Gangsters in Blue

• Yes, it is possible—and not all that difficult, really—to beat someone to death with your hands.
• Congressmen seek to legalize what the government already does, anyway.
• Cory Booker learns that there’s no room in politics for integrity or truth-telling.
• Some sad photos from the earthquake in Italy.
• Here’s what Obama considers a more “humane” drug war: Federal agents waking a 12-year-old girl, putting guns in her face, cuffing her because a relative sold glass pipes on the Internet.

• America’s is about to get hit with a massive surge in addiction.
• New Yorkers seem to be exceptionally “furtive.” Especially the black and brown ones.
• Good reporting here on police militarization in Ohio.
• Puppycide. Cops show up at the wrong house, kill the owner’s dog.
• Another look at the ugly federal pardon process.
• Fort Lee, New Jersey has banned texting while walking.
• Your waistline is apparently a threat to U.S. national security.

• L.A. Sheriff’s Department deputies harass, arrest photographer for taking pictures of them.
• All of the police officers in Germany fired just 85 bullets last year.
• Bloomberg accidentally explains why New York’s Stop and Frisk program is unconstitutional.
• No-fly list nabs 18-month-old would-be terrorist.
• Remember how U.S. officials keep saying that the violence in Mexico means we’re “winning” the drug war? We must really be winning the hell out of it.
• Dumb federal law means military dogs more likely to be euthanized after service than adopted.

• Surprising photos of famous people.
• Another raid gone wrong. Dog dead, federal agents wounded.
• Justice.
• Milwaukee police chief who once said he’d instruct his officers to completely disregard the rule of law, and instead throw people to the ground at gunpoint for exercising their constitutional rights . . . is now facing multiple investigations of his police department for civil rights, excessive force, and sexual assaults.
• The answer is no.
• This article on an accidental police shooting includes all of your usual lack of accountability features: passive voice (“one officer’s gun went off, and the woman was shot.”), no details on the nature of the injury, and refusal to release the officer’s name.
• Headline of the day.
• Runner-up.
• Adam Serwer on the political fight to end indefinite detention.
• Dekalb, Georgia officer who shot a chained dog a few months ago is now under investigation for kicking a pregnant woman in the stomach.

• The Washington City Paper profiles food freedom fighter and Agitator pal Baylen Linnekin.
• The U.S. government is not looking good in this Chen Guangcheng story.
• Speaking of China, the Chinese government has reluctantly agreed to allow dissident Mao Yushi leave the country . . . in order to accept an award from the Cato Institute for his work to advance the cause of freedom.
• Lies, Damned Lies, and Drug Czar Speeches.
• Former ICE intelligence chief, other top ICE officials scammed $600,000 from U.S. taxpayers. Seems like a more important story than, for example, the Secret Service hiring prostitutes in countries where prostitution is legal.
• Headline of the day. The actual story likely of interest to regular readers here. Still. Quite a headline.
• Two city officials in Dallas attack a reporter’s hat.
• Pennsylvania cop under investigation for Tasering a juvenile nine times while the kid was in a jail cell.
• Philly cop alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman during a drug raid won’t be be prosecuted because the DA’s office failed to bring the charges in time.

TV station KOAT sent cameras along on a recent drug raid in Los Lunas, New Mexico. This raid was to find marijuana.

Every time I see an image like this, I’m reminded of a blog post from conservative writer Michael Ledeen a few years ago. Ledeen was using a series of photos from a recent drug bust in Iran to point out what a totalitarian state it is. The post is no longer available online, but I excerpted it at the time on the Reason blog.

Terrifying pictures, to be sure. For me, the most revealing thing about them is that the police feel obliged to wear masks while conducting a drug bust in the capital. tells you something about the relationship between the people and the state.

Indeed it does. Here is what the Los Lunas cops found:

Thanks to Mike Riggs for the tip.

• The hacktastic Center for American Progress sings Obama’s praises on the drug war.
• Massachusetts town wants to ban swearing. The article’s lede might be even dumber than yesterday’s World Net Daily lede.
• Headline of the day.
• Runner-up.
• The family of William Cooper, the 69-year-old Hampton, Virginia man killed in a drug raid earlier this year, has filed a lawsuit against the officers who conducted the raid.
• It’s time to panic again.

• Newark newsstand owner complains about permit process. City gives him more things to complain about.
• Strange places.
• “Limited government” Republicans strike again.
• Puppycide.
• Maine police agencies kicking up the asset forfeiture racket.
• Colombia, Missouri police union steps up effort to sack chief, mostly because he had the audacity to fire a cop caught on video breaking the back of an unarmed man.
• Prince George’s County, Maryland deploys a SWAT team for graffiti.
• Inspector General: No, TARP didn’t make a “profit.” And only 3 percent of the money has actually reached homeowners.
• Here is a photo of a chipmunk eating corn.

• Headline of the day.
• Stop it. Seriously. Just stop it. I mean, look at yourselves.
• TSA story of the day.
• Connecticut Senate passes a tough bill guaranteeing the right to record police and repeals the death penalty. Of all the states, you have been the awesomest this week, Connecticut.
• Hey, does anybody remember what we did with those 300 Priuses?
• Kindergartner soils pants. Crack local news team investigates.
• ESPN comes down with a case of the reefer madness.
• Ken White at Popehat writes a fantastic letter. And now he has groupies. Writers everywhere salute you, sir.

• Sacramento police collect DNA from middle school students without parental consent.
• More accusations of racial bias at NYPD, this time from black NYPD officers.
• Federal judge throws out jury nullification charges against Julian Heicklen.
• Austin police chief  apologizes, but then criticizes “mob” reaction to one of his officers killing a dog.
• Art Carden on ending the drug war.
• Are We Sliding Toward a Police State?
• St. Louis officials seem pretty determined to make sure their city continues to die.