In my humble opinion, Scott Frye, a New Hampshire State Trooper assigned to the Executive Protection detail, deserves some serious recognition for doing what I personally think is heroic.
The injured driver continually called out and pleaded not to let him burn. His legs were trapped under the dashboard, police said.Police said Frye climbed through the front windshield of the burning vehicle and freed the man’s legs. Knight helped Frye pull the man to safety.
I’ve been around numerous vehicle fires before, so I know for a fact that TFC Frye risked his own safety to save this guy’s life. Some of these fires are so hot that even being within ten feet of the vehicle can become unbearable.
TFC Frye
Please call or mail NH State Police Director Colonel Robert Quinn‘s office and ask that Trooper Frye be properly recognized for risking his own safety to protect a stranger’s life.
(603) 223-8813
Department of Safety Division of State Police 33 Hazen Drive Concord, NH 03305
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.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, which is why YOU should do something.” -Benjamin Bartholomew
Delaying a police officer. That’s the action Russel and Benjamin Bartholomew are supposedly “guilty” of. Today a man in a black robe will tell the brothers whether he thinks they should be stolen from or caged. Or both.
UPDATE: Benjamin and Russel were sentenced to six months probation, one day in jail (time served), and the state of California’s mandatory minimum of a $120 restitution fine & a $70 court security fee, each. For a more-exhaustive overview of the sentencing, including the text of passages read by the brothers and their dad Cory, check out the post Results From Sentencing And Statements To The Court, which Benjamin made live tonight.
Ademo and I were able to meet Russel and Benjamin in late 2009 when in northern California on the last leg of Motorhome Diaries. They’re good guys – friendly, genuine, principled. It’s no surprise then, that they founded Good Men Do Something!
From the site:
we had decided to try and get a conversation started in our area over taxation. We had seen people wave signs from overpasses before, but thought it would be more effective to have one large sign that was easy to read. So we connected 11 pieces of poster board together (each having an individual letter on it) that said “TAXES=THEFT”. Now, you can make practical arguments for taxes (we disagree with them), but you can’t argue logically that taxation is not theft. We wanted people to think about how taxes were collected, even if they thought taxes were good or necessary.
We took our “TAXES=THEFT” sign to a local highway overpass on April 28. It took us 5 minutes to setup our sign, 5 more minutes for police to show up, and 10 more minutes for them to put us in handcuffs and take us to jail, for wearing masks (which isn’t against the “law”). Our sign, sunglasses, phones and camera have been held since then as “evidence”. But, thanks to Qik, video of our arrest was streamed to the internet and was waiting for us by the time we got home.
The mask-related charge (PC 185) essentially seeks to deter someone from wearing a mask in the commission of a crime. Obviously the brothers weren’t committing a crime and this charge was dropped. Another charge (PC 602) related to trespass / damaging “state” property ostensibly levied due to the hanging of the sign was later added then also dropped.
Even Kenny Sowles – the Yuba County Sheriffs Department employee who approached and handcuffed the brothers – verbalized that he was not correct in telling the brothers that they were committing a crime.
Yet Yuba County Deputy District Attorney Mike Byrne wanted his conviction so he claimed the brothers “willfully resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer while he or she was attempting to discharge the official duties of his or her office.” Yet at the incident in question it was Sowles who approached and engaged the brothers out of his own curiosity, which soon changed to being dumbfounded when the brothers chose to not turn-over their IDs on demand.
Bryne told the brothers that if they pled guilty to the charge they’d only each have to give him $195 for “court restitution.” In a phone conversation earlier this week Benjamin told me that, “I couldn’t be more offended,” and asked how “the court” had ever been victimized and thus deservant of their money.
To make the “delaying an officer” threat more palatable for the community Bryne and his colleagues worked to frame the Bartholomew’s as anti-tax protestors – a label not entirely true. Benjamin noted that he acted because he wanted people to ask themselves “if they’re willing to go to their neighbors to rob them,” that he “just want people to acknowledge what taxation is.” Theft. As Russel noted, “It is what it is. it’s a fact.”
In their almost year-long misadventure the Bartholomew brothers have been subjected to many guilty-until-proven-innocent tactics – their property (two Qik-enabled cell phones, a video camera and tripod, and the sign itself) was stolen, threats against them kept changing, dates they were ordered to appear constantly shifted and weird plea deals were offered.
On April 5th Benjamin and Russel were told to report to a Yuba County courtroom. After a two-hour trial that they were prohibited from filming an an hour of deliberation, the brothers were told that they were “guilty” of delaying an officer. They hadn’t violated any person or property, nor any man-made legislation but the don’t-question-someone-with-a-badge mentality ran deep among those in the jury.
Benjamin rightly noted that such a conclusion “essentially makes California a ‘stop-and-identify’ state, even though that’s not the law.” He added that the only thing he would have done differently was to ask from the very beginning if he was being detained.
Byrne – who had argued that they brothers actions necessitated punishment, stated, “this was never about the First Amendment. Protest to (legislators), not the blue collar cop just doing his job; he can’t do anything about it anyway . . . You don’t pick on the help. You go to the boss.”
Why should an individual first plead with strangers for permission before they engage in victimless actions? Are not “the help” responsible for their actions? And just how does Byrne (or the jurors for that matter) think “the boss” will ever hold himself or herself accountable? What incentives exists within the monopolistic institution that could ever result in such a desired outcome?
Paul Nicholas Boylan, the Bartholomew’s lawyer wrote afterward, “I should have won. I didn’t because every single person on that jury believed that, when a police officer asks for your identification, you should provide it. Period.”
The brothers face a maximum term of one year in a cage and/or a ransom of $1,000. If a ransom is imposed, morning radio show hosts Armstrong and Getty from 650 KSTE noted they’d personally contribute and would encourage their listeners to donate as well. Like I said, Benjamin and Russel are good guys. It’s easy for others to see.
Russel said the ordeal has “reaffirmed my principles.” Benjamin echoed the sentiment, “I still firmly believe that people should do something for that which they should believe in. Good men should do something.”
Whatever happens today in legal land, Benjamin and Russel are in control of their own lives, noting that “Once our trial ends, our focus will return to activism and moving to New Hampshire where our activism will continue and be amplified by all the wonderful activists already there.”
Post-trial Boylan wrote on his blog, “I don’t want to believe that I live in a society where someone in uniform can say ‘your papers, please’ and I have to comply or else risk arrest and incarceration.” Me either. That’s why I encourage you to heed Benjamin and Russel’s call to action – stand on your principles, speak out when you see injustice, and join them at Facebook.com/GoodMenDoSomething
After a cost of eighteen days in a cage and a few months of legal threats, there is good news to report on chalking freedom out of Orlando, Florida. The ABA Journal published yesterday that Timothy Osmar, who was twice arrested for chalking at the Orlando city hall plaza, had his rights violated when he was legally kidnapped over protected political speech. US district magistrate David Baker’s ruling deemed the arrest for violation of a city ordinance to be an overreach of a code designed to prevent unauthorized commercial advertising. Unlike NH, Florida’s towns and cities are endowed with the power to write words powerful enough to invoke arrest for their violation.
Prior to the decision Friday, Orlando officials indicated that they would be appealing an “adverse ruling”. The city would find it difficult to play a purer than thou antichalk attitude in this case. Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer encouraged downtown businesses to chalk their sidewalks in support of the home team Magic when they were in the NBA playoffs in 2009. The city also permits a yearly chalk art festival held by the local Rotary Club. David Baker told Orlando bureaucrats, “The city may not selectively interpret and enforce the ordinance based on its own desire to further the causes of particular favored speakers.”
Mayor Dyer did not seem thoroughly interested in the deeper constitutional and moral issues regarding chalking arrests. His comment, while charges were pending was, “This was a guy who wanted to be arrested, by all accounts, and has been… This guy was given every opportunity not to go to jail, but he chose to go to jail.” Such a statement from the city’s highest ranking official implies that Dyer’s officers are permitted to make contempt-of-cop arrests.
After he was released for the second time in January, the Orlando Sentinel printed this inspiring article about Tim’s persistence in his right to chalk. He was first arrested on December 15 and returned to city hall after his release on December 22 to chalk again. After writing “All I want for Christmas is a revolution”, he was returned to a cage. The day after a lawyer offered to take his case pro bono, and entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf, the charge of illegal advertising was dropped, and he was released. Three months later, there is now a federal court ruling stating that chalked speech (at least in circumstances similiar to Mr. Osmar’s case) is protected speech.
Mayanne Downs is an attorney who works for the politicians known collectively as the city of Orlando, and she was tasked with spinning the judge’s ruling as favorably towards the city’s enforcement arm as possible. While Tim Osmar was originally arrested for the crime of “writing or painting advertizing matter”, the city did not pursue other similarly vague charges against him. In the time between the dropping of the charge in January and the federal ruling, Mayanne tried her best to discourage chalking, but assuredly Orlando activists called her bluff. After his release, her office commented that chalkers are still at risk of being arrested, “I hope people don’t do that — there are better ways to protest. Why not hold a sign? But we have to apply our ordinances in as consistent a way as possible.” Now that the ruling has been handed down, the position she puts fourth is, “The ruling doesn’t address the other ordinances that Mr. Osmar violated.” Perhaps this is how Orlando officials announce that they are building up the fortitude to violate more people’s rights.
“It’s something that I feel, and that a lot of rational people think, is our right as citizens…I still believe I did the right thing. I’m okay with being arrested again.” Among other chalkings by Tim read, “The revolution will not be televised” and “It’s not graffiti. It’s democracy.”
A friend poses with a chalking supporting Tim Osmar outside an Orlando courthouse.
Here are some topics that I’ve covered lately on my blog regarding ways in which the government (at various levels) tries to control your life: protecting your kids in school from exposure to horrible words like birthday, sending kids to jail for having a food fight, not allowing a traditional Scottish attire at a school prom, etc. etc. Often times, these are done in the name of protection or safety. Usually they are attempting protecting you or your kids (especially your kids) from any kind of negative emotion or experience. Besides the fact that this type of pampering could render a child paralyzed in the real world, there is another unintended consequence of this subtle message that people should be safe from all annoyances — unnecessary 911 calls.
When someone calls 911 because their fast food burger was “nasty,” they get arrested. But, the cops also take calls seriously regarding someone popping zits in public. How is that more of an emergency? The guy accused of popping zits in public was chased by officers before being arrested! I’ve got to say, if the police came after me for something stupid like that, I’d probably flee, too. But, the point here is that the general public is conditioned to call the police and be protected by government from every kind of nuisance…and then we’re also supposed to know the difference between an emergency and a non-emergency. How can that be? We are supposedly protected by government from annoying neighbors, loud noises, inept barbers, spoiled food, our own recklessness, etc. but we’re somehow supposed to know when to draw the line? This blurring of the line between when to expect help and when to expect to fend for yourself is a natural consequence of the nanny state.
Meanwhile, cops can ask us to stop without having done anything wrong and waste our time with inquisitions. If we don’t obey their request to stop (at a sobriety checkpoint or otherwise), there’s a chance a whole ton of our time could be wasted while we sit in jail and wait for them to decide what our charges will be.
Hostile Houston Cop comes after two innocent guys video taping at a Wal-Mart in SouthWest Houston for NO REASON, the men were held against their will before later being hand-cuffed to be arrested but released after another cop came to their rescue. The incident was only resolved after the cop tried to bribe and threaten the men to ERASE this footage or go to JAIL…. (This is a REAL police officer of the Houston TX Police Department. Apparently he works part-time as a guard for Wal Mart after his shift. This information was CONFIRMED by the other police officer who came to our rescue on the scene and who’s information will remain anonymous for being a better person although they also took the bad cops side when it came to erasing the footage before our release. We made them think we erased it so YOU could see this for yourself. Also what you see in this video is the FIRST contact made with the police officer which was initiated by HIM. Had he ordered we stop video taping Wal Mart or just to plain STOP video taping we would have been happy to comply, but his issue was “Don’t record ME!!” when my friend asked “What? Stop Recording?” the officer replied only with “NOT ME” and both of us confirmed he was not being recorded on purpose and continued with our harmless film which would probably have NEVER even surfaced had he not done what you see here) The police department also denies this as one of their own even while his information is public knowledge. We have yet to hear about him being in anyway punished for his actions so your help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks for watching!
Please consider signing this petition to impeach Keene District Court Judge Edward Burke for violating the New Hampshire Constitution by lying to his bailiffs and the Keene Police to have Ademo Freeman imprisoned for simply asking questions.
Questioning public officials is protected by the Constitution.
This petition is to support New Hampshire State Representatives that support accountability in the Judicial Branch. Support from the public is intended to help them seek permission from the Rules Committee to introduce immediate Articles of Impeachment against Judge Burke.
Sticking with the fishing theme, yesterday a video was given to me featuring a Dublin, NH police (name unknown) officer, who was aware of CopBlock.org. This officer may have seen the video from Occupy as well, as it seems he’s dead set on ending any and all illegal fishing activities and I’d just like to say thanks to Occupiers for ruining fishing for the rest of us. I mean it wasn’t even a year ago that police were threatening to arrest a father and son for NOT having fishing poles, as featured on CopBlock.org - what a difference a year (or one video) makes.
[Author's note: I don't seriously think this officer ticketed the teenager because of the Occupy video, I'm just trying to be funny.]
CALL TO ACTION!
Please call the following numbers and Demand these cops be held accountable for their unprovoked assault and battery on Darryl Rodger.
These are the details: Darryl Rodgers arm was broken by Austin Police around 8:30 am on March, 24th 2012 on Town Lake. Officers involved were Hart, and Kirkpatrick.
Please Call These Numbers:
Police Monitor: 512-974-9090
Mayor Leffingwell: 512-974-2250
Police Chief Acevedo: 512-974-5000
City Council Members:
Chris Riley: 512-974-2260
Mike Martinez: 512-974-2264
Kathie Tovo: 512-974-2255
Laura Morrison: 512-974-2258
Bill Spelman: 512-974-2256
Someone passed this video along via the submission tab (the email was a dud), so I added a intro/outro and posted it to CopBlock.org’s YouTube. I found the text below by clicking the link in the original video, posted here.
There’s some that would pat the cops on the back for being over dramatic assholes. They think its ok for cops to do whatever they like and justify any actions made by officers as, that’s what keeps them going home to their families. Protecting their partner and asking questions later. Which sometimes I know can be the case that cops have to take certain measures to protect themselves.
That isn’t the case in this video shot last night. And yes I know, your might say, well what was the whole story? There’s got to be some reason those officers were on high alert like that! But, in my opinion, whatever the situation at hand before becomes irrelevant after the cop pushes the guy away. They obviously weren’t trying to arrest these particular individuals. The guy talking to the cop before the push looks like he had been there for quite awhile talking to the cop with his arms folded when the push took place. Now I could care less about the cop pushing him. After the officer pushed him away which seems a bit drastic, he went back to writing in his journal immediately. That to me doesn’t warrant the other officer to arrest him thereafter in my opinion. But he does……dramatically.Whats your take on it?
Always film the police, or any government official for that matter.
For those interested, the “Featured Content of the Month” contest will be starting April 1st – this could have been a great submission for the CopBlocking category – click the banner below for more details.
Join the forum discussion on this post