Gangsters in Blue

New Kelly Thomas Murder Video

According to the article on The Huffington Post:

 The 33-minute video starts with Thomas being approached by Fullerton Police Department Officer Manuel Ramos, who engages him in conversation. By minute 15, Ramos has already donned latex gloves… “You see my fists?” Ramos asks Thomas. “They’re getting ready to fuck you up.”

It appears to me that this thug could have easily handcuffed Thomas while he was sitting on the curb. He chose to brutally murder him instead.

John Freeman, Copblock Contributer

This Is How You Beat A Man To Death is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

PSOSGT, a frequent commenter on CopBlock.org, submitted the following as a guest post. He didn’t think it would be published but after reading it I thought it would make a good blog, including my responses to his statements. PSOSGT’s statements are block quoted.

I realize this isn’t going to be posted, but I think these two stories shed SOME light as to why police don’t like people behind them, filming or just watching, while dealing someone else. Yes, we use the tired saying of “officer safety” but these are two examples that happened over 2 days that show why police get “jumpy” at times when people walk up to traffic stops, or any other investigation.

Cops can’t read minds. We don’t know if your going to talk, film, watch, or pull out a gun.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/21040-sergeant-david-enzbrenner

Sergeant David Enzbrenner was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack while assisting a code enforcement officer serve a nuisance order at a home near the intersection of 12th. and Division Streets shortly after 4:00 pm.

A person unrelated to the order suddenly approached and opened fire without warning, killing Sergeant Enzbrenner. The man then committed suicide. It is believed the man held a grudge against law enforcement officers because his father was serving a life sentence without parole in Louisiana.

Ah, it says that, “a person unrelated to the order suddenly approached and opened fire.” There was no preventing this, nor is there any one reason as to why this happened, other than some guy wanted to kill this guy. There was no camera involved in this case and a number of things can be distractions, so where do you draw the line? Or why even draw a line? If filming officers makes their job more dangerous then I suggest they stop forcing people to pay their salaries.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/21038-police-officer-i-deriek-w-crouse

Officer Deriek Crouse was shot and killed while making a traffic stop in the parking lot of the university’s Cassell Coliseum, near McComas Hall, at approximately 12:15 pm.

At some point during the stop, a suspect unrelated to the traffic stop approached his unmarked car and shot him once in the head as he sat in his vehicle. The suspect fled on foot to a nearby location on campus and changed clothes. He was located in the university’s I-Lot approximately 45 minutes after the shooting and committed suicide as a Montgomery County deputy attempted to contact him

Again, this seems to be a predetermined event. Maybe this officer was corrupt? Maybe he was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Maybe, just maybe, this was a good officer who paid the ultimate price for another’s mistake. Officers who die in the line of duty are honored – parade and all – yet when officers kill someone the deceased are criminalized.

Neither of these examples prove PSOSGT’s point, that officer need to be wary of people filming. For one, both officers were preoccupied with enforcing some sort of victimless crime – code enforcement and traffic stop – which could be part of the reason for such hate towards LEO’s. Second,  if someone had been filming they would have caught these murders on video and could have helped hold those responsible. In case it wasn’t justified, like when cops kill innocent people for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

PSOSGT goes on to say,

On a personal level, and I’ve said it before. Showing only 1 side to the story, without context isn’t going to win you any favors, or bonus points with people if you truly want to change how police conduct business.

Everyone has a bias, no matter what they say. It’s natural. If there is a bias, and we show one side of policing, I think it’s obvious by the name – CopBlock.org. Atleast we don’t tell you this is the “No Spin Zone” while we jam our beliefs down your throat. Also, I encourage anyone to look at the other side of the coin, watch COPS, visit PoliceOne.com and research as much as you can about police.

How many LEO’s have ever thought about starting their own police service, without the government’s permission, that actually protects people? Are any officers out there sick of the politics involved with their jobs? Forced to do things they don’t like, told what laws/actions to arrest people for? Wouldn’t it be great to sit at home – or do routine visits to costumers – and wait for someone who actually needs help to call you? Have you ever thought of working for yourself, rather than the man?

I agree with anyone who looks at a call, video, report, or cops actions and says, “that’s fucked up” or disagree with what happened. It’s common. But the vast majority of people out there have NO IDEA what or why an officer acted or reacted in any given situation. I think it’s just as important to see what is put INTO law enforcement, that the result of an officer doing his/her job.

I think alot of us do see what’s put into law enforcement… law, which is simply words on paper that I may or may not agree with and enforce, which means if I don’t like it I’ll be punished. So, enforcement is what happens to those who don’t agree with the laws. And an officer’s job isn’t about what they believe but enforcing laws, even ones they know are bad/unconstitutional.

What do you think? Do cameras distract officers? Were these good examples to back that claim? Are people who aren’t police officers less creditable when discussing police issues? Would you hire a private company to provide you protection services if offered (instead of paying taxes to your local department)?

Why police don’t want you too close. 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

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

Guest post by Damon

This is a video of the most reasonable man I know being booked in for “disorderly conduct”. This man has applied for a press pass which was later revoked by the corporate media representatives  in charge of distributing all press passes. He has attempted to use footage from Wisconsin Eye, a government-funded media service. They made him take down the footage because it is the property of said 501c(3) corporation.

He has filmed legislators committing voter fraud through the windows of the gallery. They took that as a sign that they needed to post black plastic over the windows. These are the lengths he has gone to in order to report on the blatant corruption of our State Government during the last session.  In direct contradiction of  State Statute 19.90, which states that we have the right to film our public officials, our legislature has deemed filming a violation of their own rules of conduct and are prosecuting, “Offenders” under disorderly conduct statutes. This day he wasn’t filming.

Being known for excising one’s rights is now enough to warrant detainment in Wisconsin.

This is not my video and I cannot claim credit for it.  I got it off my buddy’s youtube channel(arthurkr222).

Illegal Possession Of A Camera, Disorderly Conduct In The WI Assembly is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

By Guest Writer Jacob Crawfird

Miami’s Homeland Security is keeping tabs on Carlos Miller, why? Not because he is any terrorist threat or some subversive radical. Rather because he runs the website, “Photography Is Not A Crime!” which documents police attacks on copwatchers, journalists, and ordinary citizens who catch heat for filming police interactions. He’s been supportive of my police accountability work with copwatch and I’ve appreciated his coverage of police issues over the last few years.

—Jacob Crawford
ladderfilms@gmail.com

Carlos Miller Under Surveillance for His Website, “Photography is Not a Crime” is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

I was recording police from across the street on a public sidewalk. Keep in mind I do nothing that is against the law. I have every right to film them in their duties. I in no way addressed the officer OR the guy the officer was talking too. The passenger, who is not engaged by the cop starts the conversation with me. It turns out that I knew the passenger. After the traffic stop was over I get stopped, detained, then threatened. The cops realize they have nothing to hold me on and let me go but not before threatening me that he will arrest me if I do this behavior again.

Afterwards I went looking to record them again but came up empty handed.

Muscatine, Iowa USA aka Nazi Germany. “Show me your papers please” is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

I composed this document, and am having it laminated and will keep it in my vehicle. Upon being stopped, my plan is to hand this the the officer. Can anyone provide me with some feed back on it..first, are my points correct? Second, what do you think the officer’s reaction will be?

To the Law Enforcement Officer who has stopped this vehicle, please read if you like, I will read this aloud for your dash camera.

I am assuming you are stopping my vehicle for an alleged traffic violation. I will be providing a current driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance upon your request. I will answer no questions regarding the traffic violation that may violate my Fifth Amendment rights. (example: do you know how fast you were going?). State your allegation and I will sign the citation agreeing to appear in court at the designated time and place.

Please do not ask my passengers for identification. They have no reason to identify themselves.

To protect my Fifth Amendment rights, I will not answer questions about the origin or destination of my trip.

To protect my Fifth Amendment rights, I will not answer questions regarding my passengers or the contents of my vehicle.

To protect my Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights, I give no express or implied consent to search any part of my vehicle.

Please do not take this personally, I am simply insuring that my rights are protected.

Thank you for your cooperation.

- RLM

Thoughts for RLM? And if you’re looking for more police information/outreach materials, head to CopBlock.org’s propaganda page. To submit a story to CopBlock.org click here.

Something to read to the police when stopped is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Last month Pete announced CopBlock.org’s “Featured Content of the Month” contest (with video above) and though it started off slow, we’ve gotten a few submissions this past week.  Here’s a short brief of the contest from Pete’s post.

[There are four categories for different mediums of content.]

• best Copblocking video (see document: CopBlocking101& videos)
• best philosophical video (see mission:CopBlock.org/About & videos))
• best photograph
• best write-up/post (see submit: CopBlock.org/Submit)

The “best” entry in each category, as decided by Pete & Ademo (who take into consideration the opinion of CopBlock.org readers) will receive 100-FRNs worth of CopBlock.org swag (provided by Pete & Ademo).

Timeline:
Contest Open: Sunday, April 1st, 2012 12:01AM EST
Contest Deadline: Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 11:59PM EST
Content Posted to CopBlock.org (reader poll): April 23-27th, 2012
Winners Announced: April 29th, 2012

You still have over a week to submit your content – please make clear your desire to par take in the contest – and we’ll announce the winner at the end of the month. Right now, we’ve got the following submissions thus far:

• Best CopBlocking video: HonorYourOath’s Illegal Arrest, USMCBess’s Short CopBlock and Police Babysit Homeless Man.
• Best Photo: See pic below
• Best blog post/write up: Woman charged with Felony for sharing Cold Medicine
• Best Philosophical Video: awaiting first submission (Calling StormCloudGathering)

We gave the police our love and they threw it away. Surprised? - by Anonymous

CopBlock.org’s “Featured Content of the Month” – April Thus Far is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights