Gangsters in Blue

This composition is brought to you by November Yankee

The fact that Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was not armed when police opened fire on him is yet another disturbing revelation in how that case has been handled.

Boston Bombing Suspect Was Not Armed

For some perspective here, let’s think about a few other modern countries. In Britain, police don’t even carry guns. Or what about Germany? A country that has, historically, not been averse to violence or authoritarianism. Like just about any modern nation, Germany also has plenty of violent crime on their streets as well. But as you watch the following clip, keep an interesting little fact in mind. In 2011, across the entire country of Germany, police only fired a total of 85 bullets.

While some might argue that police don’t have to be as aggressive in places like England, because of severe restrictions on gun ownership, keep in mind, again, that the suspect here was not armed. Also keep in mind that in places like Switzerland, crime is extremely low even when compared to other European nations, yet they have the third highest per-capita gun ownership in the world.

While some have argued that what we saw happen out in Boston was not proof that we live in a police-state, because it “doesn’t happen every day” those people are making several critical flaws in their thinking.

First, when we see police going door to door storming houses without warrants and ripping people from their homes, it really doesn’t make any difference at all how often it happens. It never should have happened at all. That fact that it has happened once, means that it can happen again at any time. We have crossed that line now, into an era where the Constitution is no longer the law of the land, but rather an arbitrary guideline which can be violated for whatever reason the government chooses. This is the very thing our forefathers warned us about, and precisely what the Constitution was put in place to prevent.

“The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks.” -Samuel Adams

Families Ripped From Homes By Police In Watertown

Over the course of this one terror event alone, we have seen police completely toss aside the 4th Amendment with a warrantless search and seizure of the homes of an entire community in the name of  “public safety.” Yet police had no regard for public safety, or justice and due process for that matter, when they tried to kill an unarmed teenager. If he is in fact guilty of any involvement at all, he may have had information critical to public safety, such as the locations of undetonated bombs, details of a larger plot, names of unidentified accomplices planning further attacks, and so forth.

Police Have No Duty to Protect You

To those of us with an understanding of the Constitution, of history, and a deep appreciation for liberty it is outright sickening that the public discourse is focused on when and where the abridgements of liberty should be allowed, rather than holding the police accountable for these depraved violations. Held accountable in the same manner perhaps, and to the same standard that our Founding Fathers held against British tyrants. All the King’s men, those agents of tyranny, were shot and driven into the sea. Every American soldier who has ever fought and shed blood in the name of the United States since then, has done so to ensure that we would never again see tyranny in these lands. They fought and died to protect, to guarantee that we, the people would never again be subject to the very crimes being perpetrated against the people today by our own government.

But what we saw in Boston is not isolated incident either. Which brings us to our second flaw in the reasoning of those who might say that this event was unprecedented, and therefore somehow excusable. Those who might say “it doesn’t happen every day” are either open apologists for tyranny, or plainly ignorant of the ongoing abuses of public trust by authorities in this country.

Folks in poor inner-city communities will tell you that this sort of thing can happen whenever a cop is killed. That police will swarm in, put a neighborhood on lock-down, and go door-to-door searching homes without a warrant. These sorts of details never make it to the mainstream media though, mostly because no one really cares what happens to poor people and no one really believes what they have to say. It’s only shocking today because such action happened in a quiet suburb. News of a cop being killed doesn’t garner the same intense national media coverage as a terrorist bombing either.

It doesn’t just take a cop getting killed though, for the police to practice 4th Amendment violations. This video shows that it is not only a daily occurrence on the streets of New York (and almost certainly most US cities) but that these violations are policy.

Also see: Police State of Mind 

America has even gone so far to establish an entire agency specifically dedicated to violating the 4th Amendment. The TSA are mostly known for their oppressive airport security measures, but have also been deployed at bus stations, on trains, and we should expect to see their influence grow in the coming years.

Strip-Searching and Terrorizing Children

Submit to Sexual Degradation at the Hands of Overlords

TSA Memo is Bombshell Invalidation of Airport Security

From this information we see that violating the Constitution is everyday business for authorities, but that still doesn’t quite evoke the same Orwellian imagery as we saw with armored vehicles, paramilitary troops swarming over Watertown, MA. But again, this too is actually an everyday occurence, even if it is not concentrated in a single neighborhood.

Disturbing Results of SWAT Transparency Bill

In that link you will see that the police have been drastically militarized in the past few decades. In Maryland alone, military-grade force was deployed 4.5 time per day in 2009. The majority of these instances where state-sanctioned paramilitary violence was brought to bear, non-violent citizens were the target, many of them simply accused of misdemeanor offenses.

Here are just a few more examples among the thousands of cases, where SWAT raids went disastrously wrong:

SWAT Get Medals After Shooting At Innocent Family in Botched Raid

Man Shot Dead By Home Invaders

SWAT Kill Marine Veteran In Front of His Family

The only way to prevent these tragedies, the only way to preserve liberty and justice, is to hold the police accountable when things go wrong, intentionally or not. The agents of law-enforcement must be held accountable when they stray from the law, to a higher standard even than a common citizen would be, not to  the lesser standard practiced today. Indeed as we have just seen, the police are even given medals for shooting at innocent families instead of being held accountable. Yet if you were to make  similar mistake, it is a near certainty that you would be shown no leniency by any court.

Take the case of Tracy Ingle for example. This man was shot five times by police, in the middle of the night, in his own bed, after they raided his home with a no-knock warrant. Not realizing that the intruders were police, he made the tragic mistake of pointing a non-functioning firearm at them in an attempt to scare off what he thought were robbers. He was lucky to survive, and yet he has been sent to prison for 18 years, for simply pointing a broken gun at police.

Tracy Ingle – 18 Years In Prison

In this case, police refused to identify themselves while pounding at the wrong door, but when an innocent man answered with a legally owned gun in his hand, he was shot dead in front of his girlfriend.

Cops Deny Negligence After Killing Innocent Man in His Home

The public is told time and time again that these terrible events are “isolated” incidents, even regrettable tragedies, but that overall the police are still there to protect and serve the community.

Police Misconduct Daily Report

We are also promised that if we happen to be intentionally victimized by one of these “bad apples” who “sometimes” make it into the police ranks, that the law will stand behind us, and that abuse of the public trust will not be tolerated. Yet the reality is quite the opposite of what the propaganda leads the majority of blissfully unaware Americans to believe.

Most Americans believe that it they could never be the victim of police violence. That so long as they don’t do anything wrong, they have nothing to worry about.

Police In Florida Torture Tourist To Death, No One Held Accountable

And again, they have misplaced faith that justice would be served if they did happen to be victimized by a bad cop. So let’s take a look at that notion now. What happens if you try to file a complaint against a police officer?

Also see: D.A.’s Office Complicit In Brutality Coverup

What happens if we try to take allegations of police corruption to our elected representatives?

Police-state dictatorship apparent as arrest is made in violation of Mayor’s orders and First Amendment

What happens when we try to use freedom of speech, freedom of the press to bring the news of police abuse directly to the people?

Freedom of Press Now a Felony In America

Finally, if by some long-shot chance a police officer is finally made to be held accountable in a court of law, can we expect real accountability for betrayal of public trust and openly criminal acts?

In this case, a police officer faced a 35-count indictment alleging that he used cocaine, protected drug dealers, revealed details of undercover operations, and even threatened to murder a suspect being held in the department’s jail in order to protect his cocaine suppliers. During the investigation the officer was suspended, but then reinstated to work another 4 months before he finally resigned, a move which guaranteed his full pension.

Cocaine Cop Gets 3 1/2 Years

In this case, a State Police Captain admitted in open court that he began sexually molesting his step-daughter. When she was just six years old. As part of a plea arrangement, he did not have to admit relations with two other daughters. Even with that agreement he faced 20 years in prison, but the judge suspended the sentence and ordered 2 years of supervised probation.

Child Molester Cop Gets No Prison Time

And finally, we can leave off here with an ironic, yet all too realistic example of the nature of police in America today.

Cop Made Chief After Negligent Homicide Conviction

“The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants, and it provides the further advantage of giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience” -Albert Camus

For more information on police abuse of authority, please visit the Police-State tab at Station.6.Underground, and CopBlock.org

This composition created in cooperation with November-Yankee and Station.6.Underground

Captain Six

Firing With Intent: Are American Cops Out of Control? is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Glen Bierman writes, via CopBlock.org’s ‘submit‘ page:

My dog Ford was shot by Andrew Childs, a bad cop. Please read and re-post this story. His actions have caused my dog, as well as my family, much pain. I am in fear that he will shoot and kill a person one day, due to his lack of respect for life. Please help me save the public from him.

WCTV reports:

A dog shot by a Thomasville Police officer may have to undergo a rare procedure to try to save its leg.

As we first reported earlier this month, Thomasville Police Officer Andrew Childs shot his neighbor’s dog in September and has been placed on probation.

Since that time, Glen Bierman’s dog Ford’s leg has been held together by pins.

Tallahassee veterinarian Doctor Kevin Drygas says he should know by next week if Ford is a candidate for total joint replacement.

“Which would be a very unique procedure not very commonly performed in veterinary medicine,” said Dr. Drygas. “But at this point, it may be Ford’s only chance at having normal range of motion,” he said.

“I have a fundraising thing I’m doing on gofundme.com,” said Bierman. “It’s under Ford’s new leg and we’re trying to raise money,” he said.

Dr. Drygas estimates Ford’s total elbow replacement could cost $7000 to $12,000.

Thomasville, GA – A local police officer who shot his neighbor’s dog has been placed on probation.

As we first reported last week, Thomasville Police Officer Andrew Childs shot his neighbor’s unleashed dog on his Grady County property in September.

After reviewing the case, Thomasville Police Chief Ellis Jackson has imposed corrective and disciplinary action for Childs.

That action includes probationary status, remedial instruction and canine awareness training.

Glen Bierman’s dog Ford was shot in the leg and may lose it.

Chief Jackson says he intends to provide Officer Childs with substantive training.

He says it will enhance Child’s effectiveness as a member of the department and help rebuild his relationship with the community.

Thomasville, GA – A local police officer may face disciplinary action for shooting his neighbor’s dog.

Thomasville’s police chief is expected to decide what action to take against Officer Andrew Childs.

The dog Childs admits to shooting survived, but may lose a leg.

Glen Bierman used to go bike riding with his dog Ford.

On only three legs, the one and a half year old pit weimaraner mix can still hop on the platform at the front of the bike.

But Bierman has stopped taking Ford on rides because of his bad leg.

How did it happen?

Bierman says he was working in the woods near his Cairo home September 23rd.

“I heard these gunshots and I heard one shot, then I heard the second shot, then the dog just went crazy screaming. It was just a horrible, horrible sound,” said Bierman.

Bierman says four more shots followed.

He found Ford limping down a trail bleeding.

Bierman says he confronted his neighbor, Thomasville Police Officer Andrew Childs, who told him he shot Ford because he thought he was a stray.

“His leg is destroyed, good chance of losing it,” said Bierman.

An x-ray of Ford’s leg shows it’s being held together by pins and Bierman must clean the wound every day.

Thomasville Police Lieutenant Kathy Royal sent this letter to Bierman Saturday stating an internal investigation into the shooting has been finished.

She wrote, “I have found there to be sufficient evidence of policy violations as it relates to your complaint.”

The file has been turned over to Thomasville’s police chief for review and possible disciplinary action.

Bierman believes Childs should lose his job.

“He’s a danger to people,” said Bierman. “Someone that endangers the public like that I don’t think should be working for the public,” he said.

Assistant Thomasville Police Chief Troy Rich tells us the chief will make a decision within a week about Officer Childs, who is still working.

Dog Shot by Bad Cop is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

This guest post was sent in by Amelia and Nathan. If you have a story you would like to share you can send it to us via our Submit Tab

When we asked our good friend Paulie Heenan to move in with us and our little daughter, we never expected that he would be killed by a Madison police officer. Paulie was your go-to guy for lending a helping hand or repairing broken stuff: your car, your computer, your heart. That’s why we asked him to stay with us when he moved back to Madison after spending 8 years in New York.

After a night out scouting bands for his new job at a local recording studio, a friend dropped Paulie off near our house. But it was dark, Paulie had been drinking, and he was new to the neighborhood — so he didn’t realize that he’d mistakenly entered our neighbor’s nearly identical unlocked home. The homeowner, Kevin O’Malley, recognized Paulie and started to help him get his bearings. Not knowing what was happening, his wife Megan called the police as a precaution while Kevin guided Paulie home. When the police arrived, the simple misunderstanding turned into a tragic killing.

The first officer to respond was Stephen Heimsness, who has a record of using excessive force stretching back to 2001. Paulie may not have known that Heimsness was an officer — when he arrived on the scene, his police lights were off, he snuck up on the men from half a block away, didn’t verbally identify himself as a police officer, and immediately pointed his gun and began yelling at the men to get on the ground. Kevin O’Malley said he thought it was another neighbor coming to assist or possibly just someone out walking their dog before he heard the officer’s shouts and noticed the gun pointed in his direction.

Paulie and Heimsness scuffled for a moment before Paulie, realizing that Heimsness was an officer, stepped back with his hands raised according to O’Malley’s account — and Heimsness shot him three times in the chest. Kevin repeatedly told Heimsness, “He’s a neighbor!” but says that the officer did nothing to defuse the situation.

The Madison Police Department and Dane County District Attorney — two groups with obvious conflicts of interest — investigated the shooting and decided that Heimsness didn’t do anything illegal by shooting an unarmed man.

But a huge gulf separates what’s legal and what’s right. Officer Heimsness had extensive training in using non-lethal tactics. Heimsness acknowledges that he had backup on the scene. That backup, Officer Troumbly, says she arrived with a Taser — not a gun — drawn seconds before Heimsness opened fire on Paulie. Instead of waiting for his backup, he chose to use deadly force against an innocent, unarmed, confused man.

This isn’t just a tragedy: it’s part of a dangerous pattern with Heimsness. In 2001, he was suspended from the force for shooting out a fleeing suspect’s tires against department policy. And in 2010, the city of Madison paid nearly $30,000 to a man who Heimsness allegedly beat and stomped into a bloody pulp. We don’t trust someone with this record of poor judgment to patrol the streets of Madison.

Police most effectively keep neighborhoods safe when they have the trust of those they protect. Thanks to Heimsness’ reckless actions, that trust has been seriously eroded. Megan O’Malley told one reporter, “I feel terrible I called the police. I wouldn’t call them again.”

If Heimsness’ actions are tolerated, it’s only a matter time before he goes from an anomaly in our police department to a precedent. Please join us in calling on Madison Police Chief Noble Wray, the Madison Police and Fire Commission, and Mayor Paul Soglin to do everything in their power to take Officer Stephen Heimsness off the streets and to review the Madison Police Department’s use of force policy and training to ensure that no more people needlessly die at one of their officers’ hands.

Join 100,000 in signing this change.org petition to first, keep Officer Stephen Heimsness off the streets. 
Amelia and Nathan Royko Maurer

Madison Police Chief Noble Wray: Take Officer Stephen Heimsness Off The Streets is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

This post was sent in by Melanie via our submit tab. Thank Melanie!

WALTHAM, Mass. (WHDH) — Waltham Police Officer Paul Manganelli, 48, appeared in federal court Tuesday afternoon on charges of receiving child pornography.

Waltham police said the officer was arrested after an investigation by the FBI.

“The alleged off-duty conduct of one employee is not a reflection of the Waltham police department as a whole,” said Keith MacPherson, the acting chief of the Waltham police department, said in a statement Tuesday.

In a nine-page federal complaint, an FBI special agent writes, “The case began in February of 2012 when police in Australia busted a suspect for child porn.”

The FBI claims his email accounts led to many suspects including an active duty officer with the Waltham Police Department.

In the complaint, Special Agent Eric Slaton of the FBI writes, “Five of the images that Manganelli acknowledged having received are of a naked prepubescent female, restrained by ropes around her legs and/or wrists.”

Manganelli’s neighbors are shocked.

“He’s always been super friendly and waving. I feel safer in the neighborhood because he seems like a strong presence. Never suspected a thing,” said Kerri Hark.

Manganelli had a winning smile two years ago when he won the Massachusetts State Lottery; which pays him $100,000 dollars a year for life.

But Manganelli’s luck ran out on Monday when FBI agents and local police showed up at his home and placed him under arrest.

FULL STORY

Waltham, Massachusetts Police Officer in Custody for Child Porn is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

This post was submitted by Oregon Cop Block. Make sure to check them out and give them your support.

Pleased to announce new Clackamas County Oregon chapter of Copblock. Clackamas Copblockers.

My names Christopher Ponte Founder of this offshoot. I am desperately looking for Oregonians to hit the streets with me to videotape police in clackamas county area and hold them accountable.

Clackmas Oregon Cop Block on Facebook

www.clackamascopblockers.webs.com still under construction.

YouTube.com/clackamascopblockers/

Chris Ponte
clackamascopblockers@gmail.com

Announcing New Copblock Chapter in Oregon is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

This post was submitted by Tiffany Weller. If you have a story you would like to share, please do so via our Submit Feature 

Saturday March 9th, my dogs got loose. Sometime that day, a neighbor in the Lake Eliza area forced a clip through RuKus foot, tied a rope through the clip and around his neck. Allegedly a neighbor found both my dogs that same day and returned them to Porter County Animal Shelter. I have been leaving messages on their voicemail all week with little success.

Thursday, after my boyfriend left a message on the voicemail reminding them that last time Porter County Animal Shelter had my dogs, we had to file a police report against them for theft of his collar. Porter County Animal Control returned his phone call telling him what happened and there was an investigation going on. I have called several more times since, left a post on their Facebook page (they took the post down) and still no answer.

We understand that while an investigation is going on, we cannot see them, but they could at least give us information on their health. His human kids are distraught. Rukus is 3 years old. I have had him since birth; I helped deliver him in my bedroom. Saint is his 6 month old son, which we also have had since birth and delivered on a couch we had to dispose of. These are very loved dogs and the family and extended family are very worried.

I have left statements with Animal Control Officers Patrick and Nemith without prompting by an officer to help with my family and my innocence and because we want the person(s) responsible caught.

We were finally contacted by the investigating officer (Officer Cassin 219-477-3110) on the 19th and were given these codes as the reason for a $600 bond for the dogs: IC35-46-3-6 which extends to IC15-20-1-4. No code was found relevant to my case.

FREE RUKUS& SAINT FACEBOOK PAGE

This is a link to our Free RuKus and Saint page where we leave updates on the situation. There are more pictures with the dogs and kids available on the page. Any attention or help on this matter would be wonderful!

Porter County Animal Control 219-477-3000, Option 5. There is no direct line to Porter County Animal Shelter.

Tiffany Weller
sabbath_1981@hotmail.com

Porter County Animal Control and/or Animal Shelter are Illegally Holding Our Dogs From Our Family is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Silicon Valley firms and privacy groups want Congress to update a 1986-era electronic privacy law. But if a law enforcement idea set to be presented today gets attached, support for the popular proposal would erode.

AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and other wireless providers would be required to capture and store Americans’ confidential text messages, according to a proposal that will be presented to a congressional panel today.

The law enforcement proposal would require wireless providers to record and store customers’ SMS messages — a controversial idea akin to requiring them to surreptitiously record audio of their customers’ phone calls — in case police decide to obtain them at some point in the future.

“Billions of texts are sent every day, and some surely contain key evidence about criminal activity,” Richard Littlehale from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will tell Congress, according to a copy (PDF) of his prepared remarks. “In some cases, this means that critical evidence is lost. Text messaging often plays a big role in investigations related to domestic violence, stalking, menacing, drug trafficking, and weapons trafficking.”

FULL STORY HERE

Cops: U.S. law should require logs of your text messages is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Verdict Reached in Eichenlaub Trial

By: WTAJ News

ALTOONA, BLAIR COUNTY – Former Altoona Police Officer Duane Eichenlaub has been found guilty on all charges, including aggravated assault and conspiracy stemming from a fight at an Altoona bar more than two years ago.

VIDEO

Mark Dunn

Verdict reached in fired police officer’s bar fight and cover-up is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

I started doing research after watching a video of the Anti-Terrorist on youtube.com. He made mention that a lot of police organizations are now Corporations and not owned by State or Federal or Parliamentary governments. He showed some evidence from the Dunn & Bradstreet software you can purchase of the London City Police having a CEO and shareholders.

I was wondering if anyone has done any research into this for American Police Dept’s and Federal Agencies, like FBI, CIA, NSA etc…To see where their loyalties lie. If you go to many American cities they are Corporations and not Publicly run by the State/Federal governments, but are similar to the IRS, which is a Private organization that is backed by the Government. So if you try to cross them they have all the government resources at their disposal. Which is like if I stole a package from FedEx, they called Obama and said get them. And all the forces of the American government would be at FedEx’s disposal.

It would be interesting to hear from you all about this issue as it relates to our freedoms. Why did the Police change their name from Peace Officers, to Law Enforcement? Is this the case? Do Police Dept’s bid on the rights to enforce Statutory laws and then try to make the bid money back and make a profit for their organizations? That would make Police men and women, revenue agents and not Peace Officers, and therefore, Law Enforcement Officers. To enforce the laws that they have bought control of to enforce.

I leave it to you to help me find this information out even more. Feel free to email me. It’s time to expose them for who they are.
Submitted by Tristan
xavierkress@yahoo.com

Why did Police change name from Peace Officers to Law Enforcement? is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

have a story regarding dealings with law enforcement in a relatively small West TX town of Fort Stockton. Cops are not only out of control due to the militarized mentality, but incompetence is also rife. In our town of about a pop. of 8500 there have been multiple car break ins and home burglaries over the last 6 months. My mom left her cell phone in her vehicle and it was stolen that same night at about 10:30pm. I came up with the idea to send a text message to her phone, because it was still on, stating I owed her $500 and would drop it off at her place of business the next morning and I would have to drop it off before she opened. All this done to hopefully lure the thieves into a trap. I contacted the local police spoke with the Sgt on duty he stated it was a great idea and they would like to be involved. He stated they would have officers near the business the next morning at the time I stated my sister would drop of the money and I described the type of vehicle she would be in. The police and I decided on the amount that would be given in the text and the time of the drop off. I stated I would leave the fake $ envelope in the mailbox. I agreed to this only on the promise the police would indeed be there and my sister would be safe and my mother’s business would be safe. The police agreed and stated they would provide enough police to make sure she and the business was safe. So I followed through with the plan, My sister dropped off the envelope with fake cash in it and I drove off. My mother’s role was to just open her business as normal.

Guess what happened next. Absolutely nothing as we waited to hear from the police and as my mother opened her business she checked her mailbox and the envelope was gone. It is safe to say the thieves showed up and took it from the mailbox that very morning. As far as the police and there promise, they never showed up! They left my sister in danger and my mother’s business in danger. They did not call to tell me they were cancelling the operation, they did not contact us at all. My mother called them and they played dumb. I tried contacting the sgt, however my calls have never been returned.

I contacted the local news stations and newspapers about the story and all of them said that they do not do stories that put the police in a bad light and that I was just being vindictive. The press issue is another story, but this example of police indifference, laziness, and incompetence is almost unreal. This is a true story and it just happened last month. This is why so many people have little confidence in the police department.
Joe
Submitted via CB’s submission tab.

Fort Stockton TX Police Leave Failure To Show Up Leave Citizens Hanging During Theft Sting. is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights