Gangsters in Blue

In 1993, I watched the Waco, “Standoff” live on the NBC Nightly News as a young man while eating meatloaf in front of the TV with my family. What exactly is a, “Standoff?” In my early years, I understood a standoff  as an incident which one party was wrong and the State comes in to correct or murder them.  I had a hard time comprehending why the military blazed in with tanks and burned a bunch of kids alive but understood that if the government takes such action, it must be justified. I also vaguely remember, “Ruby Ridge.”

My old man is a Navy Veteran. He served 4 years during the War In Vietnam.  He worked on the ship’s engines to insure plenty of Vietnamese were killed by artillery from the Destroyer he occupied.  He was just under ten when the last known US Civil War Veteran passed. He grew up in a time when government mandated reefer madness prevailed and The US Public Health Service was busy secretly infecting impoverished Black Americans with syphilis. We kept a flag flying on the front porch to show our unwavering support for our government, almost without question.

I’ve attempted to expose my father to the idea that just because this government is ours doesn’t mean it has our best interests in mind, to little avail. I believe he’s too conditioned to understand the idea of True Liberty.

I guess this is why I wasn’t overly surprised when he told me about a standoff a few blocks from his and my mother’s home in Janesville WI. He had told me that the previous evening they were walking the dog when the neighborhood erupted with screeching tires, sirens, and heavily armed men. He of course wasn’t able to walk up the street he’s lived near for almost 40 years because some twenty-something cop said he couldn’t.

We try not to talk about political issues due to our differences but I couldn’t help but notice that after 4 days with nothing in the paper he seemed concerned with what may have happened.  I suggested he call the PD but after a week he hadn’t so I stepped in.

I contacted JPD about the incident in Oct. 2011 on Forest Park Blvd. Robin picked up the phone and I posed my question. She didn’t object to glancing at the log and dismissed it as a potential gun call where no gun was found.  I persisted with questions and she stated that a twelve year old had been taking out the garbage around dusk and saw a person in a car with a gun. He ran back into his home and told his mom who called it in.

In WI concealed carry is legal. Open carry is also legal and it isn’t uncommon to see people on the side of  the State Highways standing around with their shotguns or rifles heading into the fields to hunt wild game.  People occasionally walk the grocery store isles with a sidearm on their hip and there usually aren’t problems.

I continued to question Robin at the PD despite her increasing reluctance to answer my questions.  What’s the big secret? She reiterated that no gun was found and nobody was arrested so it wasn’t a big deal. I asked if the gun, “Suspect” was pulled out at gunpoint or searched. She stated she didn’t know. I asked if the dispatch actually vetted this child personally, again, no apparent answer. She stated I wouldn’t be able to obtain the police reports because none exist. Just a brief dispatch log.

It turned out that the gun was actually a cell phone.  And the two alleged “gunmen” were 17 year old-ish boyfriend and girlfriend stopping by the house quick.  My Dad said the cops were yelling but he couldn’t hear exactly what was being said. I’m guessing this is an experience these young people will never forget. It may seem like a funny story in hindsight but on the other hand, I’ve never had multiple guns pointed at my torso.  I have been inadvertently swept by a live firearms and it really pisses me off.

Waukesha Standoff Society

On a regular basis the Waukesha Police play soldier in our neighborhoods. They call in the county tank and halt our outdoor activities by the sounds of cops yelling on a PA system.  I’ve done several videos of these standoff when I happen upon them. I don’t use a scanner but every month and a half or so I can usually find one by just cruising.

They bring the shields and AR’s but overwhelmingly just hang out and soak up the overtime. I don’t often see anything in the news other than the fact that one of these occurred.  It seems that if the police call these incidents, “Medicals” they can get away without scrutiny or further information.  I’ve taken video of three in the last year or so.

I don’t need to ask what precipitates a standoff. Pretty much anything in this area. Perhaps a neighbor hears an argument and you choose not to answer the door for the cops? Maybe you’ve had a few drinks and throw on your favorite Metallica CD. As we all know the police have no legal duty to, “Protect us.”  What if an, “Emotionally disturbed person who is potentially armed” is greeted by the mom or brother instead of a heavily fortified militarized sect of the police. Perhaps a well known,  friendly, willing,  neighbor would produce better results than flash bang grenades and sub-machine guns.

As is common,  in the video above, no gun, according to local YouTube friends, and no real threat by the female suspect. I’d love to tell you the whole story but it seems to be a secret.

It appears standoffs will be entrenched in Waukesha culture for the time being.

John Freeman – Milwaukee area Copblock

Wisconsin Standoff Society is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Guest post

We were stopped for no known reason by two officers and they asked to search my car. I told the officer that he couldn’t search. Then the officer told us that if we didnt let them search the car they were going to call the k9 dog. At that point I asked if we were free to go.

The officer told us we were not free go and called the k9 dog. I asked the officer if I could have my cell phone back with intentions of recording. The officer replied with a no and told us we would wait on the k9 dog. The officer said he could not give me my phone back for his own safety.

Thirty minutes later the k9 arrived. I was searched by one of the officers. Also, my passenger was asked to exit the car. The k9 dog came out from another officer’s car. The officer walked the dog to the front right side of our car. The new officer on the traffic stop tapped his fingers and motioned toward the car.

At that moment the dog began to walk down the right side and than jumps up on the side. The dog then had permission to move away from the car, while receiving a treat from the officer. The k9 searched for about three minutes and the dog also put a few scratches down the side of my black BMW.

The officers then tried to say that was “probable cause” to search the k9 ”indicated” there were drugs inside. Two officers than began to search everything in the car or involving it. A woman was in the car also (my passenger). Since she was a female there was an female officer called to the scene.

At this point there were now five officers involved. I had a little extra money in the car, due to seeing my lawyer earlier that day in Asheville, NC. One of the searching officers placed the money on the trunk of the patrol car while asking me where the money came from and why was it rolled and placed the way I had it. He then returned to the car and helped the second officer. Within minutes the same officer came out of the car with an object in his hand.

He insist that he found drugs on the inside. “We got you,” said the officer. A female officer searched the woman riding with me. While proceeding with their search we than were placed in handcuffs. We were read our rights and both taken into custody. At the first of the stop I was asked if it was my car and if I were responsible for everything in the car. I answered him with a yes. We both were charged with possession and illeg al drugs. Our bond totaled $30,000 each. If anyone has any advice for us on our case it would be greatly appreciated.

Small town corruption is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

A Riverside, CA District Attorney has announced that police officer Enoch Clark has been charged with three felony counts of assault and one felony count of use of force causing great bodily injury for a routine traffic stop that resulted in permanent damage.

“On Feb. 21, 2012, Clark was on duty, working patrol in the city of Beaumont,” the district attorney said. “During his shift, Clark was involved in a possible driving under the influence investigation. While conducting that investigation, there was an altercation between the officer and a woman he was attempting to handcuff.

“Clark then pulled out a less-than-lethal device issued by his department called a JPX device. This device uses a ‘wafer’ of gun powder to propel a stream of pepper spray . . .  at a speed of more than 400 mph.”

“The minimum distance the device is to be utilized is about five feet with the optimum distance to be used being between six and 16 feet,” according to the
district attorney. “It was determined that Clark fired the JPX at the woman’s face from a distance of about 10 inches. Both of the victim’s eyes were severely injured and it is doubtful she will see again, according to medical reports.

The victim, Monique Hernandez is 30 year old. The incident occurred on February 21, in front of her own home. She apparently disputed with Clark during a routine sobriety check when he shot her.

Hernandez told the press that her deepest regret is that she will never again be able to see her 10-year-old daughter. “My daughter currently is not staying with me right now. She’s staying with my mom, because I can’t take care of her right now. I’ll probably imagine her looking like a 10-year-old all her life – that’s the worst part,” she told reporters on Tuesday.

“The force they used was excessive,” said Hernandez’ attorney. “She had no weapons. She posed no threat. Preliminarily, investigation shows both her eyes are affected. She’s totally blind in one eye.”

Clark has plead not guilty to all four felony counts. He returns to court on May 29th.

Police Officer Blinds a Mother with a JPX Device is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Extraction teams caused a lot of panic during this year’s May Day General Strike for the Occupy crowd. Oakland Police sent large groups of officers into crowds of demonstrators to make surgical arrests. As many presumed, this type of police action created more problems then it solved. One “surgical arrest” would lead to panic, causing officers to arrest more people.

At one point there were there was at least 5 arrests taking place simultaneously, initiated after Oakland Police tackled a woman on a bicycle.

Thank you to Jacob Crawford of Oakland Copwatch for the video.

clip.

Video: Oakland Police use Concussion Grenades & Extraction Teams on May Day 2012 is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

By DAVY VARA

Why is it that people always refer to the New York City Police Department as the best police department in the country?

The N.Y.P.D. is actually one of the most corrupt police forces in the U.S. The department has a long history of committing some of the most heinous crimes
against innocent citizens. Take, for instance, the 1999 execution of Amadou Diallo, a 23 year old Guinean immigrant who was shot at 41 times by N.Y.P.D. cops Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy, Edward McMellon, and Kenneth Boss. Diallo, who was unarmed and simply had his wallet in his hand, was hit 19 times. Just over one year later, a jury acquitted all of the cops.

Also, Abner Louima, a 30 year old Haitian immigrant, who suffered severe internal damage when N.Y.P.D. officer Justin Volpe sodomized him with a broomstick in Brooklyn’s 70th precint. Afterwards, Volpe proudly displayed the excrement and blood stained broomstick to his fellow officers as he bragged that he had just “broke a man”. Volpe then threatened to kill Louima and his family members if Louima told anyone. Justin Volpe was later convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Sean Bell, executed by N.Y.P.D. undercover cops on the morning of his wedding day, in Queens. Bell had just left a club with friends when he was confronted by a plain clothes N.Y.P.D. cop who didn’t identify himself. When Bell sped off, the cop fired 50 rounds at Bell’s vehicle, killing Bell and severely injuring his friends. And, even though neither Bell or any of his friends had a gun, the N.Y.P.D. smeared Bell’s character after the incident, and his friends were under investigation instead of the cops!

During last year’s annual West Indian American Day Parade, N.Y.P.D. officers used facebook to post extremely disturbing comments, violating the department’s policy barring officers from making “discourteous or disrespectful remarks” about race or ethnicity. The facebook group, which totalled 1,200 members, posted comments from N.Y.P.D. officers such as Dan Rodney who stated “I say have the parade one more year, and when they all gather, drop a bomb and wipe them all out.”

Other comments from N.Y.P.D. officers included calling people “animals’ and “savages”. The comments on facebook, included references to West Indian and
African-American neighborhoods, and were so offensive that some N.Y.P.D. officers themselves posted warnings to other officers advising them to be careful that Internal Affairs “rats” don’t take notice of the comments. However, many didn’t seem to care, and went on posting comments such as “Let them kill each other”.

In a recent New York Times editorial piece, a strong point is made of the need for a “strong, independent agency to investigate serious complaints about New York City’s police force.” After several corruption cases involving the N.Y.P.D., including seven narcotics officers convicted of planting drugs on people, three officers convicted of robbing a perfume warehouse, eight current N.Y.P.D. officers charged with smuggling guns into the state, and a federal lawsuit accusing the N.Y.P.D. of engaging in racially biased “stop and frisk” incidents, there is serious doubt that the department can do an effective job addressing misconduct and corruption without outside help.

The N.Y.P.D.’s Internal Affairs Bureau, which is responsible for investigating complaints of police misconduct, failed to uncover any of these problems. In fact, they were brought to light by a local district attorney, the F.B.I. and, in one case, a New Jersey police department.

Recently, N.Y.P.D. officers, gathered outside State Supreme Court in the Bronx, for the unsealing of indictments against 16 of their fellow officers, who were arraigned on charges of corruption, after a three-year investigation into the N.Y.P.D.’s fixing of traffic and parking tickets, which in all cost the City of New York, close to $ 2 Million dollars. Officer Jose Ramos, a member of the N.Y.P.D.’s 40th precint, and whose suspicious behavior led to the ticket fixing investigation in the first place, was accused of two dozen crimes, including attempted robbery, attempted grand larceny, transporting what he thought was heroin for drug dealers and revealing the identity of a confidential informant. Ramos is facing up to 50 years in prison.

The officers yelled “Down with the D.A.” and “N.Y.P.D. Commisioner Ray Kelly, is a hypocrite.” Inside, more than 100 off-duty N.Y.P.D. officers lined the courthouse hallways and stood outside the courtroom. The officers prevented members of the news media from filming their colleagues by blocking cameras, grabbing lenses and shoving television camera crews into walls.

The outpouring of angry officers and their behavior was in violation of N.Y.P.D. policy which states “Conduct which brings discredit to the department or conduct in violation of law is unacceptable and will result in disciplinary measures.” Perhaps the best of example of the N.Y.P.D.’s disgusting, unprofessional conduct, despite always being lauded as the best police department in the country, is how at one point, the crowd of at least 350 officers outside the courthouse began chanting “E.B.T.” at people lined up at a benefits center across the street, referring to electronic benefit transfer, the way welfare recipients receive their food stamps and/or cash benefits. A court official who came outside to attempt to calm down the crowd of officers, was insulted with profanities by the N.Y.P.D. cops. The indicted N.Y.P.D. officers came out of the courthouse pumping their fists, as the crowd of their fellow officers burst into cheers. Once the rowdy crowd of N.Y.P.D. cops had cleared, the street was littered with refuse.

Eugene J. O’Donnell, a professor of police studies at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice makes a very powerful and telling point, in referring to the N.Y.P.D. when he said “The Police Department is a very angry work force, and that is something that should concern people, because it translates into hostile interactions with people.”

I don’t know about you, but I find it disgusting and downright deplorable whenever I hear the N.Y.P.D. being referred to as “The best police force in the country”. Are you kidding me?

Davy V.

———————-

Editors note – check out this video created after the actions of some NYPD employees at the 2011 West Indian Day Parade:

NYPD: Badges of Dishonor, Corruption and Murder! is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Increasingly, the news reports incidents of severe abuse of youth by adults. For instance, a 9-year-old was tasered for refusing to take a bath a few years ago. About 2 and a half years ago, several middle school students were forcibly restrained and  locked in cold, dark rooms for throwing food. Another 14-year-old epileptic girl was tasered in the head for running away and refusing to stop when told to do so. Another 15-year-old girl was grabbed and had her head shoved into the wall for drinking and disobeying teachers. A 19-year-old was beaten for loitering around a library.

My god! Such barbarism! How could parents even think of treating their children in such a manner? They ought to be punished! Beaten! Jailed! Take their kids away! Oh wait, no that was the police. Just doing their jobs. Totally ok. Police are free to “parent” other people’s children however the fuck they want to – with fists, boots, tasers, walls, and dangerous weapons of their choice.

On the other hand, the actual parents face draconian punishments and even total destruction of their families for the most minor of transgressions – some of which can hardly even be considered transgressions at all.

Elizabeth Mort had her child taken away 3 days after she had given birth beacuse she tested positive for drugs after eating a poppy seed bagel. Another woman had her child taken away partially because she refused to preauthorize consent to a c-section during labor. Such refusal was considered “child neglect,” until the courts overturned the assessment by the state child protective services agency.

The Henderson family was torn apart by police invasion, arrests, and seizure of their children because police suspected that Mr. Henderson may have slapped one of his children. William Reddie was actually shot and killed because CPS was going to forcibly seize his child over his marijuana use. Because obviously, smoking pot is so detrimental to a child that it’s better that his dad be shot right in front of his eyes. Witnessing the murder of his father was clearly much more in line with the child’s interests.

More recently, a father was charged with 2 counts of child endangerment after he left his two children, a 6-year-old girl and 9-year-old boy at a park for 2 hours. Is it just me, or has this society gone totally fucking nuts? When I was 7 my friends and I were free to roam the neighborhood  on our bikes, in parks, in construction sites, in parking lots. I could stay out as long as wanted if I had finished school work, didn’t do anything stupid, and was home by dinner time – and I had “strict” parents. Even if we want to dispense with the absurdity of charging a father with crimes for letting his kids play unattended at a park (really? So the state is protecting the kids by putting their father in jail? Sure, that makes sense) – maybe we could address the fact that treating children like infants for the rest of their lives most certainly guarantees they will grow up to be useless and dependent.

But perhaps that’s the point.

Children who are taught that someone else must always tell them what to do, where to go, and how to live their lives will likely grow up to be useless and dependent – and these are the types of people who prefer a large system of authorities and police who “fix” their problems and run their lives, over independence and personal responsibility. Indeed, parents who grant too much independence or freedom to their children, or who dare assert that they, rather than the state, know how to raise their kids best, are a danger to the police state.

By asserting vicious authority over parents and hindering parents from raising their kids as they see fit, police are in fact helping to breed the next generation of mindless drones who will gladly fork over their paychecks for greater police state powers. I.e., the police are only taking logical measures to ensure job security for themselves.

Just doin’ their jobs. Can’t blame ‘em.

Police are just doing their jobs…parenting your kids with boots, fists, and tasers is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Guest Post by Katie McCall

I must apologize… this story is a little old. But the victims are still suffering and it needs to be told.

Meet the Hendersons: Father, Jeffrey, is a big, intimidating individual but tenderly in love with his children. Mother, Erica, is a very nurturing mother. Together they have six children and lived together without incident in their Pasadena, California home.

Are they typical parents? No. They keep a kosher diet, they homeschool
and breastfeed and homebirth. They follow orthodox Jewish law. But is being “different” a reason to have your rights trampled?

In May 2010, the police were called by a disgruntled neighbor who reported having “heard” Jeffrey slap their oldest child. The police responded by demanding entry. Jeffrey and Erica
refused their requests and instead had the children come to the front window next to their door to show that they had not been harmed. Here you can see Jeffrey and Erica refusing entrance prior to deciding to parade their children’s well being in the window:

The Henderson’s refuse entrance to the police in Pasadena

Apparently, visually seeing the children was not enough for the Pasadena police. Without a warrant they barged into their residence as the family sang Jewish songs of worship. They beat Jeffrey to the point he needed to be hospitalized, removed the children and gave them to DCFS and locked both Jeffrey and Erica in a cage.

Surprise, surprise! The courts eventually found that the accusation that prompted the violence was unfounded and dropped all charges including an obstruction charge for not opening the door to their home.

But the damage control was already insurmountable. Erica spent two months in county jail where she suffered the pains of breast infection and was denied treatment. She was restricted from breastfeeding her two youngest children who had been placed in foster care as a seven month old, and two year old. She was not given access to a breast pump. Jeffrey was held for three months. Both Jeffrey and Erica lost their home and Jeffrey lost his job for being a no show while in jail. When they got out they found themselves penniless and homeless. They shared their story shortly after their release in this interview.

As if that isn’t ugly enough, here’s where it gets really ugly. Because DCFS decided that even though the Henderson’s were not prosecuted and were NOT convicted of any wrong doing by the court, they were somehow entitled to keep their children anyway. According to DCFS, the Henderson’s were abusive because they refused to open the door for police and therefor put their children at risk of being injured by the battering ram the police department used to gain (unlawful) entry to their home. Consider the absurdity that is the state – police are not punished for their violent, unjustified actions; instead, their victims are.

DCFS required them to show up for several visits per week when ordered which were, of course, scheduled in the middle of the work day. These visits needed to be complied with or DCFS would note their disinterest and lack of involvement in resuming custody of their children. And then there were all of the department mandated classes they were ordered to attend. All of this kept them from employment and finding a home. And then the most logical step of all… DCFS also required them to provide “proper” shelter for their
six children, which in their eyes was a lot more lush than they had originally provided their children. Yet still they are attempting to meet every requirement. Even going above and beyond the department’s requests… bending over backwards and jumping through fiery hoops while the department sits and watched, entertained.

So, here we are. It’s now almost one year later. Where are the Hendersons? Well, the children still live in foster care and adoption is being fought for by the couple who have been caring for the youngest child. Most of their children are being held separately, not being fed the kosher diet their family raised them with, not attending the religious observances that are so close to their heart. Basically, the Hendersons are still desperately trying to reunite, despite a million miles of bureaucratic red tape.

Jeffrey has filed a habeas corpus and has made it public for anyone to see and use in their own defenses. He is resisting the assertion that the United States government has rights over his family. Interestingly, the Henderson’s youngest – a seven month old boy — had not yet had his birth registered when he was kidnapped by federal agents. He has no birth certificate and no social security
card. How can the United States government have any kind of say so in his welfare? How do they even know whose baby they took?

Those who believe badges grant extra rights apparently don’t just work in the police force.

In California, the Police are in the Business of Kidnapping Children is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

 Guest Post by John Freeman

Rich From Janesville WI (names have been changed)

In (around) 2002, I was living with several roommates in a rental home on the West side of Janesville. I had two roommates.  We all worked full time and enjoyed weekends at the row of bars on Main Street in Downtown Janesville.

My buddy Rich stood 5 foot and maybe 6 inches. I would guess he was a solid 145 pounds.

It surprised me when I heard two or three dudes, early in the morning,  talking and taking pictures in the bathroom across the hall from my room.  I’m cool with all different lifestyles but will be damned if anyone, especially guys are messing around in my personal area let alone the area where I brush my teeth. When I opened the door what I found was a bleeding friend with several broken front teeth, a blood soaked shirt,  and a face which looked like it was dragged 20 yards across concrete.

According to Rich, he was severely beaten by Janesville Police.  He said he had been in a pushing match with another guy outside the bars and I guess the cops wanted a piece of the action also. I’ve been in my fare share of bar fights but from what I saw, this was a pure, savage beat-down. Rich’s forehead, from the beating,  had been bleeding severely.  He had not been given medical attention. Not sure if he was given a choice.  Not sure why the cops felt the beating was necessary but they never took him to jail.

After taking photographs he called the police department. He requested a supervisor to come out so he could file a complaint. Rich had told me that while they were grinding his head into the cement they were yelling, “Shut the fuck up!” I wish I could tell you the outcome of the incident. I ended up moving out of state shortly after the incident and lost touch with Rich.

Mark Schroeder Waukesha WI

According to news reports, in 2010 a man arrived to assess his 19 year old daughter’s injuries after she had been in a serious accident. He was a 53-year-old with no criminal record named Mark Schroeder. For some reason, the cop on scene, Officer Ryan LaFavor decided to pull the bad ass routine and refused to let this guy check on his kid who was still in the car and had called her dad following the accident. It is my understanding that no medical team members had arrived yet. According to JSOnline.com, this is what ensued:

Schroeder got out and began approaching the crash when LaFavor yelled at him to stop or be arrested. When Schroeder explained that one of the drivers was his daughter and began returning to his car, LaFavor took him to the ground, kneed him in the back, handcuffed him and kept yelling at him to “shut the (expletive) up,” according to Mastantuono.

The police had dash-cam videos of the incident but after they were requested by both the prosecution and defense, the cops promptly deleted them. They were first viewed by top brass and others 20 some times. The Judge dismissed the charges against this man because she felt this was a cover up.  She knew they were lying. So do the rest of us.

Milwaukee Police April 2012

The video provided pertains to this incident.  A man was in the nightlife area of Milwaukee with some friends. His buddy suggested he take a 2008 Lamborghini for a spin which he gladly obliged. He was drunk and driving it without headlights around the block. The cops stopped him and allegedly ripped him out of the car.  Those of us who have sat in such a car (Though I’ve never driven one) know that getting out of that type of  machine takes some practice.

This man wasn’t good enough or fast enough because this cop decided to attempt to crush his skull while another cop leisurely watched from 2 or3 feet away.  The Police Chief, Ed Philandering Flynn decided it was no big deal that this same rogue cop was suspended for mental health issues 2 years ago but this time cleared him of wrong doing almost immediately.  While this man was laying prone on his stomach with two cops on his back begging for his life he of course was told to, “Shut your fucking mouth!”

Seems like a trend doesn’t it?

“Shut The Fuck Up” is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Police around the country continue to violate individuals’ right to photography. A photographer named Carlos Miller maintains a web site in which he chronicles this problem. Now, Miller himself has obtained information about his own arrest for photography, which took place during the eviction of Miami Occupy protesters in January. Using an open-records request, he found that officials at the Miami-Dade Police Homeland Security Bureau, aka Fusion Center, had exchanged numerous e-mails over a period of months, in which they discuss their monitoring of Miller and his activities.

The Miami Fusion Center is supposed to be protecting the public. Its stated mission is “to ensure the effective dissemination of criminal intelligence information… to enhance our ability to secure the homeland, while protecting the privacy of our citizens.” (emphasis added)

Instead of focusing on criminals, or anything else that would “secure the homeland,” the fusion center officials, according to Miller’s account (based on the documents he received), spent time tracking the activities of a reporter who was monitoring them, and arresting him (on videotape) for no clear reason.

The right to photography is legally very well established, so much so that the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that not only were Boston police wrong in arresting a man, Simon Glik, for videotaping them, but that the officers were not even entitled to “qualified immunity” from Glik’s resulting lawsuit, because his constitutional right to videotape the police in public was “clearly established” under the law when it was violated.

In addition to resisting public monitoring of their official activities, many police are influenced by fatuous guidance over “suspicious activity reporting.” As Miller notes, the Miami fusion center, true to form, lists “inappropriate photographs or videos” and “surveillance” as “signs of terrorism.”

Unfortunately, the behavior described by Miller also fits right in with a pattern we have seen around the nation. Police units are set up supposedly to fight terrorism, but terrorism being (fortunately) extremely rare, they are all dressed up with nowhere to go, and all these resources end up being targeted against ordinary Americans exercising their First Amendment rights.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech-national-security/all-dressed-and-nothing-do-except-arrest-photographers

Joe

All Dressed Up And Nothing to do Except Arrest Photographers. is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Guest Post by Katie McCall

So often we hear stories about officers stepping out of line and aggressively asserting themselves without reason. But this story is different. This story is about a cop who tried to stop the violence.

Officer Regina Tasca has worked for the Bogota, New Jersey police departmentfor 11 years. She had an exemplary record. One day in April, 2011, she received a call to assist with the transport of a 22 year old male to the hospital because he was psychologically distraught. The call came in from his mother who was beside herself with worry for her adult son.

Officer Tasca arrived on scene and immediately began to put the man at ease. ”When the call came, I heard that a couple of officers from Ridgefield Park were coming to provide backup, which I thought was OK,” Tasca said. But when they arrived the young man grew nervous. “He noticed them and asked me, ‘Why are there other police offices here from another town?’ Then he said that he was leaving, and he moved maybe two or three steps when one of the Ridgefield officers jumped him.”

Sgt. Chris Thibault pounced on the non-aggressive man and tried to handcuff him. The second officer, Sgt. Joe Rella, “assisted” him by jumping on top and punching the unarmed man in the head. The man’s mother looked on and screamed helplessly for the cops to stop pummeling her son.

In the midst of the chaos, Officer Tasca, intervened. She did not assist her brothers in blue, but chose instead to pry the officers off of him and pull him to his feet.

Was she commended? Were the officers who tackled the passive male investigated? No, on both accounts.

Instead, Officer Tasca was asked to turn in her weapon and was suspended. This week, she faces a hearing where she will possibly be fired.

And the two officers who did the tackling? They were never even investigated.

Unfit for duty? Perhaps they are right. She’s unfit for duty as the only ethical officer amongst the gangsters of her police department. But she IS FIT for service to citizens as a police officer, protecting and serving the public.

Thank you Officer Tasca. You remind us of what public service can be.

Crossing the “Thin Blue Line” is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights