For the details, see this report at National Review, and watch the video below. It shows a US Army Master Sergeant being illegally disarmed by a Temple PD officer. Please note the 'official' attitude and language.
"We're exempt from the law", eh? That officer needs a clue-by-four upside the head - repeatedly!
I'd be grateful if my readers would please let Chief of Police Gary Smith know their feelings about this - also Mayor William A. Jones III. Any officers with attitudes such as those displayed here need to be taken off the streets, at once if not sooner. They're not only not ensuring public safety, they're public menaces in and of themselves!
I also hope that Master Sergeant Grisham sues Temple, both city and PD, for everything from their hat to their cotton socks. Just who the hell do these clowns think they are?
Peter
EDITED TO ADD: In the light of some of the comments to this post, I've expanded upon the problem in another article. I hope that makes my position clearer.
11 comments:
They're practicing to be the next Canton, OH, apparently.
They are "Only Ones". It's a pandemic, from all the stories I see lately.
One foundational problem is that we as a nation have lost anything resembling what it means to be an American.
http://www.thedailybell.com/28989/Nelson-Hultberg-Americas-Ruling-Troika
This is "My Creed" written decades ago by a real American, Dean Alfang.
"I do not choose to be a common man. It is my right to be uncommon. I seek opportunity to develop whatever talents God gave me -- not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me. I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia. I will not trade freedom for beneficience nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any earthly master nor bend to any threat. It is myheritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say -- 'This, with God's help, I have done.' All this is what it means to be an American."
Or at least, it used to.
Pastor Glenn
Friend Eric sent this to me yesterday on mybook... http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2nd-amendment-legal-defense-fund
Boyd K
He went to jail, the cops went home. There will be no lawsuit because the guy acted a fool and got himself arrested. I honestly don't think it's always or often appropriate for a guy to run around on public roads carrying a rifle on a special combat sling looking like an amateur Rambo. I support open carry just like I support free speech but I don't run around shouting vile profanities even though I am allowed to under more liberal interpretations of the law and likewise, I don't carry a long arm in public places like my neighborhood streets because it would scare hell out of most everyone. Notice the CITY police arrested this loudmouth. He was in the CITY LIMITS. Had he cooperated he might well have not been arrested but his attitude caused his arrest. They legally confiscated his firearm because he was arrested. This was well within the law. This guy was an embarrassment and not someone to support. It does not matter what the cop said after he arrested this guy. Nope. There will be no lawsuit and this fool will pay lawyers lots of money. Even the open carry.org people only support open carry of handguns. Not long arms. A couple years ago some dude decided he wanted to demonstrate his constitutional rights by carrying a shotgun into a public library. If you can't see the stupid in that, then we have nothing to discuss.
Come on! This guy is obviously a nut case who went out of his way to cause a scene. This is not helping the cause.
@Kansas Scout: We have a paradigm problem here. There are two approaches to this sort of issue:
1. If it's not explicitly forbidden, it's permitted.
2. If it's not explicitly permitted, it's forbidden.
Therein lies the problem. The US constitution, and most of our legal history, has fallen into the first camp. In this case, if carrying a rifle in public is not forbidden by law, then it's not illegal, and no policeman has the right to confiscate the weapon in question - particularly not by walking up to someone and laying hands on the weapon before saying a word!
Those who are defending the actions of the police in this situation appear to be defaulting to the second approach above; that in the absence of specific authorization to carry a rifle openly, he shouldn't have been doing it. Sorry. The law does not state that, and it's not in line with our legal history and heritage.
This boils down to a question of authority. I reject with contempt anyone's attempt to exercise an illegitimate and unconstitutional authority over me, and I'll resist that at every turn. Furthermore, I say that as a retired law enforcement officer. If I'd been in the Master Sergeant's shoes, I'd have responded even more forcefully than he did - and there's no way in hell I'd allow those cops to get away with their conduct. It was flat-out wrong from the start.
Kansas Scout, he was carrying a rifle legally and to protect himself and his son in an area where there are the kind of wild animals that will hurt people.
Furthermore, the cop who drove his son home INTERROGATED THE BOY IN THE CAR WITHOUT FATHER OR MOTHER PRESENT. Sorry, but the cops abused their authority and I hope the judge tears skin off of them for this. The cops are out of line on this and they overstepped their boundaries. Unless of course you can show me the specific law that covers "rudely brandishing" a weapon.
90% of cops give the other 10% a bad name. I have only been around 65 years or so and my stepfather was a cop. If you ever wonder where the school bully or ex jock ended up look at a local police department. I long ago gave up trusting cops, there is always an agenda.
James Old Guy
Every citizen has the right to why they are being detained. As a veteran myself we are taught to NEVER relinquish your weapon. The MSgt never resisted. The only thing he did was ask why he was being detained.
I watched the video twice and that was about the most unprofessional handling and approach to that man. To me it shows a lack of proper training on the police department side, both officers were rude and unprofessional period. They escalated the situation by the way they attempted to handle it period.
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