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Tag Archives: Lack of Accountability

SSCC #426–West Palm Beach

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Before he or his mother, Cynthia Miller, could figure out why Boynton Beach police officer Michael Arco was so concerned about a man sitting in his own car in front of his own house, Andrews was in a choke hold with his arm twisted behind his back and she was slammed to the ground, according to a lawsuit alleging false arrest filed Sunday against the city in U.S. District Court.

Boy, to get that kind of treatment he must of done something really bad.

“No probable cause existed for the seizure and arrest of (Miller and Andrews) for any offense whatsoever,” attorney W. Craig Lawson wrote in the lawsuit. “No reasonable suspicion, no founded suspicion, and no articulable suspicion of criminal activity existed.”

Now before you completely dismiss it, note no charges were ever filed against the mother.  The charges against the son were merely resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, both of which were dropped.  Both of those charges are often referred to as “contempt of cop”.  But most note worthy is the following:

The same can’t be said of Arco. The 27-year-old resigned from the Boynton Beach Police Department last year after he was charged with official misconduct and perjury after prosecutors said he and another officer falsified a report that purported to explain how they entered a motel room in November 2010 to arrest an armed robbery suspect. The case against the robbery suspect was thrown out. The charges against Arco, who was disciplined several times by supervisors before he resigned, are still pending.

Rarely do bad cops ever just do it once.  No they’re allowed to continue abusing the citizens till their actions are so egregious that it could cost someone an elected position.  The response at that point is to merely let him resign.

State Sponsored Criminal #426: Michael Arco

Because when you see someone sitting in a car in their drive way, throw them on the ground and arrest them.  Just make it up as you go along, your partner will always back you up.

SSCC #425–NYPD

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There’s a reason this happened in NYC.

An unarmed Army National Guardsman was pulled over on a Queens highway and shot to death by an NYPD officer from an elite unit today — and the DA now is probing the incident that the victim’s friend is calling a case of police “road rage.”

Noel Polanco, 22, had his hands on the steering wheel of his 2012 Honda Fit moments before Detective Hassan Hamdy shot him once in the torso, a woman sitting in the front passenger seat told police, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

Reading the article it appears the officer had no reason to treat the stop as a felony stop.  He then broke two rules obviously and put a round into the driver.  Yup, still think the cops are out to protect and serve.  They’re out to merely protect their own ass if they’re protecting anyone.

Odds are the officer won’t be fired and if anything will receive “training”.  I have a feeling the training is really, “How to frame the situation better in your favor.”

The reason I say it happened in NYC, is here in free America they would be afraid of people in the car being armed and shooting back after the first shot.

State Sponsored Criminal #425:  Hassan Hamdy

Because if you’re a cop and someone cuts you off, pull him over and shoot him.  If anyone asks what happened say he shot himself!*

*Yes, read the article, the officer told his friends that the driver shot himself…

SSCC #419–Powell

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Kirk B. Chapman is facing a count of third-degree sexual assault, which alleges he used his position of authority as a police officer to get a Powell woman to submit to sexual contact last September. According to charging documents filed in the case, the woman alleges Chapman touched her genitals, rubbed his groin on her rear end and kissed her after stopping by her residence early one morning under the auspices of checking to make sure she was all right.

Have no fear though, the law enforcement office involved reacted as they all normally do.

In a Wednesday interview, Powell Police Chief Roy Eckerdt said that after the department was made aware of the allegations last year, Chapman was placed on administrative leave while investigations were pending. Eckerdt said Chapman did not return to duty before resigning in November. Eckerdt would not comment further — including on the findings of an internal investigation — saying it was a personnel matter confidential under state law.

Nothing says, son you did wrong, like giving them a paid vacation and letting them resign to save their career.

State Sponsored Criminal #419: Kirk B. Chapman

Because when you’re a cop and you see a woman you fancy, you can evidently do whatever the hell you want.  Just do your best to make sure you don’t get caught.

SSCC #418 – New Orleans

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Former New Orleans police officer, Roger Jones, 38, has resigned after being arrested — again — on hit-and-run charges. The 15-year veteran, who was already on desk duty pending investigation of a 2011 hit-and-run, confessed to hitting a car, leaving the scene of the accident, parking his police cruiser at another location, then reporting it stolen.

Emphasis mine.  Note he was arrested for the same thing.  As usual he was left to resign instead of being fired less that black mark follow him where ever he goes.

State Sponsored Criminal #418: Roger Jones

Because hit and run is perfectly acceptable when you’re a cop.  They’re anointed so it’s cool.

SSCC #417-TSA

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A convicted TSA security officer says he was part of a “culture” of indifference that allowed corrupt employees to prey on passengers’ luggage and personal belongings with impunity, thanks to lax oversight and tip-offs from TSA colleagues.

“It was very commonplace, very,” said Pythias Brown, a former TSA officer at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey who admits he stole more than $800,000 worth of items from luggage and security checkpoints over a four-year period.

What is most disturbing though is even in light of this information people continue to defend the TSA.  Ignoring that it is merely a theater that allows criminals to prey upon the citizenry with the aid of the state.

State Sponsored Criminal #417: Pythias Brown

Because the American public is merely an ATM for those who work for the government.

SSCC Honorable Mention – Cleveland

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This one is still vague on the details though the incident type is not unprecedented.

A police probe is now looking at whether Cleveland police officers took guns and gun parts from their shooting range and sold them online.

*Now I watched the video, yes that shell is backwards but it was an induced failure during ejection.

State Sponsored Criminal Honorable Mention: John Doe

Because when you need a quick buck, just sell property owned by the public.

SSCC Update – Lincoln County WY

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Via Uncle I came across another article that paints an even worse picture.

A Wyoming sheriff’s deputy who detained a combat veteran in handcuffs for openly carrying a pistol offered to let him go if he agreed to let another deputy draw his weapon and shoot if the veteran made any sudden moves while driving away, court records show.

Your guess of what would be considered a “sudden move” is as good as mine.  Thankfully the victim in this case was smart enough to refuse, less they decided to ventilate him for fun using a ready-made excuse.

“I didn’t know whether kicking my leg over the bike, or walking away, or what they could possibly constitute as a hostile act,” Pierson said in a telephone interview Monday. “I didn’t like the terms. And I was a little unnerved by the fact that they were threatening lethal force with a deadly weapon against a man who was compliant, in handcuffs, who had been screened.”

Yet the department has supported the actions of these officers.  The clue about the cause of the problem though was this statement:

“We’re told every day, our safety is first,” he said. “We’re here to come home every night.”

Guess officers no longer in the business of protecting and serving now are they?  You would rather threaten lethal force against a law-abiding citizen and commit assault with a deadly weapon than do your job.  Yes there are risks for law enforcement, but that is the price of freedom and liberty and if you don’t like it, no one is forcing you to be a police officer.

The victim in this case understands the same:

Pierson said he is seeking damages, an apology and a statement by the jurisdictions involved that the open carry of handguns is lawful — and that the purpose of government is not officer safety but the protection of peoples’ lives, liberty and property.

There is nothing scarier than a guy with a badge and gun and thus has “qualified immunity” and having him so willing to deprive people of their liberty as well as use lethal force.  If you live in that county, contact the sheriff and voice your displeasure.

State Sponsored Criminal #415: Corry Bassett

State Sponsored Criminal #416: Rob Andazola

Because protecting and serving means you plug the law-abiding citizen who serves his country more fervently than yourself in the back because you feel like it, you just need to get his permission first.

SSCC Honorable Mention–Houston

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A Houston police officer shot and killed a one-armed, one-legged man in a wheelchair Saturday inside a group home after police say the double amputee threatened the officer and aggressively waved a metal object that turned out to be a pen.

Like Tam said, I prefer to avoid Monday morning quarter backing, which actually is kind of hard at times with this series because one side tells a story and the other side usually refuses to say anything.  This case though has some serious red flags.  Flags that wave as prominently as this incident with the Seattle PD.

"It was close quarters in the area of the house," Silva said. "The officer was forced into an area where he had no way to get out."

In other words the officer was incompetent, placed himself in a position where he either closed the distance to an aggressor, or he let the aggressor place him in a position with no ability to withdraw.  Both of which are failures on the officers part.

This is merely an honorable mention because there is no indication that the officer was intending this outcome, then again there wasn’t with the Seattle PD incident.  This however was in a building instead of outside where the interaction was much more open and the Seattle officer had many more options at his disposal.

State Sponsored Criminal Honorable Mention: Officer Matthew Jacob Marin

Because when you’re responding to the scene of someone who has been known to get a little off kilter, by all means close distance with him and let him back you in a corner.  Sure it will be self-defense, but no one will second guess your negligence and how it contributed to the death of another.*

h/t Tam 

*There are times where the SHTF and it just goes south.  It is extremely difficult for me to believe that negligence wasn’t a factor in this case.  My suspicion is Officer Barney Fife here was complacent because “it’s a dude in a wheel chair” and just ditched the initiative.  His OODA loop response time was lacking because of it.