Manolo says, behold the power of the photoshop makeover!
And, what would motivate such dramatic potential changes? It is all about the Benjamins!
Richard Rodriguez, the gang member who was kicked in the head by an El Monte police officer after a televised car chase, has filed a $5-million legal claim against the city. But before he appears in court, he’ll possibly be undergoing a serious makeover.
Rodriguez’s attorney, Nick Pacheco, has suggested that his client ditch his thuggish look (seen in his mug shot on the left), in favor of a more conservative — albeit less eye-catching — visage (seen in the photoshopped version on the right).
In the booking photo, Rodriguez’s head is shaved, and the name of his gang hangs over his lip. Tattoos climb his neck. In the “after” rendition, he’s wearing a black suit with a metallic gray tie, neatly combed hair and a lush mustache.
Pacheco hopes Rodriguez’s makeover will allow the jury to be sympathetic to Rodriguez, who claims to suffer headaches and blurred vision as a result of his arrest.
“People get past looks when you put on a suit and your hair is grown,” said Pacheco.
Even with the “lush mustache” Mr. Rodriguez is no George Clooney, but still, his lawyer is essentially correct: the power of good grooming (and the necessity of avoiding facial tattoos) is perfectly self-evident.
It IS a bit of a sad statement on our society, though, that the physical appearance of the victim would have ANY bearing on how a jury would judge the action of the police officer.
Comment by La Petite Acadienne — August 3, 2009 @ 12:33 pm
Facial, scalp and neck tattoos, especially of the designs shown in the picture denote a hardcore gang member that has done some serious time previously. These gang members have a propensity for extreme violence. The crimes that this guy committed that he was being chased for, and committed during the chase, far outweigh any mitigating circumstances surrounding the events of the physical arrest.
The guy needs to go up for some hard time, and get no money because he made the mistake of running.
Comment by Smokey Behr — August 7, 2009 @ 3:03 pm