Search Results for: node/SSCC children police

SSCC #15–Renton, WA Police

So back over near my old stomping ground the Renton police have as always continue their tradition of being up to no good.  It seems that some cartoonist decided to make fun of the situation, except the department didn’t find it too funny.

The Renton City Prosecutor wants to send a cartoonist to jail for mocking the police department in a series of animated Internet videos.

The "South-Park"-style animations parody everything from officers having sex on duty to certain personnel getting promoted without necessary qualifications. While the city wants to criminalize the cartoons, First Amendment rights advocates say the move is an "extreme abuse of power."

Here’s the cartoon’s in question, all nine actually that are being used as evidence in the “cyber stalking” case against the creator.

So for grins I went and looked up RCW (9.61.260) which states:

(1) A person is guilty of cyberstalking if he or she, with intent to harass, intimidate, torment, or embarrass any other person, and under circumstances not constituting telephone harassment, makes an electronic communication to such other person or a third party:
     (a) Using any lewd, lascivious, indecent, or obscene words, images, or language, or suggesting the commission of any lewd or lascivious act;
     (b) Anonymously or repeatedly whether or not conversation occurs; or
     (c) Threatening to inflict injury on the person or property of the person called or any member of his or her family or household.
     (2) Cyberstalking is a gross misdemeanor, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section.
     (3) Cyberstalking is a class C felony if either of the following applies:
     (a) The perpetrator has previously been convicted of the crime of harassment, as defined in RCW 9A.46.060, with the same victim or a member of the victim’s family or household or any person specifically named in a no-contact order or no-harassment order in this or any other state; or
     (b) The perpetrator engages in the behavior prohibited under subsection (1)(c) of this section by threatening to kill the person threatened or any other person.
     (4) Any offense committed under this section may be deemed to have been committed either at the place from which the communication was made or at the place where the communication was received.
     (5) For purposes of this section, "electronic communication" means the transmission of information by wire, radio, optical cable, electromagnetic, or other similar means. "Electronic communication" includes, but is not limited to, electronic mail, internet-based communications, pager service, and electronic text messaging.

The department is claiming that the cartoons were posted by someone within the department for the express purpose of harassing the individuals.  From watching that video I can’t help but think this is nothing more than standard banter towards the police department.

Frankly I think some people need to get some thicker skin, especially if you work for the public.  If you do stupid shit and someone points it out, even in a cartoon online, deal with it.  If you don’t like it, stop doing stupid shit!  It’s a fairly simple concept.

I was going to just give this an honorable mention but it wore and me more and more throughout the day.  The harassment charge is quite thin, especially since they still have to prove that author intended to harass the specific individuals.  So now we get to see yet another municipality in the Peoples Republik of Puget Sound waste tax payer money.  Given they ultimately are attempting to intimidate others who would do the same it gains my seal of approval.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 15

Because someone pointing out your idiocy shouldn’t be allowed if your work for the state.

via Phil.

SSCC #62-#73–Orlando Police

Prosecutors have dropped attempted murder charges against a man who was shot in November by Orlando police officers who claimed he tried to ram them with his van.

The decision came after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement obtained surveillance video that appears to show an Orlando police pickup truck pushing the van into other officers’ vehicles.

But wait, there’s more… (Emphasis mine)

The FDLE forwarded its findings to the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office, which dropped charges of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and other serious felonies that could have led to life sentences. Prosecutors have decided to take no action against the officers.

So let me get this straight.  Cop A rams the citizen’s car into Cop B who then shoots claiming the citizen tried to run him over.  Seriously you can’t make crap like this up.  To then put the icing on the cake, they attempt to charge the man with attempted murder, which would have stuck had it not been for the surveillance tape.  Since the officers got busted lying, it doesn’t matter because it’s just business as usual.

Seriously no charges, none!?  Evidently anything and everything goes if you’re an Orlando police officer even if you get caught.  If you want some side income, become an Orlando PD officer and run a brothel.  If they don’t care about attempted murder, perjury, and unlawful use of force; why would they care about an officer running a brothel?

Every officer associated with this incident is guilty, due to the following, that ticker is rolling fast.

OPD is conducting an internal investigation of an undisclosed number of the dozen officers involved in the takedown in the Target parking lot on East Colonial Drive on the Sunday before Thanksgiving 2010.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 73

Because when you feel the need to kill something, just stage the incident like you needed to use lethal force, it’s cool!

Via: Phssthpok in GBC

SSCC #49–Lakewood Police

When they found Rice wasn’t home, they asked an obliging employee of the complex to open up the apartment without her consent. Once inside, they raided the gun rack, making off with 13 firearms worth around $15,000. The only problem: They had no apparent reason to.

This woman had broken no laws.  The weapons were legally owned.  The police confiscated them without warrant.  Then when she requested they be returned, they demanded there be a court order.  May Mrs. Rice’s attorney  send the city of Lakewood into receivership.

This isn’t the first time that police have gone shopping for new firearms using someone’s personal property as the store.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 49

Because really being a cop just allows you to shop through other peoples property.  The law is just for everyone else to follow.

H/t Dave Hardy

SSCC #254–Washington DC Police

 Matthew Corrigan, who lives alone with his dog, sued the District of Columbia in D.C. Federal Court.

Confronted with a massive police presence after his plea for help, Corrigan says, he denied officers permission to enter his house, but they entered and trashed it anyway, saying, "I don’t have time to play this constitutional bullshit!"

What exactly happened though, maybe there was a mistake?  Yup there was.

 "Corrigan telephoned what he believed to be the ‘Military’s Emotional Support Hotline’ because he was depressed and had not slept for several days," the complaint states.

"The number Corrigan called was in fact the National Suicide Hotline. When he stated that he was a veteran, he was asked if he had firearms, to which he said yes. He said nothing about being suicidal or using a firearm or threatening anyone. After a short conversation, Corrigan hung up, turned off the phone, took prescribed sleeping medication, and went to bed.

Here we have a veteran who was depressed, reaching out for help and the response of our wonderful state is to kill his fish, seize his dog, and violate his rights.  Yeah, I can’t blame that veteran for being depressed.  With the way our police act now, who isn’t?  Seriously go read the story and tell me that doesn’t make you loose faith in those who go into law enforcement.

State Sponsored Criminal Count #254: John Doe –Every one of those officers shares fault.

Because when someone is depressed that must mean they’re suicidal and we should trample all over them right.

via Ry.

*Before anyone emails me about how horrible suicide is and how insensitive I am, you should know my uncle, a friend in high school, and a friend of mines father all committed suicide.  Two of those were with a firearm.  I am quite familiar with how serious it is.  However being depressed doesn’t mean you’re suicidal.

SSCC #411 – Seattle

That’s right folks, the Seattle PD had decided to return to the land of the criminal count.  This one is juicy…

In a complaint filed in Seattle Municipal Court, Donnie R. Lowe, 45, was accused of knowingly violating a no-contact order issued after his arrest in June for allegedly assaulting his wife.

Lowe’s wife was believed to be a passenger in a car when Seattle police stopped him Aug. 14 for allegedly talking on his cellphone while driving, according to sources familiar with the case. But Lowe was not immediately arrested because police were not able to verify the court order as a result of a computer problem, the sources said.

Now initially it doesn’t sound that bad, especially since the judge issued the no-contact order without a request to do so from the wife.  So a judge did something against the will of both the defendant and plaintiff and they possibly violated it, but here’s the real reason this sucker is juicy.

The new charge further clouded Lowe’s career in the Police Department, in which his bachelor’s degree in business and master’s in public administration helped him land a position on the police-reform effort but whose troubling history of bad judgment and misconduct raised questions about his selection.

That’s right folks, the Seattle Police departments first choice to aid  in their reform behaves like this.  It is worth noting that he has since been removed as the team leader and the situation has changed due to this incident.

Since then, the city and Justice Department reached a comprehensive settlement agreement in July in which a court-appointed monitor will oversee broad reforms in police practices.

The most entertaining part though is this isn’t the first time he has behaved in a questionable nature.

He previously was disciplined after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in 2008. He pleaded guilty to an amended charge of reckless driving, later dismissed when he met court conditions. The department then suspended him for four days without pay after an internal investigation.

Lowe also received internal reprimands for inappropriate physical treatment of his handcuffed son while he was in police custody in a holding cell in 2006, and over an improper effort to retrieve from a man nude photographs of a female acquaintance in 2002.

Have no fear though, I’m sure he’s on paid administrative leave, pulling down his $148,000 salary.  Seriously you can’t make this stuff up!

State Sponsored Criminal #411: Donnie R. Lowe

Because what better man to help aid the department in reform than a man who is obviously in need of some reform himself.

 

SSCC #8-#10, Three Tennessee Police Strip, Tase, and Beat a Man

The FBI is investigating a video from a Tennessee police car dashcam that shows police stripping a man naked and then beating and tasing him.

Now evidently he was out of parole, but overall this whole incident speaks of excessive.  None of the officers tried to express any restraint on their fellow officers.  Each was more than willing and complicit in their own actions and that of their fellow officers.

While officer safety is a concern, most certainly a man lying on the ground naked in the snow is not a threat worthy of beating and tasing, especially if you’re the individual responsible for stripping him.

The fact that 3 officers were all involved and all three mutually worked to abuse this individual instead of thinking the problem through given their superior numbers earns all 3 a place on the count.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 10

Just because a cop has the ability doesn’t mean he should, just like the rest of the civilian populace.

SSCC #166 – Vermont State Police

In keeping with my previous post regarding the state monopoly on alcohol and the PSH involved I found the following quite fitting.

A Vermont State Police officer has pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, according to the state attorney general.

He did resign from his job, but he only got a $500 fine.  No time in jail, nothing.  We’re coming up on the holidays and I always remember seeing numerous ads from police agencies about drinking and driving.

The fact of the matter is drinking and driving is bad and he sure as hell knew better.  I have absolutely no sympathy and while he’s no longer employed the lack of a stiff sentence given his position is wrong.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 166: Joshua P. Lemieux

Because drinking and driving is only bad when the person who does it isn’t in law enforcement.

SSCC #321–Portland

Police took down Dan Halsted while he was just innocently walking home. The officer stunned Halsted five times with a Taser in the back because he thought he sprayed some graffiti.

Then when the officer realized that he screwed up what did he do?

"The arresting officer in his police report, he made up a whole other story and said that I had been running down the street with a couple other people."

Don’t worry though if you live in Portland:

The settlement comes not long after a city audit recommended police limit the times a person’s stunned. Most police agencies train officers to stun suspects up to three times.

Portland police doesn’t comment on lawsuits but said officers just completed refresher training on Tasers.

Because that totally solves the problem of out of control police officers that obviously have zero restraint.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 321: Portland Police Officer John Doe

Because someone running away from you while you’re acting aggressive is an excuse to continually use force.