where our police officers are constantly being questioned and tested when doing their job.  Certainly there is always room for improvement and we must monitor the on the job performance of all of our employees who have the authority and responsibility of keeping our cities safe.  But this????  It all starts at home and as parents we have the responsibility of raising out kids to understand that rules are there for a reason and those rules apply to everyone, all of the time.  And when an authority figure tells you not to do something because it is against the law, keep your mouth shut and follow the order.  That simple," --Carolyn

"After watching the news clip on-line, some things that are obvious to me: I see white trash trying to score a payday at the city's expense and a mayor that doesn't stand for enforcement of the law.  Eric Bush appears to be an imbecile that can't follow instructions nor respect the law or those whose job it is to enforce it.  It's a shame Eric wasn't arrested and locked away for few hours with some of Baltimore's best juvenal thugs, maybe then he would have understood what Officer Rivieri was trying to get him to understand!  Police officer Rivieri did nothing wrong, in my opinion," --Joe C

"It sounds like a wake-up call for kids, cops and parents.  Did the kids skateboard because they knew they could get away with it?  Why weren't the parents saying no to skateboarding in the restricted area?  Have the cops been given any sensitivity training lately?  I think all the hot-mouths with hindsight should back off and take a positive look at future constructive policy," --Ex-Baltimore Resident

"With the support the officer of the law is getting from Maryland viewers, I'm surprised I don't see more adults treating their children the same way while I'm walking down the street.  It is totally unacceptable for a police officer to act this way and receive praise.  As for the teachers who comment in favor of the officer-you should find a new job," -- Debbie
 
"I think the officer should've either been suspended without pay period or fired altogether," --Michael

"I may be a bit biased, but I am a former BPD officer. I have seen firsthand how the kids in the city act and treat regular citizens and police officers. The juveniles in this city have too many rights. Most of them are smart enough by the age of 12 how to manipulate the system and get away with crimes. In this incident, I personally see nothing wrong with what the officer said and did. The boy was cocky and a bit disrespectful! Officers deal with this on a daily basis. And 99% of the time these actions are ignored. It is about time people start putting kids in their place. This goes for county and city kids. A lot of people have been living in parts of Baltimore for 20-30years, only to have some smartmouth juvenile who may only have 12-15yrs of life experience terrorize a whole block or community! It has to stop!" --Mike

"I think the officer should've either been suspended without pay period or fired altogether. He should know better than that what he did to this poor 14-year old," --Mike B.

"I am Eric's aunt and have always known him to be a pretty laid back kid.  He did not deserve to be treated the way he was treated by the officer.  No he shouldn't have kept calling him dude but that is how he talks.  He didn't mean it disrespectfully. They were both at fault.  As for his mother, she does not deserve the negative feedback about her parenting skills.  She is a good mother and is doing a fine job teaching him right from wrong," --Nancy

"The Police Officer was right.  He tried telling them to stop but they kept going. He told him to sit and he tried to get up.  The officer was shown no respect so why should he respect them.  He tried to teach them respect and it offended them and their parents.  If he didn't do his job and let them keep skateboarding the people and the Mayor would want to suspend him for that.  The city is already running wild because the Police can not chase a person in a vehicle and they know it, so after committing a crime all they have to do is run and they are free.  If the city would let the police get tough on criminals there would be a reduction in crime and minor offenders would not feel as though they could do anything they wanted also," --Lou

"I am Eric's cousin, Holly.  I am on Eric's side. The officer shouldn't have thrown him on the ground.  Maybe he didn't know it was illegal to skateboard there.  They often videotape themselves skating.  I guess that's a good thing since the officer was caught treating him like that.  It would have been Eric's word against the officers and I have a feeling the officer would have won," --Holly

"How can a mother, ANY mother, defend a son who is calling a police officer "Dude", repeatedly? This is what is wrong with our youth. Parents who defend disrespect. Whatever happened to "Sir"? Too bad this officer isn't this young mans father. I wholeheartedly agree with the officer. Signs WERE posted and a total disregard for the law was shown by this young man, as well as a total lack of respect for the officer... who was doing his job in upholding the law. Seems like this mother can't control her own child, and doesn't seem to want anyone to hold him accountable," --D. Simmons

























"I just cannot understand how hard we come down on the police for a moment of maybe losing control of a situation, if any of us performed as well as the police do in our jobs we would have something to complain about. I know for sure that woman does not perform in her job as well as the policeman does. Ditto for the mayor.  Political correctness is killing this country," --William

"I just cannot understand how hard we come down on the police for a moment of maybe losing control of a situation, if any of us performed as well as the police do in our jobs we would have something to complain about. I know for sure that woman does not perform in her job as well as the policeman does. Ditto for the mayor.  Political correctness is killing this country," --William

"I just cannot understand how hard we come down on the police for a moment of maybe losing control of a situation, if any of us performed as well as the police do in our jobs we would have something to complain about. I know for sure that woman does not perform in her job as well as the policeman does. Ditto for the mayor.  Political correctness is killing this country," --William

"I just cannot understand how hard we come down on the police for a moment of maybe losing control of a situation, if any of us performed as well as the police do in our jobs we would have something to complain about. I know for sure that woman does not perform in her job as well as the policeman does. Ditto for the mayor.  Political correctness is killing this country," --William

"I just cannot understand how hard we come down on the police for a moment of maybe losing control of a situation, if any of us performed as well as the police do in our jobs we would have something to complain about. I know for sure that woman does not perform in her job as well as the policeman does. Ditto for the mayor.  Political correctness is killing this country," --William

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