The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by Valereee (talk) 17:08, 10 May 2021 (UTC)

Arrest of Karen Garner‎‎

Created by Levivich (talk). Nominated by EEng (talk) at 07:14, 28 April 2021 (UTC).

  • New enough, more than long enough, well-cited to reliable online sources. Spotchecks on most sources show copyvios not likely; Earwig shows primarily quotes, job titles and the list of items Garner shoplifted as matching; that said, there are some similarities in wording with the CBS source that should be tweaked to avoid such close wording. QPQ done. This one will be ready to go, once the close wording is sorted. Levivich and EEng, ping me when that's done. MeegsC (talk) 15:32, 28 April 2021 (UTC)
    • MeegsC, thanks for the review. I think the close wording is now sorted (the remaining hits look like quotes and common phrases). Levivich harass/hound 01:44, 29 April 2021 (UTC)
      • Thanks for the fixes Levivich. What an appalling story this is! I hope there are consequences. This DYK is now ready to go. MeegsC (talk) 07:54, 29 April 2021 (UTC)
        • The hook is currently 200 characters long and I think it should have "viewed a video of" instead. SL93 (talk) 17:48, 5 May 2021 (UTC)
        • MeegsC Levivich SL93 (talk) 18:10, 5 May 2021 (UTC)
          • EEng Levivich harass/hound 19:31, 5 May 2021 (UTC)
            As observed, we're at 200 already so "viewed a video of" won't fit, and "viewed video of" is perfectly correct. EEng 19:42, 5 May 2021 (UTC)
            @EEng: Hooks need to be under 200 characters. SL93 (talk) 19:54, 5 May 2021 (UTC)
            As the editor universally acknowledged to be DYK's biggest hooker, I can say without fear of contradiction that that's incorrect. I personally have run a dozen hooks at exactly 200. EEng 20:13, 5 May 2021 (UTC)
  • I saw the recent change from today to the DYK rules. It still says "While 200 is an outside limit, hooks slightly under 200 characters may still be rejected at the discretion of the selecting reviewers and administrators." So I do believe my point still stands. SL93 (talk) 22:14, 5 May 2021 (UTC)
    There was no change today except to restore the wording that's been there at least seven years. EEng 05:31, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
  • Clicking edit on this or any other nomination states - "Hook Format – fewer than 200 characters (shorter is better) and meets the formatting guidelines". SL93 (talk) 22:20, 5 May 2021 (UTC)
    The DYK milieu is full of stuff that's out of sync with the actual rules. If you can't believe me maybe you can believe the wise Narutolovehinata5 (below). EEng 05:28, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
  • shouldn't "as they laughingly viewed video" be "as they laughingly viewed a video" – Either is correct. Compare they viewed footage or they heard music.
  • appears to be highlighting and making fun of the misery of a person – Yes, the hook highlights this appalling mistreatment – it's supposed to. No, there is no conceivable way to interpret it as "making fun" of what happened. I can't imagine what could make you think that.
  • if there's ways to make them any shorter – Not without loss of details essential to the hook's impact. It's within length and I don't see any reason to drop any of its elements.
EEng 05:28, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
Is the article subject a BLP? If so, the hook is probably in bad taste either way. I don't think it's DYK's purpose to highlight hook about a woman, an elderly woman no less, going through much suffering no matter the circumstances. Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 06:08, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
As for hook length, it does remain under editor discretion as to if a hook of such a length would be accepted, and I would suggest at least attempting to write a hook that's at least slightly shorter before saying "no, nothing else will work". Personally I'd veto it unless other options were exhausted, and even then I have severe reservations about the hook fact itself regardless of its ultimate length. Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 06:11, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
No, once a hook is struck it should not be unstruck without permission from a reviewer or commentor. This isn't a bio of a prominent person And that is exactly why I believe that the hook is a very very bad idea. Remember, this is an article about a non-public person, and as such sensitive highlighting like this is in extremely bad taste and should be discouraged. I've re-struck the hook: do not unstrike it without permission from another reviewer, such as myself, MeegsC or SL93. Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 06:29, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
As for the "this is not a bio" point, while technically true, it's arguable that the hook (and arguably even the article) go against the spirit of the idea. When the article has a loaded section header like "Officers laugh and joke while watching bodycam footage" instead of a more neutrally-worded title, I'd actually argue that the article right now cannot run on DYK unless that is resolved. Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 06:33, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
Tough, I've unstruck again anyway.
  • once a hook is struck it should not be unstruck without permission from a reviewer or commentor. – That's a rule ... where? There's no one-man veto here, and by striking against the wishes of the nominator you pretend that there is. We can all discuss this, but not from the position of a fait accompli.
  • As for the "this is not a bio" point – I didn't say this isn't a bio (or, more to the point, a BLP). I said it's not a bio of a prominent person, with a hook focusing on some one bad act. The rule is against undue focus on negative stuff, not any focus.
  • Article has a loaded section header like "Officers laugh and joke while watching bodycam footage" instead of a more neutrally-worded title – How is it loaded? It's exactly what they did, as described in reliable sources. But if you don't like it, I doubt the article's creator, Levivich would mind if you WP:SOFIXed it.
EEng 06:45, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
Can you propose any alternative hooks then? As for nominator's wishes, while we try to accommodate them as much as possible, there are times when this is simply not feasible, and I feel that this is one of those cases. We cannot always allow nominators to get their way 100% of the time if their wishes are contrary to the productiveness and goals of the project. Finally, as for the section title, it's loaded because it seems intended to make readers mad, but also because it's almost as if it's pushing some kind of point of view instead of adhering to NPOV, not to mention possible BLP concerns. Perhaps a more neutral title like "Bodycam footage" would be more appropriate here. Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 06:54, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
For the last fucking time:
  • We cannot always allow nominators to get their way – I am not insisting on "getting my way"; I'm pointing out that you don't always get your way either. If I, who proposed the hook, acceded to your strike then that would be one thing, but I don't accede so you're just going to have to live that with unless and until there's consensus that the hook is unusable, at which point it will be struck. By continuing to strike it you mislead others into thinking a decision's been made.
  • If their wishes are contrary to the productiveness and goals of the project – Well, yeah ... if. So far that's just your opinion.
  • Can you propose any alternative hooks then? – If the proposed hook's ruled out I'll think about it. You should feel free.
  • Perhaps a more neutral title like "Bodycam footage" would be more appropriate – It's beginning to look like you haven't actually read the article. The topic of that section isn't the bodycam footage, but rather what the officers did while watching the bodycam footage.
Now cut it out with the striking and let others comment. EEng 07:38, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
Please do not unstrike the hook, at least until either MeegsC or SL93 have given their opinion on their suitability. If they give the go-ahead and that the hook is suitable, you will be free to unstrike then. Note that the next time you revert the striking, 3RR will apply, so I would highly suggest waiting this time. And what is wrong with something neutral like "Bodycam footage" or "Booking footage", or even "Officers reacting to the booking footage"? Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 08:01, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
At long last, what is wrong with you? You don't have the right to make unilateral decisions like that. EEng 09:03, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
I've unstruck it, because frankly your argument is ludicrous. If you have an alternative, propose it. Only in death does duty end (talk) 08:25, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
ALT1 ... that while watching footage of the arrest of a 73-year-old woman, a police officer was heard saying "Bodycams are my favorite thing to watch. I could watch livestream bodycams all day."?
In this case it puts focus away from the arrest itself and more to the reaction. Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 08:38, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
That's the most ridiculous mismatch between a hook and article content I've ever seen. You make it sound like they were using the video as a training opportunity -- you know, improving their relations with the community by taking advantage of a teachable moment. Here, let's really accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, and latch on to the affirmative:
ALTEVENMOREPREPOSTEROUS1 ... that police in Loveland, Colorado, managed to arrest a 73-year-old woman without killing her?
ALTEVENMOREPREPOSTEROUS2 ... that police in Loveland, Colorado, gave a confused old lady a free ride?
ALTEVENMOREPREPOSTEROUS3 ... that in Loveland, Colorado, there are flowers you can pick beside a road near the Walmart?
EEng 09:03, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
Would this work then?
ALT2 ... that police officers were charged after footage of them emerged laughing and fist-bumping while watching body cam video of a 73-year-old woman's arrest?
I was thinking the point here was that they were laughing at the video footage, maybe the focus should be in that instead of the actual arrest? This hook could also be reworded into something like"
ALT3 ... after police arrested a 73-year-old woman, surveillance footage emerged of them laughing and fist-bumping to footage of her arrest?
Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 09:18, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
To me, Narutolovehinata5's hooks read as an attempt to tone down the actions of the police, to make them seem far less offensive than they clearly were. It make me wonder why s/he feels this is necessary. Perhaps s/he is less concerned about the BLP of the victim than the officers? Is it concern that the officers might try to sue Wikipedia? MeegsC (talk) 09:20, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
That was never my intention "to tone down the actions of the hooks", I just felt very sorry for the woman and thought that the original hook was a bad idea (I don't think it's a good idea to highlight unfortunate events in the lives of people, especially BLPs) and was offering possible alternatives. If these don't work out and the consensus is to go with the original, I won't object. Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 09:24, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
Narutolovehinata5, I would argue that highlighting this unfortunate event is not only appropriate, but necessary. This woman was appallingly manhandled. This treatment has been life-altering for her; she has lost the use of her left arm. Why would you want to tone that down? All of your hooks do so. They don't mention anything about her rough treatment at the hands of the arresting officers, only that they "laughed at the bodycam footage". I reviewed the article because of the original hook. (As a UK resident, I hadn't heard anything about the original arrest.) I doubt I would have clicked on any of your hooks - "so they laughed, so what? Presumably because she was 73. Next." I must admit that it does strike me as bizarre that you blasted EEng#s for reverting your strike, but were perfectly happy to strike a hook I'd approved, without giving me a chance to respond first. I still approve of the original hook, personally. If you're worried about the grammar or the length, I'm happy to work with the nominator to find something acceptable to everyone who has now gotten involved. MeegsC (talk) 09:51, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
To be honest, my original concern was indeed the hook length and not the tone of the article and I would admit that perhaps I got carried away at some point (hence the repeated strikings, which admittedly were an impulse decision and were not my initial intention). I'd like to apologize for my attitude earlier, and I'd be happy to work out a compromise that would be satisfactor. Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 10:12, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
Apology accepted. I only hope I'm in time to recall the killer robot drone. EEng 16:31, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
If we're just talking about the length, would removing "woman" from ALT0 do the trick? It's implied by "her shoulder" and the police shouldn't treat 73-year old men like that either. —Kusma (t·c) 10:58, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
I was just about to suggest this. The woman aspect is largely unimportant. If we are altering hooks just to satisfy a word limit, take that one out. The police shouldnt be hogtieing 73 year old dementia sufferers regardless of gender. Only in death does duty end (talk) 11:19, 6 May 2021 (UTC)

Not sure if this has been addressed already, as I kind of got lost in all the discussion, but "wait for the pop" is presented as a direct quote despite that wording not being used in the supporting reference. That would be a factual error in the blurb. --Khajidha (talk) 11:45, 6 May 2021 (UTC)

Ouch. No idea how I did that. EEng 15:28, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
While I don't agree that 200 characters is "too long" (given our rules), and while I'm unclear why my "reviewer's discretion" apparently doesn't hold any merit here, I will try to find a compromise acceptable to everyone who has weighed in thus far. Levivich, EEng#s, SL93, Narutolovehinata5, Khajidha and Only in death, what do you think about these possible alternate hooks?
or
  • ALT5 ... that a badly-injured 73-year-old dementia sufferer waited six hours for treatment while three Colorado police officers laughingly reviewed bodycam footage of her arrest?
The first is 197 characters and the second is 169. MeegsC (talk) 12:29, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
I like your second suggestion.--Khajidha (talk) 12:48, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
The second suggestion is probably the better one here. Narutolovehinata5 tccsdnew 12:55, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
I disagree. ALT5 omits any suggestion of how she got injured. EEng 15:28, 6 May 2021 (UTC)

I was fine with the original hook if it was slightly shortened or there was a good reason to use IAR for it. I'm also not sure how I started a fight among editors in two places either. SL93 (talk) 13:48, 6 May 2021 (UTC)

Just spreading sunshine and happiness wherever you go ;P. EEng 14:13, 7 May 2021 (UTC)
Now that the quoting error has been brought up, let's go with the second one. SL93 (talk) 13:50, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
SL93, the quote has been corrected in the first hook. MeegsC (talk) 13:53, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
@MeegsC: Thanks. I just woke up and missed it. I'm fine with either that hook or the recent second suggestion. SL93 (talk) 13:56, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
And I'm striking ALT0 now. EEng 15:28, 6 May 2021 (UTC)
Articles and hooks that focus unduly on negative aspects of living individuals or promote one side of an ongoing dispute should be avoided.
Let's please keep a real-life horrible incident professional. At the bare minimum, the hook should not focus on a negative aspect of living individuals, and more judiciously, the article as a whole shouldn't be featured for the same reason. But a neutral hook is the bare minimum, even at the risk of being boring.
ALT7: ... that the arrest of Karen Garner triggered the resignation of the police officers involved and multiple investigations?
Per earlier comments, I'd actually rather the nom be pulled entirely, but something like this is better if it proceeds at all. SnowFire (talk) 18:32, 6 May 2021 (UTC)

The alt shortlist CMD (talk) 06:05, 7 May 2021 (UTC)
  • ALT5 ... that a badly-injured 73-year-old dementia sufferer waited six hours for treatment while three Colorado police officers laughingly reviewed bodycam footage of her arrest?
  • ALT6 ... that a Colorado policeman told coworkers "Ready for the pop? ... I think it was her shoulder" as they laughingly watched footage of a handcuffed 73-year-old being forced to the ground and hogtied?
  • ALT7: ... that the arrest of Karen Garner triggered the resignation of the police officers involved and multiple investigations?

I think it's time for a straight vote among the hooks still live at this point, which I believe are ALTs 5, 6, and 7. (If I'm wrong about that feel free to vote for some other.)