dkrel wrote:Makes you wonder what happened prior to the video rolling.
Sheen wrote:The cop probably got sick of telling them for the hundredth time there's no skateboarding there...
I agree with both dkrel and Sheen, we don't know what happened before the filming began and the kids probably were ignoring the cop's warning. Nor am I trying to defend the kid who taunted and ran. I don't think the cop would have been justified in unholstering his weapon at any time during the encounter; the use of deadly force was not justified as the teens did not pose a threat to either him or society, so it would have been an even bigger over reaction to 'shoot' the kid that ran, or any of the others.
What get's me is how the cop reacted throughout the video to the other kids that were standing around watching. It appears that he was getting pissed that they were exercising their 1st Amendment rights (peaceful assembly and the press) and decided to violate their 4th Amendment rights (unreasonable seizure) too.
As for them resisting arrest, I would point out that the cuffed kid did not make any attempt to depart the scene, but milled around and even stated that she was not going anywhere--again, we don't know what happened before the video began. The other two that we see 'resisting' are were peaceful bystanders until the cop battered them by 'restraining' them with one arm around each of their necks.
If the other kids were violating an ordinance, before the video began, the cop should have placed them under arrest in succession, not in, as it appears, in reaction to their continued presence (note that he walks away with the cuffed teen and then only engages the remaining teens after they follow. Note also that they never made any threatening actions or speach against the cop.).
PFC, BN Army 
