To say that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has been having difficulties since he lost his championship to Forrest Griffin would be quite an understatement.
Quinton looked different to me from the time he turned the corner in the arena and walked towards the octagon. He did not fight with his typical rampaging fierceness and focus. He seemed to be muffled, detached in a sense, from what was occurring in the ring, even as it was happening.
I have had more than one out-of-the-body experience and it appeared to me that Rampage was having one that night. His actions and statements after the fight did nothing to assuage my fears, especially when he made the telephone symbol with his hand and asked someone he called "Boo" to call him and meet him to celebrate his birthday, which had occurred the month before.
When I learned of his slow-speed chase, I was very puzzled and confused. Although Rampage had hard times in his youth, he had avoided run-ins with the police and did not have any sort of criminal record.
If Rampage was known for anything, it was for his sense of humor. So why did he proceed to run from the police?
The fact that it was not a high-speed chase with so many cars hit was certainly very unusual. His being on the cell phone and continuing to drive until he was in view of his friend's house was also curious.
Now, I have seen an interview with Rampage suggesting that his celebrity and being an MMA fighter may have lead to him being abused by the police, who were supposedly taking him to be locked up.
Rampage stated that they kept driving him from one health facility to another trying to "get his blood pressure to go down."
There may be a police protocol that does call for a person to be in stable physical condition before being taken to jail and booked, but during this ride, the officers made "guess who we have got in our police car" calls and took pictures of Rampage with cell phones.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Do I believe this? Yes! Policemen are just as starstruck and shallow as the rest of us.
Do I think this was fair or the proper procedure to use? Hell no!
Rampage stated that he was too large for the backseat of the cop car and was very uncomfortable with his hands cuffed tightly behind him. I have been in that situation and know exactly how uncomfortable it is.
Maybe the police were legitimately frightened of Rampage, but why drive around for hours—and it was hours—with someone "so dangerous" for such a long time, thus increasing the risk of an incident happening? It just does not make any sense to me at all.
When Dana White, who was in Las Vegas, got the call, he flew immediately to Orange County and still got to the jail before Rampage arrived from the circuitous and tortuous ride to the facility.
The way Rampage was handled is certainly NOT the way to lower a delusional and agitated person's blood pressure, and I know this first hand.
Rampage was further humiliated by being dragged into a hospital for a BP check with his pants falling down, exposing his underwear.
The cops "lead him" by raising up the tight handcuffs behind his back, keeping him off balance and causing him to lean forward to attempt to ease the pressure.
After three weeks, his hands were still numb and showing the marks left by the cuffs being so tight.
Brutality? Sure sounds like it to me.
When I think of all the time I have spent watching delusional patients and compare the way the police officers treated Rampage, it makes me shudder in absolute horror. I can only imagine what he must have been thinking. The police are lucky he did not code or go berserk; I think many persons, myself included, would have gone off big time.
So now Rampage, who has big black holes in his memory, is not sure what even happened. It will be hard to defend himself in court if he indeed chooses to testify in his own defense.
I hope the lawyer defending him is a very good one. I would hate to see Rampage railroaded into a longer sentence for his scrape with the law than Michael Vick got for the atrocities he committed.
Intent to cause harm, or having the knowledge of the possibility of harming another is usually the criteria that is necessary before assigning guilt.
No one can tell me that Michael Vick did not knowingly torture his dogs before killing them—he knew it was wrong.
Quinton Jackson thought he had to hurry to save a friend's life. He was completely delusional and not aware of the reality of his situation or the harm he was causing.
There is a definite difference in these two cases.
I would be willing to go to court and testify in Quinton's favor and strongly recommend one year of probation, with community service.
Quinton could be a role model for young people; Michael Vick could not.
There is no racial issue here, and I am telling it like it is, and not how I would like it to be.
There is a difference!
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2 months ago
Yes Vick only hurt dogs"not that I condone it and find it truly disgusting" where Jackson could have killed a human being. I could see where Rampage should be a role model. That is a role model on how NOT to be. Dorthy I think Rampage is not the only delusional one here. A criminal should be treated better with hand cuffs after endangering innocent civilians lives. Man at lest you never cease to amaze me Dorthy.
from 2 months ago
Did you know that I was a nurse with a maternity background and have a vast knowledge of what can and cannot cause a miscarriage? It has been investigated and already proven that the collision did not I repeat NOT cause the miscarriage. If you cannot understand that, then leave your email address and I will personally explain it to you. This woman was already being monitored for fluid loss in her uterus and at the age of 38 that woulkd indicate a high risk pregnancy with specific implications on the viability of the fetus period/ I repeat, it was medically and legally examined and her miscarriage, though very unfortunate (I have had five) was NOT due to the accident.
Many brutish men have indeed beaten and even kicked their wives in the abdomen attempting to cause death to a fetus and been unable to accomplish it. There is no comparison here.
Women have also lost their lives in car accidents and their unborn babies have survived--you probably are not aware of that either. If the dog that Vick hanged had been pregnant, it's babies could have survived her death if delivered by c-section immediately--but, oh, that's right--then he burned it to death and NO babies could NOT survive that.
I will wait for your apology, Sir, you are being an ass!
from 2 months ago
I am being an ass you say Dorthy? How because I cannot understand that a person such as yourself feels that Rampage Jackson should be a role model? You do not need to be a doctor to have common sense. It is not a medical condition that makes common sense something a person either has or does not. Does Rampage have a history of flying off the handle at all? Do you feel what he did was worthy of ignoring and telling the youth of America "ah that's nothing it comes with fame as long as no one gets hurt you will get a slap on the wrist from the legal system" Are you serious?
Second you are trying to bring up the car accident portion of the situation. I am not going to even get into that. I have no idea how you conveniently forget about innocent civilians on the streets. Or the fact he ignored police orders. Trust me you or I did something like that there would not be a slap on the wrist. So why I ask should he be any different.
from 2 months ago
He is a good role model if he can tell the youth of today that inspite of the fact that he is a Christian, does not smoke, drink, do drugs, etc, he made a mistake that could have hurt people and he is sorry. That being famous put what he did in the spotlight and now he wants everyone to know that he is sorry and will use better judgement in the future.
What would be the point of even bringing more attention to what Michael Vick did by giving him a forum? Teaching kids who are not Christians how to "turn to Jesus and get religion in prison?" Funny how being on the front lines in a war or being in prison brings so many people to God who didn't give God a thought before they got in trouble.
2 months ago
Ron, I think the two cases are very different. Vick purposely and for psychotic pleasure likes watching dogs kill themselves. This ia conscious thing on Vicks part. Although I believe Dorthy's article is way too long and could be more clearly written. I think she has a point that Rampage is not someone who gets some kind of psychotic pleasure from running away from the police.
As I hear Rampage had not eaten for a while and was paranoid or something when he decided to run away from the cops. Now if Rampage purposely tried to run over people, then you can make the argument that Rampage is worse than Vick. But no I'm sorry that was just a bad mistake on Rampage's part under personal circumstances than we probably do not know about.
from 2 months ago
I agree the 2 cases are very different but still saying one of those two is even close to a role model for young kids is as nuts as Rampage. He needs to get the mental help he may require. All in all Stories will always come out to sugarcoat how bad a situation may actually been. I am not saying that maybe he was very depressed but still in all that is no excuse. And as you said there were circumstances on both ends that we do not know about. All we do know is that this is not the first time for Rampage to go on one. I wonder how he ever got a nickname like that.
from 2 months ago
You are completely correct. Not eating and drinking only energy drinks upset his electolyte balance and he became delussonal. I had a similar episode while taking Aldactozide and had a severe potasium imbalance that could have lesd to death. My kidneys shut down and I could not move by myself--I had to be hopitalized and have an IV to correct the imbalance before oing into cardiac arrest.
The situation Jackson was in was a medical one, not at all like Vick's wanton killing spree.
2 months ago
Ron, please tell me how you sugarcoat what Vick did? Right now I have a problem with my grandson wanting to use energy drinks to allow him to continue to lift weights and train beyond his endurace. I do not have to hide ropes, knives and matches to protect our dog, cat or horses from him, however. As with Rampage, the danger he is flirting with is to himself, not others, unless you consider how much it would injure me to try to walk down the stairs to the basement to lift 200# of weights off his body should the energy drinks fail him.
Do you get the difference yet? And energy drinks are not illegal substances--although I believe they are as dangerous as the bennies the truck drivers take to extend their hours of productivity.
from 2 months ago
The media did a pretty good job of it don't you think. No one "general public" seen all the gruesome details of that crime scene did they? And I agree with you energy drinks are NOT GOOD for anyone. I do hope you can talk your grandson out and off of them.
from 2 months ago
This incident with Rampage and the fact that he is using my new van to learn how to drive might do a lot more to help than just my asking him not to use them.
from 2 months ago
"As with Rampage, the danger he is flirting with is to himself, not others"
I COMPLETLY disagree! When he make the CHOICE to get behind the wheel and drive down a crowded street in his condition, he is endangering other people. I am just thankful that it was street instead of the highway. This could have been much worse at higher speeds.
2 months ago
I don't understand why you needed to mention Michael Vick at all... What do the two cases have in common? What Michael Vick did has nothing to do with what Quinton Jackson did.
from 2 months ago
Bless you Colin, and that is the point I am trying to make.
Unfortunately, I have been pulled into a discussion of an article on the NFL site about Michael Vick, and someone stated that "Rampage killed a human being" so why do I support him. That person was referring to a woman 38 years old who miscarried two weeks after her 2007 Cadillac Escalade was hit by Rampage in his slow speed chase through Orange County. When the follow-up article mentioned the woman's advanced age and the fact that she was already being monitored by her obstetrician for the amount of fluid in her womb, I deduced that she had a high risk pregnancy in the first place and completely incidental to being hit by Rampage's truck. As a nurse in the OB field I saw and evaluated women after car accidents and remember how hardy fetuses are within the womb, in spite of possibly severe injuries to their mothers, so I doubted that in a car as well built as a Cadillac the woman would be suffering a miscarriage--it is not like the car was totalled and she had to be cut out.
Sorry I got so long winded. My bad!
2 months ago
I agee, I don't understand why Michael Vick was even mentioned in this article, the 2 situations are completly different. However, I have very little sympthay for Rampage.....a sure fire way to not have sore hands from handcuffs and police "fans" take your picture.? Have sense enought to not drive around jacked up on engery drinks. Give me a break. I think he is incredibly lucky that he is not sitting in prison for manslaughter or worse. People could have DIED and this was completly avoidable.
I do not consider him any sort of role model for kids, aside for this "mistake", I think he's been a sore loser and I've lost what respect I had for him.
from 2 months ago
You are really on this kick that he decided to do it, and it was a choice. I thought it was a well known fact that Rampage has mental problems. It wasn't the fact that he was "hopped up" on energy drinks...like it was meth or something. He just cut a massive amount of weight for the fight. He hadn't eaten, and was only drinking water and energy drinks. He obviously had some serious mental issues leading up to this. Now if you think he should be evaluated on a regular basis to see if he is keeping stable mentally that would be a different story, but you make it sound like he was drinking red bull and vodka or something.
2 months ago
Vick killed dogs. I understand that it wasn't very nice of him, but frankly, they're animals.
Rampage didn't kill anyone or anything, therefore it's obviously less serious.
But in my personal opinion, I value the life of one human over the lives of hundreds of dogs. Just as I do with cows, pigs, and chickens. I think that what happened to Vick was overkill, as there are players in the NFL who have killed people, and are still playing, never mind jail time.
Whether or not Rampage was delusional, his career seems to have continued regardless.
from 2 months ago
Between the two men, I would trust Rampage to know where I live to visit my family and play with my grandchildren and pets. My dog would love him, although he would probably say something about her huge size and teeth--Akitas are devoted to protecting their family, especially children and are very good judges of people's character. I would never want Michael Vick to know where I live and would not trust him with my family. Akitas are fighting dogs, and I believe my dog would sense the type pf person he is as well.
from 2 months ago
Dorothy, normally I love your articles, but this one doesn't really make sense to me.
Would you trust Rampage with your children over an honest farmer? How about a wealthy landowner who happens to slaughter cows.
I'm still not sure why people value the lives of dogs so much so over that of other animals.
And you must remember, that many places in Asia slaughter dogs for meat, and revere the cow. Whether or not our system is correct, I'm not smart enough to judge.
But to disrespect Vick's character for competing in a commonly performed practise in the Southern United States is unacceptable.
2 months ago
NO Matt, It is not. There used to be slaves in the South, it was a part of their culture and had gone on for generations with some being born as slaves and some their owners. It was not right and like dog fighting it has been outlawed. Some people believe that blacks should still be "an inferior race" I do not nd never have believed it. In America we are not as poor as other cultures. If I lived in a jungle, I might learn to eat bugs and grubs, but I would not eat my dog. In some cultures there were cannibals--do you condone cannabalism?
from 2 months ago
I don't condone it, but are we not being blatantly ignorant to say that our way of doing things is the right way, and everybody else is wrong?
2 months ago
What so many are choosing to ignore when they equate what MV did to farmers and those who eat meat is the fact that MV DID NOT KILL THESE DOGS TO EAT. He did NOT kill these dogs for sustenance. He KILLED and TORTURED them because he enjoyed it, he did this for his FUN and his RECREATION. If you don't understand the difference in killing an animal humanely for consumption because we humans DO need to eat, and doing so because it is FUN to you, then there is no help for you.
from 2 months ago
Thank you so much Marsha for your comment. At least I know that you understand why I am outraged!
from 2 months ago
Thousands of animals die in rodeo's every year. Hell, look at Mexico. They Matador stabs the bull after each run.
Things like this exist in different cultures, and for us to decide which is right is ludacris.
Frankly, I'm not one hundred percent sure why this is even an issue. He is in jail. This wrecked his life. What personal vendetta does everybody have against him?
from 2 months ago
My question is why are you supporting him are you/were you a kid who tortured animals and is threatened by this discussion b/c somehow it reflects a part of you?
from 2 months ago
Nowhere did I state that I support him, or claim anywhere that I believe what he did was right.
But I do believe that to stick our noses in cultures that we don't fully understand, and to insult someones character because of the surroundings of which they were raised, is completely ridiculous.
Especially when there are larger issues with players in the NFL (ie: Pacman Jones killing people, Ray Lewis hiring hitmen, etc) it just seems hilarious to me that people get so worked up when Vick killed some dogs, when there are players in the NFL, who are playing on opening week, who have killed people.
from 2 months ago
That is why I no longer follow football--and besides the Bears are different without Ditka.
2 months ago
I just happened upon this thread by chance, and though I see what Matt is saying our judgments being arbitrary, I don't think this realization changes things in any meaningful way. It's similar to taking a rigid philosophical stance on nihilism, it might be true that nothing matters, but focusing on this isn't helpful in any meaningful way.
Take the concepts of freedom or equality. Apart from humanity, they don't exist. We just made them up because they sound like a good idea to most of us. Hitler and Stalin weren't a big fan of these things, but most people would agree that we can't make sweeping policy changes to accommodate their views. We can however come up with an "ideal" to work towards, and most people agree that animal torture for entertainment is not a virtuous concept to be raised up and lauded. People deciding to fight for sport is different entirely, because they have a say in the matter.
This thing with Rampage seems to be a medical issue, and once again the police dropped the ball. There have been several high-profile cases of officers not recognizing medical problems and attributing them to malicious intent. Some have been in insulin shock and gotten beat down for it, one man in Florida was tazered by 4 police at once while he was "resisting" by having a seizure and his family literally watched him executed before their very eyes when he died from the combined force of the electricity. I realize that the best and brightest minds aren't usually drawn to police work, and that much like the enlisted military population their ranks are mostly people who joined for financial reasons, but I think relevant medical training and response should be in their basic toolkit.
It's really all about intent, and thats why we have criminal code distinctions based on intent. Deciding to kill someone is not the same thing as accidentally killing them, nor is it the same as being mentally impaired which results in a death. People don't get to decide to not be crazy, and depression and medical complications might have impaired him to a high degree.
I guess my point is that lots of things when you look at them objectively are dangerous, but that's part of humanity. Sometimes several factors combine and turn benign actions and turn them into dangerous situations. He's a fighter, he cuts weight, his dietary choice was poor, and his mental state is in question. If you add it together there is an occupational hazard, the fact that he's not a dietitian and wasn't aware of the effect his diet had on him, a degraded mental state, and a state of emergency in his mind when is relevant even if it isn't real. This could happen to lots of people, and we can't go around arresting people for being victims of their own lack of knowledge, even if it does result in danger to others.
I have much respect for the dangers of police work, but it sounds like he wasn't physically threatening the police and the officers decided to parade him around instead of bringing him to a hospital to be looked at. We don't jail people on the "it could have been worse" principal, we jail them because they decided to violate a law intentionally.
I'd just glad no one was hurt, and hope he get's the attention he needs. He seems like a guy who has fallen off the horse after working very hard to make something of himself in the only way he knew how, and I think the discipline and effort that takes could serve as an example to most anyone.
from 2 months ago
Thank you for taking the time to read the article and voice your opinion. Your response is appreciated.
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