Can the Police Really Do that?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Everyone has heard stories about the happenings in Ferguson, MO surrounding the police shooting of an unarmed teenager last week. Nationwide, there is broad and intense interest in knowing the facts of this shooting, but so far, Ferguson’s police dept, and mayor’s office are keeping tight-lipped. What is clear is that the streets of Ferguson have been the scenes of repeated eruptions of protests over this incident, in large part because questions about what took place between Michael Brown and the police officer that day have remained unaddressed by those in authority. We depend on Journalists to investigate news stories, and report their findings. I don’t think many people will argue that Freedom of the Press is intrinsic to our way of life in American, and that no government entity should illegally impinge upon the Constitutional right of the press to report on a story. </p>

<p>Last night, two reporters were arrested at a Ferguson McDonalds restaurant not far from the protests, as they were writing to cover the unrest. I think I’m as troubled by this as I am by the lack of information over the shooting itself. People in power have to be very careful not to abuse their authority. We grant law enforcement broad powers to preserve and protect both the law, and law-abiding citizens. Given that, however, law enforcement needs to be vigilant not to trample on The People’s constitutional rights. I am made very uneasy by the idea that the press can be denied their right to work in peace under circumstances that seemingly pose no threat to general order and safety. Did the police really need to arrest these reporters? </p>

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<p>I want to hear more before concluding that two journalists were just sitting in a McD eating Big Macs and were arrested. Sounds like there is more to it. Maybe I’m wrong. </p>

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<p><a href=“http://gawker.com/washington-post-huffpo-reporters-arrested-in-ferguson-1621284034[/url]”>http://gawker.com/washington-post-huffpo-reporters-arrested-in-ferguson-1621284034&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<pre><code>Multiple officers grabbed me. I tried to turn my back to them to assist them in arresting me. I dropped the things from my hands.

“My hands are behind my back,” I said. “I’m not resisting. I’m not resisting.” At which point one officer said: “You’re resisting. Stop resisting.”

That was when I was most afraid — more afraid than of the tear gas and rubber bullets.

As they took me into custody, the officers slammed me into a soda machine, at one point setting off the Coke dispenser. They put plastic cuffs on me, then they led me out the door.
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<p>The reporters claimed to have been customers, as well as had been working on their stories inside the restaurant. One had said he was charging a piece of his equipment also at the time. </p>

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<p>I don’t know about the reporter situation, but I have a lot to say about the Mike Brown situation. </p>

<p>For those who have some free time, look up #IfTheyGunnedMeDown on Twitter and/or Instagram. </p>

<p>Ridiculous. </p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/08/13/reporters-say-ferguson-officers-assaulted-arrested-them-for-not-leaving-mcdonalds-quickly-enough-upon-request/[/url]”>http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/08/13/reporters-say-ferguson-officers-assaulted-arrested-them-for-not-leaving-mcdonalds-quickly-enough-upon-request/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Well, at least it sounds as if The Chief of Police believed the arresting officers had acted in excess of their authority…</p>

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<p>I hope the protests do not stop.
I hope the protests continue on until justice is found.
I hope that the wave it’s making through social media is a continuous one that makes an effect on not only the government but the social constructs of our very country. </p>

8

<p>Small towns arm themselves like they are a military force and they are going to use it.</p>

<p><a href=“Why the feds are putting grenade launchers in the hands of local cops - Vox”>Why the feds are putting grenade launchers in the hands of local cops - Vox;

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Not only was an innocent baby nearly killed, but they targeted the wrong house altogether.</p>

<p><a href=“US police departments are increasingly militarised, finds report | US constitution and civil liberties | The Guardian”>http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/jun/24/military-us-police-swat-teams-raids-aclu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I am deeply, profoundly troubled by the militarization of the police forces in this country. I don’t think any good can come of that. As some of you know, I live in a community that recently lost a black man in an altercation with the police so this has been very much on my mind. I have the comfort of knowing our DA personally and know him to be a man of great integrity and courage, so I hope the process will play out here in a respectful manner. Although I wish “Reverend” Sharpton had moved on to other things in his life now that he is a tv personality. No good can ever come of his presence, either.</p>

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<p>These arrests in the wake of the shooting infuriate and terrify me. These are the actions of a fascist police state, not an open democracy. They’ve held off the cameras but all it takes is one reporter to let the world know what’s happening there and they know it. It’s long past time that the feds and Department of Justice were involved. </p>

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<p>Reporters are letting the world know what’s happening, though. This is being covered extensively. I have no idea what happened with these two reporters except that they apparently didn’t clear out of the McDonald’s fast enough to suit the officers who the Police Chief now seems to be suggesting were not his men and made a mistake. I wish I thought the Feds were any better. I don’t.</p>

12

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The only way this will play out in a respectful manner is if some people of power come in to stop the madness. This means taking back the grenades from the police force. This means addressing the community about their concerns. This means whole-heartedly aiming for justice throughout this investigation and the community trusting their government. </p>

<p>If the above can’t happen the resolve will NOT be a respectful one. More people will die and more lines will be disrespectfully drawn. </p>

<p>It’s only a matter of time that a revolution will break out, but I have a feeling this event is just a precursor. </p>

13

<p>Generally I agree that the appearance of the feds can escalate an already intense situation. But what the people of Ferguson, MO want is a little justice for what appears to be an out and out assassination of a teenager. The DOJ can offer a real investigation. Of course the locals won’t want outside interference but it seems that his shooting should fall under a civil rights violation, making this a federal case.</p>

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<p>Something that bothers and scares me (but not as much as it would if my kid weren’t white as the driven snow) is that the more times a young person interacts with law enforcement the more chances there are for something to go horribly wrong for that kid and the more brown and male they are the more likely they are to be stopped. My kids discussed this at length after the Trayvon Martin incident and they came to the same conclusion. My husband was worried about our very Celtic looking kid walking to Jack in the Box at 11pm in the rain with a friend because HE might be a victim not because he would be mistaken for a perp. </p>

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<p>The SWAT team was under the County jurisdiction, not the local PD. I think that I would rather have a thorough and impartial investigation done before any information is released. The US Dept. of Justice is now involved. A major problem is the lack of confidence in the findings by the community. There have been tragic events that lead to mistrust. I applaud the peaceful demonstrations and those in the community that have called for calm and non-violent protest. When there is an erruption of violence and looting, there will be a high level of police response. </p>

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I was talking about the situation in my own community, which has not escalated because there has been respectful treatment of the community thus far.</p>

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<p>Saintfan, my son is as white as it gets, but he has a propensity to wearing hoodies and walking with his head down alongside his best friend who is 6’2 and black. I worry desperately about both of them. </p>

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My feelings lie very much with yours, EC. It disappointed me reading about the lootings and such. Hard to be viewed as peaceful when you’re commuting crimes. </p>

<p>Either way, zoosermom, the only way THIS situation will be respectfully resolved is what I’ve detailed above. Trust and respect needs to be present and it is not currently present. </p>

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<p>It does appear that some police forces, even in relatively small cities, are as almost as heavily armed and mechanized as our military troops deployed in Iraq, or Afghanistan. They don’t yet appear to have shoulder fired rockets or armed tanks, but it’s kind of scary, the power they potentially wield, were they to become of the mind to abuse it. Back in the sixties, when large sections of some major cities were actually set ablaze, the police in riot gear weren’t nearly so heavily armed. It’s been a long time since America has seen unrest even close to, say, the Watts riots.</p>

<p>I completely understand the need to preserve social order and public safety, but I also know that history has shown time and again that humans beings granted institutionalized authority are too often prone to abuse it. Vigilance to preserve our unique citizenship rights can never be over-exercised, in my opinion.</p>

20

<p>I used to be very supportive of local law enforcement. I taught my kids they are the “good guys”. Then, last summer I had an encounter with a sheriff’s deputy that, unfortunately, changed that.</p>

<p>While driving home from one of my kid’s friend’s birthday party, I was pulled over. I had been driving responsibly and was not speeding, texting, on the phone, etc. Four of my six kids were in the car with me. The deputy demanded I get out of the car without telling me why I had been pulled over. I probably should not have obeyed easily, but I wanted to model respect for my children, so I did. It was a full 20 minutes before he told me what I had been pulled over for. In the first 20 minutes, he kept his hand on his gun the entire time, except when he was checking on my license, registration, and insurance. I have never even had a speeding ticket or pulled over for any reason, so I was growing increasingly nervous. He kept asking me why I nervous (?), and at one point he said I must be hiding drugs in the car if I was so nervous (at this point I still had no idea why I had been pulled over). When he started talking about having my car searched, and in the meantime calling social services to have my children taken away, I began to really worry because although there were no drugs in the car, I wondered if he might plant some. He kept threatening to take my children away within earshot of my kids, and they began to cry. 20 minutes after pulling me over he tells me that he had received a report that a suspicious car (I drive a gold Honda Odyssey–it’s like the white tee shirt of cars where I live) was driving slowly through the neighborhood, and I matched the description of the woman driving it (white, blonde, roughly middle aged–again, not exactly a strange appearance here). I told him that I did indeed drive “slowly” through the neighborhood (the posted speed limit) and why. He then told me not to move an inch and went and sat in his car. For another 20 minutes. It was mid-July in the deep south. My kids were still sitting in the car. I was standing at the back of my van facing his police car. He was on the walkie talkie or whatever you call it and he was laughing, although I couldn’t hear what he was saying. After a few minutes I noticed another deputy’s car drive slowly by. Another a few minutes later. I think there were 4 total that drove by. I am guessing he called his “buddies” and told them to come watch the show. If I moved at all (scratched an itch, wiped the sweat from my brow), he used his PA system to tell me stand still. Eventually he got back out of the car and then told me that he was going to go easy on me and not arrest me (which he had also been threatening to do). Instead, he wanted me to get in the car and, in his hearing, tell my children “what I had done wrong today”. Since I was terrified at that point (his hand was still on the gun), I told my kids that I had been pulled over for driving too slowly in a neighborhood. Fortunately, he accepted that and told me not to move my car until he was out of sight.</p>

<p>By the way, I did call the sheriff’s office and reported the officer. They told me they would be contacting me if they needed any more information. I have never been contacted. But I have noticed that the deputies’ cars slow down when they pass me, and a couple have even turned around and followed me for a while. One day this week one did so, and actually turned his lights on. We were the only cars on the road. I pulled over, and he sped past me then turned his lights back off. As you can imagine, my children were traumatized (heck, so was I), and we are all, unfortunately suspicious of any law enforcement now. What a shame that children, no matter their walk of life, have good reason to see the police as the “bad guys”. I don’t think my kids would trust one at all if they were lost or in an emergency situation, and it’s hard for me to blame them. A year later, things are not much better, although we continue to work on it.</p>

<p>Before this incident, I would have given the officer(s) in MO the benefit of the doubt. I don’t now.</p>