Decay In Law Enforcement 26

Liberty In Peril

formerly,

The Llano Ledger

6-28-19

Uncommon Valor. Best in policing. A rookie officer heroically gave her life in performance of her duties. CBS News reports:

"A rookie Sacramento police officer was fatally shot during a domestic violence call and lay wounded for about 45 minutes as the gunman kept officers at bay with volleys of bullets, authorities said Thursday. Officer Tara O'Sullivan, 26, was shot Wednesday while helping a woman collect her belongings to leave her home."

Uncommon Valor. Best of the best.

"As officers swarmed the area, the gunman continued firing and the standoff lasted about eight hours before he surrendered. Sacramento Police on Thursday identified the suspect as 45-year-old Adel Sambrano Ramos and said he's been booked on charges relating to O'Sullivan's murder. "We are devastated," Deputy Chief Dave Peletta said at a news conference. "There are no words to convey the depth of sadness we feel or how heartbroken we are for the family of our young, brave officer."

Uncommon Valor. Incredible courage.

"O'Sullivan and other officers arrived at the home at 5:41 p.m. Wednesday. A half-hour later the first shots were fired and O'Sullivan was hit. The woman she was helping was not hurt. The relationship between that woman and the gunman was not immediately known. It also was unclear if the gunman was on the scene when officers arrived or if he showed up while they were there. The suspect's brother, Orlando Ramos, told the Associated Press he has a history of domestic violence and drug abuse and has been in and out of jail for years. The gunman continued firing a rifle-type weapon, police said. At 6:54 p.m., additional officers responded with an armored vehicle to rescue O'Sullivan. "Our officers maintained cover in safe positions until we were able to get an armored vehicle in the area," police Sgt. Vance Chandler said. Five minutes later, O'Sullivan was taken to UC Davis Medical Center, where she died."

This officer should have been rescued far sooner:

"Stephen Nasta, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former inspector with the New York Police Department, said taking 45 minutes to reach a wounded officer was "unacceptable." If officers couldn't immediately get an armored police vehicle to the scene, he said, they should have commandeered a bank armored vehicle, bus or heavy construction equipment. "If there's somebody shot, lying on the ground, you have to do everything you can," Nasta said. If no such vehicle was available, he said he would expect officers to use a diversionary tactic such as firing at the home, deploying smoke grenades or breaking a door or window in another part of the home to distract the gunman as other officers rescued the downed officer."

Forty-five minutes seems like an eternity.

"O'Sullivan graduated from the police academy in December and was working with a training officer. She was expected to be on her own in a couple of weeks, Peletta said. Mayor Darrell Steinberg issued a statement to O'Sullivan's parents, family and fellow officers. "As a father I am grieving with you," he said. "As mayor of the city she swore to protect, our city is heartbroken and we are here for you every step of the way." O'Sullivan grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated last year from Sacramento State University with a degree in child development."

... Just at the very beginning of what would have been a most promising career of public service.

"In a Facebook post, Steinberg said O'Sullivan was in the first graduating class of a groundbreaking program at Sacramento State that "emphasizes the importance of inclusion and cultural competence for future law enforcement leaders — of which Tara undoubtedly would have been."

No question. Well-educated. Dedicated. Sad, sad loss for the community and loved ones.

"Before being hired as a Sacramento officer, O'Sullivan worked with the police department as part of a community service program providing crime prevention support. Devastated members of the Sacramento State community held a press conference Thursday, describing O'Sullivan as a leader in the school's Law Enforcement Candidate Scholar's program. Sacramento State president Robert Nelsen cried as he called O'Sullivan a hero. "She had a big heart, a strong mind, a great personality, she made you smile," Nelsen said. "She is exactly what we need in the police force."

That's right.

"He said the school community was planning on raising money for a scholarship in her honor. "We will never forget her. She will always be a Hornet," Nelsen said. "And we will aspire to be as good as she is."

Uncommon Valor.

ABC News reports:

"A rookie Sacramento police officer who died during a domestic violence call was ambushed by a gunman and had no chance of surviving her wounds, police said Friday. Tara O'Sullivan, 26, was shot several times and one of the wounds was "non-survivable," Sgt. Vance Chandler said at a late-night news conference during which police released police body camera video of the Wednesday night confrontation. The department has been under scrutiny because it took 45 minutes to rescue the downed officer, who died at a hospital."

Be interesting to see if this is indeed backed up by medical authorities.

"Police Chief Daniel Hahn said the gunman had stashed two assault rifles , a shotgun and a handgun in different rooms and opened fire as officers knocked on the door. "The officers were essentially ambushed," Hahn said. O'Sullivan was standing behind her training officer, Daniel Chip, when she was struck, police said. Bodycam footage from Chip showed him approaching a detached garage with gun drawn and knocking, calling out: "Hey, Adel, Police Department... You're not under arrest, you're not in trouble." The officer then opens the screen door and proceeds to cautiously enter the open doorway, asking Adel if he is inside and repeating: "You're not in trouble, dude." At that moment, more than 20 rapid shots are heard. The officer runs for cover and as shots continue to ring out, he radios that a high-powered rifle is being fired and adds: "Officer down! Officer down!" Police said the gunman opened fire behind the officers from a house, where he had barricaded the front door. On Friday, Adel Sambrano Ramos, 45, was charged with murder, the attempted murder of a fellow officer, and possessing two illegal assault rifles. The charges include special circumstances, including that he killed her while lying in wait, that would allow authorities to seek the death penalty. However, that decision is months away and Gov. Gavin Newsom has imposed a moratorium on executions.

"Police described the gunman as strategically shooting at officers for hours, using all the weapons in different rooms. He surrendered after an eight-hour standoff. Hahn said patrol car doors and protective vests couldn't stop the high-powered rifle rounds and if officers had tried to rescue their fallen colleague before an armored vehicle arrived, "we would have additional officers murdered at that day." The armored vehicle also was peppered with gunfire, Hahn said. "This was an ambush-style attack on Sacramento police officers that lasted for hours. Under the most dangerous and trying circumstances, our officers performed admirably," the chief said."

Hopefully, that's the case. Time will tell. No matter what, the rookie officer died heroically. Doing her job. Uncommon Valor.

"Nine days before the officer's killing, a judge issued a warrant for Ramos's arrest for failing to appear on a charge of battering a young woman. Police said he opened fire as O'Sullivan and other officers helped an unidentified woman clear out her belongings from the garage of a North Sacramento home."

Uncommon Valor. Doing her job under extremely dangerous circumstances.

"It is not uncommon for young rookies, like O'Sullivan, to be sent even on notoriously dangerous domestic violence calls as they experience different aspects of police work as part of the training process. The Sacramento Police Department's newest officers, who were sworn in Thursday night, said they practice what to do if they are ambushed during traffic stops or building searches. Newly minted Officer Berlinda Cato said they have an entire class on domestic violence and train with different scenarios on handling domestic violence calls. "We understand that domestic violence calls — well, any call for that matter — can turn south really quick, can be really bad really quick," said new Officer Thom Panen. "You can't really train for every eventuality. You just have to keep your head on a swivel and make decisions as they come." O'Sullivan graduated from the police academy in December. She was expected to be on her own in a couple of weeks."

6-28-19

Law enforcement is an extremely dangerous profession. The following is an example of Uncommon Valor. ABC News reports:

"A 13-year veteran police corporal died Thursday night after being shot in the line of duty in Mission, Texas. It was the first time the town saw the loss of a police officer in the line of duty since 1978, police said. Mission Police Cpl. Jose Espericueta leaves behind a wife and two children, police said.

"Our police officers put their lives on the line for the safety of our community. Today our hearts are broken as we mourn the loss of Cpl. Jose “Speedy” Espericueta. We ask for continued prayers for his family and our officers during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/XdjAZXuEkl
— City of Mission, TX (@CityOfMissionTX) June 21, 2019"

Uncommon Valor:

"The incident started when a woman waved down an officer Thursday to say her 33-year-old son shot at her car with a handgun, police said. Espericueta responded and tried to make contact with the suspect, who then ran away from him, police said. As the suspect ran, he turned around and began firing, police said, and he exchanged gunfire with Espericueta and other officers. Espericueta was struck multiple times, police said."

Uncommon Valor. A sad, sad day. Needless loss of life.

"The suspect is in custody, according to ABC affiliate KRGV in Weslaco, Texas. "We're devastated," the City of Mission wrote on Twitter late Thursday night. "He gave his life protecting us. There are no words to explain how heartbroken we are as a community." "It is a sad day in Mission. Tonight we lost one of our own," Mission Mayor Armando O'Cana wrote on Twitter. "Our hearts are with the officer's family."

6-28-19

All in a day's work. ABC News reports:

"A Georgia family and local sheriff's deputy are opening up about the "emotional" moment they rescued an unidentified baby girl who was abandoned in a plastic shopping bag. The baby, temporarily named India, was found in good condition in a somewhat isolated, wooded area of Forsyth County on the night of June 6, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office. Her umbilical cord was still attached. Authorities believe she was born within hours of being found. "When we were able to pick her up, wrap her up, get her a little warm, I was able to talk to her a little bit," Forsyth Sheriff's Deputy Terry Roper, who was the first to the scene, told "Good Morning America" on Wednesday. "I wanted to give her comfort," he said. "A little bit later I realized it was the first time she had felt love, and I felt honored to be able to give her that." India had no significant injuries, Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman said, calling it "a miracle." The sheriff's office said Wednesday that she's "thriving and is in the care of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services." She was in the plastic bag tied up, but her arm had come out of the bag. It was a 911 call was made by a local family that led to India's rescue. The Ragatz sisters were unloading a trailer outside their house when Kyler Ragatz said she heard what she thought was a cat. Her sister, Kayla Ragatz, said, "It sounded like a baby, but you never would think that it's a baby." The sisters decided to grab flashlights and check the sound out with their parents. "She was in the plastic bag tied up, but her arm had come out of the bag," Kayla Ragatz told "GMA." Kyler Ragatz said she "started balling ... it was just so emotional." "I was angry, scared, sad," she added. Freeman called the family "the heroes in this." "To hear a noise that is a considerable distance from their home, that this baby can cry this loud while being tied up in a plastic bag ... to think they actually went and took the time to go investigate this," Freeman told "GMA" on Wednesday. "Without them, this is an entirely different and much more tragic story." But the sheriff said he still needs to know who left the baby and why. "Whoever left this child there did not leave this child with the intent of it being found," Freeman said. "We need the public's help ... somebody knows something about Baby India."

"Georgia's Safe Haven Law allows a mother up to 30 days after birth to leave a baby with an individual at a hospital, a fire station, a police station or sheriff's station, the sheriff said."

Precisely, what the mother should have done.

6-28-19

5-25-18

... Hey, Sheriff? Is it true Llano County Attorney Becky Lange has advised you to stay out of the "Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764" fiasco? That right, Bill? Isn't that obstruction of justice? Also true your deputies have advised the Bolens to accept the status quo and not force the no-trespassing issue with Greene? If so, isn't that also obstruction and official oppression? When will you do your job, Bill? As an elected official, you answer to the public, forget? -- No honor? ... No honor at all? If the foregoing allegations are indeed true, didn't you swear an oath to uphold the law and Constitution? Why aren't you doing so? No guts?

Your deputy has been accused of abusing authority. What action have you taken other than ignore the complaint? Why aren't both Rodriguez and the County Attorney under criminal investigation? The County Attorney appears to be obstructing justice, accepting the word of Greene in lieu of two surveyor companies who strongly assert otherwise. Both the County Attorney and District Attorney have ignored complaints. Par for the course in Llano County, isn't it? Failed to do their jobs. No surprise there, right, Bill? Both receiving 'special consideration' up to and/or including a bribe from Greene? Regardless, clearly, no justice in Nazi Llano County. Bottom line? Desperate need for an outside criminal investigation. Conveniently, forget? This County is ruled by men, certainly not rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Precisely, why there is desperate need for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute criminal law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges in a special court whose only mandate would be to adjudicate such cases. Total independence. Until that happens, the criminal bastards who falsely believe they run and own this hell hole County will continue to do as they please.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... "Sadly, the achingly clueless bastards in law enforcement don't need a legitimate reason to kill. Enjoy carte blanche to murder on the job. Nearly always, with impunity. ... Right, Sheriff? Sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--ker, the department, and the city. Any officer engaged in, or threatening this kind of unnecessary violence needs to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. Not put on paid leave, -- no more than a paid vacation.

Firing is egregiously insufficient. How can the law enforcement community be trusted? No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than the criminal jackbooted bastards in law enforcement. ... Right, Sheriff? Madam County Attorney? "Sonny Boy?"

These are extremely dangerous times for our formerly great country. ... Hear the rumble? An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming. -- As our legislators and other government officials figuratively 'fiddle while Rome burns.'

Not good enough. Nowhere near. Short of an unwanted dreaded second American revolution, only one way for these atrocities to end. Time for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court whose sole function would be to adjudicate such cases. Total independence.

Local and state authorities are egregiously incapable of handling these cases. Tend to protect their own. ... Right, Sheriff? Goes with the territory, doesn't it, Bill? Precisely, why there is no faith or trust in your criminal jackbooted bastards. Local authorities here in Nazi Llano County have their heads figuratively, securely lodged so far up their clueless ass their eyeballs are turning inside out. Protect and coddle your clueless, out of control officers. Imagine that.

Unadulterated, blatant ongoing horse shit. ... Right, Bill? F--k these jackbooted bastards. Aren't worth a crap. Continually abrogate their oaths of office to protect and defend the United States Constitution. ... Right, Sheriff? Includes not only deputies, but the brass as well. No principles. No honor. Lying, conniving, abusive, murderous jackbooted thieving thugs. The American Civil Liberties Union needs to step up and represent the victims of abusive law enforcement.

To say nothing of innocent civilians all across our formerly great country who are victimized by abusive police. Need far better representation than a public defender. Forget? It's how the bastards in government line government coffers. All too often, looting the innocent. Those on the bottom of the food chain. ... Right, Sheriff?

No justice. The American Way. Nazi America. When is this shit finally going to end? All of it. Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred sixty six weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace.

Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting. Who the hell are they?

When will the goddamned 'law' 'enforcement' community finally stop making excuses for engaging in outrageous criminal activity including blatant murder, violent assault, sexual assault, theft, drug trafficking, etc.? List can go on and on. Protecting its own no matter what it does or doesn't do? Convenient, isn't it, Sheriff? Again, no foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than all branches and levels of government, -- including law enforcement.

Corruption within law enforcement remains an existential threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. So what else is new? ... Right, Bill? Same old duplicitous, aggressively stupid shit occurs right here in Nazi Llano County. ... Doesn't it, Sheriff?

Think it'll change any time soon? Don't hold your breath, readers. Not how things work in Nazi America, right, Sheriff? Highly reminiscent of how your goons operate though, isn't it, Bill? Forget? 'Stupid is as stupid does.' F--ked up is f--ked up no matter where, no matter how. Problem throughout all law enforcement.

Including right here in Nazi Llano County, right, Sheriff? Too many officers clearly have their heads securely lodged where the sun seldom shines. Egregious insanity continues to be perpetrated by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Ongoing issue. All over our formerly great country.

Not just in Dallas as in the Guyger case, but all over the nation. No end to it. Surprised? Why? In today's increasingly national socialist climate anything goes, right, Bill? Live in a de facto fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. Certainly, a problem here in Nazi Llano County, isn't it, Sheriff? Your goons, however, aren't held accountable when they egregiously f--k up. Ever.

Precisely why you refuse to release information on your deputies to the long-suffering public? That is, employment history, criminal background, results of drug testing, etc.. ... Got to protect your criminal jackbooted thugs preying on the citizenry with virtual impunity, right, sir?

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to a Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property. Why are you protecting this clueless son of a bitch, Sheriff?

Why hasn't he been prosecuted for official oppression? Where is financial compensation for the damage this jackbooted piece of human excrement is responsible for? Ferociously pointedly, why are the District Attorney and the County Attorney continuing to protect this jackbooted piece of shit? He and others like him present an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.

Equally to the point, why are your jackbooted pieces of human excrement refusing to enforce Berardi's property rights? Your goons have failed to take action against Theresa Ahrens when she tore down a no trespassing sign and barrier on Berardi's property. Have you, your goons, and/or Madam County Attorney been bribed by Johnny Greene?

Ahrens frequently drives all the way through Berardi's property. Coup de grace? When Berardi complained to Llano County Deputy Idle about the trespassing, the officer's response was insane. Said the Sheriff told him to tell Berardi since Ahrens believes she owns his property she can't be charged with trespassing. Perfect Catch-22, right, Sheriff? You're not fit for office, Bill. Bribed by Johnny Greene?

Why is Theresa Ahrens allowed by your goons to dictate what vehicles can and cannot be parked on Berardi's property? Ahrens claims she has proof the property belongs to her where the vehicle was parked. Has failed to produce it. Surveyors say otherwise. Back up Berardi. Yet, your jackbooted bastards refuse to enforce Berardi's property rights. Why? Somebody lining somebody's pockets, Sheriff?

Ms. Ahrens micro-mini portable 'house' is parked on an unused unmarked Llano County road. Imagine that. Madam County Attorney well-aware. Has done nothing. Shit squat. Egregiously ignored her oath of office. Someone bribing you, Becky? Lining your pockets, Counselor? Paying you not to sell the unused unmarked County road to Berardi? Doesn't the County want and need the sale money, to say nothing of the resultant tax income?

No question, County and State agencies remain determinedly, concertedly, achingly incapable of criminal investigation of their own. Precisely, why a new federal agency desperately needs to be created whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court whose sole function would be to adjudicate only such cases. Total independence. Certainly, go a long, long way to cleaning up this cess pool County. Rein in the outrageously corrupt, abusive, achingly inept, self-serving assholes who run and own this hell hole.

Sheriff, you falsely claim the Kingsland County Commissioner has the authority to resolve this ongoing property rights issue. Clearly, doesn't. You, Madam County Attorney, and "Sonny Boy" are certainly an egregious impediment, continue to determinedly stonewall. Someone's pockets are being lined. Again, where's financial compensation for the damage Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 is directly responsible for to the Pace Arrow? Why hasn't he been prosecuted for this damage, to say nothing of infringement of Berardi's property rights? -- Just getting started, Sheriff. Far more to come.

-- You're not doing your jobs, Sheriff. You've got a loose vicious dog problem in Kingsland, Bill. When will you and the troops finally do something about this ongoing issue? Certainly, a recurring problem on Skyline, particularly on occasion at the intersection of Odessa. Pedestrians, runners, and cyclists are at risk. Too busy lining County coffers with bogus tickets?"

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

The enclosed emails were sent to the Llano County Attorney and Sheriff, respectively, vis a vis the above matter. Remain unanswered. The County Attorney appears to be protecting and defending the deputy at behest of Kingsland property owner Johnny Greene. May have received some consideration from Greene up to and including a bribe. Are the County Attorney, Greene, and the Deputy under criminal investigation? If not, why not?

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

As you're well aware, we have an outrageously corrupt, abusive, achingly inept Llano County Sheriff's Office here in Nazi Llano County. Worse, you and your office aid and abet these SS jackbooted bastards in black. The issue at the moment is the same it's been the last six months.

How is it two surveyor companies, the Appraisal District, the Tax Office, the Precinct 3 Commissioner, even the goddamned Sheriff himself now states Kingsland resident James Berardi owns the lots in contention all these months?

Yet, you ludicrously assert that's not the County's legal position. It's not? Why not? You claim you're not a real estate expert. Rather than accept the advice of two surveyor companies, the Precinct 3 Commissioner, the Appraisal District, the Tax Office, and even the Sheriff himself, you've inexplicably chosen to follow the advice of property owner Johnny Greene, -- who conveniently happens to be reportedly in the oil industry.

Question to be asked. Could you have received any 'consideration' in return, -- up to and including a bribe? Only way to know for sure is for the District Attorney to conduct a criminal investigation. Apparently, there has been none. If not, why not?

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Our achingly useless, worthless, gutless Sheriff has ignored an email vis a vis the damage this jackbooted thug is responsible for. Interestingly, his fellow officers believe him to be an idiot. Yet, the Sheriff continued to defend this piece of human excrement until he realized this entire fiasco would not be swept under the carpet.

Rodriguez is indeed an idiot. Would you believe this piece of crap ordered the motor home to be moved on to an unmarked unused Llano County road? That motor home has indeed been moved back to where it was parked before Rodriguez forced it to be moved. Why hasn't the County paid for the cost of moving it back? To say nothing of the damage.

Equally pointedly, why is it the County has allowed Theresa Ahrens to park and live in her tiny cottage on that very same road? Why hasn't she been evicted by the County? Why was she assessed taxes on an adjacent improvement she doesn't own?

Why is it, Counselor, Johnny Greene is paying for the attorney retained by Ms. Ahrens? Is Greene attempting to make this all go away by bribery? Greene has also informed Berardi he is going to sue. For what? Has Greene lost his mind?

What about Wells who installed a $4500 septic system on a lot turns out he does not own as a result of Greene, an outrageously inept County, to say nothing of the Llano County Attorney who remains equally determinedly clueless?

How about Bolen who hasn't a pot to piss in, but was nonetheless f--ked over by Greene to say nothing of an egregiously inept County, to say nothing of you and your goddamned equally incompetent office?

None of this is going away, Counselor, -- any time soon. Will not be swept under the carpet as all the other crap going on in this hell hole County. Not a chance. Expect a full expose in this publication whether or not this outrageous fiasco finally gets resolved. Including full public exposure of both the Sheriff and his jackbooted thug.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Archive and retain all reports vis a vis damage to the Pace Arrow resulting from egregious abuse of authority perpetrated by Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764, on the Berardi property in Kingsland on 8-16-17.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

6-28-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred sixty six weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred sixty six weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred sixty six weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

Readers, this is but one of about four other highly questionable killings by law enforcement in Llano County in the last decade or so. There was one within the City of Llano, another in a field near Fuzzy's Corner, Buchanan Dam, yet another in Point Tella, Buchanan Dam, still another in Tow. If there are any others I may have neglected to mention, kindly email.

It's time the public be fully informed. -- Know what we're dealing with here and how 'law' 'enforcement' operates in this hell hole County. If these jackbooted bastards are not reined in, the life lost could be yours courtesy of a law enforcement system that is no longer accountable to anyone. ... Right, Sheriff? TL? "Sonny Boy?" Madam County Attorney?

The Sheriff seems to have no clue the people who pay him and his goons are entitled to know whom is killing whom and why. This shit always seems to be swept under the carpet. Ignored. The attitude of these jackbooted sons of bitches is trust us. They can't be. They've lied too many times. Refuse to be accountable to anyone. We live in a goddamned fascist police-state where law enforcement does as it pleases. Usually, with impunity. That has to change.

The Texas Rangers have become rubber stamp to atrocities committed by law enforcement. This also has to change. No one is holding law enforcement accountable any longer. No one. No one in state or federal government. This is precisely why Ferguson triggered such an uproar. There was no justice there. None here. None anywhere. Officers are abusive, corrupt, inept.

Falsely ticket and arrest the innocent to line County coffers. Court fees charged continue to be horrendous. -- Aren't taxpayers already looted to pay these costs? Aren't you boys not only double f--king those falsely accused, but taxpayers also hellaciously looted to pay the very same costs? Yet, the criminal bastards in power in Llano continue to pile on the fees. This is nothing more than goddamned bullshit. This money finds its way into the pockets of the corrupt, abusive bastards who falsely believe they run and own this hell hole.

Would you believe the last time the Sheriff's Office happened to be 'audited' during the Garrett regime, reportedly, auditors couldn't figure out what went where and why? Yet, surprise, surprise. Nothing was done. There has to be transparency. There is none. Why would these thieving bastards want any? ... Right, Sheriff? TL? How else could they so easily steal and loot with virtual impunity? Worse, this reinforces jackbooted power in this goddamned, godforsaken hell hole County.

The public has a right to know the histories of the Sheriff's goons. Clearly, the Sheriff doesn't think so. That is, where they came from. Why they left where they were. What is happening here is the Sheriff is using 'personnel matters' as a convenient excuse to deny the public access to the history of outrageously corrupt, abusive, inept officers who are no more than criminals themselves.

He's protecting his outrageously corrupt, abusive, inept jackbooted bastards. Worse, the standards imposed by sheriff's offices statewide with the exception of metropolitan counties are well below those of DPS and city police departments. Why? So the corruption, abuse, ineptness, and outright stealing can continue unabated? This has to change. ... Can't have that, can we? Sheriff? TL?

The public should understand Llano County authorities have it all sewn up. Did you know the Texas Attorney General does not have the authority to investigate and prosecute County authorities on his own? The District Attorney has to call for an investigation by the Texas Rangers. Then, the State can prosecute if it so chooses.

Consequently? Guess what? Nothing will happen. Nothing ever does. The goddamned corruption continues unabated until you, the public, pressure authorities. Precisely, why we all enjoy the 'best' government money can buy. Literally. Without question, the corrupt, abusive, inept sons of bitches are all bought and paid for. Firmly clamped to the taxpayer tit. Dependent on money looted from innocent citizens caught in their web. Phony fines and court costs cleverly designed to f--k the innocent and enrich the pieces of shit who falsely believe they run and own Llano County. Right, Sheriff? TL? "Sonny Boy?" Madam County Attorney?

Interestingly, the former Sheriff and District Attorney were reportedly forced to retire after an outrageous scandal involving a drunk driving police officer from out of town. Including special treatment of the drunken son of a bitch that no other citizen caught doing the same would have been afforded. An honest, honorable Llano County Deputy suffered the consequences. Forget? Great officers do not last in this hell hole County. ... Right, Sheriff? TL? "Sonny Boy?" Madam County Attorney?

With all ongoing abuse in this goddamned County, one thing remains for damned sure. We're just getting started, Sheriff. You will continue to be exposed for whom and what you and your corrupt, abusive, inept jackbooted bastards have become, truly are, not what you phonies purport to be, that is, how you continue to f--k over a public you've falsely sworn to protect and defend. -- Exposure, the only way short of an unwanted dreaded revolution to force desperately needed change in a goddamned fascist police-state. The Fourth Reich.

Have your jackbooted thugs been tested for steroids, Sheriff? If you've nothing to hide, Bill, release the results of all drug testing. 'Personnel matters?' Bullshit. Looted taxpayers have the right to know. They're footing the bill for all this goddamned corruption, abuse, ineptness. When will you and the boys end the shakedowns? Looting of the innocent to line County coffers? No honor at all?

Where are your swastika armbands, you fascist son of a bitch? You and your thugs remain out of uniform. Once again, Sheriff, and ad nauseum, did you and/or your goons pressure Schilling to exit the race? Did you steal the election? If so, an aggressively stupid, achingly gutless public gets what it truly deserves. One of the most corrupt, abusive, inept 'law' 'enforcement' agencies in our formerly great country.

6-28-19

Have any information, knowledge of, experience with a purportedly non-profit volunteer clean-up group called Looking Forward In Llano County affiliated with the Llano County Attorney's Office? Email this publication at libertyinperil@protonmail.com to provide information and/or arrange a meeting to discuss this matter. If requested, your identity will be protected. The question is quite simple. Is this group what it claims to be and on the level?

6-28-19

Highly reminiscent of our outrageously bought and paid for judiciary, Llano County prosecutors, Sheriff Bill Blackburn and his criminal SS jackbooted bastards in black who continue to egregiously disgrace themselves and the badge, do as they please regardless of the law and Constitution, carefully consider the following. It's appalling. Runs against the grain of everything our formerly great country once stood for. No longer.

No justice. The DailyTrib reports:

"Former Bertram Police Chief James “J.J.” Wilson agreed to a guilty plea in the 424th District Court on June 6 for three crimes. Judge Evan Stubbs sentenced Wilson to four days in jail on each of the two counts of official oppression and five years’ probation on one count of abuse of official capacity, according to a media release from the District Attorney’s office. Three other charges against Wilson — misuse of official information, aggravated perjury, and a third count of official oppression — were abandoned. The plea agreement also includes a $500 fine, $50 in restitution for hay bales related to the official oppression indictments, and the permanent surrender of Wilson’s peace officer license."

Equal justice? What's that?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-28-19

Politics and law enforcement sometimes make for strange bedfellows. CBS News reports:

"Mayor Pete Buttigieg stood before newly sworn police officers to welcome them to the city's ranks, just as he has more than a dozen times since taking office. But this time he was a Democratic candidate for president, speaking just days after a white officer fatally shot a black man the officer said was armed with a knife. The timing made for a more sober, less congratulatory occasion, Buttigieg acknowledged Wednesday. Then he delivered a speech intended for an audience far beyond South Bend, touching on a long history of racial injustice, "justified anger" among residents and "a seemingly constant series of stories and videos from around the country showing abuses that tarnish the badge." "You may think to yourself — how is this my fault? How is this my responsibility?" Buttigieg asked the six officers who sat looking up at him from the front row. "It may not seem fair as you prepare for your first day on the job, but you are burdened with this. We all are."

That's right. Including the citizenry, since in a supposed democratic republic, the people are ultimately in charge of government. Not the other way around.

"Sunday's shooting of 54-year-old Eric Logan has posed perhaps Buttigieg's biggest challenge of the presidential election cycle so far, forcing him to navigate the dual roles of mayor and candidate at a critical time for both his campaign and the city of roughly 100,000 people. It also highlights Buttigieg's struggle to appeal to black voters and threatens to undo some of the progress he has made with the minority community in his hometown. The 37-year-old, who rose quickly to the top tier of the Democratic field since joining the race in January, had to cancel several fundraisers just as candidates are scrambling to raise as much money as possible before the June 30 quarterly fundraising deadline. He's also investing significant, unanticipated time in his day job just as he's set to appear in next week's debate against several better-known top candidates — including former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders."

His first duty is to the city he's mayor of. If he can't both run for president and function as city mayor, needs to quit one or the other.

"Since leaving the campaign trail on Sunday, Buttigieg, who is white, said he's met with Logan's family as well as leaders of the black community, clergy and police officials. He's also been consulting with experts on community policing, race relations and civil rights, as well as former mayors with experience with similar cases, his office said."

Appears to be rightfully prioritizing his job as Mayor. Will that continue? We'll see.

"Buttigieg, as one of the few Democratic presidential candidates with executive experience, suggested Wednesday that it has made him a better candidate and a better leader and will allow him to speak during the campaign about issues he's dealt with firsthand. That may be particularly true as he stands on the debate stage next week alongside Biden, who has defended his support for a 1994 crime bill many say led to mass incarceration of blacks and other minorities. "What I will say is that when the topic of criminal justice comes up, this is obviously something that is not theoretical, for any of us, but certainly for anyone who's responsible for guiding a city," Buttigieg told reporters after his speech." "And its importance is only heightened, having navigated something like this."

Be interesting to see how he fares at the debate.

"But the shooting also has renewed the focus on one of Buttigieg's biggest vulnerabilities. He has struggled to attract early support from black voters, who are key to winning as a Democrat, and has drawn attention to problems of race within South Bend and under his leadership. The two-term mayor was highly criticized for firing the city's first black police chief early in his career, and while he has implemented several programs to try to improve relations between police and the black community, he admitted this week that any gains they've made are now in jeopardy. The Rev. Wendy Fultz, who is black, described the relationship between police and the black community as "broken, very broken." The 69-year-old has lived in South Bend her entire life and said, "It's gotten to the point that we are hopeless." "We talk. We try to organize. We do a plan, we have a strategy," she said. "And yet we feel like in this community, every time a black man calls the police you may as well call the morgue." As for the mayor, she said: "I think he's removed. Everybody in this situation - even the mayor - is removed. They don't understand."

That's a problem. A big problem. All across our formerly great country on a variety of different pressing issues. Including here in Nazi Llano County. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Prosecutors say the officer who killed Logan, Sgt. Ryan O'Neill, was responding to a report of a person breaking into cars when he encountered Logan in an apartment building parking lot. O'Neill told authorities that Logan had a knife, and when he refused the officer's orders to drop it, O'Neill opened fire, shooting Logan in the stomach. Another officer took Logan in a squad car to the hospital, where he later died."

That's a problem. A big problem. The officer could have used a night stick. Certainly, trained in that kind of combat. Had the perpetrator been armed with a firearm, would have been a far different story.

"While South Bend officers are equipped with body cameras and dashboard cameras, the shooting was not captured on video. Mike Grzegorek, commander of the county prosecutor's Metro Homicide Unit, said O'Neill told investigators he spotted Logan leaning inside a car and didn't press a button to turn on his body camera as he approached to ask if he was a resident of the apartment building. Both the dash and body cameras would have been automatically activated if his squad car's emergency lights were turned on or if O'Neill had been driving fast, but he was driving slowly without lights because he was looking for a suspect, Grzegorek said."

No excuse.

"Buttigieg said Wednesday that he was "extremely frustrated" that O'Neill's body camera wasn't turned on. On Tuesday, he asked his police chief to issue an executive order reminding officers of a department policy that says cameras must be on during any interaction with civilians. "The justified anger over why our system of body-worn cameras did not lead to a clear picture of Sunday's events is just one reminder of how much work is yet to be done," Buttigieg told police recruits and their families gathered for Wednesday's swearing-in. "How much it will take to reinforce trust. How far we will have to go before the day when no community member or officer would hesitate to trust one another's word_and, ultimately, how far we have to go before we live in a society where none of the circumstances leading to Sunday morning's death could have happened in the first place."

That's right. No more than empty rhetoric, however, until things change.

"Buttigieg is scheduled to campaign Friday in Miami and this weekend in South Carolina, though so far only his appearance in South Carolina has been confirmed. He said he has not yet decided when he will start campaigning again, adding that he's "working to make sure that balance is appropriate." "Mayors, like presidents, have to do many things at once," he said."

That's right. Your first priority needs to be your job as Mayor, however.

Sadly, the achingly clueless bastards in law enforcement don't need a legitimate reason to kill. Enjoy carte blanche to murder on the job. Nearly always, with impunity. ... Right, Sheriff? Sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--ker, the department, and the city. Any officer engaged in, or threatening this kind of unnecessary violence needs to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. Not put on paid leave, -- no more than a paid vacation.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-28-19

Think you've heard it all? You haven't. CBS News reports:

"A former police officer convicted after a sting operation of trying to help the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) by purchasing $200 in gift cards for them is scheduled to be resentenced. Nicholas Young of Fairfax, Virginia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison last year for obstruction of justice and attempting to provide material support [to] a terrorist group. But the federal appeals court in Richmond tossed out the obstruction convictions and ordered a resentencing to be held Friday. Prosecutors say he should still get 15 years. Defense lawyers say he's now "66.6 percent less guilty" because two of the three counts against him have been thrown out. They're asking for 5 years. Young was the first law enforcement officer charged with a federal terrorism offense. He patrolled the D.C. region's Metrorail system. According to an FBI affidavit, Young bought the gift cards in July 2016 and intended for ISIS to use them to purchase mobile messaging apps. Young actually gave the codes for the gift cards to an undercover FBI officer, the affidavit said. Young had been on federal security officials' radar for several years, CBS News homeland security correspondent Jeff Pegues reported shortly after the arrest. Young had been under surveillance since 2010, and he said he traveled to Libya twice in 2011, where he joined rebel forces seeking to oust dictator Muammar Qaddafi, according to the affidavit."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-28-19

Sen. Warren challenges the jackbooted ICE bastards. NBC News reports:

"Citing the findings of an NBC News investigation, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sent a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday about the treatment of immigrants in ICE detention facilities and the use of solitary confinement, especially for disabled and LGBTQ detainees. "The volume and severity with which ICE appears to be violating its own rules is extremely disturbing," wrote Warren, a contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, "especially given how seriously it is compromising the health and safety of the detainees in its care."

Highly reminiscent of how the German Nazis ran their concentration camps at the very beginning of the Third Reich.

"Warren's letter details findings from an investigation by NBC News in partnership with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the Intercept that documented the extensive use of solitary for immigrant detainees held in jails around the country. NBC News reviewed records from a Freedom of Information Act request that documented solitary cases from March 2012 to March 2017. The investigation found that only half of the nearly 8,500 solitary cases between 2012 and 2017 involved punishment for rule violations. The other half involved people — many of them gay, mentally ill or disabled — placed in isolation largely for what ICE described as safety reasons."

Raw nazism.

"The investigation also included the story of an employee of Department of Homeland Security, the department that oversees ICE, who made multiple attempts to alert higher-ups about the rampant use of segregation for the mentally ill and other vulnerable communities. "We have created and continue to support a system that involves widespread abuse of human beings," said the DHS employee, Ellen Gallagher, a policy adviser."

Nazi America.

"In her letter, Warren asks ICE for the number of times detainees were placed in segregation from 2016 to the present, how many deaths occurred during and after segregation, and how many had special vulnerabilities. She also questioned whether ICE implemented recommendations on the use of solitary confinement by DHS's inspector general. Warren included a deadline of July 5 for answers to her questions."

Good luck, Senator. Our fuhrer, the Trump nazi, and his henchmen do as they please. Forget?

NBC News reports:

"Almost 300 migrant children have been removed [from] a border patrol facility in Texas after media reports of lawyers describing “appalling” and potentially dangerous conditions, Department of Homeland Security officials told NBC News. Lawyers who recently visited two Texas facilities holding migrant children described seeing young children and teenagers not being able to shower for days or even weeks, inadequate food, flu outbreaks and prolonged periods of detention. The children who were removed were being held at a border station in Clint, Texas. Some were wearing dirty clothes covered in mucus or even urine, said Elora Mukherjee, the director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School. Teenage mothers wore clothing stained with breast milk. None of the children had access to soap or toothpaste, she said. “Almost every child I spoke with had not showered or bathed since they crossed the border — some of them more than three weeks ago,” she said. “There is a stench that emanates from some of the children because they haven’t had an opportunity to put on clean clothes and to take a shower.”

Nazi America. When did we lose ourselves?

"The children have been taken to a tent detention camp also in El Paso, Texas, where they will remain under the custody of Border Patrol until they can be placed with the Department of Health and Human Services, the DHS officials said. The Associated Press first reported on the conditions at the facility. Mukherjee was part of the team of lawyers who visited the facility last week. She said that although the border station has the capacity for slightly more than 100 people, when they arrived Monday morning there were about 350 children there. The group spoke to more than 60. “I have never seen conditions as appalling as what we witnessed last week,” she said. “The children are hungry, dirty and sick and being detained for very long periods of time.”

A fascist police-state.

“Children who are young themselves are being told by guards they must take care of even younger children,” Mukherjee said, adding that children as young as 7 and 8 were forced to care for 2-year-olds. She said almost all the children had been separated from the adults they crossed the border with — siblings, aunts or grandparents, or even their parents. “They don’t know where their loved ones are who they crossed the border with,” she said. Many also had family members already in the United States waiting to take them in, she said."

Courtesy of the Trump nazi and his henchmen.

"Federal law requires unaccompanied or separated migrant children be transferred to HHS custody within 72 hours, but some children at the Clint facility had been in Border Patrol custody for weeks, she said. Migrant children are increasingly finding themselves stuck on concrete benches or even outside at Border Patrol stations, with HHS close to exceeding its capacity, according to three government officials and documents reviewed by NBC News. Meanwhile, a different team of attorneys said they had also encountered children in similar conditions when they visited the Central Processing Center in McAllen, Texas, this month."

Un-American. Right Wing Nazi.

“It’s the same conditions,” immigration attorney Hope Frye said. Frye said she encountered a 17-year-old Guatemalan mother with a premature baby at the crowded facility. The mother was wheelchair-bound after an emergency C-section in Mexico. When Frye met her, she was “caked with dirt” and neither she nor her baby had showered since arriving, she said. Frye said she took a tissue to clean the baby and wiped off “black dirt from her neck.” Frye described the baby as looking weak and said the mother told her she had stopped thriving while at the facility. Frye said she felt she had no choice but to come forward to tell the young mother’s story. The teen and her baby have since been released from Border Patrol custody."

Jackbooted criminal motherf--kers.

“She told me she believed if they did not get out, her baby would die,” she said. “There is no question in my mind that it was the extreme love of this 17-year-old mother that kept that baby alive.” Frye described filthy conditions, adding, “There is no soap and no water, or the water is inadequate or inaccessible unless you’re let out of the cages.”

Jesus Christ. When did we lose ourselves?

"Frye also said of the children they spoke to, “almost every kid had some sort of illness” or had been sick. She said the team sent a doctor back to the facility after the visit, and six children were ultimately sent to the hospital. A decades-old agreement known as the Flores Settlement sets the guidelines for treatment of migrant children as well as their detention and release, including that facilities be “safe and sanitary.” Last week, a Department of Justice attorney appeared in court to argue an appeal of a 2017 ruling that the conditions of the settlement were being violated. In a clip that went viral, attorney Sarah Fabian argued that specific amenities such as soap, toothbrushes and even a half a night’s sleep should not be required under the terms of the original settlement. The argument drew criticism from the panel of judges at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. “To me it’s more like it’s within everybody’s common understanding: If you don’t have a toothbrush, if you don’t have soap, if you don’t have a blanket, it’s not safe and sanitary,” Judge A. Wallace Tashima said. "Wouldn’t everybody agree to that? Would you agree to that?” Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday he does believe migrant children should have access to soap, toothbrushes and other basic amenities."

Trump's Fourth Reich. ... A raucous, boot clicking, goose stepping, treasonous, treacherous, traitorous Seig Heil!, Mr. 'President?'

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-28-19

Nazi justice. NPR reports:

"The Supreme Court has struck down the conviction of an African American death-row inmate who was prosecuted six times for the same crime and by the same prosecutor, a man with a history of racial bias in jury selection."

Imagine that. How does this go on all this time?

"Writing for the court's 7-2 majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said, "The numbers speak loudly. Over the course of the first four trials, there were 36 black prospective jurors against whom the State could have exercised a peremptory strike. The State tried to strike all 36."

Imagine that. Couldn't be, could it?

"Curtis Flowers has spent 22 years on death row in Mississippi. In his cases, the same prosecutor struck 41 of 42 black jurors. Justice Clarence Thomas, the court's only black justice, had the minority opinion, which was joined in part by Justice Neil Gorsuch. "The majority's opinion is so manifestly incorrect that I must proceed to the merits," Thomas wrote. "Flowers presented no evidence whatsoever of purposeful race discrimination by the State in selecting the jury during the trial below." Thomas added, "If the Court's opinion today has a redeeming quality, it is this: The State is perfectly free to convict Curtis Flowers again. Otherwise, the opinion distorts our legal standards, ignores the record, and reflects utter disrespect for the careful analysis of the Mississippi courts. Any competent prosecutor would have exercised the same strikes as the State did in this trial. And although the Court's opinion might boost its self-esteem, it also needlessly prolongs the suffering of four victims' families. I respectfully dissent."

Jesus Christ. This abomination has no business on the highest court of the land. Grossly unqualified. Dating back to his confirmation hearing. Chaired by Sen. Joe Biden. Anita Hill, star witness against this outrageous piece of human excrement.

"For decades the Supreme Court has wrestled with the question of racial discrimination in jury selection, setting down its most rigorous rules in 1986. But policing the way those rules are applied by the lower court has proved problematic, and the court has repeatedly struck down convictions by all-white, or close to all-white juries. Flowers' case is anomalous only because of the number of times he was tried by the same prosecutor and the prosecutor's repeated misconduct."

Yet, the Thomas nazi defends this bullshit.

"Doug Evans, a district attorney in Winona, Miss., prosecuted Flowers — who prior to this case had no criminal record — six times. During that time the state Supreme Court three times threw out his murder conviction for prosecutorial misconduct. The misconduct was not some technicality. It ranged from misleading the jury about evidence that did not exist to striking prospective jurors based on race."

Yet, the Thomas nazi ignores this shit. Incredible. Simply, breathtaking.

"In the fourth and fifth trials the prosecutor ran out of strikes, meaning he had used up the limited number of prospective jurors he could eliminate from the jury for no reason. As a result, two black jurors were seated, and the juries deadlocked. But in the sixth trial, with one black juror, the jury convicted, and the Mississippi Supreme Court upheld the conviction, ruling that this time there had not been any racial discrimination in jury selection. Now, it's up to the state of Mississippi whether it will try him again for a seventh time."

Jesus Christ. No end to kangaroo justice. Nazi America.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-28-19

More of the same. CBS News reports:

"Police officers in Texas are facing consequences amid nationwide fallout over racist and violent Facebook posts revealed earlier this month by a watchdog group. The Denison Police Department, one of eight jurisdictions where officers' social media activity was reviewed by the Plain View Project, said Thursday that one officer was no longer with the department, one was issued a written reprimand, and two others were "appropriately counseled." "The City of Denison takes allegations of racism, hate, and violence extremely seriously, whether they are expressed directly or indirectly through action or word, and such conduct does not reflect the standard to which we hold our employees," city manager Judson Rex said in a press statement. "There is absolutely no room in Denison for such things."

Desperate need for action exists, not empty, hollow rhetoric.

"The Plain View Project, started in 2017 by a group of attorneys in Philadelphia, reviewed Facebook posts and comments by 3,500 officers or former officers from eight law enforcement jurisdictions across the country — St. Louis; Dallas; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Denison, Texas; Twin Falls, Idaho; York, Pennsylvania; and Lake County, Florida. The group maintains a database of about 5,000 Facebook posts and comments they say could undermine public trust and confidence in police. "We started this project because we wanted a conversation about sub cultures in policing," Philadelphia lawyer Emily Baker-White, who leads the Plain View Project, told CBS News' Jeff Pegues. "I'm really happy that that conversation is happening on a national level."

"The development in Texas came after Philadelphia police commissioner Richard Ross Jr. announced on Wednesday that 72 police officers had been placed on desk duty as investigators review more than 3,000 troubling posts linked to 328 officers. Ross said he expected some to face discipline and return to duty, and others to be terminated. He also said all police personnel would undergo anti-bias training. "We will not be shy about meting out the appropriate discipline," Ross said. "We need to get it right for the community that looks to us for protection and guidance."

That's right. Exigent desperate need for good policing.

"Community activists have called for all of the 328 officers to be placed on desk duty as the investigation continues, and on Thursday protesters called for the 72 officers already on desk duty to be fired, Pegues reports. Chicago non-profit Injustice Watch revealed that about a third of the 328 officers accused of posting the racist and violent content have had one or more civil rights lawsuits filed against them, Pegues reports."

Police remain achingly clueless:

"In a statement released to CBS Philly, Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby defended his force and called the investigation "overly-broad."

Statement from FOP President @john_mcnesby pic.twitter.com/B4usi51NHP
— FOPLodge5 (@FOPLodge5) June 11, 2019"

Certainly, encouraging:

"Also Wednesday, St. Louis Circuit Prosecutor Kim Gardner announced that 22 St. Louis police officers identified by the Plain View Project would be barred from presenting evidence to her office due to racist and anti-Muslim Facebook posts. The St. Louis Police Department confirmed its internal affairs investigation to CBS News, but would not comment about disciplinary action until after the review is complete. City policy prevents employees from posting content that "disparages a person or group of persons based on that person's or group's race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, ancestry, religion, marital status, disability, or age." Employees are also barred from threatening violence on social media, according to the policy. Officers already undergo sensitivity training, a city spokesperson said."

Yet, jackasses in the law enforcement community remain determinedly clueless:

"Jeff Roorda, business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers' Association, blasted the prosecutor's decision in a statement to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "If these officers are determined to have engaged in misconduct, we have a process," he said. "There's no due process in what Kim Gardner did today. It's just panic at the disco."

You're out to lunch, Mr. Roorda. Certainly, part of the problem, not the solution. Wake up. ... Hear the rumble?

"In a statement, Dallas police said the department was working with the Plain View Project's founder to gain a complete list of names and posts of every Dallas Police Department employee flagged and determining whether any policies were violated. The department said it would release the findings publicly once their investigation was completed. "We take these matters seriously and we want to ensure the community that we will not tolerate racism, bigotry or hatred of any kind in our organization," a statement said."

Hopefully, far, far more than achingly meaningless 'symbolism over substance.' Not mere, hollow, empty rhetoric.

Report goes on and on. Hopefully, will lead to desperately needed change. We'll see.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-28-19

In follow up to a case covered here and elsewhere, NBC News reports:

"Two more deputies have been fired for alleged inaction during the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead, the Broward County sheriff said Wednesday. Sheriff Gregory Tony said Edward Eason and Josh Stambaugh were fired Tuesday following an internal affairs investigation into the department's response to the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting. "In essence, it was neglect of duty. We lost 17 people," Tony said during a brief news conference Wednesday. He did not provide more detail, but said a report would at some point be released to the public. A public safety commission that investigated the shooting said last year that body camera footage showed Eason did not immediately enter the building, contrary to the deputy's report. The commission revealed that former student Nikolas Cruz had already killed 17 and wounded 17 others by the time Eason arrived, but some people inside needed immediate help. "Deputy Edward Eason could have stopped the Parkland shooter TWICE and did NOTHING," Andrew Pollack, the father of Meadow Pollack, a student who died in the attack, wrote on Twitter in December. "During the shooting, he was one of 8 deputies hiding outside as kids died." A state commission found that Stambaugh did not move toward the school, despite hearing the final gunshots. Two other deputies have already been fired for neglect of duty during the shooting, including Scot Peterson, who was arrested earlier this month on charges of child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury. He was the only person at the school with a firearm when the gunman opened fire. Peterson's lawyer said he will fight the charges. He said in a June 2018 interview on NBC's "Today" show that he didn't go into the building because of a miscommunication. "I didn't get it right," he said. "But it wasn't because of some, 'Oh, I don't want to go into that building. Oh, I don't want to face somebody in there.' It wasn't like that at all." Scott Israel, the sheriff at the time of the shooting, was also removed from office by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-28-19

The following is outrageously unconstitutional. NPR reports:

"Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law Wednesday a measure granting the Briarwood Presbyterian Church the right to set up its own law enforcement agency to cover its sanctuary, seminary and sprawling school campuses, despite criticism that the measure was unconstitutional."

Egregiously, unconstitutional. How is it a church is granted law enforcement authority, that is, governmental authority?

"A similar measure, first proposed four years ago, was dropped in 2017 after opponents argued that it grants government power to a religious institution in violation of the Establishment Clause."

Exactly right. Pernicious blend of church and state.

"Church officials say they need their own police force to protect its 4,100 members, 2,000 students and two campuses in neighboring Jefferson and Shelby counties, especially in light of armed attacks on schools and churches. Critics say the mega-church already has private security and under the new law it would gain state authority that could be abused if officers are answerable only to church officials." Randall Marshall, the executive director of the ACLU of Alabama, told The Associated Press he expects the law, which goes into effect in the fall, will be challenged in the courts."

What are you waiting for?

Consider the following:

"Other critics say the church, which is a member of the conservative Presbyterian Church in America denomination, has a history of racism and homophobia."

Raw nazism.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-28-19

Nazi justice. The Washington Times reports:

"The Supreme Court ruled Friday that an illegal immigrant who had a gun — a crime — can’t be prosecuted if he didn’t know he was in the country illegally. In a 7-2 decision the justices said in a crime where the status of a person is the “crucial element” to the offense, the government must prove the person was aware of that. Otherwise, it might just be an innocent mistake. That could affect “thousands” of previous convictions. “Without knowledge of that status, the defendant may well lack the intent needed to make his behavior wrongful. His behavior may instead be an innocent mistake to which criminal sanctions normally do not attach,” Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in the majority opinion. He said without the knowledge element, an illegal immigrant “Dreamer” brought to the U.S. as a child, whose parents never revealed his status to him, could face penalties. The case before the justices involved Hamid Rehaif, a citizen of the United Arab Emirates who came to the U.S. on a student visa, but lost the visa when the school informed him he’d been “academically dismissed.”

Since when is ignorance of the law and/or personal status any defense against prosecution for the bottom and middle class?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

Uncommon Valor. ABC News reports:

"A manhunt is underway after an off-duty Wisconsin police officer was fatally shot while trying to stop an armed robbery at a bar, authorities said. Officer John Hetland, a 24-year veteran of the Racine Police Department, had worked the day-shift on Monday, Chief Arthel Howell said. At 9:40 p.m. Monday, the veteran officer was off-duty when he saw an armed robbery unfolding at Teezers Tavern in Racine, about 25 miles south of Milwaukee. "Hetland took immediate action," Howell said, and "during his effort to intervene," he was shot. It is not clear if Hetland identified himself as an officer, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said. Hetland is survived by two children, Racine Mayor Cory Mason told reporters on Tuesday. "I've ordered the flags to be flown at half-staff today and until his burial," said the mayor, who had met the slain officer. "I just really can't express how deeply we feel the loss of this officer. It's been more than 40 decades since we've had a loss in this city." No arrests have been made, Howell said. The Kenosha County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday released an image of the suspect caught on surveillance video. Authorities are canvassing the area looking for more video, Beth said. The gun hasn't been found, the sheriff said. A local business has offered a $5,000 reward and the FBI has offered a $20,000 reward for the capture of the suspect, Beth said. "Officer Hetland was a trusted and highly respected member of the department, serving in various positions over the years, including an assignment as a field training officer, as well as a member of the Greater Racine FBI Gang Task Force," the chief said in a statement on Tuesday."

Uncommon Valor. Best of the best in policing. Horrendous, needless loss of life. Doing his job. Protecting the public.

6-21-19

Seatbelts on. CBS News reports:

"If the uniforms weren't enough to capture the kids' attention at Hiram Doorman Elementary School in Springfield, Massachusetts, what the law enforcement officers were giving away certainly was. Bob Charland is the man behind Pedal Thru Youth, visiting schools in poor neighborhoods to reward kids who do well with a bicycle. "Kids that live in poverty see the worst in law enforcement. There's a higher crime rate in poverty areas, so police are constantly in there. So now, maybe someday when this kid grows up he's gonna say, 'My first bike came from a cop,'" Charland said."

Indeed. A portend of far, far better to come for those who have little to nothing.

Here's the clincher:

"So far, he's overseen nearly 1,100 bikes given away. That'd be impressive enough if that was the whole story. But it's not. Charland is very sick. "I have a tumor in my frontal lobe," he said. "Two years ago, they said my brain was that of somebody in his late 80s." Most people would spend their remaining time left sitting on a beach somewhere, but Charland said that doesn't do anything for him. He's motivated by helping others."

Uncommon Valor:

"I made sure they promised me that when my time comes and I leave, that this is gonna keep going," he said. "It has to." With the number of bicycles Charland's collected to give away, "keeping it going" is one worry he can take off his list."

His life, a legacy.

6-21-19

Why would someone do the following to an animal? Think anyone capable of doing this to another species incapable of doing it to one of our own? CNN reports:

"The American alligator populates nearly every swamp, lake and river (and occasional kitchen) in the southeastern US. But when Erin Weaver spotted one swimming near her Houston home, she suspected it was the one in danger. "It looked like a steak knife that was sticking out of his head," she told CNN affiliate KTRK. Alligators are frequent, almost welcome guests around the neighborhood. For the six years she's lived there, Weaver said she's never seen them act aggressively or attack, so she's not sure why someone would stick a knife in this one's skull. "I feel that somebody did this on purpose." A Texas wildlife agency is expected to check out the gator next week, but until then, Weaver and her neighbors are acting as its advocates. "I want to get help for this alligator. I don't want to see an alligator swimming around with a knife in its head and suffering."

6-21-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

6-21-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred sixty five weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred sixty five weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred sixty five weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

6-21-19

Law enforcement remains out of control. NPR reports:

"At least 24 Memphis Police Department officers were injured during a large protest Wednesday night, Mayor Jim Strickland says. The violence erupted after officers of the U.S. Marshals Service shot and killed Brandon Webber, 20. The shooting occurred around 7 p.m. local time, as officers from the U.S. Marshals Service as part of the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force tried to take a man into custody. When the officers approached the man, law enforcement officials said, he was getting into his car in the Frayser community in northern Memphis, Tenn. That man was Webber, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the case. The agency says he was "wanted on multiple warrants." When the officers tried to stop Webber, "he reportedly rammed his vehicle into the officers' vehicles multiple times before exiting with a weapon," the TBI says. "The officers fired striking and killing the individual," according to the TBI."

So what else is new? Par for the course in a fascist police-state quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. Circumstances and background issues were far more complex than the above. Far more.

"Residents began to gather in the street, looking for answers, reports local TV news Fox 13. Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer was among the first officials to identify the slain man publicly. She also said the local community has a reason to distrust the police.

"I was in Frayser tonight because Brandon Webber was shot 16-20 times in his family’s front yard on the same day as the Pulse nightclub shooting anniversary and on the same day that the DA chose not to charge another police officer for murdering a civilian.
— Tami Sawyer (@tamisawyer) June 13, 2019

"I was in Frayser tonight because Brandon Webber was shot 16-20 times in his family's front yard on the same day as the Pulse nightclub shooting anniversary," Sawyer says in a tweet, "and on the same day that the DA chose not to charge another police officer for murdering a civilian."

Fascinating, isn't it? Quite a double standard, no?

In another post, Sawyer says, "Don't judge Frayser without asking a community how it feels to mourn their youth over and over again."

That's right. This shit continues unabated across our formerly great country. Will likely lead to the unthinkable, unwanted, dreaded, -- a second American revolution already catastrophically looming on this, and many, many other issues.

"No officers were injured" in that initial encounter, according to the TBI. But the fatal shooting touched off outrage in Frayser, a predominantly black area. The U.S. Marshals asked Memphis police for help, and officers who responded initially came to assist with traffic. As residents gathered in the street near where the shooting occurred, police formed a human wall. Officers repeatedly ordered people off the streets. Within hours, however, violence broke out and police deployed riot shields. The situation escalated as people in the crowd began throwing rocks and bricks at officers, according to Memphis police. Around 10 p.m. local time, police began using tear gas against the protesters, according to the Daily Memphian.

"Just saw 2 guys smash a police car with a chair. @3onyourside pic.twitter.com/Am5dcL2V5i
— Luke Jones (@LukeJonesTV) June 13, 2019"

This kind of encounter is extremely dangerous. Indeed, low grade insurrection that could quickly lead to far worse.

"Six wounded officers were taken to the hospital, Strickland says, adding that at least two journalists were also hurt and "multiple" police cars were vandalized. "A concrete wall outside a business was torn down. The windows were broken out at fire station 31," Strickland says on Facebook. "Let me be clear — the aggression shown towards our officers and deputies tonight was unwarranted."

Wake up. The situation is far more complicated. Precisely, how an unwanted, dreaded second American revolution could spawn.

NBC News reports:

"After the shooting, a crowd gathered to protest. Some threw rocks and other objects at Memphis police officers, who had no role in the shooting of Webber but came to assist. Three people were arrested in the violence, police said. Around 25 officers among all agencies that responded were injured, Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings said. Most of the injuries were minor. “The officers did an enormous job tonight showing restraint in a very volatile situation,” Rallings said. Officers had to don protective gear as the crowd threw objects, and a “chemical agent” was used to disperse the crowd, according to Rallings. Six of the injured officers were taken to the hospital, and at least two journalists were also hurt, according to a statement from Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. Police cars were vandalized and windows were broken at a fire station, according to the mayor. “Let me be clear — the aggression shown toward our officers and deputies tonight was unwarranted,” Strickland said in the statement."

Wake up. Root cause? Far, far more complicated, universal than what immediately triggered it.

"The shooting involved officers with the United States Marshals Service's Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating. Officers were seen in riot gear, and video of the scene showed a police car with a broken window, WMC-TV reported. Some in the crowd dispersed amid rain around 10 p.m., The Commercial Appeal newspaper of Memphis reported. Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer said that about 300 people joined to protest the shooting. "Every life lost should matter ... every single one. How many times will this be ok? It cannot continue to be," she tweeted after going to Frayser in northern Memphis. The police chief recognized those in the community who attempted to defuse the situation. "I do want to commend individuals that did not decide to commit acts of violence toward the police officers, that showed restraint — I know that there were many individuals in the crowd that tried to assist in keeping everyone calm," Rallings said. "My message tonight is that, is we should all wait and make sure we know exactly what happened before we spread misinformation or we jump to conclusions," he said. He said the police department has been supportive of protests "but we will not allow any acts of violence, we will not allow destruction of property."

All across our formerly great country law enforcement needs to rein in its criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Before too late.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

The criminal jackbooted bastards in blue remain egregiously out of control. ABC News reports:

"The Phoenix Police Department has opened an investigation into how officers treated two shoplifting suspects, after a witness provided cellphone video showing one of the officers sweeping the leg of a handcuffed man as another points his gun at a car with two children inside. Police released the 10-minute video on Tuesday night when announcing the probe. "The Phoenix Police Department takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and for this reason, this incident is currently being investigated by the Professional Standards Bureau," Phoenix Police Sgt. Tommy Thompson said in a statement. The video, which was given to police on Tuesday and intentionally blurred for redaction purposes, shows officers taking an unidentified man and woman into custody while investigating a shoplifting incident. The suspects were stopped in their vehicle in a parking lot a short distance from the scene of the theft, police said."

Why the redaction? To what end?

"The footage begins with a man lying face-down on the pavement as an officer cuffs his hands behind his back. The man can be heard repeatedly telling the officer, "I'm not doing anything." The officer then yanks him up, slams him against a marked police vehicle and sweep-kicks his right leg out from under him."

Jackbooted motherf--ker in blue. Out of control. Abusive piece of shit.

"The officer can be heard yelling, "When I tell you to do something, you f-----g do it!"

"I'm sorry," the man replies.

"You're not complying with me," the officer shouts. "When I tell you to do something, you f-----g do it!"

"I am," the man says. "I'm complying and everything."

The officer cuts him off, "Shut your mouth!"

Jackbooted motherf--ker in blue. Abusive piece of shit. Psychotically out of control. Unfit.

"Meanwhile, another officer approaches the suspects' vehicle and opens the back door with his gun drawn. A woman then steps out of the vehicle with two young children. The officer holsters his weapon and talks with the woman, who has a baby on her hip with another small child standing next to her. Another woman, who appears to be a bystander, comes to take the kids as an officer handcuffs their mother. The children can be heard crying. Both the man and woman were detained but neither were arrested, according to Phoenix ABC affiliate KNXV."

Jesus Christ. What are these psychotic jackbooted pieces of shit trying to do? Spark an unwanted, dreaded second American revolution? Stunning, incomprehensible, aggressive stupidity at its very worst.

"The officer who swept the man's leg was placed on a "non-enforcement assignment," while the other officer who drew his firearm remains on normal patrol, Sgt. Thompson told KNXV."

Both pieces of human excrement in blue should have been arrested and jailed by their fellow officers.

Never ends. CNN reports:

"A Phoenix couple is seeking $10 million from the city after a video showed police officers drawing a gun on them after their 4-year-old daughter allegedly stole a doll from a Family Dollar store. Dravon Ames and fiancee Iesha Harper told CNN they didn't notice when their daughter walked out with a Barbie from the store last month. They've filed a notice of claim against the city for $10 million, which serves as a precursor to a lawsuit. Soon after they left the store, Ames said the couple pulled into an apartment complex to drop their daughter off at a babysitter. Then an officer began banging against their window, yelling and threatening to kill them. "Our hands are up, we're just trying not to get shot, trying to stay calm," Ames said. "He had a gun drawn."

Why?

"Officer did not identify himself, family says. Ames said there were no sirens or lights to indicate that they were being pulled over beforehand and the officer who was pointing a gun at them did not immediately identify himself as an officer. The incident took place on May 29, the family said. Police said they were made aware of video on June 11. In the 12-minute blurred-out video posted on the department's Facebook page, one officer can be seen handcuffing Ames, first on the ground and then against a police car. The officer kicks Ames and can be heard yelling multiple times, "When I tell you to do something, you f****** do it."

Sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--ker, the department, and city.

"Another officer appears to be pulling a gun on the passenger side of the couple's vehicle before Harper exits the car, holding a small child, with a second child by her side. An officer is seen attempting to yank the child from her arms before a bystander offers to take her children."

Jackbooted motherf--ker. Raw insanity.

"Harper, who was five months pregnant at the time, said she was terrified."

Why wouldn't she be? Pregnant. Attacked by a gutless piece of human excrement.

"I really thought he was gonna shoot me in front of the kids," she told CNN by phone Friday. She chose to give her two children to a "complete stranger because I didn't trust the police to have her."

Nazi America.

"During the video, officers can be heard telling her to get her hands up. The city has 60 days to respond to the notice of claim and the next step is filing a lawsuit, said Thomas Horne, the family's attorney. In his notice, he says the officers committed battery and unlawful imprisonment, among others, and both the police department and city are liable because of "inadequate policies, training, supervision."

No more than jackbooted nazism.

"Authorities said the incident is under investigation."

Means shit squat.

"The Phoenix Police Department takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and for this reason, this incident is currently being investigated by the Professional Standards Bureau," the department said."

Means nothing. No substance. No more than galling lip service. Unadulterated bullshit. Police have absolutely no ability to police themselves. None. None at all.

"It is not clear who recorded the video or what transpired beforehand. There is no body cam footage of the incident, Phoenix Police Department Sgt. Tommy Thompson told CNN. Thompson said they cannot provide additional information due to pending litigation. He told CNN affiliate KNXV that the officer who is seen sweeping Ames' leg is now on a nonenforcement assignment. The police department has not named any of the officers involved. Thompson also told the affiliate there was more to it than the claim of the stolen doll, but would not expound on it. The affiliate reported that police said there were other stolen items in the vehicle besides the doll. While the family's claim said the incident happened "on or about May 29," the police statement said it was May 27."

Will certainly see what is and isn't true. The function of a lawsuit.

"In a video posted to the department's Facebook page Friday, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said she was "disturbed by the language and the actions of our officer." "I assure you that this incident is not representative of the majority of Phoenix police officers who serve this city," Williams said. The chief said she began an "immediate internal investigation" as soon as she became aware of the video. "I wish investigations could be handled instantly, but each one takes time and deserves the due diligence before we can discuss specific details," she said."

Get it right, Chief. No matter what the truth happens to be. Currently, law enforcement severely lacks credibility all over our formerly great country. Has become an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. Time for change. Before too late. ... Hear the rumble? An unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming on this, and many, many other issues.

"Harper and Ames say both their daughters are traumatized, and their 4-year-old has been having nightmares and wetting the bed since the incident. Their second daughter, just a year old, suffered "dead arm," after the officer tried to yank her from her mother. The couple is still shaken up too. Ames said he was worried about his children and felt helpless during the incident. "I'm supposed to protect my family, I'm cuffed up ... I'm hearing my daughter screaming, my fiancée being handled. It broke me down so much," he said. Reverend Jarrett Maupin, a spokesman for the family, told CNN Ames is lucky to be alive. "He was totally compliant, submissive even still not enough to save him from the ferocious violence of the police department," Maupin said."

Criminal, jackbooted motherf--kers in blue.

Coup de grace? Icing on the cake? Get this:

"The couple says they were both released shortly after the arrest and were not charged."

Jesus Christ. Where, when did we lose ourselves, our formerly great country?

CBS News reports:

"The mayor and police chief of Phoenix are apologizing to a family that filed a $10 million civil rights lawsuit over an incident caught on video. Dravon Ames and his pregnant fiancée Iesha Harper say they are still shaken three weeks after their encounter with Phoenix police. "I'm not able to sleep. I keep having pictures of guns pointed at my face," said Ames. "I was injured a lot mentally and physically, me and my children," said Harper. Cell phone video from May 27 shows officers cursing and pointing guns, threatening to shoot, after responding to a report of shoplifting. Police say it went beyond shoplifting, and that the father refused to comply with commands several times. The videos don't show the beginning of the confrontation, but the family tells CBS News that police went too far over an accident, and they're demanding the officers and the department be held accountable. The cellphone video shows officers with their guns drawn verbally threatening them repeatedly in front of their two young children."

Think the following acceptable behavior by the jackbooted bastards in blue?

"I'm gonna put a f*****g cap right in your f*****g head!" yelled one officer. "You're going to f*****g get shot.. Get your f*****g hands up." "My hands are holding my babies!" Harper replied. You can see an officer kick Ames in the back of the leg while he is handcuffed."

Jackbooted piece of shit. Precisely, why there is no faith, no trust in law enforcement.

"Ames said, "It hurts a man's pride if you can't protect your family, to hear your daughter screaming and you can't do nothing about it." Police were responding to a shoplifting incident. The parents' four-year-old daughter took a doll from a dollar store nearby, but police say Dravon Ames also stole a pair of underwear, was driving with a suspended license, and refused their commands to pull over several times, all of which he denies."

The truth needs to come out. All of it. Whatever that truth happens to be. Determinedly, incomprehensibly, truth remains a moving target for years, now, in Nazi America. A goddamned fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"Reverend Jarrett Maupin, a civil rights activist in Phoenix, said, "I don't care if they stole every damn doll from the dollar store; what you see on that tape you cannot justify." Over the weekend Phoenix's police chief Jeri Williams apologized to Ames and Harper. "This incident is not representative of the majority of Phoenix Police officers who serve this city," she said. But earlier this year, a report commissioned by Williams found that 2018 was Phoenix PD's most violent year on record. There were 44 officer-involved shootings – the most in the country, and more than double the previous year. In April, CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues asked Williams, "There are some people who think, 'Well, are Phoenix police trigger-happy?" "So, there are some people who think a lot of things. My agency's unafraid of the truth," Williams replied. "If there's something we can learn, let's learn it, let's fix it."

Apparently, hasn't happened despite the following:

"That report prompted significant changes, including de-escalation courses and implicit bias training. But the family says it hasn't worked. "Them officers are still basically working. And I feel like there should be justice for us and what we've been through," said Harper. The officers involved were placed on desk duty pending the investigation's completion. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego called the incident a "terrifying situation" that was "beyond upsetting." She has already announced new protocols for the city's police departments. Every precinct's officers will be required to wear body cameras by August."

Phoenix is a major city. Plenty of resources. Why hasn't that long since happened?

NPR reports:

"The mayor of Phoenix is apologizing to the city following recently released video showing police officers pointing their guns and threatening to shoot a 22-year-old father who was with his pregnant fiancée and two young daughters. Police say they were investigating allegations that one of the children had shoplifted a doll from a Family Dollar store. Viral footage of the incident captured by bystanders has already prompted an internal police probe, a $10 million civil rights claim and a chorus of fury on social media. Now, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego says the police officers' actions were "completely inappropriate and clearly unprofessional," calling the recordings "beyond upsetting." "I am deeply sorry for what this family went through, and I apologize to our community," Gallego said on Twitter Saturday evening. "This is not who we are, and I refuse to allow this type of behavior to go unchallenged." The episode happened last month when Dravon Ames, 22, and his fiancée, Iesha Harper, 24, along with their two young daughters, London Drake, 1, and Island Drake, 4, visited a Family Dollar store. Unbeknownst to the parents, one of their daughters swiped a doll from the store without paying for it. Police say they were tipped off about the alleged shoplifting by a store employee just as the family's car was leaving the parking lot, and police followed the car. Police eventually cornered the vehicle in the apartment complex of the family's babysitter. A heated standoff ensued. Cell phone videos taken by witnesses show officers shouting profanities at the family as officers order that they put their hands up. If they did not comply, an officer can be heard saying, "you're gonna f***ing get shot. Get your f***ing hands up!" Police wrote in an incident report that they feared the mother was "hiding something" or was reaching for a gun. (No weapons were recovered from the family.)

Any excuse, any at all, to get their cookies off abusing power.

"In the parents' civil rights claim, they say when Harper exited the vehicle, officers injured her 1-year-old daughter by pulling on one of her arms when Harper would not follow an officer's order to hand over her baby. The filing from the family alleges that Ames was thrown against a vehicle and kicked so hard that he collapsed before a police officer "kept his knee between the father's legs. He punched the father very hard in the back for no reason," the parents' lawyer, Thomas Horne, wrote in the claim."

It's how these pieces of human excrement get their jollies. Abusing power.

"Harper passed off her baby to a bystander before police handcuffed her and her fiancé and they were placed in a police patrol car. "I could have shot you in front of your f***ing kids," an officer said to her, according to the family's claim. Horne alleges that the incident violated the family's civil rights by committing battery, unlawfully imprisoning them and causing the parents and their kids emotional distress. The claim is seeking $10 million in damages. Since the incident happened, the family's 4-year-old has been experiencing nightmares and wetting the bed out of distress, according to the filing."

The following is meaningless:

"Phoenix Police Department Chief Jeri Williams told the public that an internal investigation is being conducted over the incident. "I, like you, am disturbed by the language and the actions of our officer," Williams said in a video that the police department posted to Facebook. "I assure you that this incident is not representative of the majority of Phoenix police officers who serve this city."

Clearly, it is. Phoenix has a history of egregious abuse of power by its criminal jackbooted bastards in blue.

"The doll was returned to Family Dollar, officials said. And though nobody faced charges stemming from the alleged shoplifting, authorities issued Ames a traffic ticket for driving on a suspended license and impounded his car. His lawyer says he is limping from having been roughed up by the police and he now has no way to drive to his job as a warehouse worker."

Precisely, why those on the bottom of the food chain have ongoing, persistently recurring problems with the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Never ending cycle. Lines government coffers. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Gallego, the Phoenix mayor, said that in response to the incident, the city will be speeding up its implementation of police body-worn cameras across the entire police department. She has also scheduled a public meeting with the police chief for the community to air its thoughts about the troubling footage of the police interaction. "We owe it to our residents," she said, "to give them an open forum to discuss their concerns with us and to propose solutions."

Laughable horse shit. Precisely, why nothing ever changes. 'Symbolism over substance.'

CBS News reports:

"Protests are expected Tuesday at what officials are calling a "community listening session" in Phoenix over fallout from a video of police officers confronting a couple and their two small children. Cell phone video from May 27 shows officers cursing and pointing guns at Dravon Ames and Iesha Harper, threatening to shoot, after responding to a report of shoplifting. The Phoenix Police Department has now released surveillance footage of the alleged shoplifting that led to the tense standoff. It appears to back up their claims that Ames stole underwear and his four-year-old daughter took a doll from a nearby dollar store."

Doesn't justify the jackbooted behavior of the officers.

"Although the Phoenix mayor and police chief have apologized for their officers' actions, the family says justice has not been served. "The officers are still working. It's a slap in the face. It's like putting lemon juice on an open wound," Ames said. "It was very terrifying for me and my children," Harper added. "I always told my daughters to depend on the police if something's happening, but she had to find out herself that they cannot depend on the police."

So what else is new? Sadly, in Nazi Llano County, the Sheriff's goons are not the solution to the problem. They are the problem. ... Right, Bill? Good officers don't last in this hell hole. Only the corrupt, abusive idiots. ... Right, Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764? Jackass still on the force, Sheriff? This piece of shit presents an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. To say nothing of personal property.

"On Monday, Police Chief Jeri Williams called her officers' actions egregious but denied the family's claim that the shoplifting was an accident. "This is more than about just about a doll. There were adults who went to that business and store, and they committed a theft," Williams said."

If that's true, the adults should certainly be prosecuted. Doesn't, however, justify the jackbooted behavior of your thugs, Chief. They need to be prosecuted as well. Where's the equal justice?

"The incident once again puts a focus on police and community relations here in Phoenix. Back in February, CBS News asked a Phoenix detective and sergeant whether they think there's a disconnect with the public. Detective Melissa Borquez said, "I don't think there's a rift. There might be a little misunderstanding."

Jesus Christ. You think? LOL.

"Asked what the difference is between a misunderstanding and a disconnect, Detective Sgt. Robert Vasquez said, "People forming their own opinions of police officers based on what they've heard or what they've seen. And so they pit us all in the same little clump without really ever having an experience of their own to judge us."

Horse shit. This, an egregious, ongoing problem all across our formerly great country. ... If the shoe doesn't fit, don't wear it, Detective Sgt. Otherwise, wake up.

"Roland Harris says it's a problem of the department's own making. Phoenix police shot and killed his son Jacob in January for suspicion of armed robbery. Harris doesn't believe the officers' version of events. "A lot of people will be upset. Because their loved ones are being killed by the police and brutalized by the police and no one's doing anything," Harris said."

That's right. All across our formerly great country this is a serious problem. ... Hear the rumble? An unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming on this, and many, many other issues.

"The police union released a statement suggesting that there has been a rush to judgment in this case. It is urging the public not to jump to conclusions until an investigation is complete. After tonight's protest at the community meeting, the family plans to join several other families and communities for more protests tomorrow at a city council meeting to demand justice."

'Investigations' of the jackbooted bastards in blue by the jackbooted bastards in blue mean shit squat. Fox guarding the chicken coop.

CNN reports:

"The couple who say Phoenix police terrorized them after their daughter took a doll from a store will speak with the city's mayor during a meeting Tuesday evening, and will be joined by other members of the community who say they have experienced police brutality, a family spokesman said. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced the meeting Saturday, saying she "asked our police chief to be present to listen directly to the concerns of our community members," and discuss solutions. The move came shortly after two videos surfaced that showed officers pulling guns on and threatening to shoot Dravon Ames and his fiancée, Iesha Harper, during a shoplifting investigation last month. The couple say their daughter walked out of a Family Dollar store with a doll without them noticing. Police released surveillance video from the store Monday. One video shows Ames standing in a store aisle. According to the police report, he told officers he stole underwear. In another clip, a little girl holding a box is seen talking to a woman who appears to be standing in a checkout line. That woman throws the merchandise she had been holding at a display and walks out of the store. The little girl waits for two other adults and leaves the store with them, still holding the box. After the release of the store's surveillance footage, the couple's attorney, Thomas Horne, said nothing justifies the police response. "Whether it was a little bit of shoplifting or a little bit less of shoplifting, it doesn't justify what happened," Horne said."

That's right. It doesn't. Nowhere near. Any adult, however, who steals needs to be prosecuted. So do jackbooted police who abuse authority. No double standard.

"Harper told CNN she is thankful that bystanders pulled out their phones. "I feel like we wouldn't be sitting here today if it wasn't for those people who recorded because them officers came at us so hard and didn't think twice about my children, didn't have no sympathy that I had a 4-year-old and 1-year-old in the car," she said. "(They) made it seem as if I had a gun, and they knew the whole time it was about a Barbie doll, so obviously there are kids in the car." The Rev. Jarrett Maupin, the spokesman, said Monday that the families who would be attending Tuesday's meeting include relatives of Michelle Cusseaux, whom a Phoenix police officer killed in 2014; Edward Brown, who was paralyzed after an officer shot him in August; and "any number of people who have been killed or harmed by Phoenix police." Maupin called the meeting a "sham" but said the family will be there to "drop off their opinion on what needs to happen ... in order to change the employment policy that allows police to not be disciplined for what they do in this city." The officers involved have been placed on desk duty while an investigation takes place, police said."

Means nothing. Shit squat. Need to be prosecuted for egregious abuse of power. Not protected, coddled, excused. -- So do adult shoplifters.

"The family said Monday the police report is "full of lies." "There was a lot of very brutal, physical brutality that went on," Horne, the couple's attorney, said Monday night. Police threw Ames to the ground, pressed his head on hot asphalt, handcuffed him too tight, used his head to close a car door, punched him in the back and kicked him in a manner that prevents him from doing labor at the warehouse that employs him, Horne said. Ames said he didn't take anything out of the store. "I feel like they're trying to make my family look bad on top of already terrorizing us and hurting us already physically, mentally," he said. "My daughters are traumatized; they'll never look at police officers the same. They're supposed to help and serve and protect." Ames said it's "frightening to put families' lives at stake over materials." He's dismayed that his 4-year-old and pregnant fiancée had to "look a barrel in the eyes," he said. "We're not treated with the same respect," Ames said. "They try to dehumanize us. We will never be the same. I keep on picturing guns pointed at me. I keep having flashbacks. ... It's clear to see everything in that video. It's just nasty. It's very sickening." Sandra Slaton, a lawyer who is working with Horne, also said nothing justifies the officers' actions. "Let's just assume, for the sake of argument -- which we do not assume, really; it's not the case -- let's just assume everything was true in the 16-page report," she said. "It still would not justify the horrific, barbaric action of this police department." Both the mayor and police Chief Jeri Williams have apologized for the officers' actions, with the chief saying the incident is not "representative of the majority" of Phoenix officers. Ames said the mayor's apology hasn't helped the family and the fact that the officers are still working is "just basically a slap in the face." Maupin said no one has personally apologized to the family. "You really ought to pick up the phone. The mayor knows our phone numbers. The police chief knows (our phone numbers)," he said. "They went on an apology tour. That's not being accepted locally or by any people around this country with a conscience that are demanding to see something of substance done in this city."

ABC News reports:

"A Phoenix man and his pregnant fiancee rejected apologies from the city's police chief and its mayor on Monday for an incident last month in which police were caught on cellphone videos manhandling them and threatening to shoot them in front of their two young children. Dravon Ames, 22, and Iesha Harper, 24, who is six months pregnant, said during a news conference in Phoenix with their lawyers that Police Chief Jeri Williams and Mayor Kate Gallego never apologized to them in person or on the phone for the incident they say has left both them and their two daughters traumatized. The couple spoke out a day after Williams said in an interview with ABC affiliate station KNXV-TV in Phoenix that she has "apologized to the family. I've apologized to the community."

"Sadly, the achingly clueless bastards in law enforcement don't need a legitimate reason to kill. Enjoy carte blanche to murder on the job. Nearly always, with impunity. ... Right, Sheriff? Sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--ker, the department, and the city. Any officer engaged in, or threatening this kind of unnecessary violence needs to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. Not put on paid leave, -- no more than a paid vacation.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

Insanity reigns supreme in a fascist police-state, -- quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. In follow up to a case covered here and elsewhere, NBC News reports:

"Six California police officers responding to a call about a man slumped unresponsive in his car, fired-off 55 shots at the man in 3.5 seconds, according to an independent use-of-force report ordered by the city of Vallejo."

Legalized murder. ... Right, Sheriff?

"The report's author concluded that the tactics used by the Vallejo Police Department officers on Willie McCoy, 20, were "reasonable based upon my training and experience as a range instructor as well as through applied human factors psychology."

Jesus Christ. How about that? LOL. Day is night, night is day, and shit smells perversely sweet, all ass backwards. Blatant insanity. ... Right, Sheriff? Nazi America. A fascist police-state.

"David Blake, a police consultant and retired officer, also wrote in the report released this week that the use of deadly force was "objectively reasonable and necessary" given the circumstances of the situation. Officers said they saw a handgun on McCoy's lap, and believed he was reaching for it when he suddenly woke up."

'Shoot first, ask questions later.' Gutless, criminal, jackbooted, murderous bastards in blue. ... Right, Sheriff? Could have backed out of his line of sight. Waited for him to wake up. Instead, they murdered him:

"The exact number of bullets that each of the six officers fired was not previously known, but Blake's report found that Officer Ryan McMahon fired once, while Officer Colin Eaton fired 13 times, Officer Jordon Patzer fired 12 times, officers Bryan Glick and Anthony Romero-Cano fired 11 times each, and Officer Mark Thompson fired 7 times."

Had to make sure they murdered him.

"It's unclear how many of those bullets struck McCoy, but family attorneys have said he was struck around 25 times. The six officers returned to duty three weeks after the shooting."

In anything other than a fascist police-state, they would have been immediately arrested and jailed. In Nazi America, these pieces of human excrement do as they please. With virtual impunity. ... Right, Sheriff?

Not the first time this case has been covered in this publication and elsewhere. Likely, not the last.

"City Attorney Claudia Quintana said the report, which was made public this week, is separate from an investigation by the Solano County District Attorney's Office into the shooting. "The death of Mr. McCoy is not the outcome that the City of Vallejo and our community desire," she said in a statement. "We understand how difficult this situation is for everyone involved. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing: for all persons to go home to their families, and we will continue working hard to identify those strategies that allow us to obtain desirable favorable outcomes to tough situations like the one addressed in the report."

Unadulterated bullshit. Here's precisely why:

"But Melissa Nold, an attorney for McCoy's family, said Thursday that the report "continues the flawed belief that officers should be able to act on their irrational fear and unlawfully kill people." She added that it was unreasonable that police "expected an untrained sleeping man to awaken from a deep slumber without moving around." She also said that such use-of-force reports are paid by cities and "are by no means independent or unbiased." Blake was hired by Vallejo for up to $8,000 to review officers' use of force in McCoy's death. The Sacramento Police Department also hired him earlier this year in response to the officer-involved shooting of black man Stephon Clark in 2018. The two officers in the case were not charged in Clark's death following an investigation by Sacramento County prosecutors. Blake could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday."

Convenient, isn't it? Bought and paid for. ... Right, Sheriff?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

Nothing quite like the 'best' in law enforcement, is there? CNN reports:

"Authorities in Tennessee are reviewing all pending cases involving a Knox County Sheriff's Office detective after he gave a sermon at his church that called for the government to execute members of the LGBTQ community. "They are worthy of death," Grayson Fritts said in a June 2 sermon at All Scripture Baptist Church, a small church in Knoxville that he leads. The church posted the sermon online and then removed it, according to The Washington Post. The video was picked up by the Tennessee Holler, an independent liberal news outlet, and edited into a six-minute clip. "God has instilled the power of civil government to send the police in 2019 out to the LGBT freaks and arrest them and have a trial for them, and if they are convicted, then they are to be put to death," he said in the clip. Fritts said it would be easy to find people to arrest at events such as gay pride parades. "We have a bunch of them we're going to get convicted because they have all their pride junk on, and they're professing what they are, that they're a filthy animal," he said.

"Charme Allen, the Knox County district attorney general, issued a statement calling Fritts' comments "personally offensive and reprehensible. Allen said she would review all of Fritts' pending cases and an assistant district attorney will review any complaints about closed cases involving Fritts. "When any potential witness in a criminal proceeding expresses an opinion of hatred and/or bias towards a class of citizens, I am ethically bound to explore that witness' credibility," Allen said. "Accordingly, I am reviewing all pending cases involving Mr. Fritts to scrutinize them for any potential bias. Although my office has never received a complaint regarding Mr. Fritts prior to this incident, I have assigned an assistant district attorney to receive complaints regarding closed cases, and I will act on those complaints as justice dictates."

Sick religion. Nazi America. This shit doesn't go on in a vacuum. Someone had to have known.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

No honor among 'thieves.' The Washington Times reports:

"A federal grand jury in St. Louis indicted four city police officers Thursday on charges that three of them beat an undercover police officer last year and all four of them covered it up, the Justice Department said."

Couldn't be, could it? Officers wouldn't engage in such criminal activity, would they?

"St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officers Dustin Boone, 35, Randy Hays, 31, and Christopher Myers, 27, slammed the undercover officer — a 22-year police veteran — to the ground, kicked him and beat him with a police baton, federal prosecutors said."

-- One of their own.

"A fourth officer, Bailey Colleta, 25, is accused of lying to a federal grand jury investigating the incident."

Officers wouldn't perjure themselves, would they? ... Yours don't, do they, Sheriff?

"The alleged attack occurred on Sept. 17, 2017, amid the chaos in downtown St. Louis following the acquittal of former police Officer Jason Stockley, who was accused of first-degree murder related to the shooting death of a civilian. The victim, identified only by the initials “L.H.,” was working undercover to record and document criminal activity so that the St. Louis police could arrest individuals who were committing crimes. He “was compliant and not posing a physical threat to anyone,” according to court papers."

The criminal jackbooted bastards were apparently getting their cookies off. Had no clue their victim was a fellow officer. The following is strikingly ironic:

"The three officers accused of beating the officer face charges of willfully violating L.H.’s constitutional rights. Mr. Myers faces a destruction of evidence charge for destroying L.H.’s cellphone in an effort to frustrate the investigation. and Officer Colleta, 25, faces charges of attempting to obstruct grand jury proceedings. If convicted, all four could face up to 20 years in prison."

Far more ironic? Hopelessly, galling? Get this:

“These are serious charges and the vigorous enforcement of civil rights is essential to maintaining public trust in law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen. “The St. Louis Metropolitan Police recognized the importance of this investigation and its leadership has cooperated at every turn.”

No level or branch of government including law enforcement, presently, deserves any trust. ... Right, Sheriff?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

In follow up to a particularly outrageous case covered repeatedly here and elsewhere, NBC News reports:

"A North Miami police officer who shot an unarmed caregiver of a man with severe autism in 2016 was found guilty of a misdemeanor Monday. Officer Jonathan Aledda was found not guilty on two felony counts of attempted manslaughter, but the jury found him guilty on one misdemeanor count of culpable negligence, according to Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. Aledda shot behavioral therapist Charles Kinsey in the leg — even after the therapist laid down on the ground, threw his hands in the air and tried to explain to officers that he and the man he was caring for were unarmed. The state attorney said the guilty verdict showed that the shooting was not an accident, but a crime. "Since July 18, 2016, our community has been traumatized by North Miami Police Officer Jonathan Aledda’s shooting of mental health therapist Charles Kinsey. Tonight, a jury decided that the shooting was not an error or an accident but the crime of culpable negligence," Rundle said in a statement."

Nowhere near good enough.

"Kinsey was assisting Arnaldo Rios-Soto, who had wandered from MacTown Panther Group Homes, when police responded to a 911 call about a suicidal man with a gun. Rios-Soto was unarmed but clutching a silver toy truck."

Big difference between a toy truck and a firearm.

"The moments leading up to the shooting were captured on a cellphone video that went viral and sparked widespread outrage as an apparent example of excessive police force against an unarmed black man. Aledda, a then four-year member of the North Miami police force and a SWAT team member, said he thought Kinsey's life was in danger and was trying to shoot Rios-Soto but missed."

A member of SWAT. LOL. He's too damned stupid. An idiot.

"He pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges, and his first trial was declared a mistrial in March after a jury found him not guilty of culpable negligence but remained hung on other counts.

"Kinsey, who said he was handcuffed and left on the road for 20 minutes until paramedics arrived, is suing the city. At least two officers who said they were demoted or fired after they criticized the response to the scene and a subsequent internal report on the shooting have also sued the city. The incident also led to calls for police to receive better training in dealing with people who have mental disabilities. During the incident, officers pegged Rios-Soto to the ground, handcuffed him and detained him in a police car for nearly four hours, his lawyer said at the time. "Police should take an active role and visit group homes, schools and community centers in their cities and towns and meet their residents who live with significant disabilities so they are never perceived as threats by just merely existing," Rios-Soto's attorney, Matthew Dietz, told NBC News Tuesday. He thanked Rundle for "for standing up and holding police accountable for the safety of Arnaldo Rios-Soto and Charles Kinsey." "The jury saw that Arnaldo was a human being — a man with autism and an intellectual disability who lived in a local group home who was playing with a toy truck," Dietz said."

Nowhere near good enough. Was not convicted of a felony. Essentially, protected and coddled. Coup de grace? Can still be an officer. No justice.

CBS News reports:

"A North Miami police officer has been found guilty of culpable negligence for shooting at a severely autistic man and wounding the man's caretaker. CBS Miami reports officer Jonathan Aledda was found not guilty Monday night of the more serious, felony charge of attempted manslaughter."

No justice. Unfit cop was protected and coddled.

"Aledda faces up to a year in prison for the misdemeanor."

Poor baby. This cop is an idiot. Will get nowhere near what he truly deserves.

"Arnaldo Rios Soto fled his group home in 2016 with a shiny silver toy truck. A passerby reported a possibly armed man, and police soon surrounded Soto and caretaker Charles Kinsey. Aledda said he thought Soto's toy was a gun and Kinsey was being held hostage. Aledda then fired at Soto, striking Kinsey in the leg while he lay in the street in "surrender" pose and begged police not to shoot. Officers testified radio communication clarified the toy wasn't a gun."

Yet, this incredibly stupid cop couldn't, wouldn't be confused by reality:

"I believed it was a hostage situation," Aledda said. "It appeared he was screaming for mercy or for help or something. In my mind, the white male had a gun." "I couldn't hear what the black man was saying. In my mind, I thought he might get shot," Aledda testified Monday."

Not credible. This hopelessly stupid piece of crap is a liar.

"The controversial shooting was caught on cellphone video that caused an uproar at the time."

For damned good reason.

"Aledda's initial trial was declared a mistrial. Kinsey is suing the city. At that first trial, Aledda testified he never heard another officer radio that the object was a toy and thought Rios was becoming aggressive. Prosecutors argued Aledda should have known Rios was holding a toy, not a weapon."

This cop is a liar. The jury bought his bullshit. No justice.

"Aledda was the first police officer since 1989 to be prosecuted in Miami-Dade for an on-duty shooting."

That's the problem. Miami-Dade delusionally believes its jackbooted bastards do no wrong.

NPR reports:

"Aledda was one of six officers who responded to a call of a possibly suicidal man. A motorist passing by had called 911 to report a man with a possible gun pointing to his head. According to the investigator's affidavit, the officers had expected to confront a suicidal man armed with a gun. Aledda testified that when he encountered Kinsey and Soto in the street, he thought Rios was holding Kinsey hostage. The officer, who fired three times, said he had intended to hit Soto. In cellphone video from the scene that went viral, Kinsey is shown shot in the leg and laying on the ground next to his patient, his hands in the air. "It appeared he was screaming for mercy or for help or something. In my mind, the white male had a gun," Aledda testified on Monday, referring to Rios. "I couldn't hear what the black man was saying. In my mind, I thought he might get shot." Aledda was first tried in March, but jurors deadlocked on three of the four charges. He could spend up to a year behind bars for the misdemeanor count of culpable negligence, according to the Miami Herald. But since the charge is minor, Aledda may still be able to remain a police officer."

Outrageous.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

Insanity reigns in a fascist police-state. NBC News reports:

"Laurel Austin documented her son Jeremy’s first dosing of chlorine dioxide on YouTube. In the 30-second video, broadcast to 4,465 subscribers, Jeremy, 27, sits at a kitchen table as his mother narrates his mood. Then his arms seem to involuntarily twist around one another and he screams into his forearm before taking a bite of a banana. “Here’s to hoping and praying,” she says. Austin, 51, is a photographer in Lenexa, Kansas, and a mother of six, four of whom are adults with autism. According to her Facebook posts, she has tried almost every fad online “cure” for autism — a developmental disorder that has no known cure — including treatments for heavy metal poisoning, hormone therapies used in chemical castration and “natural” remedies such as cilantro and algae. For the last year, according to her social media posts and documents from a police investigation, Laurel Austin has been giving two of her adult sons, Jeremy and Joshua, chlorine dioxide. The Food and Drug Administration warns the solution amounts to industrial bleach, and doctors say it can cause irreparable harm when ingested, including damage to the digestive system and kidneys."

Police did nothing to stop this.

"Joshua, 28, is talkative and likes “The Simpsons” and playing retro Nintendo games, while Jeremy, 27, doesn’t speak and can go into rages during which he bites his arms, according to their father, Bradley Austin, who provided police investigation files to NBC News. Joshua and Jeremy live with Laurel Austin, who is their court-appointed guardian, charged with making medical and other decisions for them. Jeremy was living in a group home until his mother took him out to try chlorine dioxide, according to his father. Since January, when Bradley Austin learned that his ex-wife was using chlorine dioxide on their sons, he’s been trying to stop her. (He’s also exploring fighting for guardianship of his sons.) But the local police, the state’s division of adult protective services and a medical doctor treating Jeremy have all declined to intervene. A police spokesman said there wasn’t enough evidence that chlorine dioxide was dangerous; a caseworker with the Kansas Adult Protective Services told police that she didn’t see the situation as serious enough for the state to take action."

Jesus Christ. Where did we lose ourselves and when?

"The Austins’ case illustrates the ways in which online health misinformation can become so pervasive that it begins to sway not only those on the fringe who are seeking alternate treatments and explanations but also authorities, including doctors and the police, who are charged with protecting the most vulnerable."

Unsustainable.

“Health misinformation has started to infiltrate more mainstream,” said Dr. Brittany Seymour, an assistant professor at Harvard University’s School of Dental Medicine, who studies health misinformation online. “Historically we relied on the authority of paywalled scientific papers and there were naturally limiting factors that kept the spread of misinformation at bay, like geography and communication barriers. With the internet and social media, those barriers have been removed.” Those roadblocks used to keep misinformation from scaling to a dangerous level, Seymour said. “The voices sharing and spreading misinformation are still small, but we know it really just takes a few now and it can spread far. So the number may be small, but the impact is not.” The Kansas authorities’ lack of responsiveness has baffled Bradley Austin, who feels he’s run out of options for protecting his sons from their mother’s “treatments.” “I just want her to stop,” he told NBC News."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

Another senseless loss of an officer's life. CNN reports:

"A Colorado State Patrol trooper was struck by a vehicle and killed Friday night while investigating a crash, the police agency said."

When will the public finally wake up? These deaths are unnecessary. Senseless. Needless. Slow down. Wake up.

"William Moden, 37, was at the scene of a wreck on eastbound Interstate 70 when he was hit, the state patrol said in a news release. He was taken by helicopter to the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver, where he died. The crash is under investigation, the agency said."

Slow down. Wake up.

"Trooper Moden had a big heart and he loved his family and loved being a State Trooper," said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the state patrol. "All he wanted to do was make a difference." "Our hearts are heavy and he will be sorely missed," the agency tweeted."

Slow down. Wake up. This death and all like it are unnecessary.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

Nothing quite like a little comic relief. Fox News reports:

"DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. — It's home, swine home for this Davidson County pig. A pig that quickly became locally famous after it was snatched up by police is back home where it belongs. The Davidson County Animal Shelter says the pig came in at about 10 am Thursday morning. It was spotted walking along the road on Rodelia Street in Thomasville."

Out for a morning stroll. Had to get a little exercise.

"Police rounded up the little hog because of a Thomasville city ordinance that says there can be no pigs in city limits."

Can't have that. No, no, no. LOL. What's any respectable pig supposed to do?

"The shelter confirmed Friday that the owner picked it up, but there's still one other pig waiting for its owner. The shelter says they're still looking after another that turned up Tuesday."

No end to the excitement. -- Joking aside, pigs are highly intelligent animals. Sentient creatures.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

In follow up to the last edition, the following is unacceptable, unsustainable. NBC News reports:

"A New York police officer killed himself Friday, marking the third officer to die by suicide since last week. The 29-year-old officer died outside a New York Police Department precinct on Staten Island, marking the third police suicide over the last nine days, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill confirmed in a statement Friday. Authorities did not give information about the officer's identity. "This cannot be allowed to continue," O'Neill said in a statement. "Cops spend so much of their days assisting others. But before we can help the people we serve, it is imperative that we first help ourselves."

No question. This ongoing tragedy must end.

"O'Neill urged officers to speak to someone and seek help through department resources and called it "imperative" for colleagues to take care of each other. "Accepting help is never a sign of weakness — in fact, it's a sign of great strength," O'Neill said. "Please connect yourself or your friends and colleagues to the assistance that is so close by." Deputy Chief Steven Silks, 62, was just days away from retirement when he was found dead on June 5 in Queens. Silks served the department for nearly 39 years and was described as one of the "most capable and most dependable" cops in the department by O'Neill last week. "To the cops here today, I need you to know that help is available to you," O'Neill said. "Help is here, you are never alone. What seems unbearable today will be more manageable tomorrow."

That's right. No question.

"Brooklyn Detective Joseph Calabrese, 58, was reported missing the day after Silks' death after his car was found on the Belt Parkway in Sheepshead Bay. Calabrese was later found dead in Plumb Beach, NBC New York reported. Calabrese was a homicide detective in Brooklyn South and a 37-year veteran of the department. He also served as the chairman for the board of trustees for the Detectives’ Endowment Association, according to NBC New York. NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan released a video on Twitter where he called conversations about mental health "imperative" as law enforcement officers around the country struggle with suicide. Monahan acknowledged that some officers may fear that using department resources to discuss their mental health struggles may adversely affect their career. The chief encouraged those officers to speak to family or seek help externally instead. "You cannot internalize this, this is something that needs to be spoken about," Monahan said. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement Friday evening that his office was working with NYPD to put resources "front and center" for officers." Three brave members of our police force have taken their lives in recent days," de Blasio said. "All of them led lives that made their communities better. All of their lives had meaning."

"If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-21-19

Best of the best. ABC News reports:

"After much of the local police force showed up at Micah Schieber's high school graduation party ... the party got even better. The teen's father, a former Midland, Michigan police officer, died suddenly of an undetected heart condition while running the 2007 Chicago Marathon. When Micah asked his mother Sarah to invite the officers -- some of whom had worked with his father -- to his graduation open house, he told ABC News Michigan affiliate WJRT that “I just thought it’d be cool to have a piece of my family and my dad at my graduation, because that’s something I’ll always miss.” Midland Police Chief Cliff Block, who worked with Micah’s late father, Chad, the chief told WJRT that he had “no hesitation” about whether he'd make the party. “I knew we’d do something to make it happen,” he said. Micah couldn’t believe the turnout. “Car after car after car, I was dumbfounded,” he told WJRT. The officers also didn't forget to bring graduation gifts to present to Micah, including a trading card featuring his father, and $111 in cash, symbolizing his father’s badge number. Micah told WJRT that he is forever grateful. “I just want to thank them over and over and over,” he said. The teen was only 6 when his father passed away. “I wish I could remember him more and the person that he was,” Micah told."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

Uncommon Valor. Had the following been available, would have been included in last week's edition of this publication. NPR reports:

"A new exhibit near the site of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France, highlights the contributions of female service members and spies."

Did so at great personal cost, tremendous sacrifice. Women who got caught by the Nazis were tortured and killed.

"SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This week, we've been hearing many tributes to the men, the boys who fought and sacrificed on D-Day 75 years ago. But as NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports, women also played a crucial role in the invasion as spies and resistance fighters.

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: Nine days before D-Day, 20-year-old British spy Sonya d'Artois parachuted into Normandy. She spoke fluent French and had done four practice jumps. In a 2002 documentary, d'Artois said she knew the risk.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY)

SONYA D'ARTOIS: We always did hear the rumors. So-and-so jumped in two days ago, and he was shot upon landing. And we'd hear it. We weren't supposed to, but we would.

BEARDSLEY: D'Artois was a courier and explosives expert working for the special operations executive or SOE. Winston Churchill created the spy agency to infiltrate the continent and set Europe ablaze. By 1944, some 3,000 women were with the SOE, many behind enemy lines working with the French resistance to blow up bridges and rail lines."

JENNIFER RYAN: The German troops that were all amassed around the Calais area - none of them could go and help out at Normandy."

Certainly, reduced the number of casualties during the invasion. Uncommon Valor. Incredible courage.

"RYAN: There were more and more women being sent out because it was actually realized that they were really very good at blending in. They were good at recruiting local people for French resistance work, to be couriers, etc. They were very good at running safe houses. They made very good wireless operators.

BEARDSLEY: Historian Ellen Hampton, author of a book called "Women Of Valor," says French female resistance fighters were key in getting downed Allied pilots out of France.

ELLEN HAMPTON: They had to move these British men who were, you know, 10-feet-tall, and they smoke their cigarettes differently. And they jingled change in their pockets, which French people never did. And so they had to disguise them as their boyfriends or their cousins or something and get them to the train station, on the train. And the women were absolutely key to that.

BEARDSLEY: 1962 classic "The Longest Day" portrays one of these women, resistance fighter Louise Boitard, who exfiltrated 68 Allied pilots. Here she is in a 1962 French TV interview.

BEARDSLEY: Boitard says she was often very scared, especially once when she had four pilots to get out, and then someone brought three more to her house. Women like Boitard risked torture or deportation if caught. Author Jennifer Ryan says their punishments were often harsher than men's. As most were civilians, female spies were not covered by the Geneva Convention.

At Juno Beach in Normandy, where the Canadians landed on D-Day, there's an exhibit called "Great Women During The War." Nathalie Worthington is the curator. She stands in front of a photo of Sonya d'Artois, the 20-year-old who parachuted in ahead of D-Day. She was married to a Canadian spy.

NATHALIE WORTHINGTON: Just after the war, she went to live in Montreal, and they had six children. And you never heard about her again. She used to say that she got from mixing explosives to mixing milk bottles."

Uncommon Valor. The carnage would have been far worse had it not been for these exceptionally courageous women.

6-14-19

The following would have been posted last week had it been available. Seatbelts on. The Washington Times reports:

"World War II veteran KT Robbins recently traveled to Europe for ceremonies commemorating D-Day when reporters gave him a surprise — his French sweetheart was alive and well and waiting for him. “For sure I won’t ever get to see her,” Mr. Robbins, an American veteran, told reporters while on his way to the 75th anniversary proceedings. “She’s alive — and she’s waiting for you,” a French journalist replied in a BBC interview published Tuesday."

Three-quarters of a century.

“No kidding,” the veteran, who was stationed in Briey in 1944, responded while trying to maintain his composure. “Joe, can you believe that!” BBC’s piece then shows Mr. Robbins meeting up with Jeannine Pierson née Ganaye at a retirement home. The two, both widowed, met when she was 18 years old. “I’ve always thought of him, thinking ‘maybe he’ll come.’ I always asked. Always,” Ms. Ganaye said. “When he left in the truck, I cried of course. I was very sad. I wish that after the war, he hadn’t returned to America. Why did he stay over there for so long? Why did he not come back sooner? I wish he had come back.” The two hope to meet again, BBC reported."

6-14-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... "Can certainly understand their chagrin. Not only kids are traumatized by an out of control jackbooted bastard, however. Example after example, week after week in this publication and elsewhere are certainly demonstrative.

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

6-14-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred sixty four weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred sixty four weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred sixty four weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

6-14-19

Never ends. ABC News reports:

"Philadelphia authorities are investigating claims of racial bias levied by the Plain View Project, a social justice research organization that claims to have uncovered more than 300 racist and/or biased social media posts by the city’s police officers."

Couldn't be, could it? The jackbooted bastards in blue aren't racists, are they?

"Researchers with the Plain View Project said they examined more than 3,100 posts and comments on Facebook allegedly authored by current and retired officers of the Philadelphia Police Department. The analysis revealed that at least 328 active-duty officers posted troubling content, including posts that celebrated acts of violence against Muslims, immigrants and black people accused of committing crimes. Some posts captured long, hate-filled exchanges that appeared to involve multiple officers, according to the database. The organization, founded by Philadelphia-based lawyer Emily Baker-White, said it analyzed the Facebook accounts of thousands of police officers across eight U.S. cities, including New York, Pennsylvania, Dallas, St. Louis and Phoenix. "We found a very high and concerning number of posts that appear to endorse, celebrate or glorify violence and vigilantism," Baker-White told ABC News in an interview on Tuesday. "We included posts that we thought could affect public trust and policing."

This is a cancer that eats away at whatever little faith and trust remains in law enforcement. ... Right, Sheriff?

"A Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson confirmed that it had opened an internal investigation into the claims, which the project said highlights rampant police bias. The spokesperson declined to offer any details about the Internal Affairs Bureau’s findings thus far but pointed to the department’s social media policy, which prohibits the use of ethnic slurs, profanity and personal insults."

While that policy certainly needs to be in effect universally, does nothing to prevent police from acting on their racial bias, bigotry, blatant racism.

"Local news outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, attributed some of the posts to high-ranking members of the department, including a police inspector, six captains and eight lieutenants."

These problems are nearly always top-down. Precisely, why they're so difficult to combat.

"When asked about the department’s investigation, Baker-White said she hopes it leads to a cultural change within the city. "There is a sort of self-reinforcement within this community of police officers where these guys sort of hype each other up," she said, referring to the minority of officers who actually decide to keep their Facebook accounts public. "One officer may post something that’s biased, dehumanizing or violent and other officers will chime in and ramp up the dialogue, which makes it worse."

'Monkey see, monkey do.' Lack of professionalism throughout all law enforcement, --stunning. ... Right, Sheriff?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

Equal justice. What's that? ABC News reports:

"Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was sentenced on Friday to 12 and a half years behind bars for the fatal 2017 shooting of Australian bride-to-be Justine Ruszczyk Damond. The July 15, 2017, shooting occurred after Ruszczyk Damond called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in an alley behind her home. When police arrived, Ruszczyk Damond approached the driver's side of the squad car, and Noor, who was in the passenger's seat, shot her through the open window on the driver's side, prosecutors said. In April Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter. He was found not guilty second-degree murder."

Twelve and a half years for third-degree murder and manslaughter? That justice? Think so? Kill a cop even in self-defense? Called capital murder. Get executed in a death penalty state. In those that have no death penalty, get life with no chance of parole. No equal treatment. No equal justice. Remorse is no excuse, no grounds for forgiveness when a civilian kills. Why should it be for a cop? Get this:

"Speaking in court before the sentence was read, Noor said that he had felt "fear" as he pulled the trigger. But when he saw Ruszczyk Damond on the ground, "I knew in an instant that I was wrong." "I caused this tragedy and it is my burden," he said. "I wish though that I could relieve that burden others feel from the loss that I caused. I cannot and that is a troubling reality for me. I will think about Ms. Ruszczyk and her family forever. The only thing I can do is try to live my life in a good way going forward." But the court also heard from multiple people who said that Ruszczyk Damond's death had altered their lives forever. Don Damond, Ruszczyk Damond's fiancé, said in an emotional victim impact statement that the day of her death was "the last time I felt a sense of happiness, a sense of trust and that everything could be OK." "How do I sum up the pain, the trauma, of these last 23 months... How can I provide the court the impact of a lost future? What would have potentially been 30 to 40 years filled with love, with family, with joy, with laughter," he said."

That's the real, perpetual, ongoing tragedy. Endless impact. Needless loss of the love of his life. -- Exceptionally profound loss to family, friends, loved ones, those in the community who knew her.

"Damond's son, Zach Damond, who was 22 at the time of the shooting, said his stepmother-to-be "cared for me and loved me unconditionally." "We were meant to be a family for life," he told the court. "I now come home to sit with my dad, and a piece of us is missing."

"John Ruszczyk, Ruszczyk Damond's father, requested that Noor be given the maximum sentence, and said, "I've lost her love, her joy and her laughter."

As reported in this publication and elsewhere repeatedly, none of this adds up. None of it makes sense.

"Noor, a two-year veteran at the time of the shooting, had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Prosecutors argued that the former officer had abused his authority to use deadly force and that here was no evidence of a threat when Noor fired. Noor's lawyers maintained at trial that Noor "acted as he has been trained" and that he should never have been charged with a crime. "The narrative behind this tragedy really began long before the events that occurred in that alley," Noor's defense attorney, Thomas Plunkett, said on Friday. "Ms. Ruszczyk was doing her civic duty, she didn't deserve this." But he said that the fear that exists between police and members of the public was behind what happened that night."

Appalling, galling bullshit. Exceptionally so. Unfounded. Police are out of control. Not held accountable for their crimes, abuse of power. Determinedly embrace a gutless 'shoot first, ask questions later' mentality. List can go on and on, -- as exemplified in this publication week after week.

Coup de grace? Height of folly? Most ludicrous 'excuse' of all time? Get this:

"A prison sentence only punishes Mr. Noor for a culture that he didn't create," Plunkett said."

Jesus Christ. Wake up, Counselor. The fault lies solely in this gutless officer who murdered an innocent, unarmed woman who was only trying to do her civic duty. -- A gutless jackbooted son of a bitch who apparently panicked. The following is precisely why nothing ever changes:

"Dozens of letters in support for Noor were filed by the defense."

The public is aggressively stupid, determinedly out of touch with reality. Exactly, why history keeps needlessly repeating itself.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

The Fourth and Fifth Amendments have been so determinedly bastardized by the judiciary and law enforcement, they've become effectively meaningless. The following case is highly demonstrative of this quite intentional, egregious abrogation of these constitutional rights. Compounding this issue and worse is the aggressive stupidity of the criminal element. To say nothing of the mindless overzealousness of the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. -- Who, for the most part, couldn't care less whether those they arrest are guilty or innocent. Only that someone, anyone, gets nailed. NBC News reports:

"William Montanez is used to getting stopped by the police in Tampa, Florida, for small-time traffic and marijuana violations; it’s happened more than a dozen times. When they pulled him over last June, he didn’t try to hide his pot, telling officers, "Yeah, I smoke it, there's a joint in the center console, you gonna arrest me for that?"

Impossible to feel sympathy, empathy for anyone who repeatedly, brazenly engages in criminal activity. No matter how minor that activity happens to be.

"They did arrest him, not only for the marijuana but also for two small bottles they believed contained THC oil — a felony — and for having a firearm while committing that felony (they found a handgun in the glove box). Then things got testy. As they confiscated his two iPhones, a text message popped up on the locked screen of one of them: “OMG, did they find it?” The officers demanded his passcodes, warning him they’d get warrants to search the cellphones. Montanez suspected that police were trying to fish for evidence of illegal activity. He also didn’t want them seeing more personal things, including intimate pictures of his girlfriend. So he refused, and was locked up on the drug and firearms charges."

Precisely, what the bastards were doing. Conducting a fishing expedition.

"Five days later, after Montanez was bailed out of jail, a deputy from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office tracked him down, handed him the warrants and demanded the phone passcodes. Again, Montanez refused. Prosecutors went to a judge, who ordered him locked up again for contempt of court. “I felt like they were violating me. They can’t do that,” Montanez, 25, recalled recently. "F--- y’all. I ain’t done nothing wrong. They wanted to get in the phone for what?”

The bastards did it because they can. People don't know the law. Remain egregiously unaware of their constitutional rights. ... Or, remain hopelessly, gutlessly afraid of the jackbooted bastards. This empowers these goddamned thugs.

"He paid a steep price, spending 44 days behind bars before the THC and gun charges were dropped, the contempt order got tossed and he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor pot charge. And yet he regrets nothing, because he now sees his defiance as taking a stand against the abuse of his rights."

Indeed. No question. Stood tall. To be commended for doing so. Especially, since most people gutlessly capitulate to these jackbooted assholes. On the other hand, what the f--k is he doing smoking pot in the vehicle and committing traffic violations? Egregious aggressive stupidity that clearly, counter productively, enables these jackbooted assholes. Empowers them.

“The world should know that what they’re doing out here is crazy,” Montanez said. The police never got into his phones."

Excellent. Had no legitimate reason doing so. No probable cause. No more than a fishing expedition. What these jackbooted bastards are doing is egregiously violating their oaths of office to uphold the United States Constitution.

"While few would choose jail, Montanez’s decision reflects a growing resistance to law enforcement’s power to peer into Americans’ digital lives. The main portals into that activity are cellphones, which are protected from prying eyes by encryption, with passcodes the only way in."

Everything needs to be encrypted. Everything. Called privacy. Make it as difficult as possible for these bastards to invade that privacy. Make it as costly and time consuming as possible. When an enormous amount of money, time, and effort are fruitlessly expended by these jackbooted assholes and nothing criminal is found, will certainly discourage this bullshit.

"As police now routinely seek access to people’s cellphones, privacy advocates see a dangerous erosion of Americans’ rights, with courts scrambling to keep up."

Only solution is resistance. Not only that, leave nothing of value on the phone to ensure privacy should they break in.

"While courts have determined that police need a warrant to search a cellphone, the question of whether police can force someone to share a passcode is far from settled, with no laws on the books and a confusing patchwork of differing judicial decisions. Last month, the Indiana Supreme Court heard arguments on the issue. The state supreme courts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are considering similar cases."

The Fifth Amendment clearly states you have the right not to incriminate yourself. Why isn't that more than sufficient? Why have the courts and law enforcement been allowed and enabled to bastardize and eviscerate this right?

"As this legal battle unfolds, police keep pursuing new ways of breaking into cellphones if the owners don’t cooperate — or are enlisting help from technology firms that can do it for them. This has put them at odds with cellphone makers, all of whom continually update their products to make them harder for hackers or anyone else to break into. But the hacking techniques are imperfect and expensive, and not all law enforcement agencies have them. That is why officials say compelling suspects to unlock their cellphones is essential to police work. Making the tactic more difficult, they say, would tilt justice in favor of criminals."

It's already outrageously tilted in favor of the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Precisely, why so many innocent people are unjustly convicted of, or take a plea bargain for a crime they did not commit. Why there are so many forced false confessions, planting of contraband by officers to line government coffers. With impunity. List can go on and on. The problem has gotten so bad there is, effectively, no justice any longer in our formerly great country. Certainly, hopelessly bastardized.

“It would have an extreme chilling effect on our ability to thoroughly investigate and bring many, many cases, including violent offenses,” said Hillar Moore, the district attorney in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who got the FBI’s help in breaking into a cellphone belonging to a suspect in a deadly Louisiana State University fraternity hazing ritual. “It would basically shut the door.”

Jesus Christ. Above galling, disingenuous bullshit coming from a prosecutor in a state that has the well-earned reputation of egregiously engaging in kangaroo justice.

"In the part of Florida where Montanez lives, authorities are guided by a case involving an upskirt photo. A young mother shopping at a Target store in Sarasota in July 2014 noticed a man taking a picture of her with his phone while crouching on the floor. She confronted him. He fled. Two days later, police arrested Aaron Stahl and charged him with video voyeurism. Authorities got a search warrant for Stahl’s iPhone, but he wouldn’t give them the passcode, citing his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself. A trial judge ruled in his favor, but a state appellate court reversed the decision in December 2016, saying Stahl had to provide the code. Facing the possibility of getting convicted at trial and sentenced to prison, Stahl agreed to plead no contest in exchange for probation. While Stahl did not provide the passcode in the end, prosecutors still rely on the precedent established by the appellate ruling to compel others to turn over their passcodes under the threat of jail."

This is deliberate, determined evisceration of the right not to self-incriminate. Precisely, how prosecutors and law enforcement intentionally continue to bastardize the Fifth Amendment. Effects not only those who are guilty of a crime, however, but the innocent as well since their privacy is unjustly abrogated for no legitimate reason. No probable cause. A fishing expedition. Prosecutors should have simply taken the case to court. Let a jury decide based on the victim's testimony and that of any other witnesses.

Worse? Far worse? This effectively abrogates the Fifth Amendment right not to self-incriminate as intended by the Founders to keep government under control. To maintain a democratic republic. Prevent a dictatorship. -- One reason of many why an increasing majority of the public has no faith or trust in the system. Nor should they. Government has become hopelessly corrupt, abusive, self-serving, effectively run and owned by the top of the food chain.

“Up until that point you could be a pedophile or a child pornogropher and carry around the fruits of your crime in front of law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges and taunt them with fact that they couldn’t get the passcode,” said Cynthia Meiners, who prosecuted Stahl at the 12th Judicial Circuit State’s Attorney’s Office. “You could say, ‘I’m a child pornographer and it’s on my phone but I’m not giving you my passcode because I would be incriminating myself.’”

Bogus argument. Disingenuous bullshit. Phony as a three dollar bill. Hyperbolic horse shit perpetrated by a goddamned prosecutor who knows better. Disingenuous distortion of reality to ensure a conviction. Guilt or innocence? Matters not. Only, a conviction. Conveniently, forget? Officers get incriminating evidence from many, many other sources including witnesses, parents, the victim, etc.. Access to cell phone data is not necessary to convict. Good policing, including a healthy work ethic, certainly are. Police want the easy way out. Don't want to do the work, make the effort. An ongoing problem. Increasingly intractable issue.

"In Indiana, police officials are trying to force a woman to share her passcode as they investigate her for harassment, saying she was making it impossible for them to obtain key evidence. The woman’s lawyer says authorities haven’t said what evidence they think is in the phone, raising concerns about a limitless search."

That's the issue. Ongoing problem. Police are on a fishing expedition. Need to thoroughly investigate the claims made by those who claim she harassed them. Get those complaining to corroborate their claims with evidence such as an audio or video recording, evidence from their cellphone, etc.. There are always ways around this problem. Clearly, police don't want to do the extra work. Demand the accused conveniently self-incriminate. Not how things work in a democratic republic supposedly under the United States Constitution.

"Her appeals reached the state Supreme Court, whose ruling could influence similar cases around the country. Attorneys general in eight other states filed a brief in support of the police, warning against a ruling that “drastically alters the balance of power between investigators and criminals.”

Forget? The jackbooted bastards already enjoy nearly unlimited power. Unchecked. Carte blanche. Do as they please, usually with impunity. ... Right, Sheriff? The problem with all this is the fact the innocent get consequently denied their right to be left the hell alone, not have their privacy invaded, not be subject to harassment, false arrest, planted evidence, etc.. Worse, violence perpetrated by the out of control jackbooted bastards in blue.

Bottom line here is exceptionally simple. As reported in this publication week after week, year after year, and elsewhere, law enforcement remains hopelessly corrupt, abusive, egregiously out of control. Determinedly, hopelessly, out of touch. An increasing number of the citizenry are beginning to understand this. Certainly, one of the goals of this publication is to expose this shit for precisely what it is. The public is finally beginning to wake up. Far, far more needs to be done, however.

"The stakes are similar in New Jersey, where a sheriff’s deputy accused of tipping off drug dealers to police activities has refused to hand over passcodes to his iPhones. The state Supreme Court agreed in May to hear the case. These clashes aren’t limited to the use of passcodes. Police have also tried to force people to open phones through biometrics, such as thumbprints or facial recognition. Legal experts see the Fifth Amendment argument against self-incrimination as more of a stretch in those cases. The law has generally been interpreted as protecting data that someone possesses — including the contents of their mind, such as passcodes — but not necessarily their physical traits, such as thumbprints. Still, some judges have refused to sign warrants seeking permission to force someone to unlock their phone using their face or finger."

Amounts to no more than self-incrimination, direct violation of the Fifth Amendment, -- which has already been determinedly, concertedly, egregiously bastardized by the courts and law enforcement. Starting generations ago with fingerprints, to say nothing of forced blood draws, blowing into Breathalyzers, saliva DNA swabs, etc.. All result in self-incrimination. ... Hear the rumble? An unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming on these, and many, many other issues.

"The rules on compelled decryption are more lenient at the U.S. border, where federal agents have given themselves wide authority to search the phones of people entering the country - and have reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on third-party hacking tools."

These jackbooted bastards are the worst of the worst. Have authority 100 miles from the border.

"In Tampa, Florida, where Montanez was arrested last year, judges still rely on the 2016 ruling against Stahl by the Second District Court of Appeals. That is what prosecutors cited when they tried to force Montanez to give up his passcodes. But Montanez’s lawyer, Patrick Leduc, argued that, unlike Stahl’s case, police had no reason to search the phone, because it had no connection to the offenses he was charged with. The “OMG, did they find it?” text message — which turned out to be from Montanez’s mother, who owned the car and the gun in the glove box — was meaningless, Leduc said. He warned of a police “fishing expedition” in which authorities could search for anything potentially incriminating on his phone. While sitting in lockup for contempt, Montanez’s resolve not to give up his passcodes hardened. “What they were doing to me was illegal and I wasn’t going to give them their business like that,” he said. “They told me I got the key to my freedom,” he added. “But I was like, ‘F--- that.’”

Goddamned right. If you fail to stand up to great evil, great evil wins. If you fail to stand up to abusive authority, what does that make you?

"But the experience shook him. “I ain’t the toughest guy in the world, but I can protect myself. But it was crazy,” he said. “Bad food, fights here and there, people trying to take your food.”

In Nazi America, our jails and prisons are gulags. Courtesy of the yellow-bellied 'law and order' Nazi Right.

"At the same time, the drugs and gun case against Montanez was crumbling. Laboratory tests on the suspected THC oil came back negative, voiding that felony charge and the gun charge related to it. That left prosecutors with only minor pot charges. But he remained in jail on the contempt charge while his lawyer and prosecutors negotiated a plea deal. In August 2018, after Montanez had spent more than five weeks in jail for refusing to provide the passcode, an appellate court dismissed the contempt case on a technicality. The court invited prosecutors to try again, but by then the passcode’s value had diminished. Instead, prosecutors allowed Montanez to plead no contest to misdemeanor drug charges and he was freed. When he was released, Montanez carried a notoriety that made him feel unwelcome in his own neighborhood. He noticed people looking at him differently. He was banned from his favorite bar."

People are afraid. Let fear rule their lives. The criminal jackbooted bastards in blue thrive and prosper on that fear. Line County coffers. ... Right, Sheriff?

"The police keep pulling him over, and he now fears them, he said. He finally left Tampa and lives in Pasco County, about an hour away. “Yeah, I took a stand against them,” he said. “But I lost all that time. I gotta deal with that, going to jail for no reason.”

Why were you smoking pot in the vehicle? Why were you breaking traffic laws? Had you not done so, you would have been in a much better position to find an attorney and sue the living shit out of the criminal jackbooted motherf--kers. After all, even had you not broken the law, the nazi motherf--kers would have found another excuse to stop and harass you. To line County coffers. ... Right, Sheriff? Your boys are really good at that, aren't they, Bill?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

More of the same. ABC News reports:

"Baltimore police announced the arrest of one of their own on Thursday after reviewing officer-worn body cam footage painting a very different picture than what one of their senior officers reported. Sgt. Ethan Newberg was charged with second-degree assault, misconduct and false imprisonment for allegedly attacking a man who did nothing wrong. The charges came after officials reviewed footage from his body-worn camera of an arrest earlier this week conducted by Newberg. According to officials, Newberg, a 24-year veteran with the department, was running a warrant check and claimed a second man at the scene "challenged him and became combative and aggressive." “The body worn camera that I reviewed tells a much different story," Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said at a press conference Thursday. "It shows the man speaking to Sgt. Newberg and walking calmly away after offering his opinion that Sgt. Newberg should have not placed the suspect on a wet sidewalk." In a video Harrison called "disturbing," he said Newberg is seen chasing and grabbing the subject while another officer tackled the subject to the ground and placed him in handcuffs. Officials have not yet released the video."

Why not?

"The other officer has not been charged."

Why not?

“From what I saw, he did nothing to provoke Sgt. Newberg, whose actions were not just wrong but deeply disturbing and illegal," Harrison said. "I don't know how something like this would have been handled in the past, but I knew that as soon as I saw this video I knew how I would be handling it." Newberg was also suspended without pay from the police department. "This behavior cannot and will not be tolerated," Harrison said. "His behavior will never have a place in this department as long as I’m the police commissioner."

Goes on all over our formerly great country. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Newberg was the second-highest paid city employee in 2018, making $243,132, according to city records. The only city employee who made more gross salary was fellow police Sgt. William Harris Jr. The sergeant was paid over $60,000 more than then-Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh. He also made more money than Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby -- the third-highest paid city employee -- who was also at Thursday's press conference. "I'm grateful to the new police commissioner that has expeditiously ensured that one standard of justice is applied," Mosby said. "Although Sgt. Newberg is presumed innocent unless, or until, proven guilty, he will have his day in court."

They've got a lot of problems in Baltimore:

"Harrison said it was "no secret" the Baltimore Police Department has "a lot to do to repair our relationship with our community members" -- a reference to a controversy that has embroiled the department in the past year. Former police Sgt. Keith Gladstone pleaded guilty earlier this week to planting a gun on a person allegedly run over by Sgt. Walter Jenkins, the leader of the department's now-defunct Gun Trace Task Force in 2014. The same incident led to the suspension of Gladstone and three other unnamed officers. Jenkins is serving 25 years in prison for a host of crimes committed while leading the gun task force, including robbing citizens, extorting drug dealers and filing false reports, according to the U.S. attorney's office."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

Law enforcement intransigence. CBS News reports:

"A mother wants an independent investigation Friday after she says a Utah police officer pointed a gun at her 10-year-old son's head in what she calls a racially motivated incident. Jerri Hrubes said at a news conference that she saw a white Woods Cross officer pull his gun on her son, DJ Hrubes, who is black, while he was playing on his grandmother's front lawn Thursday. She said her son didn't have any toys or objects in his hand. The officer told DJ to put his hands in the air and get on the ground, she said. When DJ asked the officer if he did something wrong, she said the officer told DJ not to ask questions. Hrubes said she raced outside of the house and screamed at the officer, "What are you doing? This is a 10-year-old child." She said the officer didn't respond and got in his car and left."

If that's precisely how it went down, the cop is an idiot. Egregiously, unfit. Hard to believe an officer would behave so erratically. Incident occurred in broad daylight. Kid, unarmed. Not even a toy gun. What the hell is going on here? What's the excuse this time? Need to hear from the chief and the officer.

"Hrubes said she called dispatch right away to complain about the officer's actions, and the officer returned to the house later in the day. She said he apologized and DJ hugged him and said it was OK. She said her son doesn't "have a mean bone in his body" and is mentally delayed and has issues with his sight. She teared up recounting the encounter and said she's thankful she taught DJ growing up to heed the commands of officers. "I support all police officers. I see good in them," Hrubes said. "But, I do not support putting a child of 10-years-old at gunpoint with no explanation. . . Does he look like he's 30? Does he look like he's 18? No." She said she doesn't necessarily want the officer fired, but wants an outside review and has filed a formal complaint. She appeared alongside attorney Karra Porter at the news conference, but said she's not considering any legal action at this time."

Should be. -- Again, if this is precisely how things went down. Need to hear from the chief and the officer. Corrupt, abusive, murderous law enforcement is an increasing problem in our formerly great country. Since there is little to no criminal accountability, the only other way short of an unwanted, dreaded second American revolution already catastrophically looming, is to sue the living shit out of the bastard, department, and government entity having jurisdiction.

"Hrubes, who is from Montana, said she was visiting her mother in the town where she grew up: West Bountiful, a suburb of Salt Lake City. She said the incident changes how she feels in Utah, a state where African Americans account for just 1.4% of the state's population, according to U.S. Census figures. "As a white mother to a black son, I don't feel safe in West Bountiful anymore," Hrubes said. "That changed after yesterday. I do not feel that he is safe. He has not left my sight. It just doesn't feel like it used to."

While minorities are certainly in jeopardy, the threat from law enforcement extends across the board, all races. Remains out of control. An exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Lex Scott, founder of Black Lives Matter in Utah, said her organization is demanding that the officer be fired or they will protest outside the police agency's offices. She said the group also plans to file a complaint with the FBI's civil rights division. "Holding a gun to the head of a 10-year-old will traumatize that kid for life," Scott said. "The only apology we will accept is if this officer is terminated."

Can certainly understand their chagrin. Not only kids are traumatized by an out of control jackbooted bastard, however. Example after example, week after week in this publication and elsewhere are certainly demonstrative.

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6-14-19

ICE remains egregiously out of control. Hopelessly, aggressively stupid. Target this time? Veterans. The Washington Post reports:

"On the same day the White House heralded veterans on the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a federal watchdog said the government had violated its own rules on deporting former service members — and immigration authorities have no idea how many they have removed."

This agency is a massive failure. Hopelessly, incompetent. Direct threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. Needs to be abolished, then replaced.

"Although U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is required to especially consider a veteran’s health, deployment record and other circumstances and must elevate decisions of veteran removal to senior officials, the agency often did not because it was “unaware of the policies,” the Government Accountability Office said in a Thursday report."

Stunning, isn't it? Veterans. Men and women who served this country at great personal risk and cost.

"ICE did not elevate a decision in 70 percent of relevant cases, according to the report. The consequence, the GAO found, was that some veterans were deported without being properly screened. Immigrants have served in uniform since the nation’s founding and have been naturalized in uniform or as veterans for a century. Nearly 130,000 troops have been naturalized since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks alone."

Stunning number. Yet, ICE deports them with no due process.

"But assumptions that the process is automatic has left some veterans unaware that they need to apply themselves. That has partially led to deportations for an unknown number of veterans for crimes ranging from assault to relatively minor offenses such as petty theft."

Whether or not veterans are aware is irrelevant. It is up to government to inform them, ensure they're aware of their rights. Before deportation.

“I haven’t seen ICE use any discretion except for one veteran from El Salvador,” said Hector Barajas-Varela, an Army veteran who was deported to Mexico for 14 years but was later pardoned by California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in 2017 and was naturalized last year. He advocates for other deported veterans. ICE does not know precisely how many veterans it has deported, the report found, which validates an issue Barajas-Varela has warned of for years: that unclear policies mean no one knows exactly how big the problem has become."

Exactly, what our fuhrer, the Trump nazi and his henchmen want.

"Barajas-Varela estimates 2,000 veterans have been deported but said he could not be certain. "Even if they started counting now, there’s no way to find out,” he told The Washington Post on Saturday."

Incredible, isn't it? We've lost ourselves.

"In a letter to acting ICE director Mark Morgan on Thursday, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) said he was “deeply alarmed” over the findings. “We cannot allow noncitizen veterans to fall through the cracks of our broken immigration system,” Takano said. “Deporting veterans represents a failure by our government that could have been prevented if ICE officials had been adhering to agency policies,” Takano continued. “This level of carelessness and disregard for official procedures is negligent and unacceptable."

All talk, no action. When will that change?

"Margaret Stock, an immigration attorney who represents recruits and veterans in deportation proceedings, said Pentagon and Homeland Security policies enacted in recent years have accelerated the problem. The military, until recently, quickly naturalized soldiers before they could deploy, and possibly die, for the country without being a citizen. A soldier from Trinidad was killed in Iraq on his way to gather paperwork for his citizenship, which led to legislation to expedite the process."

The way this should work is ass backwards. A non-citizen who joins the military should be immediately granted provisional citizenship conditioned on honorably completing military service or dying before that service has been completed. -- This isn't rocket science. It's goddamned bullshit. No one who has served in the military should be treated like this.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

Another highly questionable case. CNN reports:

"Two days before he died, Everett Palmer Jr. called his brother, Dwayne, to tell him he was on his way from Delaware to New York to visit him and their sick mother. But first, he said, he wanted to resolve an outstanding DUI warrant from an incident in 2016 in Pennsylvania to make sure his license was valid for the drive to see his family. The phone call was the last time the family would hear from the 41-year-old US Army veteran and father of two. On April 9, 2018, two days later, the family was told that Palmer had died in police custody at the York County Prison. Fourteen months later, the Palmers say they still don't know what really happened. But they are suspicious because when Palmer's body was returned to them, his throat, heart and brain were missing. "This entire case smacks of a cover-up," civil rights attorney Lee Merritt told CNN by phone. The family hired Merritt to help find answers because so far, they have been unable to get them on their own, they say. Merritt says prison and county officials have not been cooperative with providing an official manner of death. But York County Coroner Pam Gay said those organs were actually retained as part of the forensic autopsy for additional testing. "There were never any missing organs," Gay told CNN on Saturday. "The lab that does our autopsies has the organs. Coroner's offices don't always have a morgue or a forensic pathologist. We contract those services out. We utilize a team in Allentown. That's who retains the specimens. They don't always tell us what they retain. We made that clear to the family from the beginning."

"An initial autopsy by the York County Coroner's Office stated Palmer died after an incident "following an excited state" during which he "began hitting his head against the inside of his cell door" and was restrained. The report says Palmer became agitated as a result of "methamphetamine toxicity." A probable "sickling red cell disorder" as listed as a contributing factor. According to his family, Palmer never had any health problems leading up to his death. They also say the autopsy report of him hitting himself is completely out of character. The York County Coroner's Office updated its autopsy results on July 28, 2018, to include a manner of death, which it listed as "undetermined." The autopsy report says details of the autopsy may be corrected as more information becomes available.

"It's not unusual to take organs out of a body during an autopsy, especially if you believe they were subject to trauma. The highly unusual part is to misplace them," Merritt said. For seven months, the family could not track down Palmer's brain, heart or throat. They say they were told by the York County Coroner to check with the funeral home for the body parts. "The funeral home says they hadn't touched the body," Merritt said. The family says they were later told by the coroner that the body parts were at an independent lab. However, the lab, Merritt says, has refused to hand over the parts, citing an ongoing investigation. Merritt says the family believes the body parts will reveal details of how Palmer died. "But we haven't been able to get them back yet," Merritt said. "His constitutional rights are being violated."

Report goes on and on. So many unanswered questions.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

'Don't do as I do, do as I say.' Hypocrisy in law enforcement, second to none. ABC News reports:

"An off-duty police officer lost control of his vehicle while allegedly driving drunk and plowed into a restaurant in Chicago early Sunday, killing a woman who was dining inside. The off-duty officer was driving on 87th Street on Chicago's South Side when he swerved to avoid another car, jumped a curb and drove through the front of Tony's Philly Steak restaurant, police said. A 34-year-old woman who was eating inside the restaurant with a friend was trapped under the vehicle. She was taken to Christ Medical Center and later pronounced dead, according to police. Friends identified the woman as Marquita Reed, a nurse and mother of two, according to Chicago ABC station WLS."

Consider the impact of the loss of this mother of two to her family, profession, and the community.

"The officer, whose name has not been released, had a blood alcohol level 0.083 and was charged with driving under the influence, police said. The legal limit in Illinois is 0.08."

The public is entitled to know the identity of this officer. Why sit on this information? Is it because the department is doing what it can to protect and coddle him? Moreover, his blood alcohol level is barely over the limit. Think a crafty shyster won't find a way to challenge the accuracy?

"He has not yet been charged with any other offenses. "We'll keep investigating and when the time comes, he will be held responsible for his actions," Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson said when asked about the incident at an unrelated press conference Sunday."

'Reassuring,' isn't it?

"The suspect suffered a neck injury in the accident. He is 24 years old and has worked for the Chicago police for three years. Reed's friend suffered a broken leg in the crash, according to WLS. "Before the crash happened there were a lot of customers in the store, but at the time of the crash there were three people in the store," restaurant owner Tawfik Damra told WLS."

Had the restaurant been packed at the time, the carnage would have been far worse.

"The police officer was driving his personal car at the time. The other vehicle that swerved in front of the off-duty officer did not stop and has not been found, police said."

Video? Witnesses? Or, just conjecture by police to protect and coddle the officer.

More to come as it becomes available.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

Think officers aren't sexual predators? Would never engage in such criminal activity? NBC News reports:

"A California college student used a Snapchat filter to pose as an underage girl online in an effort to catch sexual predators. The alleged predator he caught was a San Mateo police officer. Ethan, a 20-year-old San Francisco Bay Area college student, used Snapchat's gender-switch filter to become Esther and posed on Tinder as a 19-year-old because Tinder does not allow juveniles to open accounts, according to NBC Bay Area. Esther was contacted by a male Tinder user. "I believe he messaged me, 'Are you down to have some fun tonight,'" said Ethan, who did not give his last name for fear of retaliation. San Mateo Police Officer Robert Davies, 40, began talking with who he thought was Esther on Tinder on May 11, before the two switched to Kik messaging app, where Ethan said Esther was 16, which "Davies acknowledged," according to a release from the San Jose Police Department. "Davies then asked her to switch to Snapchat where they also discussed her being 16 years old, and chatted about engaging in sexual activity," the release said."

Imagine that. An officer would never engage in such activity with someone underaged, would he? LOL.

"We started texting on there, and it got a lot more explicit," Ethan said. Ethan reported Davies, who he had determined was a police officer. San Mateo police then served search warrants on Davies' electronic devices, mobile applications and at his home. He was arrested on June 6 on suspicion of contacting a minor to commit a felony and booked at the Santa Clara County Jail. Ethan told police that he had a female friend who had been molested as a child, which led him to want to try to catch predators. "I was just looking to get someone," he said. "He just happened to be a cop." Davies has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to the San Mateo Police Department."

A paid vacation.

... Not clear what this college kid is majoring in or how much assistance he may have received from law enforcement. Fascinating, isn't it?

Be interesting to see how this case is finally adjudicated. Whether or not this was no more than a fishing expedition, entrapment. -- Or, a bona fide investigation. Whether everything was done on the up and up.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

There are two more examples of exceptionally questionable behavior by the jackbooted bastards in blue. One in Memphis, other in Phoenix. Too late for coverage in this edition, however. Will be in the next one.

6-14-19

There are great officers out there. This publication will always bring them to the attention of the readership. The ultimate goal, as always, is good policing. Not no policing at all. CBS News reports:

"A police officer from Orono, Minnesota, is receiving widespread praise online after his random act of kindness went viral. Officer Matt Siltala was doing a welfare check at an elderly woman's home on Thursday when he noticed her yard was overgrown. Instead of leaving as soon as his check-in was done, Siltala took time to mow the lawn."

Way to go! An act of kindness, goes a long, long way to improving police-community relations.

"[The homeowner] said she doesn't have anyone to mow for her," the Orono Police Department wrote on Facebook. "He grabbed her mower and cut the front yard. Very cool." The department shared a photo of Siltala that another officer took, showing the cop in uniform pushing the woman's lawnmower. The photo has been shared more than 2,000 times. "Not sure why Officer McCoy, who took the picture, couldn't grab the trimmer..." the department joked. "Must be a union issue."

"CBS station WPEC noticed that in a comment on the post, the Orono Police Department said people have reached out to see how they could help the woman with her lawn. The department said they will provide details in a few days.

"I cannot say how proud stuff like this makes us. Officer Matt Siltala was called to this residents home on a welfare...
Posted by Orono Police Department on Thursday, June 6, 2019"

Hat's off.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

Couldn't be things are turning around in the Chicago Police Department, could it? Second report of heroic action by officers in the last three weeks. ABC News reports:

"Two new Chicago police officers’ careers are off to a heroic start after being credited with saving an 8-year-old boy’s life. On Sunday evening, officers received a call that an 8-year-old boy had cut his arm on a wire fence while playing outside, Chicago Police told ABC News. Officers Brendan Lyons and Ravyn Morgan, who were only three weeks out of the academy, responded with their field training officer, Sergio Corona. As they approached the location, the family of injured 8-year-old Sebastian Diaz was out in the street waving them down, Officer Lyons told ABC News. The officers quickly determined the cut was more threatening than they initially thought -- the cut was almost 4 inches deep and squirting blood everywhere, leading Lyons to believe it was an arterial wound. With the family crying and panicking, Officer Lyons sprung into action, immediately applying a tourniquet to the boy’s injured arm, his first time administering first aid outside of training at the academy. Officer Morgan worked to keep the young boy calm, asking him questions and reassuring him that he would be okay. “I was just doing my job, and he really mattered to me,” Morgan told ABC News. An ambulance arrived shortly after and the officers followed paramedics to Lutheran General Hospital, police said. The paramedics told the officers that they had saved the boy’s life. Diaz had severed an artery, which could have been deadly without the officers help, police said. “It was a team effort,” Lyons said, giving credit to the academy for the training he received that enabled him to help that day. Morgan gave credit to her partner and field officer. “To work with other people who are so compassionate...it’s a blessing to myself,” Morgan said. Diaz was treated at the hospital and released a day later. He is recovering well at home, according to police."

Nothing quite like great training, competence, coolness, team work, and humility in a crisis. Hat's off. These new officers are off to a great start.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-14-19

While there is increasingly expansive corruption, abuse, criminal behavior within the law enforcement community, there is the other side of the coin. Post traumatic stress and other issues leading to suicide of officers. NPR reports:

"Nicole Rikard had recently married Sgt. John Rikard of the Asheville Police Department in North Carolina. He had an 8-year-old son, Tucker, from a previous marriage. From the time Nicole and John started dating, they had scarcely been apart. Soon after they married, however, Nicole had to go to Florida for some work training — she was a crime scene investigator in the same police department. John worked an overnight shift and would call her when he woke up to check in. But one day, John wasn't answering her texts. Nicole heard from a colleague that he hadn't shown up for work either."

Seatbelts on.

"She started to panic, imagining multiple scenarios. For starters, she thought he could have had a heart attack and died, like John's father did. John had had a hip replacement, so she worried he could have fallen down the stairs. John was a recovering alcoholic, and though she "had never met him intoxicated," she was concerned he could have relapsed and been on a bender at home. He was having trouble sleeping; she wondered whether he could have accidentally overdosed by mixing a sleep medicine with another medicine. Stuck hundreds of miles away in Florida, Nicole got on the phone with John's colleagues in Asheville. She told the police to break into their house. Thirty-six agonizing minutes went by. Nicole was vomiting in the shower. She finally got a phone call from one of John's lieutenants. "Well, John is gone. And it appears to be self-inflicted," the lieutenant told her. "And I said, 'What the f*** are you talking about?' " Nicole says that the night before, she and John had talked about their weekend plans. They had also made Christmas plans. He was looking forward to going to a concert featuring his favorite band and getting another tattoo. John Rikard was 38 years old when he died by suicide."

Horrendous loss of life. We've got to do better. Unsustainable. Things must change. Under the status quo, we cannot live with corrupt, abusive, murderous, out of control officers. At the same time, we cannot survive without law enforcement. Someone has to enforce the law. Keep the peace. Respond to emergencies. At the same time, officers are increasingly unable to handle the stress.

"That was in December 2015. Three-and-a-half years later, it was Nicole who was getting a tattoo, commemorating her bond with new friends, united by their shared grief. Nicole Rikard, Melissa Swailes, Kristen Clifford and Erin Gibson were each married to a police officer who died by suicide. They got matching tattoos when they met in Washington, D.C., in May. Just like Nicole, Kristen Clifford, Erin Gibson and Melissa Swailes were all married to officers who killed themselves. They live in different parts of the country and met on the Internet. Last month in Washington, D.C., they met in person for the first time. "I would not survive without them," Clifford says. "They are my lifeline." "We talk daily. Twenty, 30 times a day. And we have for the past two years," Swailes says. "We have gotten each other through so much. I would not be here alive right now if I didn't have these women."

Great support group. -- Must not be forgotten end of unbearable suffering is the desperate intention of those who kill themselves. ... Conversely, just the beginning for their loved ones.

"Suicide has been increasing in the U.S. In 2017, more than 47,000 Americans killed themselves. Rates went up by more than 30% between 1999 and 2017."

Sadly, not especially surprising as our formerly great country has deteriorated on so many fronts as covered week after week in this publication and elsewhere.

"The danger is particularly acute for law enforcement officers. Studies and personal stories say police and firefighters' persistent exposure to death and trauma can put them at increased risk of post-traumatic stress and depression."

Certainly, true.

"While the suicide rate in the U.S. was 14 per 100,000 in 2017, that number is closer to 18 for members of law enforcement."

Staggering, isn't it? Certainly, demonstrative of a desperate need for change.

"Police are more likely to die of suicide than they are to be killed by an assailant."

Quite true. Stunning, as well. Unsustainable.

"Just in the past week, the police department in New York City was rocked by two suicides of veteran officers in 24 hours. At least 87 officers have died by suicide this year, according to the organization Blue H.E.L.P., which tracks police suicides. The group says at least 167 officers died by suicide last year."

Desperate need for change. Entire system needs reevaluation, revamping, policies changed, support offered, police-community relations improved through communication, transparency, more effective community policing, etc.. There are solutions. A good start would be open communication. Instead of departments stonewalling requests for information. Covering up for corrupt, abusive, criminal officers.

"But police say there's a stigma attached to talking about mental health problems."

Needs to change. A problem for decades. Certainly led not only to officer suicides, but needless, violent behavior by officers perpetrated against innocent, unarmed civilians. Egregious loss of faith and trust in law enforcement, a consequence.

"Kristen Clifford's husband, Steve Clifford, died in May 2017. She says he was worried he would lose his job if his colleagues knew he was struggling mentally."

Should have received treatment. Would have saved his life. Intervention required, especially in the case of law enforcement. Not only in the best interests of the officer, but the community as well.

"The four widows of police suicide shared their stories with NPR. Kristen Clifford's husband was Officer Steve Clifford of the Nassau County Police Department in New York. They had been married for about seven months and had just gotten a puppy. Kristen says they looked forward to having children. One day in May 2017, he wasn't responding to her texts, so she drove home. "I went inside and I saw a bunch of notes. His police identification, his driver's license, everything laid out very neatly, methodically. ... And I ran down the hallway to our bedroom and the door was closed. And there was a note on it that said, 'I did it. Do not enter. Call 911.' "

Imagine having to live with that.

"Kristen says she's grateful she didn't open the door. "He was protecting me up until the very end." Steve Clifford was 35 years old."

Think arriving officers and other emergency personnel were not severely affected?

"Melissa Swailes and David Swailes were dating as early as high school. They had four sons. David was an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department for almost 10 years. On their youngest son's second birthday on Feb. 26, Melissa came home and found her husband behind their bathroom door. "I remember just screaming over and over. 'I can't. I can't. I can't,' " she says. "I just couldn't accept that what I was seeing was reality." That was 2016. "That haunts me, that image of seeing the person that you love more than anything, the father of your children, your high school sweetheart, somebody you grew up with," she says. "To see that, I think is probably the most horrific thing anybody could ever see in their life." David Swailes was 36 years old."

Imagine living with that.

"Erin Gibson gets support from one of her "widow friends" as she shares her story. Gibson says she has suffered from PTSD and depression after her husband's suicide in 2014. Erin Gibson was married to Sgt. Clint Gibson, of the Liberty Lake, Wash., police department. They, too, were high school sweethearts. They had four children and were married for nearly 20 years. She says stress from Clint's job was getting to him. He turned to alcohol. "There was trouble in the marriage because he was drinking a lot at the end," she says. In April 2014, after having left Clint a week before, Erin was at her parents' house when two chaplains showed up. "They told me, 'Your husband is dead.' And I couldn't believe it. That didn't even register in my mind that Clint was dead," she says. "It made no sense to me. ... I just remember screaming. And nothing makes sense after that." Clint Gibson was 41 years old."

Imagine living with that.

"All four women say their husbands were worn down after years on the police force. "You're showing up to people's worst days of their lives," Melissa Swailes says. "Call after call after call. And you have to go from one call to the next, pretending like you weren't affected that you just saw a child murdered or a homicide or you were just in a high-speed pursuit, or a shooting. And then go to the next call as if it didn't affect you."

That's right. Simply, not possible. Not sustainable. Leads not only to suicides of officers, but corrupt, abusive, murderous, violent behavior directed against innocent, unarmed civilians.

"Melissa says David also had symptoms of post-traumatic stress from his time in the U.S. Navy. Erin says her husband was under added stress in the years before his death. He had been named in a lawsuit against the city of Liberty Lake, and it went to federal court. "And this ate him alive. So whenever he was home he was drinking and he drank, and he drank, and he drank, until he passed out. And I have memories of him pacing the floors just pacing, pacing, pacing, back and forth. And it was frightening."

Precisely, why there was desperate need for timely intervention.

"If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741."

Report goes on and on. Things need to change.

"Kristen, Erin, Nicole and Melissa came to Washington, D.C., to go to a dinner hosted by Blue H.E.L.P. for the families of law enforcement officers who died by suicide. But before showing up for the event, the women had one thing they needed to take care of. It was the first time they had all been in the same place, and they wanted to commemorate the occasion. So they hopped into a car and headed to a tattoo parlor. Erin, who had never gotten a tattoo before, threw up twice. Melissa joked that she took one for the team. But they left with matching dandelion tattoos on their arms. Each dandelion had four wisps, one for each of the four "best widow friends." And then they ate pizza."

Above quotes courtesy of two exceptionally gifted, insightful reporters, Samantha Balaban, James Doubek.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-7-19

Uncommon Valor. June 6, 1944. D-Day. CBS News reports:

"Anyone looking up along the Hudson River on a recent afternoon could be forgiven for thinking they were merely watching a classic airplane soaring past an iconic backdrop. What they were really witnessing when the World War II-era plane flew past the Statue of Liberty was a major milestone – one stop in an unlikely journey that had every reason to fail. It took more than a year of tinkering and tightening, lubricating and calibrating to get this C-47 airborne from a small museum at the Missoula, Montana airport. "Miss Montana" is 75 years old and hasn't flown in 18 years. The goal: fly her all the way to Normandy for this week's anniversary of D-Day. "If I'd have known how much work was needed, we might not have started this thing," pilot Bryan Douglass said. "Miss Montana," a World War II-era C-47 military transport, has been restored to its original glory, in preparation for a flight to Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day. For Miss Montana, this is a chance for valor that was denied her by timing. She was built in 1944, but by the time she was ready to go into battle, the war ended. "We sort of look at this mission as finishing what she was built for," he said. "So, maybe Miss Montana will get a little glory 75 years later?" asked correspondent Richard Schlesinger. "Maybe," Douglass replied. "Well, she'll get glory, yeah!" If all goes as planned, this plane will join 14 other American C-47s and another group from Europe to retrace the route across the English Channel taken by roughly 850 of these aircraft on D-Day."

The C-47 was one of the workhorses of the Second World War. Not only that, used extensively in civilian aviation. Highly reliable.

"My opinion of the C-47, it's one of the greatest planes ever built," said Dan McBride, who was one of the first of thousands of men ferried across the channel that day to parachute into France. He's 95 now, and still remembers D-Day in detail. "Well, this is something you don't forget," he of the invasion of Normandy. He still remembers D-day in detail: "When we flew over the channel, you know, I was standing right in the door looking down 600 feet. And it looked to me like the whole channel was moving. I honestly didn't believe there was that many ships in the world. And it was the greatest sight I think I've ever seen."

Certainly, stuck it hard up the ass of Hitler and the Nazis. At great cost. Loss of life. Personal sacrifice. When America was still young, strong, brave, and free. ... And determined to remain so.

"He spent a lot of time in C-47s, but there weren't many good times. When they started shooting at us, you know, we wanted to get the hell out of this thing, you know?" McBride laughed. "But yeah, you could hear bullets hitting it. You know, it sounded like rain hitting it. And then the anti-aircraft fire, somebody says, 'Hey, look at the flares.' Ain't no flares!" he laughed. Jeff Whitesell has heard stories like McBride's through the years, and they have moved him. That's part of the reason why he signed on as chief pilot for Miss Montana, knowing she hadn't flown in close to 20 years. "It's really about paying proper tribute," Whitesell said. "Those folks in World War II are all passing away now. This thing we're doing in Normandy is probably the last time they're going to have a proper tribute paid before they're all gone. So, yeah, there's a deep-seated mission here for me."

Get this:

"Accomplishing that mission means defeating the forces of time and circumstance. Shortly after the war, this plane crashed into the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh and sank. After she was raised from the bottom, she flew for years for the Johnson Flying Service, taking firefighters to remote blazes in Montana forests so they could parachute out to extinguish the flames. Over the years, with its history of firefighting, the plane built a following. There was no shortage of volunteers, some dressed in period costume, willing to help get her airborne again. Crystal Schonemann has been there almost since the beginning, "every weekend for ten months, plus two weeks over Christmas, it's consuming!" she laughed. "It's consuming in the best possible way." Both engines had to be rebuilt, and there were countless other fixes large and small. Miss Montana fired up the engines and flew again. One week later, on May 19, she made a triumphant pass over home base, and headed east. She is traveling in distinguished company, including That's All Brother – believed to be the first C-47 in the main wave of the D-Day invasion – and Placid Lassie, another D-day veteran who almost ended her days in a Florida weed patch before being brought back to life and flown by Eric Zipkin. "It saw an enormous amount of action, yeah," Zipkin said. "It's extraordinary that I'm able to fly around, not only an airplane like this, but this actual airplane. The rivets that kinda surround me flew over the beaches in Normandy in 1944."

... And survived to fly another day.

"They will try to do most everything the same way as many of these planes did during the war. They will drop parachutists, just as they did 75 years ago. Doing it just right is critical for everyone flying this mission, perhaps more so for Al Charters, a parachutist and retired Special Forces officer from Montana whose father was in D-Day. Charters said, "If we don't do it well and we don't do it accurately, shame on us." This is personal for him. The invasion, fierce fighting, and the determination of the allied troops who suffering staggering losses is not just part of world history to him; it's part of his family's history. "It's a little emotional for you. Tell me why?" asked Schlesinger. "It's the same airspace that my father flew in three times on D-Day 75 years ago. So, to share that airspace is perfect."

Without the tremendous loss of life, personal sacrifice, Hitler would not have been defeated.

"This morning Miss Montana is in England – she made it across the Atlantic, along with Placid Lassie and the other airplanes – waiting for the anniversary. It will be the culmination of that unlikely journey that began more than a year ago. If all goes well, it will end in honor for the D-Day soldiers, and glory for a vintage airplane that without this mission might never have flown again."

Indeed.

6-7-19

Uncommon Valor. June 6, 1944. D-Day. CBS News reports:

"This week marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the invasion that liberated Europe and turned the tide of World War II. More than 160,000 troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in 1944. Some veterans of that epic battle say their memories are still vivid after all these years. Think of this excerpt from a Jack Lieb film as an early video blog. "And soon we were down at the docks and there we found units of the 101st Airborne Division, who were carrying everything that we could carry by hand, boarding landing craft," said Lieb, a World War II newsreel cameraman. When Lieb wasn't filming some of the war's most important moments to be shown to audiences back home, he was taking home movies with a personal camera to show family and friends, including showing soldiers imitating Hitler and playing football."

Long before the Internet and social media.

"Any D-Day anniversary is significant. The one coming up this week — the 75th — may well be the last one which veterans of the landings can attend. Returning veterans have always been part of these events. Five years ago, Charlie Wilson came back to Utah Beach, where he landed in his tank. He said the point was not to stay on the beach. "Get off this dang old beach and get outta here. And never look back," Wilson said."

Had to get off the beach as quickly as possible. The firing was intense. Ferocious. Hell on earth. Many died before hitting the beach.

"He said he'd like to come back for this anniversary too, but at 93, his family said the trip would be too hard, even with his spirit. "I would still go back today 'cause, any kids listening? I could still kick butt if I had to," Wilson said."

Bet he could. Without that spirit, intensity, Uncommon Valor, the war would never have been won.

"Leslie Cruise had parachuted into Normandy the night of the invasion. He came back last time to try to finally come to terms with the death of a comrade-in-arms who, Cruise felt had taken the shell meant for him. He said it helped him close a chapter on it. The D-Day landings were a major turning point in the war, but what these anniversaries prove is that at their heart, they are a collection of intensely personal stories."

Uncommon Valor. When America was young, strong, brave, and free.

6-7-19

Uncommon Valor. June 6, 1944. D-Day. Seatbelts on. CBS News reports:

"On June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 American, British and Canadian troops landed on the shores of northern France as part of D-Day, a major turning point in World War II that helped lead to the defeat of Nazi forces in Europe. About 2,500 of the 73,000 U.S. soldiers who fought in the battle died."

Read on:

"As a 23-year-old army medic, Ray Lambert saved numerous lives in Normandy, despite being wounded himself. Now 98, he recently co-wrote a book called "Every Man a Hero," and he's one of 53 D-Day veterans who will return to Normandy this week. On that day in 1944, Lambert was in the front of a cramped Higgins boat as it approached the shores of Normandy. "It was very crowded, cold, guys were seasick," Lambert told CBS News correspondent Jan Crawford. He was a young, hardscrabble country boy from Alabama turned army medic. Lambert and his brother Bill both enlisted in the war. "We were both married," Lambert said. "And we agreed that if anything happened to either one of us that the other one would take care of our wives. I had a son that I'd never seen."

Uncommon Valor. Read on:

"The horror of that day began well before Lambert's boat reached the shore. "As we got in close enough … we could see dead guys on the beach," he said. Lambert took a bullet through the elbow just as the landing craft's ramp opened to deposit the men. He didn't stop. A man to his right was "obviously drowning," he said, and "had all of his equipment on." "That was the first person I helped," he said. Lambert saved at least 15 men on D-Day, pulling many of them to shore and seeking shelter behind a large rock. "How did you keep going?" Crawford asked. "You really didn't have a choice," he said with a slight chuckle. "You either drown or move forward." He kept going after shrapnel later tore through his thigh. And while working to save another soldier, the two were pinned under the ramp of a boat bringing in more Americans."

Uncommon Valor. Read on:

"You had that conscious thought, this was it?" Crawford asked. "That's when I asked God to give me one more chance to save this guy's life." Lambert responded. "You didn't pray for your life?" Crawford asked. "I was thinking of the guy I had," he said. Miraculously, the ramp suddenly lifted. Lambert saved his man, but his own back was broken. He dragged himself ashore, looking down the beach before losing consciousness."

... When America was young, strong, brave, and free.

"Lambert, now 98, says even at the time the soldiers understood the Normandy invasion was pivotal to winning the war. "We knew that this was either a do or die situation," he said. Lambert and his brother made it out alive. He keeps pictures and awards in the front room of his North Carolina home — but said he doesn't need objects to remember. "There is hardly a day goes by that I haven't thought of some soldier or some incident that happened," he said. Lambert has gone back to Omaha Beach several times since that day 75 years ago — and the rock where his men took shelter has been named Ray's Rock."

Get this:

"He's been reluctant to share his story, until now. "I felt, you know, there's someone who'll say, 'Gee — you — Ray thinks he was a great hero,' or somethin' like that. I'm not. You know, I'm just — I'm a veteran." But he decided to speak for his fellow soldiers who [no] longer can. The title of his book says it all — aptly named "Every Man a Hero." "When we were talkin' about a name for the book, the name came up, 'Ray Lambert The Hero,'" he said. "And so I said, 'No. Every man is a hero. Not me.'"

Uncommon Valor. ... When America was young, strong, brave, and free.

Mr. Lambert's story is far more complicated than the above. In an interview with Mary Louise Kelly, NPR reports:

"Tomorrow marks 75 years since the largest amphibious assault in history - D-Day, the invasion of Europe by Allied forces. World leaders are gathering for the anniversary and so is 98-year-old D-Day veteran Ray Lambert of West End, N.C. We're going to hear what happened when NPR's Eleanor Beardsley met up with Lambert in Normandy. But first, Jay Price of member station WNYC brings us Lambert's story.

"JAY PRICE, BYLINE: Ray Lambert answers the door of his lakefront home in a faded denim shirt.

RAY LAMBERT: Come on in.

"PRICE: It's embroidered with the coat of arms of his beloved unit, the 16th regiment of the Army's 1st Infantry Division.

"LAMBERT: When I first started going to the reunions every year and there was World War I guys there.

"PRICE: His back is stiff from an old war injury, and he leads me carefully to a room overlooking his dock to tell me his story. Lambert grew up in rural Alabama during the Great Depression, dropping out of high school at age 14 to cut timber. In 1940, he enlisted in the Army mainly because he needed a steady job.

"LAMBERT: I told them I wanted to get in a fighting unit, and I don't know how stupid that was.

PRICE: A year later, the United States went to war. In North Africa, Lambert says he was wounded by shrapnel, slashed by a German wielding a bayonet-tipped rifle in hand-to-hand fighting and had his jeep blown up by a mine. And he won the Silver Star for bravery. In Sicily, he was wounded again. Then in 1944, now a 24-year-old staff sergeant leading a unit of medics, he was sent to England for his third invasion - D-Day."

The interview goes on and on. In great detail about the landing. Uncommon Valor. ... When America was young, strong, brave, and free.

6-7-19

The following is an interesting perspective from a former German soldier there on D-Day, June 6, 1944. NBC News reports:

"Seventy-five years after D-Day, the world is once again a troubling place to a former German soldier who was on the losing side of the cataclysmic clash that hastened the end of World War II."

Indeed. History is repeating itself. This time in the United States.

"Paul Golz, 95, has a clear memory of being on guard duty in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944 — and realizing the invasion was underway when the skies over the Normandy coast were illuminated by flares, known as “Christmas Trees," dropped by Allied planes to mark paratroop landing areas. “It looked very nice,” Golz, sitting in his tidy cottage in the German town of Koenigswinter, told NBC News several months before the anniversary of D-Day. “And then I knew, aha, now it is starting.” Golz was at the time a drafted member of the German army, then under control of the Nazis, and he has recounted that day several times before to historians, to curious reporters, and to several generations of school children. But as the leaders of the Free World prepare to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Golz said he fears a fraying of the alliances that were created in the wake of the war, alliances that brought peace and stability to Europe. And he has deep misgivings about the leadership of President Donald Trump."

Indeed. Trump appears to be a pernicious reincarnation of Adolf Hitler. Our formerly great country is precisely where Germany was in 1933 when the Fuhrer became Chancellor.

“With Trump it is not easy,” Golz said. “Many Germans are not happy with what he does. He cannot just say ‘America First.’ Today you cannot succeed alone.” It’s not just Trump. Britain’s decision to leave the European Union also worries Golz. “Take Brexit, that monkey business,” he said. “How should England succeed in a world where everything is globalized?”

The following is particularly disturbing. Certainly, highly reflective of the Trump nazi and his war against immigrants in our formerly great country:

"Like many Germans, Golz also takes a dim view of the thousands of Syrian refugees who have recently found shelter in his country. “Nobody wants them, we also do not want them to stay,” Golz said. “We rebuilt our country, the Syrians also have to go back and rebuild their own country. There is no other way.”

You did not rebuild your country alone, Mr. Gotz. The United States provided the Marshall Plan. Conveniently, forget?

"Never mind that Golz himself became a refugee after the war when Pomerania, a region on the southern Baltic coast where his family ran a farm, was returned to Poland and the Germans were expelled."

Despite the above, and especially remarkable coming from a former German soldier, get this:

"What remains undimmed by the passage of time, however, is Golz’s belief that the invasion that spelled the end of the Third Reich saved Europe — and his life. “It changed my life, the life of a poor farmer’s son,” Golz said in German. “I am thankful to the Americans, too. I was never treated badly. We always had enough to eat. And we had these great windbreaker jackets.” Were it not for a case of diphtheria, Golz might have wound up on the Russian Front. He came down with the infection not long after he was drafted at age 18 and wound up in a hospital in the German-occupied Polish city of Torun. “Approximately 10 people from my company were ill at the time, and most of the others were quickly deployed to Russia,” he said. “They died like flies. Hitler sent the youth to the slaughter.” Once he was better, Golz was assigned to 91st Air Infantry Division and dispatched to Normandy where the troops were literally dug in near the Cherbourg heights. “We did not live in houses at the time, but dug holes where we lived,” he said. “About one meter deep into the ground and a tent above it. We were about eight people in one tent.” And all around them was a forest of “Rommel’s asparagus,” millions of 13-to-16-feet logs planted in fields, the tops connected by tripwires that would set off a mine should a parachutist or a glider hit one. They were named after Field Marshal Erwin Rommel."

'The Desert Fox.'

"On the day of invasion, Golz said he was more concerned about being hungry than the invading Allies. He said at that point he had not eaten in three days, but when he went into a nearby village to get some milk he was rebuffed by the French. Golz said he returned to his unit, which had been ordered to march toward the town of Sainte-Mère-Église, some three hours away. But en route, Golz said, they were ordered to head to another town. “I saw how the bombs were dropping,” he said. Starved and thirsty, Golz said at one point he wandered off into a field in search of sustenance when he saw something moving. "I took my weapon down and moved toward it," he said. It was a downed parachutist. His face was covered with camouflage paint, but he was unlike any man Golz had ever encountered before. “I had never before seen a black man,” Golz said. Golz said the soldier was trembling. He said he spoke no English, so he tried to reassure him in German that he was not going to hurt him. “He spoke back to me calmly in English and in the end took his water bottle and said ‘Good water,’ which I understood,” he said. Golz said he insisted the soldier take a sip before he too drank from the bottle. Then he took the American prisoner. The next day, Golz said he saw his first dead American. He said the German soldier he was with, a Saxon named Schneider, began searching the pockets of the corpse and found a wallet with a picture of a pretty blonde woman inside. “And then we saw that he had a golden ring with a stone on his right hand,” Golz said. “Schneider tried to pull it off, but could not get it off. So, he said he would cut off his fingers. I said, ‘If you cut off his fingers, I will blow you away.’”

Imagine that. Amazing, isn't it? Coming from a German soldier.

“It was good that we did not do it,” he added. “Because we heard from others that if the Americans found a ring on you, they would shoot you.”

Not surprising, is it? Can still remember my father telling me years ago, that at the end of the war German soldiers would fire at them. Then, throw down their weapons and put their hands high up in the air and surrender. Guess what? The bastards were shot.

"By June 10 of that year, the war was over for Golz. He said after strafing a column of American trucks with machine gun fire, they retreated to a pasture where the pursuing GI’s found them. “Come on boys, hands up,” Golz recalls the Americans telling them. Golz said they had no choice but to surrender. He said they were forced to march for two hours to a market hall where about 100 other German prisoners of war were being held. He recalled that the black GI guarding them rebuffed a furious French man who wanted to shoot all the Germans. “The American had a duty to guard us, and that is what he did,” Golz said. From there, the POWs were marched to Utah Beach and loaded on a British ship. To this day he remembers in detail what they were fed. “Sausages, mashed potatoes, a cup of coffee and white bread,” he said. “After we ate, we were still hungry, so we went down the stairs and stood in line again to eat a second time.” They were taken first to a prisoner of war camp in Scotland. Then, after a time, they were shipped across the ocean to New York City on a ship called the Queen Mary 1. From there, Golz said they were taken by train to West Virginia and a POW camp where they were treated more like guests than prisoners. “On every bed there were cigarettes and chocolate, and they had prepared food in the kitchen for us,” he recalled, smiling broadly. “That is where I drank my first Coca-Cola. Wow, that tasted delicious. Ice cold.” Just how well they were being treated sank in for Golz when they were made to watch news footage from the newly liberated Nazi concentration camps. “It was the first time we were confronted with the atrocities,” he said. “We saw the starving people in the concentration camps.”

American commanders ordered their men to tour the liberated concentration camps. My father was one of those so ordered. The idea was to make sure there was no doubt the atrocities were real. Had happened. The photographs of the piles of emaciated dead bodies, authentic. The emaciated still living, real. None of it, myth. All of it biting, vicious, murderous reality. So no one could credibly deny these atrocities had indeed, occurred.

"Golz said that, when he was asked at age 16 which branch of the service he should sign up for, his older brother, who had already fought in Ukraine, had advised him not to join the Gestapo. “They did not fool around, I was told,” he said. But Golz said he was not aware of what his fellow Germans had done to the Jews and Poles and countless others until he saw the footage. He said his captors were surprised when he told them he did not know what happened in places like Auschwitz, Dachau or Sachsenhausen. “I told them I did not know about this because in Germany we did not get to see or hear this,” he said. “Those who had taken part, had been a guard there, did not say anything.”

Hard to believe. The atrocities so widespread. Pervasive. Six million Jews murdered.

"Golz said he was released in 1946 and when he returned to what was left of Germany he began to realize how lucky he was to have been captured by the Americans. In addition to losing his home, he learned that his sister had been raped by Russian soldiers and became pregnant. “The worst I did not get to see because I was in the United States at the time,” he said. In the years that followed, Golz said he became a student of the war he had taken part in. He began returning to Normandy on the significant anniversaries and meeting with American soldiers who were once his enemies. He recalls being deeply moved the first time he went to the American cemetery. “They were all shot in the water on June 6,” he said. “That was on my mind when I saw the many graves. The Germans sat in a big bunker with big machine guns and just aimed at them.”

That's right. Horrendous loss of life. Many killed before hitting the beach. Our troops heroically fought through all of it. Uncommon Valor. Personal sacrifice. When America was young, strong, brave, and free. Determined to remain so.

"Golz said he was also asked several times to speak to French schoolchildren about the war and his small part in it. He showed a reporter the words he used to read to the classes when he made his presentation. “These many, many young men, most of them between 18 and 25, have given their lives for our peace, for today’s Europe,” part of it reads. “Remember that and preserve this peace.” In the twilight of his life, Golz said he is aware that he is part of a dwindling fraternity and that time has done what the bullets didn’t do in 1944, namely cull the numbers of men he could call comrades-in-arms. These days, when he can, Golz said he tends to his little garden and the old apple tree that “still brings him joy and a few apples each year.” And he remembers. “I have no hate, no hate,” he said."

6-7-19

Uncommon Valor. This time, a bus driver. CBS News reports:

"On May 15, Milwaukee bus driver Cecilia Nation-Gardner left her layover two minutes later than usual — and as it turned out, that was a serendipitous twist of fate. As she pulled up to the bus stop at 35th and Vliet Streets, Nation-Gardner spotted something that stopped her in her tracks: a 6-year-old boy walking alone through the busy intersection. The little boy, who has a disability, had wandered out of his school and was now walking dangerously down the center of the road as cars sped around him. That's when the hero bus driver sprang into action. "Stay right there! Stop!" Nation-Gardner can be heard screaming as she runs from her bus into the traffic. She then takes the boy's hand and walks him back into the safety of her bus, saying, "We're going to call the police, OK? So we can get you home." Milwaukee Country Transit System cameras captured the entire incident, as well as the moment police officers arrive, tying the little boy's shoes before taking him away to reunite with his family. This is the tenth lost or missing child that MCTS drivers have recovered in recent years — a fortunate case of being in the right place at the right time. "It was meant for me to be there," Nation-Gardner said, referring to the fact that had she stopped at that bus stop at her regular time, she might never have seen the child. "God does everything for a reason."

What's particularly sad is no one else had stopped to rescue this boy walking dangerously in traffic. -- All the other vehicles that sped right by him. Hat's off to the bus driver, Ms. Cecilia Nation-Gardner. Risked her life running into traffic. Uncommon Valor.

6-7-19

Uncommon Valor. NPR reports:

"When she first heard a woman screaming "active shooter" while dashing down her office hallway, Christi Dewar's first thought was: It must be a drill. Dewar, 60, of Chesapeake, Va., who has worked in the city of Virginia Beach's public utility department for nearly 13 years, had been there long enough to know that loud sounds were not necessarily cause for alarm. On Friday afternoon, a workplace renovation was still underway, so when she heard the first blasting pop sounds, she didn't realize she was in the midst of one of America's deadliest workplace shootings. "When we heard the first shots, it sounded like a nail gun going off," Dewar said. But as popping kept piercing the air, alarm set in for Dewar and one of her closest friends and longtime colleague, Ryan Keith Cox. They started to move away from the noise and toward a staircase, but then a co-worker came dashing by, imploring Dewar and Cox to run the other way. The break room, she thought, could be their refuge. "He said, 'No, stay here, stay quiet,' " Dewar remembers Cox telling her. "I said, 'Come on,' and he said, 'I have to go check on the other ones,' " telling Dewar that she and seven colleagues should barricade themselves in an office room. Cox left the room, while Dewar and others pushed a heavy cabinet flush against the door with all their might and kept as quiet as they could. Cox, meanwhile, had gone quiet. Dewar and her co-workers hunkered down behind the barricade, wondering where he was, when their thoughts were violently disrupted. "Two bullets almost came through the back of the cabinet," Dewar said. "We fell to the ground; then we heard other shots close to us," she said, choking up. "That's when he got Keith." Cox was among a dozen people slaughtered Friday afternoon when, authorities said, DeWayne Craddock, 40, a longtime employee of the city, stormed through Building 2 of a sprawling office complex. Police say the shooter was carrying handguns, high-capacity magazines and a silencer device. Witnesses described hearing up to 50 shots as the gunman sprayed bullets "indiscriminately," police said, on three floors of the building. When the gunman's blaze of bullets became faint, Dewar dialed 911. It did not take long, she said, for police to arrive, some wearing what appeared to be riot gear. An officer held her hand and instructed her to "not look down" as they sped down the steps. Dewar had trouble looking away from what was below her, though. "As we went down the stairwell," Dewar said haltingly, "I had to step over one of my friends," who authorities later confirmed had died. Cox and Dewar had a special bond. They both started their government jobs on the same day. Their desks weren't far apart. And they clicked on a fundamental level, she said. "I called him my big teddy bear," Dewar said. "Every time I was upset, he would give me a hug. When I was upset about something, he knew exactly what to say to make you smile. He's the type of person who you know would lay down his life for someone, just like he did."

Uncommon Valor.

6-7-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... "Sadly, the bastards don't need a reason. Enjoy carte blanche to murder on the job. Nearly always, with impunity. ... Right, Sheriff? Sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--ker, the department, and the city. Any officer engaged in, or threatening this kind of unnecessary violence needs to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. Not put on paid leave, -- no more than a paid vacation.

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

6-7-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred sixty three weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred sixty three weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred sixty three weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

6-7-19

Untenable. The Washington Post reports:

"With his weapon cocked to the side, the Arkansas police officer repeatedly gives Ed Truitt a simple command: “shut your car off.” An apprehensive Truitt, using his left hand to live-stream the early Sunday encounter on Facebook, begins to move his right arm. “He’s got a gun!” the officer yells before repeating the last word. “Gun!”

There was no gun in his hand or immediately accessible.

“Where? My hand’s in the air!” Truitt replies, panning the camera to his empty hand. “Come shut the car off, I ain’t moving my hands. He’s trying to shoot me.”

An insane, out of control, gutless piece of jackbooted shit in blue. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Video of the incident, which took place outside a convenience store in the eastern Arkansas city of Helena-West Helena, has garnered thousands of views online and raised questions about the officer’s intentions. For some, Truitt’s experience illustrated the painstaking steps people of color feel they must take to survive run-ins with law enforcement."

Readers are reminded, while this is indeed a deadly problem for people of color, more innocent, unarmed whites are killed by law enforcement.

“Given the history of these types of videos, I heard ‘gun’ and I flinched,” said Phillip Atiba Goff, whose advocacy group, Center for Policing Equity, promotes police transparency and accountability. “I thought I knew what was going to happen next."

Called legalized murder. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Truitt argues he survived by ignoring the officer’s instructions, telling WREG that he “played it safe” by keeping his hands visible and refusing to move. “[The officer] was like, ‘That’s a failure to comply,’” Truitt told the Memphis-based CBS affiliate. “But if I would have complied, I would have got killed.”

Sad it's come down to the above. A Catch-22.

Gets worse:

"Helena-West Helena police told WREG the convenience store’s parking lot was a hotbed of criminal activity. Police are seen in the background of the video talking with others at the scene. According to Truitt, several police officers arrived Sunday morning and ordered everyone to clear out, causing another car to block him in. In the video, the officer claims Truitt didn’t leave the premises when asked. In an apparent change of course, he then alleges Truitt had “come back.” “I’m not going to shoot you, but you’re not going to move those hands,” the officer says. “My hands in the air,” Truitt replies. “You’re telling me to shut my car off so you can shoot me. C’mon now.”

Jesus Christ. This officer is nuts. ... And a liar. Couldn't even get his story straight during the encounter as indicated in the above quote.

"As the video circulated on Twitter and Instagram, where it was reposted by comedian D.L. Hughley and others with large followings, commenters accused the officer of looking for reasons to shoot Truitt. Others questioned why the officer involved, who has not been named by the department, would yell out “gun” when Truitt’s hands were shown to be empty."

Gutless. Insane. Jackbooted bastard in blue.

"Helena-West Helena Police Chief James Smith, who did not return multiple requests for comment from The Washington Post, told WREG that officers found a rifle inside the vehicle. Truitt appears to say in the video the weapon is registered in his name. Under Arkansas law, rifles do not require registration. Body camera footage published by the network Wednesday shows police holding a rifle after placing Truitt in handcuffs. Truitt has indicated the gun was not easily accessible from where he sat in the vehicle. Smith said the department was working to determine if the officer responded properly. The chief sought the facts, he said, including whether the officer felt “imminent danger” before pulling out his weapon. “We don’t want this to be a racial thing,” he added. “We want to make sure this officer did the right thing and that he is accountable for his actions.” Goff said it’s important to note the officer’s finger was not placed on the trigger during the encounter, and that he remained calm after initially reacting to the rifle. He attempted to explain the reactions of those who may think the officer responded with appropriate urgency after spotting the weapon, and others who see an armed policeman needlessly escalating the situation. “Hero cop or hero bystander? Ridiculous citizens or unnecessarily goonish officer?” Goff said. “Very quickly, these become characters that are written in historical stereotypes. That’s part of the toxins in how we handle race and law enforcement today.”

Above rhetoric aside, there are an increasing number of innocent, unarmed people being killed by the jackbooted bastards in blue. That's a fact. Called the truth. Not speculation. As continually reported in this publication and elsewhere.

"For many discussing Truitt on social media, he was the clear hero. They commended his demeanor as he stared down the barrel of a police officer’s gun. “Way to keep your cool, brother. You didn’t get emotional,” one woman commented on his Facebook video. “That takes you off your game. You stayed rational.”

"Lose lose situation for us! If we move and they don’t see our hands it’s an excuse to shoot us. If we don’t move then we didn’t comply. At least he is alive. I would have done the same. The cop clearly yelled gun and that would have been an excuse to shoot if his hands moved!
— Uniquely Me (@OnePhrozenSoul) May 28, 2019"

Police are increasingly trigger-happy. That's a fact. Not speculation. As continually reported in this publication and elsewhere.

"According to WREG, Truitt was arrested for loitering and disregarding an official order. Police also told the network Truitt was charged with having a gun in his vehicle. The Post was unable to confirm any charges late Wednesday. In the video’s waning moments the officer is seen forcibly removing Truitt from the car, sending the phone he recorded with tumbling to the ground. Grateful to be alive, Truitt said he has no regrets about how he handled the interaction. “What I did saved my life,” he told WREG. “That’s why I’m here talking to y’all. If not, y’all would be covering a story about how I got shot.”

Truth's a moving target. Sadly, so. Police lie to cover their ass. So does the criminal element. Increasingly difficult to tell the difference between the criminal element and the jackbooted bastards in blue. More on this case as it becomes available.

The following provides more in-depth coverage of the encounter. NBC News reports:

"An Arkansas police officer has been placed on administrative leave after a video showing him pointing a gun at a black man and pulling the man out of a car went viral. Officer Terry Daughtery, a 3-year veteran with the Helena-West Helena Police Department, was responding to a call of loitering at the Double Quick gas station in Helena-West Helena on May 26 when the tense incident unfolded, according to NBC News affiliate WMC. Ed Truitt, a welder from Jonesboro, Arkansas, said he and his cousin were asked to leave the gas station by a female officer but when he went to pull out of the parking lot, he was blocked by a police car. He was sitting inside in the driver's seat of the car when the officer approached with his gun drawn. It was then that Truitt started recording the encounter on Facebook live. In the video, which has been viewed more than 800,000 times, Daughtery can be heard ordering Truitt to put his car in park and exit the vehicle. "Shut your car off," Daughtery can be heard saying over and over again, at one point adding, "he's got a gun." Truitt does not comply, but keeps his hands in the air throughout the encounter. "I ain't moving my hands, he trying to shoot me," Truitt is heard saying, he then repeatedly says "my hands in the air, my hands in the air."

Sad, when trigger-happy law enforcement cannot be trusted not to murder on the job. ... Right, Sheriff?

"The incident continues until the officer pulls Truitt from the car and places him in handcuffs. Truitt told NBC News that he didn't listen to Daughtery's orders because he was afraid that if he made any movements the officer might discharge his weapon. “I just knew not to move,” Truitt told NBC News. “I thought I was going to lose my life right then and there. I was scared for the first time in my life,” he added."

As well he should have been. The criminal jackbooted bastards in blue are murderously gutless. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Chief James Smith of the Helena-West Helena Police Department said officers retrieved an assault rifle from Truitt's car, according to WMC. Body camera footage released by the Helena-West Helena Police Department shows an officer carrying that weapon near the car. Truitt was charged with carrying a weapon, loitering, resisting arrest and failure to comply to a lawful order and later released, according to WMC. Truitt said he has retained attorney Benjamin Crump, who is best known for representing the families of shooting victims, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin. Crump did not return NBC News' requests for comment. Daughtery had previously been disciplined with the department but it was not known what for, according to WMC. When reached Friday, the Helena-West Helena Police Department declined to comment."

The public is entitled to know the identity and background of its jackbooted oppressors. ... Right, Sheriff?

"According to WMC, Chief Smith has been in contact with the Arkansas State Police about the incident. However, a spokesperson for the Arkansas State Police said it has not been "formally requested by any Helena or Phillips County authorities to conduct a criminal investigation."

Would do no good. The criminal jackbooted bastards cover for one another. No justice. No integrity. No respect, no regard for the United States Constitution. ... Right, Sheriff?

"In a statement released on May 26, Helena-West Helena Mayor Kevin Smith stated, “First, let me say we have heard the concerns that have been expressed in the community, from many perspectives, and will continue to listen. Most importantly, we are all relieved that nobody was seriously harmed this morning.”

Not good enough. Nowhere near. Empty rhetoric. When will this shit end? When? When will the jackbooted bastards finally smarten up. How many murders of innocent civilians will it take?

"Truitt said he hopes his actions serve as a lesson for black men when they interact with police."

As reported in this publication week after week, and elsewhere, this is a problem across the board. All races are victimized by these pieces of jackbooted shit. ... Right, Sheriff?

“Sometimes doing what an officer tells you will get you in a terrible situation,” Truitt said, referencing his refusal to put his car in park. “I’m not supposed to be here, but I lived to tell my side of the story. Keep your hands in sight so that a police officer doesn’t have a reason to shoot you."

Sadly, the bastards don't need a reason. Enjoy carte blanche to murder on the job. Nearly always, with impunity. ... Right, Sheriff? Sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--ker, the department, and the city. Any officer engaged in, or threatening this kind of unnecessary violence needs to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. Not put on paid leave, -- no more than a paid vacation.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-7-19

Police and prosecutors in Chicago can't seem to get their act together. CBS News reports:

"A video of Chicago Police Department footage was leaked on social media that shows the fatal shooting [of] an unarmed woman holding her baby. CBS Chicago reports the video shows 24-year-old mother Brittany Hill being shot at point-blank range by someone driving by in a car in West Chicago. The footage shows Hill shielding her toddler from gunfire. CBS Chicago reported the shooting happened in the 1200 block of North Mason Avenue on the far West Side around 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28. The video is from a city camera in the area of Division and Mason. The video shows that as Hill gets out of her black sedan, a silver Chevy Impala drives down the street and pulls up to her. According to police, the occupants got out of the car and began shooting. Hill tried to take cover behind a car and used her body to cover the 1-year-old during the gunfire, according to police spokeswoman Michelle Tannehill. Hill was pronounced dead at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park at 9:25 a.m. Area North detectives are investigating and believe the shooting was not a random act and that the woman was targeted due to gang conflicts, Tannehill said."

This woman died heroically using her body to shield her child. Uncommon Valor. Here is the problem:

"The video footage was leaked on social media without the express consent of the Chicago Police Department, who called it "an unauthorized release." A police spokesman said in a statement on Twitter, "We have notified the state's attorney's office and opened an investigation to determine who electronically accessed the video and whether anything was released or compromised."

"We are taking this video release very seriously & working to establish its origin as this family deserves better. 2 men were arrested by CPD last week & this case is now before a criminal court. We have conferred with @CookCountySAO & opened an investigation. Full statement below https://t.co/yDHSgip1pS pic.twitter.com/KdigGBpI2a
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) June 3, 2019"

This leak may compromise prosecution of both men charged with the crime:

"Police have now charged 39-year-old Michael Washington and 23-year-old Eric Adams in connection with Hill's death. Legal analyst Irv Miller told CBS Chicago the footage should not have been leaked and that the thousands of views the video has generated could complicate the prosecution of this case. "This is a major misstep by somebody in law enforcement," he said. "It has to come from the Chicago Police Department or someone at the states's attorney's office. They're the only ones who'd have access at this limited period of time." He also discussed what this means for prosecuting the two men who have been accused of the murder. "By having this leaked, to have the public see it now could result in problems later on in the trial because jurors, and we're all potential jurors, can't be exposed to things like this prior to the trial," Miller said. The leaked video could make it difficult to find an unbiased juror or force the trial to be relocated. Miller says in addition to the possible fallout for the murder case, it is possible that the person responsible for leaking the video could face felony charges of official misconduct."

Whoever leaked this had to have known better.

"Hill's family said they are aware of the video's release but wouldn't comment further."

What could they say?

Release of this video is an inexcusable f--kup.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-7-19

Gutless law enforcement. CBS News reports:

"The Florida deputy who failed to confront a gunman during last year's Parkland massacre has been arrested on 11 charges, prosecutors said Tuesday. Scot Peterson, 56, faces child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury charges, State Attorney Mike Satz said in the announcement. Peterson, then a Broward County deputy, was on duty during the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School but never went inside. Satz said the charges carry a combined prison sentence of nearly 100 years. Peterson's bail was set at $102,000."

Sad, isn't it?

The Washington Post reports:

"The former Broward County sheriff’s deputy who did not pursue the gunman attacking a Parkland, Fla., high school last year was arrested Tuesday and charged with child neglect and negligence stemming from his actions that day. Scot Peterson, 56, was arrested and charged with 11 counts, including seven counts of child neglect, three counts of culpable negligence and one count of perjury, authorities said. His actions have been widely pilloried since the Feb. 14, 2018, attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which ended with 17 students and staff killed. Peterson, the lone armed officer on campus during the bloodshed, was videotaped standing outside the school building while the massacre was taking place. Peterson has defended what he did by saying he did not know where the shots were coming from. "Broward State Attorney Mike Satz, the prosecutor whose office is handling the death-penalty case against the former student charged in the attack, said that Peterson was arrested after an expansive investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. That agency had been investigating the law enforcement response to the shooting amid criticism of how multiple officers responded. A statewide panel investigating the shooting released a report assailing how officers responded as well as criticizing how the school handled security. While Peterson’s actions have been harshly criticized, the panel’s report described “several” Broward sheriff’s deputies as taking their time to put on or remove gear “while shots were being fired” — which contradicts the widely accepted practice of rushing to confront active assailants."

Amazing, isn't it?

"Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, who took over after his predecessor was suspended over his response to the Parkland massacre, said Tuesday that Peterson and another former deputy were officially terminated by the office as part of an ongoing investigation into their behavior on the day of the attack. “We cannot fulfill our commitment to always protect the security and safety of our Broward County community without doing a thorough assessment of what went wrong that day,” Tony said in a statement. “I am committed to addressing deficiencies and improving the Broward Sheriff’s Office.”

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-7-19

Democrats remain all talk, no action. Extremely proficient at articulating what the most prevalent, pressing, exigent problems of the day happen to be. Offer solutions that on the surface, rhetorically sound good. Then, fail to follow through. Move the goal posts as necessary when they hit a wall. Usually, because their solutions have not been carefully thought out. Been going on for decades. ... Not that Republicans don't do precisely the same.

More noticeable lately for Democrats, however, because they have so miserably failed to rein in the Trump nazi, his henchmen. -- Despite taking over the House in early January. All talk, no effective action. Won't even enforce ignored subpoenas. Partisanship trumps principle. To say nothing of increasingly gutless, criminally out of control, jackbooted, murderous law enforcement, -- who Democrats in the House have clearly failed to rein in. Now, more of the same ineffective bullshit coming from one of the Democrats running for president. CBS News reports:

"The relationship between police and the communities they serve is "frayed," says Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro, and on Monday, he unveiled a proposal to mend it. His plan aims to increase accountability and transparency and end what he calls "over-aggressive" and "racially discriminatory" policing."

Empty, hollow, meaningless rhetoric. Merely, re-states an exigent, ongoing criminal problem in law enforcement, a growing cancer metastasizing for decades. Effectively, unchecked. Allowed to grow unimpeded. Talk alone will not excise this malignancy.

"The former Housing and Urban Development secretary is proposing policing changes like restricting the use of deadly force; making officers responsible for intervening if they know of or see fellow officers using excessive force or engaging in inappropriate conduct; and requiring law enforcement to get written consent for consensual car searches."

New laws, regulations, and Executive Orders will do nothing to impose the above when prosecutors are in bed with the jackbooted bastards in blue they work with on a daily basis.

"Castro previewed the plan Saturday during his presentation at MoveOn's "Big Ideas" candidate forum in California. He spoke with CBS News political correspondent Ed O'Keefe about the details of the plan. "We've seen video after video, incident after incident, of especially black men, who are gunned down and unarmed, at the hands of police officers," Castro told O'Keefe. "I know we have a lot of great officers, but it's not just a few bad apples. It's that the system is broken. I want to fix that system."

To fix it requires prosecution of criminal officers, not empty, hollow, meaningless rhetoric. Nothing you've proposed will accomplish that, Mr. Castro.

"One major change to the system would be an executive order to demilitarize the police force. This would prohibit any federal funds granted to state and local government from buying high-caliber rifles, tracked and wheeled armored vehicles and other military weapons, vehicles and equipment."

That is not a permanent solution. Could easily be changed by the next president. As demonstrated repeatedly by the Trump nazi.

"Castro says he would work with Congress to end stop-and-frisk policies. During a speech in Orlando, Florida at the International Association of Chiefs of Police in October 2018, President Trump touted the controversial stop-and-frisk policy as one that works — despite data from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New York stating that the policies disproportionately targeted African American and Latino men. "New York City had a very strong program of stop-and-frisk. And it went from an unacceptably dangerous city to one of the safest cities in the country." Mr. Trump said at the time. "It's got to be properly applied, but stop-and-frisk works."

The hell it does. Only a nazi dictator would so approve a policy that remains egregiously unconstitutional since officers have no probable cause and certainly is a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment. Not only that, destroys all public faith and trust in the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue who impose it. Endangers officers. Encourages terrorism, facilitates ambushes. All unwanted.

"Castro says he'll also work with Congress to lower the burden of proof to prosecute police officers for misconduct while investing in civilian oversight boards of local police departments. Castro is calling for stricter reporting requirements, which would require officers to report information "that covers any injury sustained as a result of a weapon discharge or arrest."

Empty rhetoric. Prosecutors will ignore it. So will the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Castro is proposing nothing new. We've heard this same old bullshit for decades. Nothing has changed.

"Castro is also calling for fundamental reforms in the school system, with a goal to "end the school-to-prison pipeline." This would include eliminating the use of police officers as disciplinary agents and also providing federal grants to promote "positive and supporting school climates and reforming disciplinary practices." In May, Castro addressed these same concerns in the rollout of his education plan."

More empty rhetoric. Will change nothing if there is no willingness and/or truly independent mechanism/system in place to prosecute the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue.

"He is also calling for increased funding for drug treatment and mental health support, as well as the establishment of partnerships between mental health units and first respondents. He's also suggesting alternative responses to 911 calls: "Support crisis intervention services would be equipped with medics, counselors, social workers and crisis workers as first responders rather than armed police officers."

Admirable goals, but no more than empty rhetoric since there is no willingness to systemically change anything. No way to fund these changes in the current political atmosphere, regardless.

"Activist Samuel Sinyangwe, a cofounder of and data scientist for Campaign Zero, tells CBS News that Castro's plan builds on the policing work of the Obama Administration, saying that it "proposes a wide range of solutions that are proven to save lives and change policing outcomes."

More bullshit. 'Symbolism over substance.' No more than empty, hollow, 'feel good' rhetoric.

Short of an unwanted, dreaded second American revolution already catastrophically looming over this, and many, many other issues, there is only one way this abuse will end. Time for creation of a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court whose sole function would be to adjudicate these cases. Total independence. Likelihood of such desperately needed change? Near zero.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-7-19

Savagery. NBC News reports:

"The New York Police Department is seeking the public's assistance in locating a man accused of brutally raping a female acquaintance multiple times at his home in Queens. The woman, who is 29, jumped out of a window to escape. Michael Hosang, 53, is accused of raping the woman multiple times from 6 a.m. to noon on May 30, the NYPD said. He also punched the woman multiple times in the face, causing at least one fracture, police said. The victim was able to escape by jumping out of a window, according to police. Once she escaped, Hosang allegedly fled in a red Chevrolet pickup truck with Florida license plate JZEY32. Hosang is 5 feet 10 inches, weighs 200 pounds and is bald with brown eyes. The NYPD is offering a reward of $2,500 for information that leads to his capture."

Need to quickly capture this son of a bitch.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

6-7-19

Organized religion is in a bind. Hypocrisy? Overwhelming. In the following case, extremely dangerous. ABC News reports:

"A Kentucky pastor is accused of trying to set up a threesome with two underage girls. The Courier Journal reports that 26-year-old Bobby J. Blackburn, pastor of the Elevate Church in Prestonsburg, was arrested last week and charged with using an electronic communication system to get a minor to commit a sex act. WYMT said Blackburn also owns a local Giovanni's pizza place, which plays Christian music and puts Bible verses on receipts. An arrest citation says Blackburn's business employs the girls, one of whom showed officers the sexual messages from Blackburn. The citation also accuses the pastor of threatening to fire a third girl if she didn't take the blame for sending the messages. The newspaper reported that it tried to reach Blackburn for comment without a response."

What could this gutless, duplicitous son of a bitch possibly say in 'defense' of the indefensible?

ABC News reports:

"Earlier Sunday, Trump stood on stage as the pastor of a Northern Virginia church asked God to give Trump wisdom to lead the country. Trump stood with David Platt, pastor of McLean Bible Church in Vienna as Platt made the request as part of a nationwide day of prayer for Trump that had been called for by the Rev. Franklin Graham."

The hypocrisy? Stunning. Considering Trump's business practices, his continuous congenital lying, his obstruction of justice as outlined in ten examples by Mueller in his Report, etc., to say the very least, pastors should be asking him to do the right thing. Resign in disgrace.

Sadly, the above barely scratches the surface. As reported each week in this publication and elsewhere.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-31-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... "Sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--ker, the department, and the city. Any officer involved in this kind of unnecessary violence needs to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. Firing is egregiously insufficient. How can the law enforcement community be trusted? No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than the criminal jackbooted bastards in law enforcement. ... Right, Sheriff? Madam County Attorney? "Sonny Boy?"

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

5-31-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred sixty two weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred sixty two weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred sixty two weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

5-31-19

Another racist jackbooted bastard in blue. This one got fired. Why wasn't he arrested? NBC News reports:

"An Atlanta police officer has been fired for using unnecessary force after he punched, tackled and used a Taser on a woman — whom he believed had an outstanding warrant for a speeding ticket — in front of her 4-year-old daughter. Sgt. James Hines was fired on May 17 after the Atlanta Police Department investigated the May 1 arrest of Maggie Thomas, according to a statement from the department. "The Office of Professional Standards determined that the force used during the arrest was unnecessary and inconsistent with Atlanta Police Department training," the statement said. Video of the incident posted by Thomas' lawyer, Gerald A. Griggs, on Twitter shows Hines forcibly remove Thomas from her car and throw her to the ground. As Thomas screams, her daughter looks on, crying "Are you going to jail?"

Gutless, jackbooted piece of shit. ... Right, Sheriff?

"The person filming the incident, who appears to be on the phone with authorities, says, "I’m recording this. He slammed her on the ground. He’s tased her like three times. This is crazy. … He slammed her on the car."

'Best' in law enforcement. ... Right, Sheriff?

"According to an incident report by Hines, he "saw a black female sitting in a silver Infiniti" and "had gotten an earlier lookout on a silver Infiniti." When Hines approached Thomas in her car she "became agitated and asked why I was looking at her car and what was I doing back behind her apartments," Hines wrote. "She said something about there shouldn't be a white officer harassing her." Hines left Thomas but then "began to wonder why she became so agitated" so he looked up her records, he wrote. He saw she had a warrant for her arrest due to a speeding ticket, called for backup and went "back to the parking lot to make sure Ms. Thomas did not get away." When Hines approached Thomas again, she refused to hand over her license or get out of the car so he handcuffed one of her hands and she held her daughter with the other, he wrote. Thomas started honking her horn with her head, at which point people came out of the apartments, and one of them took the little girl from the car."

Gets worse:

"I then took Ms. Thomas to the ground and she still refused to give me her right hand. I took out my Taser and drive-stunned her to her back," Hines wrote. Hines handcuffed Thomas' other hand, at which point she bit him on his hand, the officer wrote. "I immediately punched her in the face and she fell to the ground," Hines wrote. Another officer put her in Hines' police car as Hines tried to verify the arrest warrant."

Think this piece of shit fit to be an officer?

"The warrant for her arrest was unable to be confirmed due to the computers being down for the City of Atlanta," Hines said. He arrested her anyway for disorderly conduct, but not before medics treated her for a swollen eye and determined there were no marks on Hines' hand "from being bitten," he wrote."

Think there'd be no marks if she had in fact bitten him? Couldn't be this gutless piece of crap was lying, could it? Contradicted himself writing: "he looked up her records, he wrote. He saw she had a warrant for her arrest due to a speeding ticket." Then said: "The warrant for her arrest was unable to be confirmed due to the computers being down for the City of Atlanta."

She either had a warrant out against her or she didn't. How could he have "looked up her records" if the computers were down? Could this violent son of a bitch been lying?

"The Atlanta Police Department has recommended that the disorderly conduct charge against Hines be dropped."

Imagine that.

ABC News reports:

"A white Atlanta police sergeant was fired after a cellphone video surfaced showing him allegedly yanking a black woman from her car, slamming her to the ground, punching her in the face and deploying a stun gun on her during an arrest this month in front of her 4-year-old daughter. All charges against the woman, Maggie Thomas, were dropped after the video surfaced earlier this month. The woman and her attorney had both called for Sgt. James Hines to be fired. In a statement released to ABC News on Wednesday, Atlanta police officials said they were made aware of the incident on May 10, and launched an investigation that led to the sergeant's dismissal and a recommendation from police to prosecutors to drop the charges against the woman. A cell phone video taken May 1, 2019, shows an Atlanta Police officer allegedly pulling Maggie Thomas from her car, slamming her to the ground and using a stun gun on her. "Accordingly, the Chief of Police directed the Office of Professional Standards to immediately begin investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident," the police statement reads. "Following its investigation, the Office of Professional Standards determined that the force used during the arrest was unnecessary and inconsistent with Atlanta Police Department training. Subsequently, Sergeant Hines was dismissed from employment on May 17, 2019."

Why wasn't he arrested, jailed, and charged? Why the double standard?

"Thomas said the episode unfolded on May 1 when Hines approached her car as she and her child sat inside and began questioning her. The incident, according to her attorney, quickly escalated into police brutality. Thomas' attorney, Gerald Griggs of Atlanta, told ABC News that Thomas was arrested on a traffic warrant that he said was issued in error and disorderly conduct. In an incident report released by police, Hines wrote: "I asked Ms. Thomas if the car was hers and she said it was. I then told her that the car had no insurance and to make sure that she did not drive it." Hines wrote that Thomas became "agitated" and told him, "There shouldn't be a white officer harassing her," and asked for the name of his supervisor. He claimed that he gave Thomas the name of his supervisor and left the scene. "As I got a block or so away I began to wonder why she became so agitated at my mere presence and ran her name," he wrote. Hines wrote that a warrant came back on Thomas for failing to appear in court for a speeding ticket. Hines, according to his report, went back to Thomas' car and demanded to see her driver's license and the incident quickly escalated. He wrote that Thomas refused to cooperate and that when he attempted to take her into custody, a struggled ensued. "I then took Ms. Thomas to the ground and she still refused to give me her right hand. I took out my Taser and drive-stunned her in the back," Hines wrote. "She then began to comply and I eventually was able to get both hands cuffed." He wrote that as he was walking Thomas to her car, she began struggling with him again and "bent over and bit my right hand." "I immediately punched her in the face and she fell to the ground," Hines wrote." When reached by ABC News, Hines said, "I don't have any comment."

Surprised? What could he say?

"Griggs said Thomas never bit the officer's hands, and that the circumstances of the episode did not warrant such brutal force. "She wasn't driving. She hadn't been driving and he made contact with her twice," Griggs said of the officer. When the officer approached Thomas the second time and asked for her name, she told him, according to Griggs, "I just gave you my name when you ran everything the first time."

His statements about running her records are inconsistent and contradictory.

"She starts asking him what's the warrant for and then her baby, the 4-year-old, latches onto her and he Tasers her," Griggs said. In a cellphone video Griggs shared with ABC News, the officer is seen slamming Thomas to the ground, and punching her in the face before he deploys a stun gun on her and places her in handcuffs. Griggs said Thomas was punched in the left eye during the encounter. "She still has headaches. You can still see the bruising," Griggs said. "She's getting counseling for the traumatic effects of this incident and her daughter is getting counseling as well."

Sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--ker, the department, and the city. Any officer involved in this kind of unnecessary violence needs to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. Firing is egregiously insufficient. How can the law enforcement community be trusted? No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than the criminal jackbooted bastards in law enforcement. ... Right, Sheriff? Madam County Attorney? "Sonny Boy?"

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-31-19

In follow up to the last edition, ABC News reports:

"A Houston-area police officer who fatally shot a woman with mental illness is back on the job but not the streets. Baytown police Officer Juan Delacruz returned to work Monday, according to a department spokesman. He'll be on administrative duty during the investigation into his shooting of 44-year-old Pamela Turner."

Why hasn't he been fired, arrested, jailed, charged with murder? Why no equal justice?

"Delacruz's return to duty was announced Thursday as community leaders, elected officials and Turner's family gathered at a Houston church to memorialize her and call for justice. "I want Baytown, Texas, to know this is not something you're going to brush under the rug and send the policeman back to work," the Rev. Al Sharpton, a prominent civil rights activist, said during a eulogy. "If he's going back to work, we're going back to work too to get justice for Pamela Turner."

"A lawyer for the family said Wednesday that video of the incident and a private autopsy show Delacruz shot Turner in the stomach, chest and face while a "safe distance" away."

Murder.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-31-19

Nazi America. No justice. CBS News reports:

"A Long Island judge on Wednesday overturned the conviction of a man who spent 33 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Keith Bush was 17 and at a house party when police arrested him in the killing of Sherese Watson, 14, who was found strangled and stabbed near the house. Though he ultimately signed a confession, prosecutors believe it was coerced. Over the years, Bush and his lawyers made several attempts to get him exonerated. Bush was released in 2007 but was placed on lifetime parole. CBS New York reported that Bush had to register as a high-risk sex offender, but never felt free. On Wednesday, he was cleared. "I cannot give you back that which was taken from you in the 1970s, but I can give you back your presumption of innocence," Suffolk County Court Judge Anthony Senft told Bush. The judge said Bush was denied a fair trial and that there has since been newly discovered evidence of another potential murder suspect."

Sue the living shit out of all the motherf--kers involved. Every goddamned one of them. ... Has to be a special place reserved in Hell.

"We believe Keith Bush did not commit this murder," Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said. "We believe that John Jones is a more probable suspect." Bush, now 62, told CBS New York he lived a long time with hurt and pain and no one would hear him out. Finally, someone listened to him. Attorney Adele Bernhard, who runs New York Law School's Post-Conviction Innocence Clinic and represented Bush was thrilled with the outcome. "Justice is finally served for Keith after decades too long. Now let's look at all the other confessions these officers 'solved' by coercing a confession," Bernhard said in a statement. Officials said this is one of the longest running wrongful conviction cases in U.S. history."

This man deserves financial compensation at the very least. Moreover, the law needs to be changed to allow criminal prosecution of all officers and/or former officers involved with no statute of limitations.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-31-19

Murder. CBS News reports:

"Advocates demanded $100 million in damages Thursday on behalf of the family of a 20-year-old Guatemalan woman who was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent last year. The legal claim on behalf of Claudia Patricia Gómez González was filed one year after she died. It comes as the U.S. government grapples with surging numbers of Central Americans crossing its southern border and the deaths of six children in the last year after they were apprehended by border agents. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas filed the claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act as a precursor to filing a lawsuit. Gómez González crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas along with several migrants who were confronted by a Border Patrol agent, who opened fire and killed her. The claim says Gómez González "posed no threat to anyone, as would have been obvious from the slightest glance." The claim says she was unarmed and not fleeing as others in the group of migrants were. It demands $50 million each for personal injury and what it says was Gómez González's wrongful death."

Another example of the police mentality: 'shoot first, ask questions later.'

"Her life was as valuable as anyone else's, and her family deserves justice for their loss," said Andre Segura, the group's legal director. "Our government has a responsibility to treat everyone lawfully, humanely, and with respect regardless of how they came into this country." U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol's parent agency, declined to comment Thursday. CBP's initial statement on May 23, 2018, about Gómez González's death said that the agent used his gun after being attacked by "multiple subjects using blunt objects." The agency called Gómez González an assailant."

They're liars.

"The agency revised its statement a day later to say Gómez González was "one member of the group" that rushed the agent and ignored orders to get on the ground. The statement said the agent fired one round. The agent, who was not identified, was placed on administrative leave at the time. CBP declined on Wednesday to comment on the agent's status or the claim being filed. George Altgelt, a lawyer for the agent, did not return a phone message."

What could he say? Not easy defending the indefensible. Why hasn't the agent been identified? Forget? The public is entitled to know the identity of its jackbooted oppressors. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Gómez González was from San Juan Ostuncalco, outside the western highland city of Quetzaltenango. Family members have said she studied forensic accounting and sought admission to a state university but failed to pass three admission exams. Living in poverty and unable to find work, she left for the United States. More than 160,000 people from Guatemala were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border between October and April. At Gómez González's wake, a woman said that many villagers had left for the United States seeking work. "We are poor, there are no jobs. That is why people leave," said the woman, Guadalupe Carreto."

The Republican Nazi Right is reminded our UNDOCUMENTED forebears came to this continent centuries ago, STOLE it from its native inhabitants, then BROKE every goddamned treaty ever signed.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-31-19

Malfeasance. Obstruction. In follow up to a case repeatedly covered here and elsewhere, NBC News reports:

"After a Minnesota police officer fatally shot an unarmed woman, a fellow officer instructed him to "keep your mouth shut." The exchange was caught on bodycam footage showing the chaotic aftermath of the July 15, 2017, shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40, who had called police to report a possible rape behind her home. Ex-Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was found guilty in April of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in her death. Neither of the officers' body cameras were turned on when Noor shot Damond, but evidence released Thursday and obtained by NBC affiliate KARE showed the aftermath of the shooting. "What's happening, sir?" asked a teen who recorded as he rode by on his bike. "Just back up for us," Noor responded. "You can videotape, just back up." Other officers who responded to reports of shots fired were not told that a colleague had fired the shot, and initially believe they were searching for a shooter. "At first, I thought maybe he shot somebody," said responding Officer Robert Lewis when he arrived. "He did," another officer replied. Oh, he did?" Lewis said. "So he hit the person?" Lewis said. When he's informed the person was shot in the stomach, Lewis replied: "Shut up."

Fascinating, isn't it?

"When Officer Jesse Lopez encountered Noor at the scene, he was less confused. "You all right, kiddo?" Lopez asked. "Keep to yourself. Keep your mouth shut," he instructed Noor before telling him to turn off the camera in his car. Officers also turned their body cameras on and off while they were at the scene. Sgt. Shannon Barnette testified during trial that she meant to have her body camera on when she captured what prosecutors said was Noor demonstrating how he fired his gun. Officers didn't realize for hours that the person who originally called police was the person who was shot. Barnette even called Damond from the scene. "Say, I know you called in on the unknown trouble call, the woman screaming," Barnette said in a voicemail message. "And I have a question for you. It's pretty important. If you can call me back when you get this please."

Think these bastards don't cover for one another?

"The family of Damond, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia, reached a $20 million settlement with the city of Minneapolis after filing a $50 million federal lawsuit against Noor, Harrity, the city and police leaders. Noor is due to be sentenced on June 7. He faces up to 15 years in prison."

Nowhere near enough. Had it been the other way around, think the charge and conviction wouldn't have been for capital murder? Life in prison without parole, and/or execution in many states.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-31-19

In follow up to a case covered extensively here in this publication and elsewhere, ABC News reports:

"In an extraordinary move that capped two weeks of growing outrage sparked by the court-sanctioned San Francisco police raid of a reporter’s home, the city's police chief, William Scott, on Friday night acknowledged for the first time that the raid may have violated California state law and called for an outside, independent investigation into his own department."

Imagine that. Couldn't be, could it? The Chief initially defended the indefensible. That is, a concerted, determined, direct attack on the First Amendment Freedom of the Press.

“Over the last 48 hours, I conducted a top-to-bottom review of San Francisco Police Department’s criminal investigation into the unauthorized release of the Jeff Adachi police report,” Scott wrote in a statement released Friday evening. “At the request of San Francisco Mayor London Breed, we are seeking an independent, impartial investigation by a separate investigatory body.” "I am specifically concerned by a lack of due diligence by department investigators in seeking search warrants and appropriately addressing Mr. Carmody’s status as a member of the news media," Scott said in the statement. The police chief went even further in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle published hours later. Police “should have done a better job,” Scott told The Chronicle. “I’m sorry that this happened. I’m sorry to the people of San Francisco. I’m sorry to the mayor. We have to fix it. We know there were some concerns in that investigation and we know we have to fix it.” Scott's statement was followed by one from Breed, who said that Scott has "acknowledged the department's mistakes and apologized" for a controversial raid on the journalist's home and office, adding that it was "unacceptable and we have to do better."

The following is horrendous:

"On May 10, after freelance reporter Bryan Carmody had reportedly refused to reveal his source, police used sledgehammers to break down the door to Carmody’s home, and handcuffed him for hours while investigators scoured the premises looking for clues to the source who leaked him a police report. Hard drives, phones and other documents were seized and carted away. The SFPD did not raid the home or office of a San Francisco Chronicle reporter who independently obtained the Adachi report."

Fascinating, isn't it?

"California’s shield law protects journalists from being forced to reveal their sources or be compelled to turn over unpublished reporting -- including notes, recordings and pictures. The law explicitly bars police from obtaining a reporter’s sometimes highly-sensitive newsgathering through searches. Despite this, a judge signed off on the warrant prior to the raid, though it remains unclear if the judge was aware at the time that the target of the raid was a journalist."

The 'judge's' head was clearly, figuratively, securely lodged up his clueless ass. Out to lunch.

"Carmody's attorney told ABC News in a statement that "we are pleased to see that Chief Scott apologized to Mayor Breed and to the people of San Francisco. "We think he owes an apology to Mr. Carmody also."

Need to sue the living shit out of all involved. Hit 'em where it truly hurts, -- the pocketbook. A huge settlement would certainly serve to discourage such appalling conduct in the future.

"We were also encouraged to see that Mayor Breed called for an independent, external investigation of the San Francisco Police Department’s conduct in this matter. There needs to be real reform in the Department to ensure that the SFPD respects the First Amendment and the independence of a free press.” Scott's statement was a dramatic shift from just three days ago, when he held a press conference and said his department was investigating the reporter for allegedly conspiring to steal the report. For two weeks after the raid, police official[s] dug in their heels, even as San Francisco’s mayor, district attorney and California Governor Gavin Newsom publicly criticized the move, and in a press conference on Tuesday Scott had said that “our actions reflect that we believe Mr. Carmody was a suspect in a criminal conspiracy to steal this confidential report.” He charged that Carmody “went past doing [his] job as a journalist,” without specifying how. Even then, though, Scott seemed to be starting to soften his stance on the raid, suggesting that the use of sledgehammers may not have been appropriate. “We know that looks bad,” Scott said. “I’m not here to try to defend” the raid."

Certainly, talking out both sides his ass.

"The leaked police report at the center of the raid concerned the death of a prominent San Francisco public defender and vocal critic of the city's police department, Jeff Adachi – which painted the longtime lawyer in a negative light. The report detailed how Adachi had been with a woman who wasn’t his wife in his final hours, before he was found unresponsive in an apartment littered with empty booze bottles. In April, one of the city’s 11 supervisors called a meeting to express her outrage over the leak of the report, according to the Washington Post. At the meeting, a deputy in the public defender’s office, Hadi Razzaq told the audience about a memo his office had compiled and forwarded to San Francisco police officials about a “stringer” – slang for a freelance reporter – who had been offering to sell Adachi’s death report to some news outlets for $2,500. Freelance reporters as part of their job obtain information of news value -- whether it be a police report, a picture or exclusive video -- and negotiate to sell it to local news outlets, which are often too short-staffed or insufficiently budgeted to do much investigative reporting of their own."

Clearly, what had to have driven this entire fiasco is the possibility one of their own in law enforcement had to have leaked the material, -- pissed off at the public defender for having repeatedly taken on the police. As a public defender, what the f--k did they expect him to do? Sit on his hands?

"Ben Berkowitz, Carmody's attorney in the criminal case, told The Chronicle he now wants the police to clear Carmody's name. “I’m calling on them to come out and clear Bryan’s name with a statement that he has engaged in no criminal activity whatsoever,” he said. “One of the things I’ve found so offensive about the San Francisco Police Department’s conduct is it picked on an independent journalist. They wouldn’t have dared break down The San Francisco Chronicle’s door.”

Certainly true. Without doubt. Precisely, why it's so exceptionally important the bastards be sued for all they're worth. Every goddamned dime. Send a message.

"Carmody declined through his attorney to comment on Scott’s statement. He has reportedly said he did not and does not pay for information or documents."

Goddamned right. Had he, would have forfeited all credibility.

NPR reports:

"Scott told the San Francisco Chronicle that the searches of the home and office of freelance journalist Bryan Carmody were probably illegal, saying, "I'm sorry it happened." In a statement issued late Friday, Scott said he is asking outside agencies for an independent criminal investigation of his department to determine the source of a leak about the death of Adachi. The former public defender had been critical of the police. Scott said he is concerned about the lack of due diligence by his department investigators in obtaining search warrants and the possible violation of California's law that shields reporters from divulging their sources. Scott told the Chronicle that applications for warrants to search Carmody's home did not adequately identify him as a journalist. Scott also said the officers who executed the warrants violated department policy by not first consulting with the district attorney's office."

In follow up, NPR reports:

"The San Francisco Police Officers' Association is calling for the city's police chief, William Scott, to resign over the raid of a freelance journalist's home and office. In a statement released on Saturday, the police union wrote, "It is time for Chief Scott to go. There's no other way around it."

"The police union said Scott knew Carmody was a journalist, ordered the investigation, and deceived the author of the search warrant about Carmody's press status. In a statement, the union said, "Chief Scott not only followed every twist and turn of the investigation but he knew every element of the investigation, directed the investigation and has clearly either come down with the most debilitating case of amnesia or is flat out not telling the truth about his direct involvement and the horribly flawed direction he gave to find the leak of the police report." "A true leader accepts responsibility," the statement continued."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-31-19

Think law enforcement isn't cluelessly, dangerously, egregiously out of control? NBC News reports:

"A student who went to photograph a Black Lives Matter protest was warned that New York City police might use a sound cannon against demonstrators."

Against peaceful protest.

"My friend said, 'If you hear this, plug your ears and run,'" Anika Edrei recalled. So, when the NYPD fired a Long Range Acoustic Device, or a LRAD, at the demonstration in 2014 in Manhattan, that's exactly what Edrei, 24, did. Now New York officers’ use of the sound cannon at that protest is the subject of what may be the first lawsuit in the nation over police deployment of such devices, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Gideon Oliver, says. After a couple of years of the case winding its way through the courts, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the NYPD’s motion for dismissal, allowing the suit by Edrei and five other plaintiffs to proceed."

For damned good reason:

"After police used the device at the demonstration, which was over a grand jury’s decision not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo in the killing of Eric Garner, “I experienced a pretty strong migraine and dizziness almost immediately,” Edrei told NBC News in an interview. “I remember sitting down on the side of the street after I had gotten away and feeling very confused,” said Edrei, then a photojournalism student at the International Center of Photography in New York City. The migraine lasted about a week, but almost five years later, Edrei, now a student in Edinburgh, Scotland, still feels the LRAD’s effect. Having never had hearing issues before that day in 2014, the sound of sirens in the United Kingdom now causes Edrei immediate pain. Another plaintiff was told by his doctor that the pressure of the noise pushed a bone in his ear inward, damaging a nerve, according to court documents. Some also said they are now afraid to attend protests, which harmed their journalism careers."

What's so incredibly galling about this is the fact police deployed a weapons system against civilians that was designed to be used by the United States military:

"Created for the U.S. military after the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in 2000, LRADs were designed as acoustic weapons meant to repel anyone exposed to them. By emitting sound at an almost-intolerable amplitude, they force people in the device’s path to flee. Police departments started purchasing nonmilitary LRADs in the early 2000s, they say, as a way to control crowds and protests without having to use other more forceful means. But in the federal civil rights lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim officers’ use of the LRAD at the protest was excessive force, violating their constitutional rights. The suit against the NYPD and individual officers seeks damages and for the police to refrain from using LRADs on civilians until more studies, guidelines and trainings are in place."

Part of the 'shoot first, ask questions later' police mentality. Not surprisingly, the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue refuse to take responsibility for the injuries caused:

"The officers have argued that because LRADs employ sound, they are not an “instrument of force.” The defendants have also claimed they should be afforded immunity because the officers were unaware the use of LRADs could violate protesters’ constitutional rights."

Jesus Christ. Give me a f--king break. Since when are civilians let off the hook in such fashion? Why no equal justice?

"In a statement to NBC News, the NYPD said that at the 2014 protest, “two officers used an LRAD to direct unruly protesters at a volatile public demonstration.” The officers “acted appropriately,” the statement said, calling the LRAD “a safe and effective communication tool that provides an alternative to use of force or making additional arrests.”

Horse shit. Since when is alleged 'unruly' an excuse for the jackbooted bastards to employ a military weapons system that inflicted physical damage on protesters?

"The lawsuit has no legal merit, the NYPD added. “Exposing police officers to civil liability for using tools that successfully substitute for the use of force is bad for both public safety and police community relations,” the statement said."

More disingenuous horse shit. 'Don't do as I do, do as I say.' Did you jackbooted bastards get your cookies off inflicting damage on peaceful protesters?

"Adam Scott Wandt, an assistant professor of public policy at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the LRAD can be a weapon in addition to a communication tool. An LRAD, which looks like a large black speaker, can function as a public-address system, giving police a way to communicate with a large crowd, Wandt said. Activate what is called the "area-denial function" on the device and it becomes a “sonic weapon,” he said."

Most convenient for these jackbooted pieces of human excrement, isn't it?

"On the model purchased by the NYPD, the control panel warns in all capital letters, "Do not enter within 10 meters during continuous operation" when the LRAD is employing the area-denial function, court documents said. “Making someone feel pain and discomfort is a use of force,” Wandt said."

No kidding. No question, it's how these pieces of shit get their cookies off, abusing power.

"LRAD Corp., which makes the device, did not respond to NBC News’ repeated requests for comment."

What the f--k could they possibly say? Don't think they fear being sued?

“The officers that used this technology knew or should have known it would cause pain in the protesters that they are using it on,” Wandt said, “The government has very well documented ... that damage could occur with sounds over 100-120 decibels. This product clearly exceeds those limits.”

Since there is no chance these criminal jackbooted bastards will be criminally prosecuted, sue the living shit out of all involved. Hit 'em hard where it hurts, -- the pocketbook.

"In the case of a violent protest, Wandt said he understands why police might want to use LRADs in place of potentially lethal force. But, he said, “When law enforcement adopts new technologies, they have a responsibility to understand how they work, especially before they use them on a civilian population that is nonviolent,” like at the protest Edrei attended in 2014. Edrei hopes the suit will lead to others being protected from the sonic device’s harmful effects and lead to policy change. “I’m concerned about how indiscriminate the LRAD is,” Edrei said. “Anyone who is in earshot of the machine is going to experience it, and that really scares me.”

... Hear the rumble? An unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming on this, and many, many other issues.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-31-19

Think the following progress? Or, more of the same old, same old. NPR reports:

"Civil rights advocates and law enforcement groups have reached an agreement in the California legislature on new rules for when police can use deadly force."

Think so? Or, is it more of the same old goddamned wiggle room that allows these criminal jackbooted bastards to legally murder on the job?

"The issue has been a focus for many social justice advocates in California this spring after Sacramento's district attorney declined to prosecute the officers who fatally shot Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man whose death sparked headlines and demonstrations across the country."

Legalized murder. No more, no less.

"Under the agreement made public Thursday, officers will be able to use lethal force only when it is "necessary" and if there are no other options."

Jesus Christ. Think these gutless murderers still don't have carte blanche to do virtually as they please?

"That's widely viewed as higher than the existing legal standard: that the use of deadly force is legal if a "reasonable" officer would have acted similarly in that situation. But the bill language leaves out a specific definition of "necessary," which would leave interpretation up to the legal system to figure out case by case."

Precisely, why there'll be no real change. They'll still murder on the job with virtual impunity.

"The measure is now expected to pass the assembly before next week."

Will likely make very, very little difference if enacted. Forget? The 'shoot first, ask questions later' police mentality remains deeply entrenched throughout our formerly great country.

"We can now move a policy forward that will save lives and change the culture of policing in California," Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, who introduced the bill, wrote in a statement."

You're delusional, Ms. Weber. Live in a fantasy world. Not how things work in a de facto fascist police-state since at least 9/11, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"Law enforcement groups have dropped their opposition and are now neutral on the bill. "We appreciate your consideration of our concerns and thank you and your staff for working with CPCA on this critical issue," the California Police Chiefs Association wrote in a letter to Weber on Thursday."

Why wouldn't they be? This bill leaves a gaping hole a mile wide vis a vis interpretation.

"The American Civil Liberties Union, a leading advocate that helped negotiate the bill, praised the agreement. "If this bill passes and is signed by the governor, California will have one of the most restrictive use-of-force laws in the nation — if not the most restrictive," said the ACLU's Lizzie Buchen."

Laughable. Truly believe prosecutors will not continue to mindlessly protect and coddle the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue they work with on a daily basis? Precisely, why there is desperate need for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, jail, charge, and prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court whose sole function would be adjudicate only these cases. Total independence.

"The proposed law also states that an officer's conduct leading up to the shooting will be considered — but so too will the suspect's behavior. And there's language in the bill that requires police to use other alternatives, such as de-escalation or "less lethal" options, before using deadly force. But these requirements are a statement of intent, not a specific checklist."

No more than symbolism over substance. Toothless.

Report goes on and on. This bill will fail to rein in the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Snowball's chance.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-31-19

There are good cops. Even in Chicago. CBS News reports:

"As a Chicago police officer, Shannon Spalding worked undercover in some of the toughest parts of the city -- only to discover some of the most dangerous criminals were fellow police officers. She risked her life to stop them.

"In 2006, a decade after Spalding was trained by Watts, she had a new assignment in the narcotics division. "I was the undercover. I would go out, I would make the controlled narcotics purchases," Spalding explained. Her partner, Danny Echeverria, would swoop in and make arrests. But during police interviews, something strange started happening. "People would say … 'I can't believe you're going to arrest me when one of your own is actually running the narcotics trade,'" said Spalding. Spalding learned Watts and his crew would plant drugs on residents of the Ida B. Wells projects and extort cash. "Even the good citizens that live there, that are law-abiding citizens, they're subjected to this," she said. "We heard … he would put anything from a couple bags to enough to put you away for 10, 15, 20 years."

"Spalding and her partner would eventually learn Watts' bad deeds had been going on for years. "If we don't report this criminal conduct we're absolutely no better than Watts or any of these other corrupt officers. And if we do we may just be ending our careers and putting our self in real danger," said Spalding. "So, what did you and your partner decide to do?" asked Ferrer. "I convinced him that we needed to go to the FBI," Spalding replied. "My greatest fear was that because this was such a long-running … criminal enterprise … I felt that we would be set up for dead." Spalding and her partner would spend years undercover investigating Ronald Watts and his team. In February 2012, Sgt. Ronald Watts and one of his officers, Kallat Mohammed, were arrested after being caught robbing a drug courier of $5,200. That courier was Spalding's informant and was wearing an FBI wire. Both Watts and Mohammed were convicted. Watts was sentenced to 22 months and Mohammed received an 18-month sentence. Aided by that investigation, more than 60 people wrongfully arrested by Watts and his team have now been exonerated -- including Zarice Johnson."

Uncommon Valor. Hat's off. Best of the best.

The problem with the above convictions is the fact the sentences were way too light. Especially, considering the number of people falsely arrested. Both convicted officers should have spent the rest of their lives in prison with no possibility of parole.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

June 6, 1944. D-Day. When America was young, strong, brave, and free. More than willing to fight the growing scourge of Nazism. Determined to win no matter the cost. NBC News reports:

"Filled with paratroopers, a U.S. warplane lumbered down an English runway in 1944 to spearhead the World War II D-Day invasion with a message for Adolf Hitler painted in bright yellow across its nose: "That's All, Brother." Seventy-five years later, in a confluence of history and luck, that plane is again bound for the French coast for what could be the last great commemoration of the Allied battle to include D-Day veterans, many of whom are now in their 90s. Rescued from an aviation boneyard in Wisconsin after Air Force historians in Alabama realized its significance, the restored C-47 troop carrier that served as a lead aircraft of the main invasion force will join other vintage planes at 75th anniversary ceremonies in June."

At a time when our formerly great country is facing a crisis unlike any other in its history, how remarkably fitting is the following?

"After flying over the Statue of Liberty on May 18, the plane embarked for Europe with other vintage aircraft along the same route through Canada, Greenland and Iceland that U.S. aircraft traveled during the war. There, it and other flying military transports are expected to drop paratroop re-enactors along the French coast at Normandy. "It's going to be historic, emotional," said pilot Tom Travis, who will fly That's All, Brother to Europe for the event. "It'll be the last big gathering." Air Force historian Matt Scales said there's no question that the twin-engine plane is the same one that led the main D-Day invasion. It's now operated today by the Texas-based Commemorative Air Force, which preserves military aircraft. "There's not a doubt in my mind. We have three separate documents that prove it," said Scales, who found the aircraft with help of a colleague. Scales tracked it down a few years ago while researching the late Lt. Col. John Donalson of Birmingham, who was credited with piloting the lead aircraft that dropped the main group of paratroopers along the French coast in preparation for the assault on June 6, 1944. The night before infantry squads hit the beaches, Donalson's aircraft and about 80 others were watched by news crews and military brass, including Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, as they took off, according to an official history by the 438th Troop Carrier Group. That's All, Brother was at the tip of about 900 planes that made the flight across the English Channel to drop some 13,000 paratroopers in all. Donalson's plane was in the lead partly because it was equipped with an early form of radar that homed in on electronic beacons set up on the French coast by a small group of paratroopers in "pathfinder" aircraft, Scales said. Some mountings of that electronic system remain on the C-47's fuselage.

"The aircraft was sold on the civilian market in 1945 and had changed hands several times before Scales found it. At one point, it was painted in a camouflage scheme similar to C-47s that flew during the Vietnam War. "It had never crashed, it had never been damaged," Scales said. "All the dozen owners who had it between the end of the war and when I found it had taken pretty good care of it." The aircraft was tracked down using identification numbers to a company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and purchased by the Commemorative Air Force in 2015 following a fundraiser that brought in some $250,000, Scales said. It was badly corroded and partially disassembled, but all the main parts were there. With rebuilt piston engines, modern navigation and radio equipment and a fresh coat of paint, the reborn That's All, Brother made its inaugural flight in February 2018. A crew now travels with it, offering flights to veterans and others.

"Donalson, who retired with the rank of major general, died in 1987. But during a recent stop in Birmingham, two of his grandchildren were among those who climbed aboard the resurrected aircraft. Granddaughter Denise Harris sat in one of the seats occupied by a paratrooper for the ride to France. Harris struggled with the thought of being inside the same airplane her grandfather flew for the invasion in 1944. It's unbelievable to think that all those men were in that plane also, and to hear the stories, and to know some of the people that came back," she said."

... Uncommon Valor. When America was young, strong, brave, and free. More than willing to fight national socialism, fascism, raw nazism. Where did we lose ourselves? Where?

5-24-19

Man's inhumanity to his fellow man. Utter insanity of war. Hamburger Hill. Vietnam. May 1969. The Washington Post reports:

"On May 10, 1969, the U.S. Army’s most decorated unit, the 3rd Battalion of the 187th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, known as the Rakkasans, spent 10 days taking this hill against a deeply entrenched enemy. Every year the veterans mark the anniversary of the battle in Fort Campbell, Ky., and this year it’s the 50th.

"The battle for Hill 937 was kind of a high-water mark of U.S. operations in Vietnam. At the time, there were more than 500,000 U.S. troops on the ground, and this was a rare moment when the North Vietnamese forces stood and fought. By the end of the year, President Richard Nixon began his drawdown of troops, and there was a shift in emphasis to getting South Vietnamese troops ready to bear the brunt of the fighting. In this operation, however, some 2,000 U.S. troops sought to remove the infiltration routes of enemy troops and materiel from Laos into South Vietnam around the key city of Hue and the massive air base of Danang farther south. The Tet Offensive the year before had been particularly hard-fought around Hue, and the North Vietnamese had moved their forces from Laos into Vietnam through the A Shau Valley. The Hamburger Hill battle, part of Operation Apache Snow, was designed to wrest the valley back from the North Vietnamese, who had held it ever since a Special Forces camp in the valley was overrun in 1966.

"In his granular recounting of the battle, a book titled “The Crouching Beast,” Lt. Frank Boccia, who commanded Bravo Company’s 1st Platoon, described how his company was sent up the hill on a routine reconnaissance patrol with a vague mission to look for supply dumps, then ran into an ambush in a clearing. “Hollow booms — claymores: two dull, flat slams — RPG. AK-47, like a stabbing icicle, the sounds registered. And then a vicious, mind-freezing deep thumping, a pounding, crushing sound I’d never heard before but recognized instantly: .51 caliber machine gun. . . . Then the screaming started. Yells for help, or a medic, and inarticulate screams of fear and agony.” The men of 4th Platoon were hit by the massed fire from several bunkers and cut to pieces. Meanwhile the men of Charlie and Delta companies, making their own way up the hill, also were thrown back — a strange moment for the Americans who weren’t used to the enemy standing and fighting."

Prior to this, the enemy had the reputation of hitting and running.

“We began to wonder about what kind of place this was and why they were defending it,” recalled Dennis Helms, now 70, the radio man for Bravo Company’s 1st platoon. “Over the course of the battle, we made a number of assaults up the hill, and we would come back down each time because we had limited space to move in, and it seemed as if all their weapons were trained on the clearing, and we just couldn’t seem to get past that,” he said in an audio recording of his recollections. “Every assault was a somewhat different scene but had the same outcome. It just depended on where they wanted to hit us when we first came in the clearing or got past the clearing,” Helms added. “The noise level was also so unbearable.” Documents found on dead Vietnamese soldiers later revealed that the U.S. troops had stumbled upon North Vietnam’s 1,000-man 29th Regiment, known as the “Pride of Ho Chi Minh.”

Uncommon Valor under horrendous conditions:

"For days they were sent back up that hill, each time thrown back — sometimes by the Vietnamese heavy machine guns, sometimes by the mines they sowed into the slopes and twice even by friendly fire, first when a fighter jet dropped a bomb too close and the second time after an attack helicopter accidentally rocketed their company headquarters. “That broke our back that day,” Helms said. “The battle was bad enough, but having our own gunship fire us up was a hard pill to swallow — it was very demoralizing.” Over the course of the fight, the U.S. troops faced counterattacks, called in airstrikes and tried to evacuate their wounded even as several of their helicopters were shot down. Through it all the enemy held their ground, even as nearly every bit of vegetation in the dense jungle on the summit was leveled. Then on the 18th, yet another assault was defeated, this time by heavy rain. “It rained hard, hard, hard. It was just a big mud bowl. You’d take a step forward and slide down four feet,” recalled Robert Harkins, now 75, then a captain and leader of Alpha Company. “There wasn’t a lot to grab on to. Most of the vegetation was gone by this time. We lost the support of all our helicopters because of the weather.” On May 20, the much-mangled 3/187 Battalion, with help from other units, finally took the hill and mounted the summit, which by this time was a scene of near moon-like devastation."

At horrendous cost:

"About 70 U.S. soldiers died, and many more were wounded, with the 3/187 experiencing casualty rates of more than 50 percent in three of its four companies. Platoon leaders, the junior officers who charged into the fray with their men, were particularly hard hit. Only four out of a total of 14 made it through the battle relatively unscathed."

Most ironic of all? Get this:

"The U.S. troops didn’t stay long, and the hill was soon abandoned, an outcome that became the focus of congressional hearings featuring Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who called the battle “senseless and irresponsible.”

Moreover:

"The 1987 film “Hamburger Hill,” in particular, struck an antiwar note that has long bothered the veterans, along with its historical inaccuracies. “Had we faced the terrain shown in the movie, we’d have won the first day,” Boccia remarked bitterly once to Thorsell. “You’d think they’d have gotten something right by accident.” “No girls, no hot tubs, no trucks. The movie was crap and did not relate to a real 3/187th soldier in the A Shau Valley that I experienced,” Smith agreed in an email. For those who fought in it, the battle wasn’t about holding ground but about taking back control of a supply route that had been in the hands of the enemy for years. “I believe we did what we were sent to do. We were to open up the valley; we opened up the valley. We were to kill the NVA; we killed as many of the NVA as we could. The hill had no tactical or strategic purpose other than the NVA were on the hill,” Harkins recalled. More than 600 North Vietnamese Army (NVA) soldiers are estimated to have died in the fight. The central valley remained clear of North Vietnamese for several months afterward, until the United States began drawing down its forces. Smith, one of the veterans, said he recalls his time in Vietnam every day. For him, what made the battle such a definitive moment were “the unselfish acts of bravery exhibited by so many soldiers, not to earn any awards but to take care of each other, help each other survive, and still continue the battle. “

Uncommon Valor. Fifty years ago. Hard to believe it's already been a half century. Seems like only yesterday.

5-24-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... "All officers involved in these incidents need to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. How can the law enforcement community be trusted? No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than the criminal jackbooted bastards in law enforcement. ... Right, Sheriff? Madam County Attorney? "Sonny Boy?"

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

5-24-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred sixty one weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred sixty one weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred sixty one weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

5-24-19

In follow up to an earlier edition here and elsewhere, ABC News reports:

"A white Colorado police officer caught on video pulling a gun on a black man who was picking up trash outside his home has resigned, officials said Thursday. Boulder Police Officer John Smyly quit the police force after an investigation found he violated department policy when he drew his gun and attempted to detain 26-year-old Zayd Atkinson in March, according to officials and a police department internal affairs report. "While the finding likely would have resulted in suspension or possibly termination, Officer Smyly resigned prior to the conclusion of the disciplinary process," a statement released by the City of Boulder on Thursday reads. A police internal affairs report obtained by ABC News shows Smyly's decision to attempt to detain Atkinson "was not supported by reasonable suspicion that Mr. Atkinson was committing, had committed, or was about to commit a crime." Atkinson, a student at Naropa University in Boulder, was picking up trash on March 1 in a patio area of his apartment when he was confronted by Smyley, whom police officials said was trying to determine if Atkinson was allowed to be on the property. A video of the ordeal taken by a neighbor and posted online showed Smyley holding his gun during the 8:30 a.m. confrontation with Atkinson, who was holding a bucket and a metal trash grabber."

Called being black in a white neighborhood.

"Atkinson showed Smyly his school identification card and told him he lived at the residence. But when the officer detained him for further investigation, Atkinson grew angry. Smyly radioed for back-up, saying Atkinson was "being uncooperative and unwilling to put down a blunt object," according to a police statement. Within minutes, other officers arrived on the scene, at least one holding a shotgun, the video shows."

Jesus Christ. -- At his residence. Where he had every right to be.

"The officers eventually left when they determined Atkinson had every right to be on the property." In an interview last month on ABC's "Good Morning America," Atkinson described the encounter as a "traumatic experience." "I thought that once the firearm was out that that meant that he was going to try to kill me," Atkinson said. "It was a frightening experience. I didn't know what else to do besides, you know, to fight with my voice and to practice my rights, which were thoroughly being breached."

Nazi America. De facto fascist police-state since at least 9/11 quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. ... Right, Sheriff? -- None of your jackbooted bastards are racists, are they, Bill?

NBC News reports:

"Atkinson, who is black and said after the incident that he felt he was racially profiled, showed Smyly, who is white, his student identification card, but the officer said he needed further proof. On body-camera footage the city released Thursday, Atkinson can be heard saying, “I’m a student, I live here ... I’m doing my job.” As Atkinson attempted to continue to pick up trash, Smyly told him, “You’re probably going to get tased,” and eventually pulled out his gun, claiming Atkinson’s trash grabber could be used as a weapon. “You’re on my property with a gun in your hand, threatening to shoot me because I’m picking up trash,” Atkinson said. "I don't have a weapon. This is a bucket. This is a clamp.” At one point, eight police officers were surrounding Atkinson, but they eventually left after “confirming” Atkinson did indeed live in the building as he claimed."

Gutless racist jackbooted motherf--kers. Disgrace to the badge.

"On Thursday, the city announced the conclusion of an internal investigation, saying it found Smyly violated two department policies, could not substantiate claims of racial bias. However, Smyly resigned before the investigation concluded. He will be on the city payroll until February 2020."

Why will he remain on the payroll?

“The exchange between Officer Smyly and Mr. Atkinson does not represent the professionalism of the Boulder Police Department nor the community Boulder desires to be,” City Attorney Tom Carr said in a statement. Atkinson’s attorney, Siddhartha Rathod, said he thinks Smyly is getting off too easy. "Boulder is essentially saying, 'We're going to pay this officer and let him resign for threatening Zayd's life, for racially profiling Zayd,'" Rathod told The Associated Press. "If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. We would immediately lose our jobs."

That's right. No equal treatment. The criminal son of a bitch should be prosecuted for pulling his weapon and threatening his victim. A civilian under similar circumstances would have been arrested, jailed, quickly charged. Instead, this piece of shit was allowed to resign, protected and coddled, will continue to be paid. Nazi justice. ... Right, Sheriff?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

In follow up to the last edition, NBC News reports:

"The woman who was fatally shot by a police officer Monday night in Texas, had "several bad experiences" with the officer prior to the shooting, her family's attorney said. Pamela Turner, 44, was shot and killed around 10:40 p.m. on Monday by an officer trying to arrest her at an apartment complex in Baytown, about 25 miles east of Houston, said Lt. Steve Dorris, a Baytown police spokesman. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said in a statement Wednesday that he is now representing the family of Pamela Turner.

"According to Turner's family, the officer routinely patrolled the area and Turner had "several bad experiences" with him. Dorris said Turner struck the officer in the groin with his own stun gun, shocking him. The officer then fired multiple rounds at her, shooting her at least once, Dorris said. She was declared dead at the scene, police said."

The jackbooted bastard literally had his manhood 'challenged, shocked into reality.' Got exactly what he deserved. Reacted by shooting to kill.

"The fatal incident was recorded on social media and went viral, with some commentators questioning why the incident ended in Turner's death. In the video, Turner is heard saying "You're actually harassing me." She is on the ground and appears to reach toward the officer before he fires five shots."

Gutless piece of jackbooted shit.

"In a Snapchat video of the incident, Turner told the officer that she was pregnant. Police told NBC News on Tuesday that she was not pregnant, although they did not specify how they knew."

Imagine that.

CBS News reports:

"A Houston-area police officer knew his neighbor suffered from mental illness and should have offered assistance when that was apparent, but instead he fatally shot the 44-year-old woman, a lawyer for the victim's family said Thursday. Pamela Turner had struggled with paranoid schizophrenia since her diagnosis in 2005 and may have been in crisis the night she was killed, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said during a press conference. Turner was shot by a Baytown police officer Monday night in the parking lot of her apartment complex following a struggle that a bystander captured on video. The city's police have said the Hispanic officer shot the African American woman during an attempted arrest after she shocked him with his Taser. Late Thursday, police identified the officer as Juan Delacruz, an 11-year veteran of the department, and said he was placed on paid administrative leave after the killing, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV reports. A police spokesman did not immediately respond to questions Thursday, but previously said the officer tried to arrest Turner because he knew there were outstanding warrants against her. But Crump said the department was attempting to criminalize Turner to justify what he called an "unjustifiable execution." "Just because you are black and you have mental illness shouldn't equivocate that you should receive the death penalty," Crump said. "That is not America." Turner's family portrayed the officer as the aggressor and said he approached her as she headed to her home in the same apartment complex where the officer lived. "She was a lady who had mental health issues. What she needed was a helping hand from the police officer. Instead she got five bullets," Crump said."

Nazi America. De facto fascist police-state since at least 9/11, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"Turner's sister, Tracy Frazier, said her sister is being portrayed in the media as "this horrible person" when she said just the opposite was true. She called the officer who killed her sister a "monster" and said nothing about his behavior was justifiable. "I can only imagine what was going through her mind as that monster stood over her, defenseless, unable to defend herself," Frazier said. Speaking to the officer, she said, "We're coming for you." "You're gonna have to look in my father's face — he is waiting for you to look him in the face, so he can ask you 'Why?'" Frazier said. In the video of the shooting, which was posted on social media, Turner is heard saying "You're actually harassing me" and "I'm actually walking to my house" to the officer as he tries to arrest her. The pair can be seen struggling and Turner falls to the ground. They continue to scuffle and she says, "Why? Why?" and then, "I'm pregnant." Moments later, something flashes as Turner reaches her arm out toward the officer. Suddenly, he pulls away from her, steps back and fires five gunshots."

Re-read the very last sentence in the above quote. Murder. She was no threat.

"Police have said that autopsy results show Turner was not pregnant, but the autopsy report has not been released. Online records show the woman died of multiple gunshot wounds and the death was ruled a homicide by the Harris County Medical Examiner's office."

Murder.

"Crump said the family is having its own autopsy done to determine the truth. He also suggested Turner might have claimed to be pregnant to protect herself because she feared for her life, or due to confusion brought on by her mental illness and the recent birth of her granddaughter. He also said it's possible she attempted to grab the officer's Taser because she was unarmed and was trying to protect herself. Her daughter, 22-year-old Chelsie Rubin, spoke through tears Thursday as she described learning that her mother had been killed just days after she gave birth to her second child. "I still can't believe my momma isn't there," Rubin said. "I'm still waiting for her to call me every day, like she did." Rubin said she asked a Baytown police officer sometime after the shooting if the department was aware of her mother's illness and was told they were. "You should have let her go home," Rubin said, addressing the officer who killed her mother. "He should have left her alone. She'd still be here today." On Wednesday, Police Chief Keith Dougherty announced that he had called in the Texas Rangers to conduct the investigation with the Harris County district attorney. He said he was calling in the elite Texas Department of Public Safety investigative unit to assure Pamela Turner's family of a thorough, comprehensive investigation of her death."

Not good enough. Nowhere near. There is desperate need for a new federal agency that would investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a court that would adjudicate only these cases. Total independence.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

The following is beyond inexplicable. ABC News reports:

"The state trooper whose 4-year-old son accidentally shot and killed himself has been placed on administrative leave."

Why no arrest? A civilian father under similar circumstances would have been immediately arrested, jailed, quickly charged.

"Trooper Fu Sun was identified by the Ohio State Highway Patrol as the father involved in the shooting death, which took place at the family's home on Sunday, May 12, officials said. Sergeant Tiffiany Meeks told ABC News on Tuesday that an internal investigation would be conducted in connection to the Division-issued weapon that was involved in the incident. On Thursday, Meeks said that Sun had been put on administrative leave."

Paid vacation. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Ohio State Highway Patrol policy guidelines, a portion of which was shared with ABC News, details how department-issued weapons are expected to be stored. "Officers are responsible for the safe storage of Division-issued or approved firearms at all times (on or off-duty). Trigger locks, cable locks, safes, lock boxes, or other means approved by the Division armorer must be used to store Division-issued weapons to prevent access from unauthorized persons," the policy guidelines state. Kyleanne Hunter, the vice president of The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said that while accidental gun deaths are tragic, "unfortunately this isn't rare at all." Hunter said that eight times every day a child unintentionally shoots themselves or another child, citing a multi-year average of data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control."

This is an easily solvable problem:

"The most important thing that parents can do is if they choose to bring a gun into the home is to store it safely. And what we know from research is the most safe way is unloaded, locked, and with the ammunition stored separately," Hunter said."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

Another one of New York's 'finest.' ABC News reports:

"An NYPD officer allegedly asked her boyfriend to help her hire a hitman to murder her ex-husband, law enforcement sources told ABC News."

Couldn't be, could it?

"Officer Valerie Cincinelli, 34 of Oceanside in New York's Long Island suburb, has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder. She is scheduled to appear in federal court in Central Islip, Long Island, Friday afternoon. Cincinelli, who has been on the job since 2007, worked out of the NYPD's 106th Precinct in Queens. However, she has been on modified assignment since 2017 because of prior domestic incidents involving the boyfriend and the ex-husband, the sources said."

Not worth it. Move on. Act like men, not juveniles. Equally pointedly, what could this officer possibly been thinking? Should have gotten the boot long before.

"Neither of the men have been named. The FBI and the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau brought the case against Cincinelli."

In follow up to and in correction of the above, ABC News reports:

"A NYPD officer allegedly paid her boyfriend $7,000 to help her hire a hit man to murder her estranged husband and the boyfriend's teen daughter, according to court records. But the boyfriend turned out to be cooperating with authorities, and following a dramatic law enforcement ruse in which the cop was shown a picture on Friday morning of her husband appearing to be dead in his car, she allegedly began discussing her alibi with the boyfriend in case she was questioned, according to court records. The boyfriend was wearing a recording device, according to authorities, and the entire conversation was captured on audio and video. That's when investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the New York Police Department (NYPD) moved in and arrested her. Officer Valerie Cincinelli, 34, of Oceanside in Nassau County on Long Island, was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and held without bail following a hearing late Friday afternoon. Prosecutors argued in a detention memo filed in court on Friday that "the evidence in this case is overwhelming." "The defendant was captured on audio and video recording planning the murders, and, once she was advised that the murder of John Doe was effected, she was captured on audio and video planning her alibi and destroying evidence of her involvement in the crime."

Turns out to be an exceptionally complicated, incredibly convoluted case:

"Cincinelli, who has been on the job since 2007, had been on modified assignment since 2017 because of prior domestic incidents involving the boyfriend and the estranged husband, law enforcement sources said. In the memo, prosecutors noted that Cincinelli's first husband obtained a restraining order against her in 2014, that both she and her estranged husband have existing restraining orders against each other, and that she had a "volatile history" with the boyfriend -- who tipped off authorities to the alleged murder plot. Cincinelli first approached the boyfriend about having her estranged husband -- and his teen daughter -- murdered in February, and continued discussions with him in person and on the phone, according to court records."

What could this officer possibly been thinking?

"The boyfriend told her he knew someone who would commit the murders for $7,000, which he would convert into gold coins to pay off the hit man. Cincinelli allegedly withdrew the $7,000 in cash from a Long Island bank in February, court records show. He then used the money to purchase five ounces of gold coins, according to authorities. The murders were supposed to take place last weekend, officials said in court records. The estranged husband was to be murdered near his office on Long Island, and Cincinelli and the boyfriend allegedly discussed how the killing "would not look suspicious because the murder would take place in 'the hood' or 'the ghetto,'" according to court records."

Jesus Christ. Gets worse:

"At one point, according to court records, Cincinelli seemed to become anxious about why the boyfriend's teen daughter had not yet been killed. After the boyfriend allegedly informed her that the hit man would not commit the murder near the child's school. "OK, so she leaves school, you said he knows exactly where she lives, right?" Cincinelli is alleged to have asked him. "So what's the problem?"

The Ice Princess:

"At another point she allegedly told the boyfriend to tell the hit man to “run her the [expletive] over, how about that." On Friday morning around 10 a.m., Suffolk County police arrived at Cincinelli's home to notify her that her estranged husband had been murdered -- but it was all part of an FBI-orchestrated ruse. "Then, almost immediately after the Detective left the home, Cincinelli began to discuss...her alibi -- specifically what she would tell the police if she were to be questioned about the death," prosecutors wrote in a detention memo filed on Friday. Then, at 10:48 a.m, according to court records, an FBI agent posing as the hit man texted a picture of the husband, appearing to be dead in his car, to the boyfriend. Along with the picture, the agent texted a demand for another $3,000 in order to carry the murder of the boyfriend’s minor daughter, identified in court papers as “Jane Doe.” "In response, Cincinelli instructed the [confidential informant] to delete the text messages and photographs, citing her fear that law enforcement could subpoena the phone," prosecutors wrote. The identity of the boyfriend was not disclosed in court papers, and it remains unclear how he first came into contact with the NYPD. The target of the alleged attack -- Isaiah Carvalho Jr., according to his attorney Matt Weiss -- only learned of the purported plot on Friday. "He found out today, just like everybody else," Weiss told ABC News."

Surprise, surprise.

As convoluted as the above certainly is, gets worse, far worse:

"Cincinelli's father told ABC News that his daughter was being set up by the boyfriend, whom he declined to identify. In a telephone interview as he drove north from his home in Virginia to New York City to try and assist his incarcerated daughter, Louis Cincinelli said the boyfriend had once accused her of pulling a gun on him and threatening his life, only to allegedly recant that accusation in criminal court in New York. "I don't know what happened but I do know my daughter and I knew this was not true when I first heard it. She was going out with some wacko pathological liar who had her locked up once before, saying that she pulled a gun on him and threatened to kill him, but then he went to court and said in open court, he recanted it and said he had made it up. Now ... she throws this bum out again and two weeks later this happens." "But she's the biggest idiot for being with him," he continued. "I don't know. I don't understand these kids. But I know my daughter. She wouldn't do this. She's a domestic violence officer, and she knows that that's not the way to handle something like this, to knock somebody off."

"I guarantee you," the distraught father continued, "the bottom line is going to be that it turns out she didn't do this."

If that turns out to be the case, would mean the FBI and NYPD Internal Affairs would have had to have conspired to manufacture one hell of a ruse to unjustly nail this officer. If that's indeed the case, what would explain the allegedly highly incriminating audio and video obtained from the officer?

"The FBI and the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau brought the case against Cincinelli."

Here is the correction provided by ABC to its initial report:

"This story has been updated to reflect that Carvalho is Cincinelli's estranged husband, not ex-husband."

CBS News reports:

"A New York Police Department officer has been charged with plotting to kill her estranged husband, the result of an elaborate sting operation by investigators using a fake photo of his slaying. Valerie Cincinelli, an NYPD officer since 2007 and a mother of two, was held without bail Friday following her arrest on federal murder-for-hire charges. A criminal complaint accuses her of asking a confidential FBI informant to help her find someone to kill the husband and a minor whose identities weren't made public. Sources tell CBS New York the minor is the 15-year-old daughter of her current boyfriend, who identified himself as the confidential informant to the New York Daily News on Sunday. "My heart is destroyed," the boyfriend, John DiRubba, 54, told the paper. "I can't even think straight now. I can't come to terms that a mother of two, a police officer . . . wanted to harm my daughter." DiRubba said he pretended to go along with Cincinelli's plan, but instead went to authorities. But speaking to CBS New York, Cincinelli's father called the boyfriend a "wacko psycho." "There's no doubt that he manipulated multiple conversations to come up with his statements," Lou Cincinelli said. "He's very smart, but he's a pathological liar and there's something wrong with his brain."

Incredibly convoluted:

"Court papers do not describe Cincinelli's alleged motive. They say Cincinelli allegedly made a $7,000 cash withdrawal from a bank in Long Island in February and gave it to the informant, who said he would convert it to gold coins to pay the hit man. The two discussed the alleged plot over the course of several months, the court papers say, and Cincinelli allegedly discussed having the hit man kill the teen and then wait a week or a month to kill her husband. Cincinelli allegedly discussed having the hit man kill her husband near his workplace where he sells fireworks in Holtsville, New York, and said that it would appear as a robbery because of cash he had on him from the firework sales. According to court papers, when the informant told her the hit man did not want to kill the teen near her New Jersey school, Cincinelli replied: "Run her the f---over, how about that." After a local detective went to Cincinelli's Long Island home on Friday to make a phony notification that her husband had been found murdered, the informant recorded her cooking up an alibi, the papers say. Later in the morning, "an FBI agent, posing as the hitman, sent a text message to the (informant) which included a photograph of the defendant's estranged husband appearing dead in his car," the papers say, along with a demand for another $3,000 to kill the teen. "In response, Cincinelli instructed the (informant) to delete the text messages and photographs, citing her fear that law enforcement could subpoena the phone." Court papers say Cincinelli and her estranged husband had orders of protection against each other, and that she knew the informant from their own "volatile" romantic history. Before her arrest, the NYPD had put her on desk duty for breaking various department rules, they add. She was ordered suspended after the arrest, reports CBS New York. The officer's attorney, Tracey Gaffey, declined on Friday to discuss the case."

Amazing how long this went on considering how convoluted this case was, -- and dangerous. To say nothing of the officer's history. There are a number of unanswered questions. Be interesting to see how this case is finally adjudicated.

"Cincinelli cried as she appeared before a federal judge in Central Islip Friday afternoon, the station reports. Her legal aid attorney argued for bail, citing 12 years with the NYPD, but the judge reportedly ordered Cincinelli held, citing very strong evidence of guilt in the case."

Once again, raises the question why did this go on for months considering the alleged danger an adult and a minor were in?

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5-24-19

More of the same. ABC News reports:

"An African-American man is demanding a white Texas constable deputy be fired after he says he endured a terrifying encounter in which he was racially profiled and mistaken for a fugitive wanted in Louisiana."

So what else is new? Same old, same old.

"Clarence Evans, 39, said the ordeal occurred on May 8 in the driveway of his Houston home and in front of his wife, 6-year-old son, and 1-year-old daughter. Evans' wife, Kenya, recorded the confrontation on her cell phone and Evans posted it on Facebook, where, as of Thursday, it had been viewed more than 21,000 times."

Nothing quite like sunlight, is there?

"That officer needs to be fired," Evans told ABC News on Thursday. "I don't understand how he's still an officer of the law."

The answer to that is remarkably simple. This shit is tolerated. Ubiquitously. All across our formerly great country. ... Right, Sheriff?

"The Harris County Constable for Precinct 4, where the deputy works, stood behind the deputy's actions on Thursday and blamed Evans for escalating the situation by not complying with a request to hand over his identification."

These goddamned jackbooted sons of bitches nearly always protect and coddle their own.

"Evans said he was standing in front of his home, playing with his children, when the deputy, whose name has not been released, pulled up to this house and initially asked him about his dog. "At the time, my dog was in the house," Evans said. "I'm breeding my dog so I thought he was stopping to ask about some puppies or something. So, I didn't think nothing of it." "He told me my dog was stolen," he said. "I told him, 'Well, that can't be possible.'" The episode quickly escalated, according to Evans, and the deputy began asking him his name and grabbed him by the right arm. "He grabbed me and told me, 'No, I already know your name ... and you've got a warrant out of Louisiana," Evans said. He said he immediately sent his son into the house to get his wife, who pulled out her cell phone and started recording."

Best thing she could have possibly done.

"In the video, the deputy called Evans "Quentin" at one point."

Hopelessly ignorant, jackbooted motherf--ker. One of the reasons these pieces of human excrement cannot be trusted. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Both Evans and his wife told the officer Evans' name wasn't Quentin and that he's never lived in Louisiana. But the deputy continued to grab Evans arm and attempted to take him into custody."

Assault. Against an innocent man.

"Eventually, another constable deputy pulled up to Evans' home with his lights and siren on. The second deputy handed his colleague a cell phone. The deputy then showed a photo on his phone to Evans apparently of the wanted fugitive. "Here's the deal: Doesn't that look a lot like you?" the deputy asked Evans. Evans said the man in the photo had dreadlocks similar to his and also a similar complexion. But Evans said that was the extent of what they had in common. "He was a lot older," the 39-year-old Evans told ABC News. The other deputy agreed that the man in the photo was not Evans and they went back to their cars and drove away."

Jesus Christ. Think law enforcement will ever smarten up? Sue the living shit out of the bastard, department, and the County.

"Mark Herman, the Harris County Constable for Precinct 4, released a statement saying Evans did not cooperate with the deputy and made matters worse by not handing over his identification when asked. Herman did not identify the deputy."

Why not? The public is entitled to know the identity of its oppressors. ... Right, Sheriff. In addition, even in Nazi America, civilians are not required to carry identification unless they are driving, that is, a driver's license. This man was on his own property. This jackbooted bastard had no warrant. Didn't produce a photo of the fugitive he was seeking to arrest at the time he began harassing his victim.

The law says you must identify yourself to an officer when asked, that is, give your real name. This man did. The jackbooted bastard was way out of line. The Harris County Constable is defending the indefensible. Precisely, why law enforcement cannot be trusted. Worse, remains an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element poses a greater threat to these most precious rights than government, all levels, all branches.

"This individual was not profiled," Herman said in his statement. "The deputy was informed that this individual was a wanted fugitive out of another state. The deputy was there on official police business." Referring to the video Evans posted on Facebook, Herman said, "This individual chose to cuss out the deputy and not cooperate with a law enforcement investigation."

Horse shit. He was after the wrong man. Otherwise, your jackbooted son of a bitch and his buddy would have hauled his ass to jail. Not only that, free speech is guarantied by the First Amendment. You don't know that? Don't like the speech? Tough shit. The Fifth Amendment guaranties the right not to incriminate oneself. Why the f--k should he have cooperated with this jackbooted son of a bitch who was desperately trying to frame him for a crime he did not commit? Anything told to a criminal jackbooted bastard in blue is turned into something it's not and used to incriminate an innocent target of these corrupt, abusive, outrageously out of control pieces of shit. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Evans' lawyer, U.A. Lewis of Houston, said she and Evans are deciding what to do next now that Herman has apparently decided not to discipline the deputy. "We put it in the constable's hands to try to handle the situation," Lewis told ABC News. "It doesn't look like his response is going to be what we were looking for, which is to address the officer. He actually has backed the officer's position." Lewis said she has asked officials to show her the alleged warrant and has filed an open record request for it. But, so far, she has not received it. "I find it strange that with all this publicity, all this attention on this wanted person, now is the perfect opportunity to put this person's photograph out there so we can find this ... person who is wanted," Lewis said. "We don't know if he's wanted for a traffic ticket. We don't know if it's a murder warrant."

Clearly, the Harris County Constable is covering his sorry ass and that of his abusive deputy. Time to sue the living shit out of all involved.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

No justice. Intolerable in what is supposed to be a democratic republic. NBC News reports:

"The mother of Eric Garner stood outside of the New York Police Department’s headquarters in the rain on Monday to remind supporters that the fight for justice in her son’s death isn't over. "Eric is crying from heaven 'cause he sees his mother and his family out here still trying to fight for justice for him," Gwen Carr told several people standing in the rain with signs that read #FireNYPD Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer involved in his death. "It's been five years — five years we've been on the front lines trying to get justice, and they're still trying to sweep it under the rug," she said."

The criminal jackbooted bastard in blue way. ... Right, Sheriff?

Insult to injury?

"The family has been largely kept in the dark by the NYPD due to a police secrecy law that has clouded transparency in the case. They were initially denied access to Pantaleo's disciplinary records and were unable to see evidence from the grand jury investigation into the case, due to a state civil rights law — Section 50-a — that bars access to police officers' personnel records."

Nazi justice. The criminal jackbooted bastard in blue way. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Section 50-a is considered a harmful roadblock in the quest for building trust and maintaining safety between police and their communities, according to several organizations that are fighting for its repeal."

'No honor among thieves,' -- so too speak.

"Enacted in 1976 under New York's Freedom of Information Laws, the law's purpose was to "protect police officers from harassing cross-examination by defense counsel in criminal prosecutions based on unproven or irrelevant material contained in their personnel files."

Unadulterated jackbooted horse shit. Not-so-cleverly designed to protect and coddle the criminals in law enforcement. ... Right, Sheriff? Why shouldn't their full backgrounds be subject to cross-examination? Why should a criminal officer be granted special treatment not accorded the public in a similar situation?

"Yet recent administrations have used broader interpretations of the law, effectively eliminating access to those files unless dictated by court order. In 2018, BuzzFeed News released secret internal files of more than 300 active New York City police officers who had committed offenses that would merit firing."

Couldn't be, could it? Sound familiar, Sheriff? Same old shit occurs right here in Nazi Llano County, doesn't it, Bill?

"The law makes police misconduct in New York state more secretive than in any other state in the country, according to a report by the New York State Committee on Open Government. It’s taken five years and multiple investigations for disciplinary proceedings to be brought against Pantaleo, who has been on administrative duty since Garner’s death on July 17, 2014."

Here, in Nazi Llano County, never happens. ... Right, Sheriff? That why you let Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 off the hook, Sheriff? Failed to hold him accountable for thousands of dollars of damage to the Pace Arrow, Bill?

"Pantaleo has been charged by the Civilian Complaint Review Board or CCRB, an independent police oversight group, with reckless use of a chokehold and intentional restriction of breathing. The hearing will determine whether Pantaleo will face firing or any other disciplinary actions."

The son of a bitch should have been tried for murder. Would have been, -- had it been anyone other than a criminal jackbooted bastard in blue. ... Right, Sheriff?

"But because of Section 50-a, if he is not fired, it would take a court order for the Garner family to find out if he will be disciplined at all."

Nazi justice. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Video of Pantaleo wrapping his arm around Garner’s neck while other officers tried to place him under arrest spread across the internet. His last words, "I can't breathe," became a rallying cry at protests against police brutality across the United States."

Murder. Cold-blooded.

"Officials' hand-wringing on the law has continuously impeded the process for the Garner family. "How many times have you read about Garner's family trying — without any success — to gain access to the records involving that incident? It doesn't make sense," said Robert J. Freeman, executive director of the New York State Committee on Open Government, which oversees and advises on the state's Freedom of Information law. "Strangely and ironically, public employees who have the most power and authority over people’s lives are the least accountable due to the confidentiality and limitation imposed by section 50-a, the civil rights law." The Garner family's fight for information is just one example of the lack of transparency and accountability in police-involved deaths in New York City. The family of Deborah Danner, a Bronx woman with a mental illness who was fatally shot in October 2016, may never know if Sgt. Hugh Barry will be disciplined for the shooting. Barry was criminally acquitted for the shooting in February 2018 and is on desk duty until a disciplinary hearing is completed. The father of Saheed Vassell, a black man with bipolar disorder who was shot and killed by police in the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn in April 2018, has been demanding justice for the past year. The NYPD did not release the names of the four officers involved in the case, but their names were later leaked to the press, according to the Daily News. In April, the state's special investigations and prosecution unit declined to press criminal charges."

Same shit goes on all over our formerly great country including right here in Nazi Llano County. ... Right, Sheriff?

“This is the tactics of the NYPD to just [let] the families suffer for years and years and years,” Eric Vassell told reporters at a press conference in October. “I’ve seen them do that. They do all types of things to cause us to break down. It’s a game that they keep on playing with us over and over, wanting us to believe they’ll do good."

They're criminal, jackbooted, nazi motherf--kers, right, Sheriff?

"It’s unclear if Pantaleo will be penalized but history shows that punishments for fatal chokeholds by NYPD officers have been extremely rare."

So what else is new? Legalized murder.

"An NYPD officer hasn't been fired for a fatal chokehold since Francis Livoti, who was convicted of violating the federal civil rights of Bronx man Anthony Baez in 1994, the Associated Press reported. From 2009 to 2014, the CCRB reviewed 1,022 chokehold complaints; of the 462 cases that were investigated fully, only nine were substantiated by the board, according to data that was released just days after Garner's death. Of those nine instances, only one of the officers was disciplined, according to The New York Times. Garner’s family was paid a $5.9 million settlement by the city in July 2015 after a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo on criminal charges in December 2014. Meanwhile, the Justice Department has until July to decide whether to bring federal civil rights charges against Pantaleo. The DOJ declined comment on the status of the case."

No justice. Not in a de facto fascist police-state since at least 9/11, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"For New York City's Legal Aid Society, the nonindictment of Pantaleo in December 2014 served as a springboard to take legal action and begin efforts to repeal New York’s police secrecy law."

Report goes on and on. No justice.

All officers involved in these incidents need to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. How can the law enforcement community be trusted? No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than the criminal jackbooted bastards in law enforcement. ... Right, Sheriff? Madam County Attorney? "Sonny Boy?"

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

Abuse of power. No judgment. Out of control law enforcement. ABC News reports:

"A Wyoming teenager is suing an off-duty officer from Colorado who pulled a gun on him as he ran to a bus stop in Jackson."

Out of control jackbooted piece of shit. ... Right, Sheriff?

"The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports 18-year-old Gerardo Becerra filed claims of assault, battery and false imprisonment against Vanessa Schultz in a Wyoming court. Schultz is a police officer in Colorado and was on vacation when she heard a loud noise and assumed a teenager running nearby had committed a crime. Becerra was running to catch a bus. The lawsuit claims Schultz detained Becerra, threatened to shoot him and was "exhilarated" when police arrived. A special prosecutor concluded Schultz shouldn't have pulled her gun, but criminal charges weren't warranted."

No equal justice. Had it been the other way around, the kid would have been arrested, jailed, promptly charged.

"A telephone message for Schultz left with the Lakewood police department was not immediately returned."

Surprised?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

The following is beyond appalling. It's murderous. ABC News reports:

"A video recorded during a violent arrest shows at least one New Jersey police officer punching a suspect who's pinned to the ground. Cyprian Luke, 19, was apprehended around 2 a.m. on Saturday because of a warrant tied to a domestic case, ABC New York station WABC reported. He and a friend were on their way to get a tattoo in Dover when the confrontation happened in front of a police station. Luke told Lucy Yang of WABC there were "multiple blows" and "multiple macings" and that officers were "dragging me to the ambulance because I couldn't walk." Luke, still in custody, is expected in court on Monday. Christopher Luke told WABC his older brother wasn't resisting arrest and that he wasn't warned before officers descended upon him. "They didn't tell him they had a warrant for his arrest. They just tackled him to the ground. They pepper sprayed him," Christopher Luke said. "He wasn't resisting at all. He was trying to cover his face, because they kept punching him." The Morris County prosecutor is investigating the case under supervision from the New Jersey State Attorney General's office, WABC reported. Dozens protested the arrest on Sunday night, including Luke's friend who shot the video. "They was just beating the crap out of him," Marcus Robinson said. "They didn't give him a chance, because he really couldn't move."

NBC News reports:

"Three Dover, New Jersey, police officers are under fire after a video showed them repeatedly punching a teenager in the face during an arrest. Early Sunday morning, police attempted to restrain Cyprian Luke, 19, outside a convenience store. Video recorded by someone with Luke at the time shows the police pinning him down and punching him, with one officer putting his hand around Luke's throat. The officers are seen on camera demanding Luke, who was on his back, roll onto his stomach, while one officer had his knee on Luke's stomach."

Motherf--kers. Jackbooted, murderous motherf--kers. ... Right, Sheriff?

"The video, which shows Luke's face bloodied and injured, circulated on social media as people decried the interaction as an example of police brutality. The Morris County Prosecutor's office is investigating the incident but would not provide information on what spurred the arrest."

Apparently, too busy desperately trying to figure out how to defend the indefensible. Protect and coddle its jackbooted pieces of shit. Justice? What's that?

"On Sunday evening around 50 people protested outside the Dover police department, demanding justice for Luke and calling the officer's actions into question. "It's just devastating because my son could have died," Luke's mother, Mary Yurley, told NBC New York, "He was blue in one video where he is being choked and maced for no reason." Police say Luke was resisting arrest, which Yurley denies. "He was not able to comply with what the officer was asking him to do," she said."

Law enforcement has a well-earned reputation for lying like hell, protecting and coddling its own. ... Right, Sheriff? Same shit goes on right here in Nazi Llano County, doesn't it, Bill?

"Luke was facing charges of assault, violating court orders, and criminal mischief before his arrest Sunday, according to the Bergen Record. Morris County prosecutors would not confirm the charges to NBC News. Luke is expected to appear in court on Monday. Dover police said the three officers involved in the incident have been put on administrative leave. A fourth officer seen in the video from Morris County Park Police is not on leave."

Regardless of what this kid may or may not have done prior to this incident, these jackbooted sons of bitches in blue need to be arrested, jailed, quickly charged for attempted murder. Never happen, however, in a de facto fascist police-state since at least 9/11, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. ... Right, Sheriff?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

Think our prisons aren't gulags? ABC News reports:

"A federal correctional officer was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly abusing his position to sexually assault female inmates over the course of six years, according to newly filed charges. Colin Akparanta was charged with four counts of sexual abuse of a ward, four counts of abusive sexual contact and one count of deprivation of civil rights in connection to four women who were housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City between 2012 and 2018. "Akparanta was a predator in uniform, exploiting his position to sexually abuse multiple inmates over a several-year period. No inmate in a Bureau of Prisons facility should fear sexual abuse at the hands of a correctional officer," said U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman in a statement. The veteran prison guard, who is also listed in court documents as "Africa" or "Akon," allegedly "smuggled contraband, including, but not limited to, personal hygiene items, makeup, and food into the MCC for some of the victims, and, with respect to at least one of the victims, explicitly conditioned his provision of contraband on the inmate’s continued performance of sexual acts with him," the statement said."

This guy is quite a piece of shit:

"Prior to their release, Akparanta, 42, of Irvington, New Jersey, allegedly asked the victims for their contact information as well so that he could get in touch with them once they were released."

Get this:

"If convicted for the top charge — sexual abuse of a ward — Akparanta faces up to 15 years in prison, prosecutors said."

That's all? Fifteen years for sexual assault, multiple charges at that?

"Berman requested that anyone who believes they have information concerning Akparanta, or any similar conduct, to contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (866) 874-8900."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

In follow up to the last edition vis a vis the facial recognition issue, NBC News reports:

"The New York Police Department abused its facial recognition system by editing suspects' photos - and by uploading celebrity lookalikes - in an effort to identify people wanted for crimes, researchers charged this week in a blistering report on law enforcement's use of surveillance technology. The findings, culled from documents obtained in a two-year legal battle with the NYPD, were included in an investigation by the Georgetown Center on Privacy and Technology into police use of facial recognition across the country. The report was released Thursday amid calls by some cities, including San Francisco, to ban police use of the technology altogether, part of a growing resistance to a secretive technique that critics say could increase the risk of mistaken arrests. "It doesn’t matter how accurate facial recognition algorithms are if police are putting very subjective, highly edited or just wrong information into their systems," said the report's author, Clare Garvie, a senior associate at the Center on Privacy and Technology who specializes in facial recognition. "They're not going to get good information out. They're not going to get valuable leads. There's a high risk of misidentification. And it violates due process if they're using it and not sharing it with defense attorneys."

Matters not to the nazi element in our formerly great country.

"Facial recognition algorithms compare images of unidentified people to mugshots, booking photos and driver's license photos. Police are adopting the technology for use in routine investigations, saying it helps them solve crimes that otherwise would go cold. They say they use it as an investigative tool and it is not reason alone to arrest someone."

Believe it? Wake up. It's used to harass innocent civilians. Allows and facilitates abusive behavior by the out of control jackbooted bastards in blue.

"The Georgetown report did not focus exclusively on New York police. It also documented policies that it said seemed to allow officers to submit artists' sketches into facial recognition systems in Maricopa County, Arizona; Washington County, Oregon; and Pinellas County, Florida. The Washington County Sheriff's Office "has actually never used a sketch with our facial recognition program for an actual case," a spokesman said in a statement. "A sketch has only been used for demonstration purposes, in a testing environment."

Think so?

"The department has fought Georgetown's efforts to obtain information about how its facial recognition system works, engaging in a lengthy court skirmish over what documents it can disclose."

If all is on the up and up, and there is nothing to hide, why are they stonewalling?

"The spokesperson did not dispute anything in the Georgetown report, but said the department is reviewing its "facial recognition protocols." The Georgetown researchers said they found a case in which NYPD investigators were trying to identify a man caught on surveillance footage stealing beer from a CVS. Citing a detective's internal report on the case, the researchers said the surveillance image was not very high quality, and did not produce any potential matches in the facial recognition system. But a detective noted that the suspect looked like actor Woody Harrelson, so a high-resolution image of Harrelson was submitted in the suspect's place. From the new list of results, detectives found one who they believed was a match, leading to an arrest, according to the researchers."

Jesus Christ. These pieces of shit cannot be trusted. Manufacture 'evidence.' Gets worse:

"The researchers also found evidence that NYPD investigators doctored images of suspects to make them look more like mugshots -including replacing an open mouth with a closed mouth by taking photos of a model off Google and pasting that person's lips onto the suspect's image. The department also used 3D modeling software to fill out incomplete images or rotate faces so that they faced forward, the researchers said. "These techniques amount to the fabrication of facial identity points: at best an attempt to create information that isn’t there in the first place and at worst introducing evidence that matches someone other than the person being searched for," the report says."

Kangaroo justice, courtesy of the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue.

"The report went on to detail other questionable methods at the NYPD, including failing to use traditional investigative techniques to confirm a facial recognition result. In a second report, also released Thursday, the Georgetown researchers described plans in Detroit and Chicago to create real-time facial recognition systems by connecting the software to surveillance cameras positioned across the cities. Such systems are seen by critics as the next step in the government's ability to expand surveillance of the public."

Nazi America. A de facto fascist police-state since at least 9/11, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. ... Right, Sheriff?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau blocked by Trump and his henchmen. Students paying the price. NPR reports:

"The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says the Trump administration's Education Department is getting in the way of efforts to police the student loan industry. The revelation, in a letter obtained by NPR, comes at the same time that lawsuits allege that widespread wrongdoing by student loan companies is costing some borrowers thousands of dollars. CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger explained the problem in an April letter responding to questions from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other lawmakers about whether the federal regulator had "abandoned its supervision and enforcement activities" related to more than $1 trillion in student loans. A central issue is that companies that manage student loans, known as student loan servicers, are refusing to share information that the CFPB says it needs to perform proper oversight. "Since December 2017," Kraninger wrote in the letter, "student loan servicers have declined to produce information requested by the Bureau for supervisory examinations" related to federal student loans. She said servicers are not sharing the information because the Department of Education has issued guidance telling them not to do so, citing "privacy" concerns. Kraninger also said that information from student loan servicers is "necessary for supervisory examinations." The letter is a carefully worded response to senators' questions. But Kraninger, a Trump administration appointee, is in essence saying that the CFPB is trying to do its job protecting student borrowers and supervising loan servicing companies, but the Education Department is getting in the way. "It's actually quite remarkable," says Seth Frotman, executive director of the nonprofit Student Borrower Protection Center. "The head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is telling the world that the secretary of education has put in place a series of policies that are obstructing federal law enforcement officials from standing up for the millions of Americans with student debt."

For you supposedly 'law and order' Republican national socialists, fascists, nazis, no problem with that?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-24-19

No justice. In an editorial by Steve Hartman, CBS News reports:

"Before becoming America's most unlikely art phenom, Richard Phillips was in prison. In 1971, he was arrested for a murder we now know he didn't commit. To pass the time and temper the injustice, he painted. "It was something to do, occupy my mind," Phillips said. "I could get off into one of my paintings and just be in there for hours." That's how it was for 46 years, until he was exonerated last spring. That's more time served than any other exoneree in U.S. history. After all that, they just let him go, without so much as a bus ticket. Failing him for a second time, until now. One year into his newfound freedom, the state attorney general finally agreed those lost years were worth $1.5 million. Now state legislators just need to approve the money."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

We have to do better. Far better. The following is appalling loss of life. Needless. Unconscionable. Inexcusable. Seatbelts on. CBS News reports:

"Dallas Cowboys superstar running back Ezekiel Elliott will pay for the funeral expenses of a 14-year-old football phenom who was shot and killed at a party last week. Jaylon McKenzie died on Saturday after he was hit by a stray bullet while leaving a party in Venice, Illinois, near St. Louis. Police said Jaylon and a 15-year-old girl were both struck by gunfire after they left a house where the party was being held. The girl was listed in critical condition Monday. ESPN reports the tragedy struck a personal tone with Elliott, who grew up in St. Louis, and that he reached out to the McKenzie family when he learned of the story. The Cowboys confirmed Elliott's gesture and said he plans to keep his communications with Jaylon's family private."

Imagine what this mother is going through:

"According to CBS affiliate KMOV-TV, Jaylon's mother, Sukeena Gunner, said her son was trying to avoid a fight when he left the party. He was taken to a hospital in Granite City, Illinois, where he died of his wounds. Despite not yet being in high school, Jaylon's talent was so remarkable that he was featured in the November 2018 issue of Sports Illustrated in an article titled "Six Teens Who Will Rule the Future of Sports." "Jaylon—who plays running back, receiver and defensive back—drew national attention when he caught five passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns to help the East team to a victory at the NFL's 8th Grade All-American Game in Canton, Ohio, in August," the article said. "Jaylon expects to be playing in the NFL. His dream? To be a star in L.A.—for the Rams or the Chargers." The high school sports prospect website 247 Sports confirms Jaylon had already received scholarship offers to play football at the University of Illinois and the University of Missouri."

5-17-19

Uncommon Valor. Two French commandos gave their lives rescuing four hostages, one of them an American. NPR reports:

"France's military has freed four hostages who were being held in Burkina Faso. But as it announced that success, the navy also said it's mourning two special forces soldiers who died in the overnight rescue operation. The military says Cédric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello, who held the rank of petty officers, were killed as they carried out their mission to rescue the hostages in the vast Sahel region — the area between the Sahara to the north and savannas to the south."

Uncommon Valor.

"French President Emmanuel Macron issued a statement Friday offering his condolences to the two commandos' loved ones. In that message, Macron also identified the rescued hostages as French tourists Patrick Picque and Laurent Lassimouillas — who were abducted May 1 in Benin. French officials said the other two hostages were an American woman and a South Korean woman. Macron's statement did not name the hostages' abductors; in recent years, several extremist militant groups have operated in the region. Picque and Lassimouillas were kidnapped during a visit to Pendjari National Park in Benin, an important wildlife reserve that sprawls along the border next to Arli National Park, a similar park in Burkina Faso. French authorities had been looking for the two tourists after their guide's body was found earlier this month, according to France 24. The outlet adds that shortly after that discovery, their off-road vehicle was also found, burned to a shell. Discussing the rescue operation at a news conference Friday, French Defense Minister Florence Parly said "four lives were saved this night, four lives in the hands of terrorists." Parly also thanked local authorities and the "precious support of our American allies in conducting this operation."

Not clear the identities of the American and the Korean, or their circumstances.

"As France's military announced news of the two commandos' death, Adm. Christophe Prazuck, the French navy's chief of staff, issued a statement saying, "I admire their courage, I share the sorrow of their families and their loved ones." When contacted by NPR about the operation Friday, the U.S. State Department did not offer a direct comment. But Tibor Nagy, the assistant secretary for the agency's Bureau of African Affairs, said in a tweet: "We are grateful for the safe recovery of hostages, including an American, during a recovery operation in Burkina Faso. "I offer my deepest condolences to the families of the French soldiers killed during the operation."

No greater love.

5-17-19

Seatbelts on. CBS News reports:

"Outside of band practice, Alex Kunda isn't one to toot his own horn. But over the last 13 years the mild-mannered senior from Brunswick High School in Brunswick, Georgia, has accomplished something remarkable. He has never missed school — not one day — since he started kindergarten.

"Alex made his promise of perfect attendance to his sister, Miranda, who died in 2006 from autoimmune hepatitis, a debilitating illness. "This was the one promise I remembered making to her. And I can't make any more promises to her in person, anymore. So the one promise I did make, I was going to keep it," he said. Because she loved school, Miranda never missed a single day of first grade – all the way up until the day she died. Her perfect attendance certificate was awarded posthumously – to her little 4-year-old brother, Alex."

Four-year-old Alex's reaction?

"Alex crossed the stage and went directly to his father. "He says, 'I'm going to do this for her,'" Preston said. "He was going to get perfect attendance in honor of her." At that point, Alex hadn't even started school. All he knew was that his best friend was gone – and he wanted to do something for her. Today, 13 years later, his tribute is complete. We can't expect our kids to love each other as much as we love them. But somehow, Alex did. And somehow, even at 4, he knew the best way to honor someone was to do something honorable."

Indeed. Where have we lost ourselves? This kid even refused a trip to Disney World:

"That's despite his parents' efforts when he was in fourth grade to thwart his achievement. Arlene and Preston said their son was putting too much pressure on himself. They offered to take him to Disney World. "On a Friday, we were going to take him out of school. And he said no," Arlene said."

As a kid, would you?

5-17-19

The following is another example of exceptional courage. Uncommon Valor. The Washington Post reports:

"Stephanie Wilkinson is the co-owner of the Red Hen in Lexington, Va."

Paid quite a price for standing up to the nazi element in our formerly great country.

“Hello Intolerant, intellectually-challenged, psychotic, socialists!

"Your so-called business is in jeopardy. Rest assured this is not a threat but simply a warning that predicts your downfall. ... When your treasonist hypocrite lowlife Obama took our nation into despair (for 8 yrs) we didn’t do or say the things you do. Get over it, before it’s too late! BTW, there are a lot more of us than there are of you.’’

Think Trump's sick sycophants aren't achingly insane? Haven't lost themselves somewhere along the way?

"I’ve been getting hate mail for almost a year now, ever since I asked White House press secretary Sarah Sanders to leave my Lexington, Va., restaurant, the Red Hen, last June. At the time, the country was in turmoil over the Trump administration’s heinous practice of separating children from their parents at our southern border. In our tiny 26-seat restaurant, the horror felt simultaneously immediate and far away. Faced with the prospect of serving a fine meal to a person whose actions in the service of our country we felt violated basic standards of humanity, we balked. We couldn’t do it."

Uncommon Valor. Great courage to put her business on the line and challenge this achingly clueless, national socialist, fascist shill of the Trump nazi:

"I took Ms. Sanders aside and politely suggested she leave. She agreed, equally politely. She may or may not have expected this day would come, but she never showed any sign of outrage, or even much surprise. We’d drawn a line; she’d accepted it."

Ms. Sanders is no dummy. Exceptionally talented at what she does. No one does it any better. Too bad that is to insanely, diabolically, dishonestly protect and defend her fuhrer, the Trump nazi.

"I’m pretty sure both of us thought that was the end of the matter. When I awoke the next morning, social media was on fire. The incident had gone from a Facebook post to a tagged tweet to nationally trending news with the whoosh of lighter fluid to a flame. The blowback was swift and aggressive. Within 24 hours, the restaurant’s phone line was hacked, my staff and I were doxxed, and threats to our lives and families and property were pouring in through every available channel. Protesters colonized the streets around the restaurant. Thousands of fake Yelp reviews torpedoed our ratings, and dozens of people attempted to lock up our tables with reservations they had no intention of honoring. Pundits lamented the prospect of “red restaurants” and “blue restaurants.” In less than three days, President Trump had mocked us on Twitter."

No surprise coming from the nazi element in our formerly great country. Highly reminiscent of Hitler's Brownshirts decades ago. Worst was yet to come back then. As it is now.

"In the days following, I tried to balance fears for the safety of my family and staff against the reality of being well-protected in a small, loving community. Overhanging it all was a sense that I’d seen this show before; don’t we all have ringside seats to the outrage circus these days? But there was plenty I couldn’t predict or assess: How likely was it, really, that the guy texting me from a Minneapolis area code was really going to come to town to set fire to our restaurant? It felt impossible to know."

Nazi America. Adolf and Benito 'high-fiving' on their fiery perches.

"In more than 4,000 painstakingly typed letters, hastily scrawled postcards, and feces-smeared notebook pages, I was branded a racist, a bigot and a hypocrite. A victim of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” I was an idiot, or worse, and a lousy manager. Sure, I’d 86’d Sanders, but it was my business that was going down the drain. Yet, as I kept opening the letters, I saw a pattern. For every hateful message, there was one of gratitude. For every angry accusation that our actions were driven by the inability to accept Hillary Clinton’s 2016 loss, there was a note of thanks from someone lamenting Trump’s rollback of protections for marginalized people. What’s more, for every wish that our business die a painful death, there was a dollar bill or a generous check or an order for a gift certificate."

Not surprising at a time our formerly great country is so divided, highly polarized.

"When we opened after a 10-day hiatus, our dining room was full. In the following weeks, people who had never been to the Shenandoah Valley traveled out of their way to eat with us. Hundreds of orders for our Red Hen spice blend poured in. And the love spread far beyond our door, as supporters sent thousands of dollars in donations in our honor to our local food pantry, our domestic violence shelter and first responders."

Gets even better. Get this:

"After nearly a year, I’m happy to say that business is still good. Better than good, actually. And besides the boost to our area charities, our town’s hospitality and sales revenue have gone up, too. Our haters may have believed that there were more of “them” than of “us,” but it turns out we have more than enough to keep us cooking. And to everyone who might be fearful about taking a stand, I say don’t be. Resistance is not futile, for you or your business."

Uncommon Valor. Hat's off, Ms. Wilkinson. You did the right thing. Had others emulated you when Hitler became German Chancellor in 1933, courageously stood up to great evil, Europe may have been spared at least some of the carnage suffered, horrendous loss of life. "It is a sin to be silent when it is your duty to protest." Fail to stand up to great evil? Great evil triumphs.

5-17-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... "Clearly, the new public defender isn't worth a shit. Deliberately abrogated his oath of office to uphold the United States Constitution. First Amendment Freedom of the Press. Placed personal interests ahead of the United States Constitution.

All officers involved in this incident need to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. How can the law enforcement community be trusted? No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than the criminal jackbooted bastards in law enforcement. ... Right, Sheriff? Madam County Attorney? "Sonny Boy?"

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

5-17-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred sixty weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred sixty weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred sixty weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

5-17-19

Seatbelts on. In follow up to a case repeatedly covered in this publication and elsewhere, CBS News reports:

"The fiance of an unarmed woman killed by a former Minneapolis police officer said he wants police nationwide to learn from the case. Don Damond told "CBS This Morning," "This is a policing issue," in his first sit-down interview since former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was found guilty last week of murdering Justine Damond nearly two years ago. "I cannot even still get my arms around how this could happen," Damond said. In what would be their final conversation, Justine called Don on the evening of July 15, 2017, while he was in Las Vegas for business. He said she was concerned she had heard a possible sexual assault near their home. "My first thought was, 'I want her to be safe,'" Don Damond said. "And so I said, 'I think just stay put and call 911 and then call me back.'"

She wasn't safe. She died at the hands of a former police officer who followed the gutless police mantra: 'Shoot first, ask questions later.' ... Right, Sheriff?

"Noor and his partner responded to Justine's call. While searching for a suspect from inside their patrol car, Noor testified that he heard a loud slap on the driver's side of the vehicle and shot Damond from the passenger seat, out of fear for his partner's life."

Readers are reminded investigators found no forensic evidence on the car that Justine had indeed slapped the vehicle. None.

"Probably six, seven minutes later, I text her having not heard from her," Don said. "I said, 'Tell me what's going on.' At this point, she was already gone."

Clearly, being outside was a mistake. Approaching the police-car was an even greater mistake. Paid for that mistake with her life. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Don and Justine were just four weeks away from being married when she died. Noor is facing more than 15 years in prison after being convicted of charges including third-degree murder."

That all? Not enough. Nowhere near. When police wantonly kill, should suffer the very same consequences a civilian suffers. No special treatment. None.

"Don said he broke down crying after the verdict was read. "It was the acknowledgment that what we know is how tragic this is, how wrong this is, how unjust this was." Calling for change, Don is hoping police can learn from his heartbreak."

Police simply don't care. If they did, this shit would end. Has gone on for decades. Continues to go on. These gutless jackbooted bastards fail to be held legally accountable. ... Right, Sheriff?

"I would like the Minneapolis Police Department to go back and consider what - how officers are trained," Don said. "I can understand where Black Lives Matter is so angry because you can see the unjustified shooting across this nation, but this is a blue issue."

It is a criminal jackbooted bastard in blue issue. No accountability. None. Short of an unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming over this and a number of other equally pressing issues, there is only one solution. It is not training. Not education. Not better vetting. Not better pay, or increased emphasis on professionalism. It is creation of a new federal agency. A totally independent agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court that would adjudicate only these cases. Total independence.

"The case is not the first deadly police shooting in Minnesota to gain national attention. In 2016, Jeronimo Yanez, a police officer in a St. Paul suburb, shot and killed 32-year-old Philando Castile during a traffic stop. A jury eventually acquitted Yanez of all charges, inciting protests across the Twin Cities. Minneapolis city leaders, including the mayor and police chief, acknowledged the police department's training and policies need improvement."

You think? Not only that, corrupt, abusive, criminal officers need to be fully prosecuted.

"First and foremost in my vision for the department moving forward is sanctity of life," Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said on Friday."

Empty rhetoric. Rings hollow. Heard this same old shit for decades. Meaningless. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Damond hopes that progress isn't just confined to Minneapolis. "How can what was learned here be taken to change and address policing in this country? There needs to be changes made so that no one has to go through this. That no one ever has to experience what we experienced," Damond said."

This is not a training issue. Too many of these bastards get their cookies off abusing authority, engaging in violence, pulling the trigger. -- Why they became officers. Not to 'serve and protect.' ... Right, Sheriff?

"Justine's family filed a civil rights lawsuit seeking more than $50 million from Minneapolis. The city settled with the family for $20 million, two million of which will go to a fund aimed at addressing local gun violence."

'Symbolism over substance.' Nothing will change until corrupt, abusive officers are held criminally accountable. Suffer the same consequences as civilians who murder, engage in violence, etc.. This has yet to happen nationwide.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

Never ends. ABC News reports:

"A sheriff in South Carolina and two other officers have been indicted on federal charges that they allegedly jailed an innocent man for three days in retaliation for him not following their orders as they looked for a suspect after a car accident. On Nov. 20, 2018, Chester County Sheriff George Alexander Underwood, Lt. Johnny Ricardo Neal Jr. and Chief Deputy Robert Andrew Sprouse were among the authorities responding to a car accident and searching for a "fleeing" suspect when they encountered a resident, identified in court papers as K.S., recording the situation on his cellphone. K.S. lived on the highway where the accident had occurred and began recording the scene on Facebook Live. He did not "enter the roadway or interfere with law enforcement activities," court papers said. When Underwood told K.S. to stay on the porch, the man opted to remain in the yard. "I'm telling you to get on the porch," an officer could be heard telling K.S., according to WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina. Twenty-five minutes later, as K.S. continued to record on Facebook Live, the sheriff told him to go [to] his porch and when K.S. did, Underwood followed him and demanded that he turn over his phone, according to court papers."

This man had every right to record and upload the encounter. Did not interfere with law enforcement. Remained on his own property.

"Underwood then restrained K.S., telling him that he was under arrest."

For what?

"Court papers said K.S. suffered injuries to his head and elbow after Neal allegedly knocked him to the ground while he was handcuffed."

Nothing quite as despicable as a violent, criminal, jackbooted bastard in blue. ... Right, Llano County Sheriff Bill Blackburn?

"K.S. was taken to a jail and held there for three nights after Neal placed a "hold" on him, causing a delay in the processing of his arrest."

Jesus Christ. What a piece of shit. ... Right, Bill?

Gets worse. Get this:

"Court papers said that after learning of K.S.' Facebook Live post, Sprouse entered the man's house and removed his cellphone without his consent or knowledge -- all without a search warrant. On Jan. 3, 2019, Underwood and Sprouse allegedly lied to the FBI about K.S.' arrest, after having created a false police report, as well as the whereabouts of his cellphone. The three officers were charged Tuesday with several counts including conspiracy, tampering and falsification of records in a federal investigation. They are now suspended pending the investigation."

Tough, isn't it?

The following makes no sense, not credible:

"In a Facebook post on April 29, Underwood said the sheriff's office was "cooperating fully" with the investigation. "Unfortunately, I cannot comment on this investigation. However, I do plan to make an on air interview to address the citizens of Chester County as soon as I am able to do so. I ask that you be patient until then, as I am looking forward to that day," he said."

What will you do, Sheriff Underwood? Defend the indefensible? ... Sound familiar, Bill? Isn't that precisely what you do here in Nazi Llano County?

"In a statement, a lawyer for K.S. -- identified by his lawyer as Kevin Simpson -- thanked law enforcement. "We are appreciative of law enforcement in general and particularly for those law enforcement agencies that refuse to allow the bad apples to survive in the greatest justice system in the world. The FBI and the US Attorney’s office here in South Carolina have acted like true professionals, and we feel confident that the wheels of justice will continue to turn for Mr. Simpson and his family," Everett B. Stubbs said."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

More of the same. Never ends. ABC News reports:

"Two California police officers fired more than 70 shots while chasing a suspect through a residential neighborhood last year, which resulted in the suspect's death, a review by the Orange County District Attorney's Office found."

What do these two clueless jackbooted assholes think? They live in a war zone? Anything goes?

"The officers were called to a home on South West Street on the morning of July 21 after the suspect's brother called 911 out of concern for their parents, Anaheim Police Chief Jorge Cisneros told reporters at a press conference Wednesday. The caller told the emergency dispatcher that his brother was hallucinating and had been on a drug binge since July 4 and was driving around the neighborhood in his white Chevrolet S10 truck, which had a knife and gun inside of it, according to the 911 call released by police officials. The suspect, identified as 51-year-old Eliuth Penaloza Nava, was parked outside of his parents' home, and the caller requested that law enforcement assist in "kicking him out," saying, "They've gone through this issue before." Based on the information provided, the emergency dispatcher determined it was a "priority call for service" and immediately called for officers to respond to the address, said Anaheim Sgt. Jacob Gallacher. One Anaheim Police officer has been fired and another has been placed on administrative leave after review of officer-involved shooting from July 21, 2018, found that they fired more than 70 shots in a residential neighborhood, killing a suspect."

Amazing that no innocent bystander was hit by a stray round.

The following is horrendous:

"Body camera footage released by police officials shows the officers' response after they spot the white truck. One of the officers tells the suspect to stop the car, and the officer who is driving can be seen pointing his handgun in the suspect's direction. The officers then activate the patrol car's sirens, and soon after, the officer who is driving shoots through the patrol car's windshield dozens of times as he pursues the truck."

Jesus Christ. Gets worse:

"One officer then instructs the other to "start shooting," and the officer in the passenger seat can be seen retrieving a rifle. Over the radio, one of the officers then announces that the suspect is pointing a gun backwards toward them as he flees. Once one of the officers states that the suspect has been hit and that they can see him bleeding, they stop the car and fire more shots as they approach the truck on foot."

Had to make sure he was killed.

"Nava then falls out of the vehicle and lies on the ground as the officers call for an ambulance. He later died at a local hospital, Gallacher said."

Saddest of all?

"Investigators found a compressed air BB gun that resembled a semi-automatic handgun at the scene, Gallacher said."

Here's the problem. These clueless pieces of shit placed the public they had sworn to protect and serve at great risk of death or serious injury:

"The officers fired a total of 76 rounds, according to the report by the district attorney's office. The officer who was driving, Kevin Pedersen, fired 64 shots, while the officer in the passenger seat, Sean Staymates, fired 12 shots, the review states. Prosecutors expressed "serious concerns" about the actions of the two officers, but the investigation did not result in the filing of criminal charges, Cisneros said. The investigation by the district attorney's office found that a jury would "justly conclude" that the officers believed that their lives and the lives of others were in danger, according to the report."

That's bullshit. They protected and coddled these two pieces of human excrement.

"Some of those shots fired by the officers hit a building, a car and a tree, according to the police chief."

Miraculously, no one innocent got killed or maimed by these idiots.

"The district attorney's office characterized the officers' actions as "alarming and irresponsible," considering that the incident occurred on a Saturday morning when "residents, including children," were home and on the streets, according to the report."

Then why the f--k didn't you prosecute them?

"The "primary officer," Pedersen, was dismissed, Cisneros said. At the time of the shooting, he was in the standard 12-month probationary period following training, and he was released after he did not meet the expectations of the department, Cisneros said. Cisneros has filed a notice of intent to discipline Staymates, who is currently on administrative leave. The police chief would not discuss the proposed discipline for that officer, pending his disciplinary hearing."

No justice in a de facto fascist police-state since 9/11, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. ... Right, Sheriff? A raucous, boot clicking, goose stepping, treasonous, treacherous, traitorous Seig Heil!, Bill?

The Mayor is a clueless idiot:

"Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu described the body camera footage as "disturbing" and "unsettling," but commended the police department for the steps it has taken in the months that followed. "We rely on Anaheim Police Department to carry out this responsibility with professionalism, dignity and respect," Sidhu said. "I’m proud to see they do this consistently, sometimes in difficult and dangerous situations."

Jesus Christ. What a goddamned crock of shit. Had someone innocent got killed or maimed, still opine the same goddamned bullshit, Mr. Mayor? You're an idiot.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

In contrast to the above, the following is an example where police clearly reacted heroically and in the best interest of the public they've sworn to protect and serve. NBC News reports:

"A murder suspect who was shot by police after firing at officers during a police chase near Los Angeles was in surgery Friday night, authorities said. No police officers or sheriff’s deputies were wounded. Friday's pursuit and shootings happened after a man suspected of killing a man in Downey during an attempted robbery earlier this week was spotted in Maywood, police said. During the chase on streets and at least one freeway, the murder suspect, who has not been identified and was a passenger in the Toyota Prius, leaned out a window and fired a large-caliber revolver at officers, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Derrick Alfred said Friday night at a news conference. "Multiple times the suspect hung out of the window, the suspect fired rounds at the pursuing officers and deputies," Alfred said. He said that two Downey police vehicles were struck but that no officers were hurt. Officers did not return fire during the chase, Alfred said."

Uncommon Valor. Placed public safety ahead of their own.

"Law enforcement officers returned fire at the end of the relatively short pursuit, which ended in an industrial area southeast of downtown L.A. During the pursuit, an NBC Los Angeles aerial camera showed a male passenger in the Prius leaning out the window and firing with the large, silver handgun as motorists were caught between authorities and the gunman. The Toyota Prius stopped at an intersection, and the woman who was driving surrendered after the gunfire subsided. The shooter remained in the car, prompting a nearly two-hour standoff carried live on local television."

Imagine that. Two hours. An eternity. Police certainly demonstrated patience.

"At least two Downey officers and four Los Angeles sheriff's deputies fired their weapons, Alfred said. The suspect was thought to have been struck multiple times and was in unknown condition late Friday night, according to officials. "This suspect has shown clearly that he had complete disregard for the safety of anybody on the roadways today, as he was hanging out the side of a car speeding along the freeway and the surface streets firing a large-caliber revolver into, you know, all over the place," Alfred said. The driver was also struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Alfred said. Investigators are trying to determine what her involvement was, he said. "We believe we know the relationship" between the two, he said, but did not comment further. At least one bystander, who was in a pickup and downrange of the shooting, was grazed by a bullet, Alfred said. It was not clear whether that person was struck by law enforcement or the suspect."

Report goes on and on. Law enforcement did what it had to do, -- and responsibly. Hat's off.

5-17-19

Officers lack judgment. The following is one example. ABC News reports:

"Bodycam footage released Thursday by the Oxnard Police Department in California shows a 17-year-old girl apologizing to officers after she was shot three times."

This girl has serious mental issues. She is not a combat veteran. Not a commando. Not a Green Beret or Navy SEAL. This encounter could have been handled far differently than it was. A stun gun or baton should have been more than sufficient.

"Armed with a 12-inch chef's knife, the teen, whose identity was not revealed and whose faced is blurred in the footage, kept walking toward Officer Timothy Roberts, who backed away from her multiple times, repeatedly asking her drop the weapon.

"Put it down," he said. "Don't reach for the knife."

"What happens if I reach for it?" she asked.

"Then," Roberts said, "something bad is going to happen. Put the knife down."

"Roberts is heard on the bodycam footage requesting expedited backup.

"Suspect is armed with a knife and threatening with it," he said into his radio. To the girl: "Drop it!"

"No," she responded. "Shoot me. I've been waiting all day. I've been waiting. Come on."

"She kept walking toward Roberts.

"I'm backing up westbound," Roberts said into his radio. "She's still armed with the knife, refusing to drop it."

"Suddenly, the teen appears to quicken her pace toward the officer, who fires three shots, all of which hit the target."

Jesus Christ. Why wasn't a stun gun or baton used? Why three rounds fired? One not sufficient at such close range? Did the officer panic?

"Roberts called for an EMS unit, and he and an accompanying officer immediately began performing first aid."

Two officers at the scene and they couldn't handle a 17-year-old girl with a knife without shooting her?

"I'm so sorry," said the girl, doubled up on the ground. The incident occurred May 3. The girl still was hospitalized as of Thursday, according to the Oxnard Police Department statement."

Fortunately, the officer failed to kill her. This certainly appears to be a girl with serious mental issues.

"Roberts, per department policy, was placed on administrative leave as the investigation into the incident continues."

No more than the fox guarding the chicken coop. Many unanswered questions. Including why didn't the officer continue backing away, trying to avoid her? Especially in light of the following:

"A second officer responding to the scene, near a Carl's Jr. in the 400 block of North Rose Avenue, police said, was preparing a "beanbag" shotgun to subdue the girl when she started toward Roberts and he fired his gun."

Clearly, an officer has to be able to defend himself. In this case, however, there are many unanswered questions.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

No justice. Forget? The American Way. CBS News reports:

"A long-delayed disciplinary trial is set to begin for the New York City police officer accused of using a banned chokehold in the July 2014 death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man whose pleas of "I can't breathe" became a rallying cry against police brutality. Officer Daniel Pantaleo's trial is scheduled to start Monday at police headquarters. Protesters demanding Pantaleo be fired blocked Manhattan's busy FDR Drive Monday morning, causing major backups during the morning rush hour, reports PIX11-TV."

Clearly, it's legal for a jackbooted bastard in blue in New York to murder on the job. This case is proof positive. No criminal accountability.

"Pantaleo could face penalties ranging from the loss of vacation days to firing if he's found to have violated department rules. He denies wrongdoing."

Where this murderous piece of shit truly belongs is in prison for life with no parole, or on death row. Had he been Joe Blow up the block, precisely where he would have wound up.

"A ruling last week requires that the police watchdog agency bringing the case prove not only that Pantaleo violated department rules, but that his actions fit the criteria for criminal charges. A grand jury has declined to indict Pantaleo on criminal charges, and federal prosecutors face a July deadline to determine whether to file civil rights charges."

No justice. De facto fascist police-state quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"Pantaleo has been on desk duty since Garner's death."

No justice. No accountability. Protected and coddled. ... Right, Sheriff?

"It has been five long years," Garner's mother, Gwen Carr, told The Associated Press last week. "Pantaleo and all those other officers who actually murdered my son that day, they are still collecting their salaries. They still go home every day and it's business as usual with them. But with me, we relive this every day."

... Hear the rumble? An unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming on this and many, many other issues.

The following is truly obscene:

"Pantaleo has remained on the city payroll, stripped of his gun and badge but pulling in a salary peaking at more than $120,000 in 2017, according to city payroll records."

Report goes on and on. Bottom line? No matter how this fiasco is finally settled, there will be no justice, no criminal accountability. None.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

The following is a direct, determined, concerted threat to a free press, deliberate abrogation of the First Amendment Freedom of the Press by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. CBS News reports:

"A freelance journalist is vowing to protect his source after San Francisco police raided his home and office while keeping him handcuffed for several hours as part of a criminal investigation, according to a newspaper report. Bryan Carmody told the Los Angeles Times that officers banged on his door Friday and confiscated dozens of personal items including notebooks, his cellphone, computer, hard drives and cameras. A judge signed off on search warrants, which stated officers were investigating "stolen or embezzled" property, the newspaper reported Saturday. Authorities said the raid came during an ongoing probe into who leaked a confidential police report about the Feb. 22 death of San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi. Carmody said investigators had asked him a few weeks earlier to identify the source that provided him with the report. The reporter said he politely declined. While he was shackled, officers got a second warrant to search his newsroom, where police seized a thumb drive, CDs and, inside a safe, the leaked police report about Adachi's death, the Times said."

The journalist did the right thing. You never, ever, never give up a source. Never. Rot in jail first. Then, sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--kers.

"Carmody, 49, said he has not shared the name of his source with anyone, and no markings on the document could be traced to the person who provided it. To Carmody and his attorney, the raid smacks of impropriety and an invasion into the work of a professional reporter. "It's designed to intimidate," said his lawyer, Thomas Burke. "It's essentially the confiscation of a newsroom."

What it is is no more than raw nazism. A de facto fascist police-state quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"CBS San Francisco reports a statement issued Sunday by the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists "condemns the recent raid by law enforcement of freelance journalist Bryan Carmody, in an apparent attempt to identify the confidential source who provided Carmody with a copy of a police report detailing the circumstances of former San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi's death."

"The affidavits that police used to search Carmody's home were filed under seal, so it's unclear what investigators told the judge to secure the warrants."

Think the jackbooted bastards in blue didn't lie like hell to a 'judge' who gave them precisely what they wanted?

"Carmody is insisting on protecting his source's identity. And he swears he never paid the person for the police report. "No," he told the Times, "not even a cup of coffee." According to an official with the San Francisco Public Defender's office during a Board of Supervisors committee hearing April 18, a freelance photographer allegedly offered a TV news station confidential police information about the death of Adachi in exchange for money, CBS San Francisco reported. "Journalists should consider the motivations of anonymous sources and news organizations should disclose when content has been provided by outside sources, whether paid or not," the SPJ chapter said in its statement. "While there may be legitimate questions on the circumstances surrounding the reporting of Adachi's death, the seizure of any journalist's notes or other reporting materials sets a dangerous precedent."

No question. It does. Precisely, why as little information as possible should be saved. Anything that is saved should be highly encrypted. No matter what, sources must be protected. Otherwise, no one will talk, provide information. Precisely, what the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue and their handlers want and need to f--k the public they allegedly, supposedly 'serve.'

NPR reports:

"San Francisco police raided the home and office of a freelance journalist on Friday, taking a sledgehammer to the gate of his house and seizing his computers, phones and other devices. Their goal: to uncover the source of a leaked police report in the possession of freelance videographer Bryan Carmody. The raids on Carmody's home and office are the latest in a series of events concerning the death of San Francisco public defender Jeff Adachi in February, at age 59. Within hours of Adachi's collapse in a San Franscisco apartment, details from a leaked police investigation into his death were already showing up in news reports, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. A number of the details in the police report were salacious, suggesting that perhaps one or more members of the police department were trying to tarnish the reputation of Adachi, who was known as a police watchdog and fierce advocate for criminal justice reform. In San Francisco, a public defender is an elected position."

A most interesting case. Get this:

"There were leaks happening all over the place," Carmody recalled to the Los Angeles Times. Carmody told the Chronicle he sold the report to three TV news stations and explained that, as a freelancer, such work was how he generated income. The city's supervisors harshly criticized the police department for the improper leak of the report. Adachi's widow called the release "despicable." The coroner later determined that Adachi died as the result of an accidental overdose of cocaine and alcohol."

Think first priority of these jackbooted assholes wasn't to determine the identity of the officers possibly responsible for leaking this material?

"Carmody says two police officers came to his house two weeks ago and asked him to reveal his source, which he declined to do. Eight to 10 officers showed up at his house on Friday morning, he said, this time with the sledgehammer. To stop the ramrodding, Caramody let them in, and they searched his home and kept him handcuffed for at least six hours. Their search warrant was for "stolen or embezzled" property, the Times reports.

"I'm smart enough not to talk to federal agents, ever," Carmody told The Washington Post. "I just kept saying 'lawyer, lawyer, lawyer.' "

Fifth Amendment-right to remain silent. Sixth Amendment-right to legal counsel.

"He says the police found the report in a safe, but there were no markings on it to reveal its provenance."

Must have frustrated the jackbooted bastards.

"David Stevenson, a spokesman for the San Francisco police, told the Chronicle that the "search warrant executed today was granted by a judge and conducted as part of a criminal investigation into the leak of the Adachi police report." He called it "one step in the process of investigating a potential case of obstruction of justice along with the illegal distribution of a confidential police report."

Direct violation of the First Amendment Freedom of the Press.

"The FBI told the Times it had two agents present to interview Carmody but did not participate in the search. He was released that afternoon."

Time to sue the living shit out of all involved.

"I don't think it was right to break my door down," Carmody told the Chronicle. "I'm one of the original independent media companies in San Francisco. This is outrageous." He continues to protect the identity of his source."

Uncommon Valor. Hat's off.

"The raid quickly raised concerns about press freedoms. "It's designed to intimidate," Carmody's lawyer, Thomas Burke, told The Associated Press. "It's essentially the confiscation of a newsroom."

What it is remains no more than raw nazism. Think Adolf and Benito aren't 'high-fiving' on their fiery perches?

"Burke said that normally journalists would receive a subpoena and then get a lawyer to ensure the proper protections. "So much information has nothing to do with the purpose of their investigation," he said. "If you are looking for one piece of information, that's why you issue a subpoena."

Clearly, no longer in Nazi America. De facto fascist police-state since 9/11 quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. ... Right, Sheriff? The bastards clearly enjoy busting down doors. How they get their cookies off. Insanely, love abusing authority.

"The Freedom of Information Committee of the Society of Professional Journalists' Northern California chapter released a statement condemning the raid, citing California's Shield Law that protects journalists from being held in contempt for refusing to divulge sources or unpublished information. "That this search was carried out weeks after Carmody declined a request from San Francisco police to divulge his sources shows an alarming disregard for the right to gather and report on information," the committee wrote. The group alluded to the notion that news outlets' publishing of the leaked police report didn't necessarily adhere to its ethics guidelines: "The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics directs: '[D]o not pay for access to news' and says reporters should 'avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.' Journalists should consider the motivations of anonymous sources and news organizations should disclose when content has been provided by outside sources, whether paid or not."

That's right. No question.

"The group says that in no way justifies the seizure of Carmody's equipment, which he estimated as being worth $30,000 to $40,000. "While there may be legitimate questions on the circumstances surrounding the reporting of Adachi's death, the seizure of any journalist's notes or other reporting materials sets a dangerous precedent," the committee writes. "An attack on the rights of one journalist is an attack on the rights of all journalists."

Quite true.

"Adachi's successor as San Francisco public defender, Manohar Raju, approved of the police department's actions. "All of our criminal justice and City Hall leaders agree that the release of police reports in this fashion is wrong," Raju said in a statement to the Chronicle. "I am pleased that Chief Scott and others (are) keeping their word and working to get to the bottom of it."

Clearly, the new public defender isn't worth a shit. Deliberately abrogated his oath of office to uphold the United States Constitution. First Amendment Freedom of the Press. Placed personal interests ahead of the United States Constitution.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

Another gutless killing of a black woman by a jackbooted bastard in blue. This time in Texas. CBS News reports:

"A police officer outside Houston fatally shot a woman during an altercation at an apartment complex late Monday, authorities said. The incident was captured on social media and circulated overnight, reports CBS Houston affiliate KHOU-TV. In the video, the woman can be heard shouting "I'm pregnant" multiple times before she is shot. Baytown Police Lt. Steve Dorris said an officer on patrol saw a 45-year-old woman the officer had encountered before. He knew the woman had outstanding warrants, so he approached her to arrest her. Dorris said a struggle started and the officer was forced to use his Taser. But as he was trying to detain the woman, she managed to get control of the Taser and used it on the officer, who then fired several shots, hitting the woman at least once."

Gutless piece of shit.

"The officer tried to help the woman, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, Dorris added."

Jesus Christ. Firing five rounds at her when she is already on the ground delusionally called 'trying to help her?'

"Witness video obtained by KHOU shows the woman on the ground when about five gunshots can be heard."

She's on the ground when he opens fire? Give me a break. Anything at all wrong with this picture? Anything at all? Did the jackbooted son of a bitch panic?

"Dorris said a preliminary investigation found it was necessary for the officer to use deadly force. "If somebody takes your Taser away from you and starts tasing you, there's a very good likelihood that this is going to escalate and get very bad for the officer from there," Dorris told reporters."

Certainly, turned out 'very bad' for the woman who was killed by this seemingly gutless thug. Five rounds fired at close range when the woman is on the ground. Is this bastard that bad a shot? Or, did he want to make sure he killed her? Consider the following:

"Witnesses who saw the woman frequently walking her dog in the area said they believe she may have had mental issues, CBS News correspondent Nikki Battiste reports. "Sometimes you would see her, you know, get into it with people around the apartments, but nothing too, you know, bad," Raquel Cuellar said. "It's just, you know, just typical her. She's not a bad person. She didn't hurt nobody."

This jackbooted bastard wasn't trained to handle such situations?

"One angry woman tweeted that the officer tasered the unarmed woman twice and shot at her five times while she was on the ground. Another tweeted that less-lethal force would have sufficed, and claimed the woman had mental issues."

This is an ongoing problem. Happening all over our formerly great country. Repeatedly. Yet, the criminal jackbooted bastards never seem to smarten up. Nearly never held criminally responsible.

"Names of the woman and officer haven't been released. Dorris said the officer is an 11-year veteran of the force."

The public is entitled to know the identity of its jackbooted predators in blue. Immediately.

"When asked about the video going around on Snapchat and Facebook Messenger, Dorris said detectives want to speak with the witness who recorded it."

Bet they do. To harass the individual that provided a desperately needed public service? This heroic person made it much harder for law enforcement to lie like hell and protect the criminal jackbooted bastard in blue responsible for killing her.

The following is proof positive of precisely how delusional and self-serving law enforcement has truly become:

"It's unfortunate that somebody takes a tragic incident like this and starts posting it on social media," said Dorris. "It's extremely disrespectful for everybody involved. But that's the day and age we live in with social media."

Video such as this is the only way corrupt, abusive, criminal law enforcement can be exposed for what it truly has become. ... Right, Sheriff?

NBC News reports:

"The woman, who was black, was declared dead at the scene and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office is now assisting in the investigation, police said. The fatal incident was recorded on social media and went viral, with some commenters questioning why the incident ended in the woman's death. In a Snapchat video of the incident, the woman told the officer she was pregnant. Police and family members were not able to confirm whether the woman was pregnant, but her family told NBC’s Houston affiliate KPRC-TV that she had two children, both in their 20s. Witnesses at the apartment complex told KPRC that the woman was "not a bad person," and that she would “just walk around, smoke her cigarettes and walk her dogs.” Another neighbor, Taylin Inniss, said she heard the shots, and when she learned that someone had been killed at her apartment complex, she didn't believe it. "They must’ve had a couple of words. Things went a whole different way, and he shot her, and I really feel for the family and I hope they get some type of justice," Inniss said. "I just pray for them honestly because life is short nowadays." Baytown police are not naming the officer who shot the woman, but said he has worked as an officer for 11 years."

CBS News reports:

"The stepdaughter of a woman shot and killed by a Texas police officer on Monday says her stepmother was schizophrenic and that police were aware of her condition.

"Neighbors who saw the violence escalate say the community knew Turner had mental health issues but that they never felt threatened by her. Multiple witnesses say the officer lives in the same housing complex as Turner. When asked if there was knowledge that Turner suffered from mental health issues, Steve Dorris said, "I don't know that to be diagnosed fact. So I'm kind of cautious about commenting on that."

... A lying son of a bitch in blue desperately trying to protect and coddle a murderous officer who apparently panicked. Had it been Joe Blow up the block, the son of a bitch would have already been arrested, jailed, and charged. No equal justice. None.

"Those are things that we have to look into. But, again, that mental capacity or that mental concern, I'll call it, does not negate the fact she took our officer's Taser from him. She resisted arrest. She had outstanding warrants," Dorris said. Court records show Turner had two outstanding warrants, one for criminal mischief and another for assault. Investigators want to speak with the person who took that cellphone video. Meanwhile, the officer involved has been put on administrative leave."

A goddamned paid vacation while this woman needlessly lies dead. Courtesy of a cop who apparently panicked. Anything wrong with this picture? Anything at all?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

The following is despicable. Sadly, par for the course, presently. ABC News reports:

"The FBI is investigating the case of a Chattanooga police officer who's accused of raping women while on the job. The allegations are detailed in a federal lawsuit filed Monday. Officer Desmond Logan is accused of raping three women in his custody, and he was fired in 2016 from his side job at the University of Tennessee, where he was accused of harassing a woman. All said they notified Chattanooga police."

Aren't these guys properly vetted? Gets worse:

"But the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that Logan wasn't officially investigated until one of them went to the county sheriff, saying she was raped last June. The police chief then denied that Logan had a history of complaints. The lawsuit suggests otherwise. Logan was put on leave and resigned in February before he could be fired."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

The United States government certainly doesn't like public exposure of its murderous conduct. Always hell to pay. NPR reports:

"Federal agents have arrested a former intelligence analyst and charged him with giving classified information to a reporter. The Justice Department says Daniel Everette Hale, 31, of Nashville, Tenn., used his top-secret computer to print out dozens of documents related to counterterrorism operations while working as a contractor for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or NGA. The instances in question occurred nearly five years ago, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday. Hale first met the reporter in question in April 2013, when he was still in the U.S. Air Force and working for the National Security Agency, according to the court documents. He began sharing information the next year, when he had left the military and was working for defense contractor Leidos at the NGA.

"The indictment does not identify the reporter by name. But it says the reporter made a documentary about the U.S. military's use of drones and was a scheduled speaker at "a Washington, D.C. restaurant/bookstore" on or about April 29, 2013. Those details point to Jeremy Scahill, a founding editor of The Intercept and former reporter for The Nation who wrote the book Dirty Wars, and produced a documentary of the same name, about U.S. drone campaigns and operations in Afghanistan and other countries. On the evening of April 29, 2013, Scahill was the featured speaker at the Busboys and Poets bookstore in Washington. The Intercept also published lengthy investigative stories about America's drone programs on specific dates mentioned in the indictment. The Intercept has not confirmed whether it is the news outlet in question or whether Scahill is the reporter mentioned. But the organization issued a statement about the charges against the "alleged drone strike whistleblower" shortly after news of Hale's arrest emerged."

Here's the issue:

"These documents detailed a secret, unaccountable process for targeting and killing people around the world, including U.S. citizens, through drone strikes," Intercept Editor-in-Chief Betsy Reed said in the statement. "They are of vital public importance, and activity related to their disclosure is protected by the First Amendment." Reed did not mention Hale or Scahill specifically, saying the news site "does not comment on matters relating to the identity of anonymous sources." In an interview with NPR, The Intercept's Jim Risen, its senior national security correspondent and director of First Look Media's Press Freedom Defense Fund, said the indictment is the latest sign that "the Trump administration is targeting aggressive national security reporting at The Intercept" and other media outlets. It's a continuation, Risen said, of a crackdown on leaks that started with the George W. Bush administration after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, continued with the Obama administration and has now been taken to new levels under President Trump. Risen said it amounts to a prolonged effort to criminalize journalism. "This is a new phenomenon in America, and people think it's somehow normal," Risen said. "But it's not normal."

This is information that was classified Top Secret to protect the criminals that executed this criminal activity. More to come as it becomes available.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

Love her or hate or, Chelsea Manning is one stand up gal. More than willing to confront corrupt, abusive, criminal government at great personal expense. NBC News reports:

"Former Army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning was released from jail on Thursday after months in custody for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury in Virginia looking into the release of documents to Wikileaks. Manning was released now that the grand jury's term has expired. A tweet from Manning's Twitter account announced the news, which the Alexandria Detention Center confirmed to NBC News. Manning has been serving time for civil contempt for 62 days."

For doing the right thing. Standing up to corrupt, abusive, murderous, criminal government.

"The release may be short lived, however, since federal prosecutors have asked Manning to appear before another grand jury for the same questions as soon as May 16, according to the tweet. U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton told Manning in March that she would remain in federal custody “until she purges or the end of the life of the grand jury."

Over the years, Manning has been more than willing to stand tall at great personal expense.

"A Richmond appellate court in April unanimously denied an appeal by Manning. In a motion arguing for her release, Manning wrote she's refusing to cooperate with the grand jury because it "seeks to undermine the integrity of public discourse with the aim of punishing those who expose ... abuses of power by this government."

Hat's off. Goddamned f--king right. You go girl! F--k the bastards. If all Americans were courageously willing to stand up against corrupt, abusive, murderous government, all branches, all levels, our formerly great country wouldn't be in the dire straits it now finds itself in. With far worse yet to come.

"While Manning has been in custody, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was arrested in London on one count of "conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for agreeing to break a password to a classified U.S. government computer," according to the indictment by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison."

Has yet to be extradited to the United States. Will have to finish serving prison time in Britain for jumping bail, fleeing to a foreign embassy. Continues to fight extradition.

"Prosecutors say the password was being sought by Chelsea Manning, who provided Assange with a trove of secret government documents that Wikileaks published in 2010 — "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States," according to the indictment."

We'll see how much of that is or isn't true when or if Assange is finally extradited. Until that happens, government claims vis a vis this matter are unresolved. Must be questioned. Readers are reminded this is a government that continually fails to hold its corrupt, abusive, criminal goons accountable for their crimes. Edition after edition of this publication for over twenty years now offers proof positive.

ABC News reports:

"Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2013 for the unauthorized disclosure of classified materials made public by WikiLeaks in 2010, but her sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017. But in April, federal prosecutors in the United States unsealed a computer hacking indictment against Assange for his role [in] Manning’s disclosure of classified documents, which the government called "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States."

To courageously expose our government for what it has become.

NPR reports:

"Last month, U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton ruled Manning should stay in jail until she either testifies or a grand jury no longer wants to hear from her. In a statement issued the day before she was taken into custody by U.S. marshals, Manning described prosecutors' questions to her: "All of the substantive questions pertained to my disclosures of information to the public in 2010 — answers I provided in extensive testimony, during my court-martial in 2013." Instead of answering those questions, Manning said, she told the court that she objected to them and would not reply on the grounds that they violated her "First, Fourth, and Sixth Amendment, and other statutory rights." Manning was freed from a military prison in 2017, after former President Barack Obama reduced what had been a 35-year prison term to a sentence of about seven years shortly before he left office."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-17-19

Facial recognition is egregiously abused by the increasingly out of control criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. NBC News reports:

"The technology-driven revolution in policing is unfolding in big cities and small communities around the country, as more police departments purchase facial recognition software. The government “facial biometrics” market — which includes federal, state and local law enforcement — is expected to soar from $136.9 million in 2018 to $375 million by 2025, according to an estimate by market research firm Grand View Research. Driven by artificial intelligence, facial recognition allows officers to submit images of people’s faces, taken in the field or lifted from photos or video, and instantaneously compare them to photos in government databases — mugshots, jail booking records, driver’s licenses."

The corporate management suite is greedily lining its pockets at the expense of privacy. To say nothing of flaws in the system that lead to mistaken identity, harassment and worse inflicted on innocent citizens who have committed no crime.

"Unlike DNA evidence, which is costly and can take a laboratory days to produce, facial recognition requires little overhead once a system is installed. The relative ease of operation allows officers to make the technology part of their daily work. Rather than reserve it for serious or high-profile cases, they are using it to solve routine crimes and to quickly identify people they see as suspicious."

Allows, facilitates these jackbooted bastards to get their cookies off abusing the innocent.

The following merely scrapes the surface of the problem:

"But these systems are proliferating amid growing concern that facial recognition remains prone to errors — artificial-intelligence and privacy researchers have found that algorithms behind some systems incorrectly identify women and people with dark skin more frequently than white men — and allows the government to expand surveillance of the public without much oversight. While some agencies have policies on how facial recognition is used, there are few laws or regulations governing what databases the systems can tap into, who is included in those databases, the circumstances in which police can scan people’s photos, how accurate the systems are, and how much the government should share with the public about its use of the technology."

No question. We live in a goddamned de facto fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

If there is nothing to hide, nothing sinister about this shit, why are the jackbooted bastards keeping this abusive technology secret? Get this:

"Police praise the technology’s power to improve investigations, but many agencies also try to keep their methods secret. In New York, the police department has resisted attempts by defense attorneys and privacy advocates to reveal how its facial recognition system operates. In Jacksonville, Florida, authorities have refused to share details of their facial recognition searches with a man fighting his conviction for selling $50 of crack. Sometimes people arrested with the help of facial recognition aren’t aware that it was used against them. Because police don’t treat facial recognition as evidence for presentation in court, the technique does not often turn up in public documents and has not been the subject of many judicial rulings. Its use, and spread, are difficult to track."

That's goddamned Right Wing Nazi. Adolf and Benito? 'High-fiving' on their fiery perches. Out of control jackbooted bastards. Further proof positive no foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than government. All branches. All levels. Including jackbooted law enforcement. An exigent threat.

"The companies that build the technology are also grappling with the implications of its use. Amazon has given its facial recognition system to police departments to try out, sparking protests from employees, shareholders and artificial intelligence researchers."

Surprised? Why? The corporate management suite owns its bought and paid for shills in government. The taxpaying public is looted, egregiously butt-f--ked by both government and its corporate masters to ultimately pay for this shit. Wake up.

"Microsoft says it has resisted requests to sell its products to police, and has called for government regulation. Axon, the largest maker of body cameras in the United States, has taken out patents for facial recognition applications but says it is not pursuing them as it consults with an artificial-intelligence ethics board. At the same time, companies are creating even more advanced systems that will allow police to identify people from live video footage, such as body cameras, rather than just still images. It is only a matter of time before such technology is available for police to buy."

Clearly, the worst is yet to come.

"These developments have triggered attempts to curb police use of facial recognition. The cities of Somerville, Massachusetts, and San Francisco and Oakland, California, are considering banning it. So is the state of Massachusetts."

Not good enough. Nowhere near. Has to be done nation-wide. Clearly, won't happen anytime soon. ... As an unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looms over this and many other issues. ... Hear the rumble?

The following? Just the tip of the iceberg:

"Civil rights advocates, privacy researchers and criminal defense lawyers warn that the ubiquity of police-run facial recognition systems could cause officers to become overly reliant on a flawed technology and risk wrongful convictions. They say it could trigger an explosion in arrests for petty crimes, exacerbate the criminal justice system’s disproportionate impact on the poor and minorities, and lead to even more routine uses - already deployed in China - such as exposing jaywalkers and people who take toilet paper from public restrooms. “It could have a panopticon effect where you’re worried that the government is always watching out,” said Jake Laperruque, senior counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, a nonprofit that investigates the federal government."

Report goes on and on. Wake up. ... Hear the rumble?

NPR reports:

"San Francisco may become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition technology by police and city agencies. The city's Board of Supervisors will vote on a measure today, and if it votes in favor, several other cities and states could follow. Governments have used the technology for several years, and the software can assist with efforts to find missing children, for example, or prevent driver's license fraud. But in recent years, technological advances have raised concerns about civil liberties and racial bias. In a study published earlier this year by the MIT Media Lab, researchers found facial analysis software made mistakes when identifying people's gender if they were female or darker-skinned, according to The Verge. San Francisco is expected to approve the anti-surveillance legislation."

Subsequent to the above, the measure overwhelmingly passed. More on this as it becomes available.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

Uncommon Valor. NPR reports:

"One of the victims in the mass shooting on Tuesday at the University of North Carolina's Charlotte campus is being praised as a hero who saved lives by charging and tackling the shooter, according to local police. Riley Howell, 21, who was killed in the shooting, "took the suspect off his feet," said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney in a news conference. "Absolutely, Mr. Howell saved lives."

Uncommon Valor.

"Howell "did exactly what we train people to do — you're either going to run, you're going to hide and shield, or you're going to take the fight to the assailant. Having no place to run and hide, he did the last," said Putney. "But for his work, the assailant may not have been disarmed. Unfortunately, he gave his life in the process. But his sacrifice saved lives," added the chief."

No greater love:

"Kevin Westmoreland, the father of Howell's longtime girlfriend, described him as someone who "would step in front of a train for her if he had to." Putney said Howell, of Waynesville, N.C., was probably the second fatality in the incident. The other fatality was 19-year-old Ellis Parlier of Midland, N.C. Howell, Parlier and the four injured victims were all students. The four injured were identified by the university as Sean DeHart, 20, and Drew Pescaro, 19, both of Apex, N.C.; Emily Houpt, 23, of Charlotte; and Rami Alramadhan, 20, of Saihat, Saudi Arabia."

Sad, sad loss of life, needless deaths and injuries.

"Police have identified the alleged shooter as Trystan Andrew Terrell, 22, a former student at UNC Charlotte. He has no prior criminal record, and campus police chief Jeff Baker described Terrell as "not somebody on our radar." Terrell is charged with two counts of murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, discharging a firearm on educational property and possession of a gun on educational property, according to jail records cited by the Charlotte Observer."

5-10-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... "Why? This piece of shit presents an ongoing threat to the community.

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

5-10-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred fifty nine weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred fifty nine weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred fifty nine weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

5-10-19

Egregious abuse of power. Gross, concerted invasion of privacy. NPR reports:

"The American Civil Liberties Union says it has uncovered new evidence that federal border agents are violating the Constitution when they search travelers' electronic devices. The ACLU, along with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, sued the federal government in 2017, alleging that its "warrantless and suspicionless searches" of electronic devices at the U.S. ports of entry violated the First and Fourth amendments. Lawyers now say that, through depositions of border agents, they have learned that the scope of the warrantless searches has expanded far beyond the mere enforcement of immigration and customs laws. Border officers have the authority to search belongings for contraband, or to determine who is admissible into the U.S., the ACLU said. But agents now "claim authority to search travelers' devices for general law enforcement purposes, such as looking for potential evidence of illegal activity beyond violations of immigration and customs laws," plaintiffs wrote. "That claimed authority extends to enforcing 'hundreds' of federal laws, including tax, bankruptcy, environmental, and consumer protection laws. Defendants' asserted purposes for conducting warrantless or suspicionless device searches also include intelligence gathering or advancing pre-existing investigations."

A fascist police-state since 9/11 quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"These practices violate the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable search and seizure, the ACLU wrote. They also violate the First Amendment, attorneys said, because people traveling to the U.S. might censor themselves, knowing that a border agent might look through their phone. In a filing this week in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, the lawyers asked the government to rule in their favor without a trial. "Let's get one thing clear," the ACLU said in a statement. "The government cannot use the pretext of the 'border' to make an end run around the Constitution."

Has been going on quite some time as reported earlier in this publication and elsewhere.

"The government has said its searches are necessary to protect the country."

Horse shit. Warrantless searches are egregiously unconstitutional. Our government is out of control.

"The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment; ICE and CBP said they would not comment on pending litigation."

Surprised? Why? No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than government. All branches. All levels. Including all law enforcement. Founders? Spinning in their graves.

"The case was filed on behalf of 11 defendants, including a limousine driver, two journalists, and a NASA engineer. Ten of the plaintiffs are U.S. citizens, and one is a lawful permanent resident. Searches of international travelers' electronic devices have spiked in recent years. According to the lawsuit, border officers searched the smartphones and laptops of more than 33,000 international travelers in 2018 — an increase of almost 400% from three years earlier. Those searches, the complaint says, violate the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable search and seizure."

The criminal jackbooted bastards in government have no probable cause, no warrant. A fascist police-state.

"Border searches of electronic devices intrude deeply on the private lives of all travelers and raise unique concerns for the journalists, lawyers, doctors, and others who carry particularly sensitive information about their news sources, clients, and patients," the attorneys wrote. They argued that the warrantless searches "turn the border into a digital dragnet."

All data needs to be encrypted. Refuse to unencrypt it for the jackbooted bastards. When denied boarding or entry, sue the living shit out of the criminal sons of bitches and their handlers. This shit needs to end. We've lost our country to this human excrement we've gutlessly empowered to f--k us.

"A Customs and Border Protection policy implemented in 2018 permits two kinds of searches: basic and advanced. In a basic search, an officer looks through an electronic device manually. In an advanced search, the officer connects external equipment to the device in order to review and sometimes copy its contents."

Without a warrant, that's egregiously unconstitutional. The Fourth Amendment requires a warrant, probable cause. F--k these criminal jackbooted assholes.

"CBP policy allows basic searches without any suspicion of wrongdoing; advanced searches require a "reasonable suspicion of activity in violation of the laws enforced or administered by CBP" or a "national security concern." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has a similar policy permitting both basic and advanced searches. In a legal filing, the agencies said their searches were "a crucial tool for detecting evidence relating to terrorism and other national security matters" and "can also reveal information about financial and commercial crimes." But those searches go far beyond what the Constitution allows, the ACLU lawsuit argues. "The government cannot use the border to circumvent the Constitution," they wrote."

We gutlessly tolerate this shit. Consequently, get what we truly deserve. F--ked. Founders wouldn't recognize the formerly great nation they created.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

Think the criminal jackbooted bastards at ICE aren't egregiously out of control? CBS News reports:

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will begin voluntary DNA testing in cases where officials suspect that adults are fraudulently claiming to be parents of children as they cross the U.S.-Mexico border. The decision comes as Homeland Security officials are increasingly concerned about instances of child trafficking as a growing number of Central American families cross the border, straining resources to the breaking point. Border authorities also recently started to increase the biometric data they take from children 13 and younger, including fingerprints, despite privacy concerns and government policy that restricts what can be collected.

"Advocates said they're worried that in the name of stopping fraud, agents might take personal information from children that could be used against them later. But DHS officials said the testing will be destroyed and won't be used as evidence in any criminal case."

This government and its jackbooted goons have no credibility. How do you know they're lying? Their lips move.

"Still, Vera Eidelman, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project called the plan "yet another example of the Trump administration seeking to intimidate and deter asylum seekers, adding, "Forced DNA collection is coercive and intrusive, and it raises serious privacy and civil liberties concerns."

Certainly, does.

"The government is clearly interested in learning more than an individual's identity in this instance," she continued. "The government claims it does not plan to store or share the information collected from these intrusive and coercive tests for now, but the fact that it is even building out this surveillance infrastructure — using the pretext of the border — should trouble us all. With other government actors, from local law enforcement agencies to the FBI, also rolling out Rapid DNA systems, it is not hard to imagine a nightmare of a centralized government database."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

Never ends. CBS News reports:

"A Texas grand jury indicted a suburban Dallas police officer Wednesday on a charge of criminally negligent homicide for fatally shooting a black man during a traffic stop last year. The Tarrant County grand jury indicted Arlington Officer Bau Tran eight months after he shot 24-year-old O'Shae Terry in the Dallas suburb. The indictment marks a rare criminal prosecution of a police officer in the historically conservative North Texas county. It could draw greater attention to a case that was largely overshadowed by another in the same month in which a white Dallas police officer fatally shot a black man in his own apartment. Tran shot Terry on Sept. 1 after another officer pulled the Forest Hill resident over on a registration violation. The officer told Terry she smelled marijuana and would need to search the vehicle, the Dallas Morning News reported. Body cam video shows Tran stays near the vehicle's passenger side door as the other officer goes back to her squad car. After talking for several minutes, the footage shows Tran grabbing the passenger-side window of the SUV Terry was driving as it begins to roll up, yelling "Hey, stop!" Tran steps onto the vehicle's running board as it started to move, points his gun into the SUV and fires multiple shots. Terry later died at a hospital. The paper reported he had been shot four times. A passenger in the car was reportedly uninjured."

An officer cannot legally kill someone for merely leaving the scene of a traffic stop.

"Lee Merritt, an attorney for Terry's estate, said the indictment was "a huge relief" for his family but also less than they had hoped for. Shooting someone to prevent them from leaving amounts to murder, Merritt said during a November press conference."

It does.

"We are certainly happy that there will be a chance for some form of justice in this case," Merritt told The Associated Press. "But if anyone else had done this it would have been murder."

That's right. Police need to be held to the very same standard as Joe Blow across the street.

"Criminally negligent homicide is considered a felony offense. A conviction can lead to a sentence of up to two years in state jail."

That's all?

"Police later said they found a Glock handgun with an extended magazine, 1.09 pounds of marijuana and 7 grams of ecstasy pills in the vehicle, according to the Dallas Morning News."

Did they plant it? Even if true, the contraband allegedly found did not justify opening fire, killing the suspect with four rounds. Had the suspect brandished the weapon, would have been a different story.

"Tran was placed on restricted duty following the shooting. He was put on leave Wednesday until the administrative investigation into the incident is finished in the coming weeks, said Arlington Lt. Christopher Cook. In a statement released to CBS Dallas after the indictment, Arlington Police said: "The Grand Jury's decision, irrespective of the outcome, is viewed as an additional factual piece of information to consider by those responsible for the administrative investigation of this incident." Tran's attorney, Randall Moore, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moore has maintained that his client's actions were legal and taken to protect the public."

Protect the public from what? Yes, law enforcement should have given chase, not pump four rounds into him when attempting to leave. Again, had the weapon been brandished, would have been a far different story.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

The following is beyond horrendous. A white male officer violently attacked an innocent, unarmed black woman. ABC News reports:

"A Miami-Dade police officer was charged this week for forcefully arresting a woman, and then making false statements about what happened, in an incident that sparked outrage after video of the incident went viral. Police bodycam footage and a cell phone video recorded by the woman’s friend showed the officer, Alejandro Giraldo, pushing Dyma Loving against a fence before grabbing her by the neck and pulling her to the ground."

No question. A violent jackbooted motherf--ker who apparently gets his cookies off violently abusing women. In this case, a black woman.

"Giraldo had been responding to a 911 call made by Loving’s friend, Adrianna Green, to report that a neighbor had threatened them with a shotgun. An internal police investigation later found there was no basis for arresting Loving."

Reread the above quote. This son of a bitch violently attacked an innocent, unarmed black woman.

"Giraldo was arrested on Thursday and charged with official misconduct, a felony, for making false statements in official reports. He was also charged with battery. “After taking the sworn statements...and reviewing all the known video evidence, we believe that there is sufficient evidence to charge a violation of Florida’s criminal statutes,” the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said in a statement."

Will you vigorously prosecute this jackbooted son of a bitch, Counselor? ... Or, is this no more than achingly empty lip service?

"On the morning of March 5, Green called 911 to say that her neighbor had been hurling racist insults at her, and that he had pulled out a shotgun and threatened to shoot her. Four officers reported to the scene and interviewed Green and Loving about the incident before going to the neighbor’s home to interview him about the allegations. They told Loving and Green “not to go anywhere,” the warrant said. It was at this point that Giraldo and a sixth officer, Juan Calderon, arrived at the scene and arrested Green. Giraldo said he made the arrest because Loving “would not obey commands,” was “uncooperative,” and was “screaming at us, causing a scene in a residential neighborhood,” according to the police report. None of these statements, however, could be backed by evidence, officials said."

The jackbooted son of a bitch lied. His fellow officers courageously exposed him for the lying piece of shit he truly is:

"In sworn statements, each of the officers said that Loving did not in fact speak aggressively or act in a way that could have been perceived as a threat to the officers’ safety, the police report said."

These officers indeed displayed Uncommon Valor to expose one of their own. Hat's off. There are indeed good officers out there. Need to stand tall and weed out the bad ones.

"Loving’s attorney, Justin Moore, said that Loving had “expressed relief” over Giraldo’s arrest, and applauded prosecutors for moving forward with the case. But he said that other officers should also face charges for their role in the incident. “The fact is that the other officers involved in Dyma’s arrest assisted Officer Giraldo and drafted police reports detailing the incident,” Moore said. “It is more than reasonable that they meet the same scrutiny that Officer Giraldo has received.”

Indeed. No question.

"Miami-Dade Police Department Director Juan Perez called Giraldo’s arrest disappointing and said it “overshadows the hard work of the dedicated men and women of law enforcement, who strive daily to serve and protect our community,” according to a statement."

Precisely, why it so critical to weed out the bad ones. The assholes destroy all credibility and respect for law enforcement. The public desperately needs good officers. Can't live without them.

“This particular case underscores our commitment to cooperate and work together with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office in our continued effort to hold ourselves accountable,” the statement said."

Hopefully, you truly mean it. Whether or not you expose others involved in this assault will be the determining factor.

"Andre Rouviere, Giraldo’s defense attorney, said he was “a little concerned of the nature and the way the case was brought about,” according to The Miami Herald. The paper said he had expressed concern that in bringing charges, prosecutors might have bowed to pressure from activists. Rouviere did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News."

Jesus Christ. The video screams otherwise. Take your head out of your ass, Counselor. You make yourself look stupid, achingly incompetent.

"Giraldo has since been released from jail, according to ABC Miami affiliate WPLG."

Why? This piece of shit presents an ongoing threat to the community.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

TSA goons continue to get their cookies off at airport screenings. ABC News reports:

"Iconic singer Diana Ross felt "violated" by a TSA agent at the New Orleans airport, she tweeted on Sunday. Ross was going through security at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport when she said she felt uncomfortable by the way the female TSA agent put her hands between her legs, front and back, she wrote.

"Its not what was done but how , I am feeling violated - I still feel her hands between my legs, front and back ( saying to me it her job ,) WOW!!really mixed emotions I always like to see the good things but not feeling good right now
— Ms. Ross (@DianaRoss) May 5, 2019

"Ross described the agent's actions as "over the top," saying that it's "not what was done but how." "Makes me want to cry," Ross wrote."

Apparently, the goon got her cookies off. Enjoyed herself.

"TSA spokesman Mark Howell told The Associated Press that the agency is investigating Ross' claims but video from the incident indicates that all protocols were followed. He added that the TSA is committed to treating all travelers with respect and courtesy."

How? By feeling them up?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

Shoot first, ask questions later. The Washington Post reports:

"Lorenzo Clerkley Jr., an eighth-grader from Oklahoma, did not know he had been shot until he started urinating on himself. He was laughing, he said, having just come to. But his legs began to shake when he tried to walk. He looked down and saw a bullet hole in his pants. Another police officer — not the one who shot him — was waiting for him in front of the abandoned house where he had been playing with five other friends, he said. The teenagers had been playing with replica guns, they say, and someone had called the police to report a break-in with potentially armed suspects. Now, Lorenzo had been shot twice. The story drew a few local headlines when it occurred in March, but the city appears to have moved on. Lorenzo is back in school despite the entry and exit wounds he still has to treat every day. Sgt. Kyle Holcomb, the officer who shot him, has returned to work, having been cleared criminally, the police department said, after the district attorney decided not to file charges."

These gutless, clueless pieces of human excrement continue to be protected and coddled.

"But video of the shooting from Holcomb’s body camera, which Lorenzo’s lawyer released to The Washington Post as his family prepares to file a lawsuit, may raise questions about the shooting. The footage is another grim entry in the public catalogue of police shootings — a window into an incident that unraveled in fractions of a second, and one that has prompted multiple interpretations. Lorenzo’s family said they believe the video shows the shooting was unjustified, that it was part of a pattern of misconduct at the Oklahoma City Police Department. Law enforcement officials see an officer defending himself in a moment of potential danger."

Shoot first, ask questions later. Carte blanche. No judgment required. Certainly, not in a goddamned de facto fascist police-state since 9/11 quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. ... Right, Sheriff?

"At 5:37 p.m. on March 10, a 911 caller said that four people were breaking into a house in southeast Oklahoma City; at least two of them had guns, but the caller wasn’t sure if they were real, according to the Oklahoma City Police Department. “When officers arrived at the location they heard what they thought were possible gunshots,” a statement from the department said."

There is a big, big difference between the sound a cap pistol makes and a real gun. A big difference. An unmistakable difference.

"Video from an officer’s body camera shows what happened next. Holcomb walked up to the house, and the sounds of shots rang out from the house. “Viper 33,” the officer said into his radio. “I think it’s a cap gun, but they are shooting something off." He approached the wooden fence that rings the house’s yard, moving toward one of the many holes in it, the video shows. He waited for a moment, his gun pointed through the gap in the fence. Someone materialized from the house. “Show me your hands! Drop it!” Holcomb said, firing four shots in rapid succession. According to the video footage, no more than six hundredths of a second had passed since he had finished the command."

An achingly gutless jackbooted motherf--ker in blue.

“Drop the gun!” he then said, before radioing in the incident. “Shots fired, shots fired. Black male with a gray hoodie had the gun."

Jesus Christ.

"Lorenzo’s lawyer, Dan Smolen, said the video footage was unedited. Police released a photo of the gun they said Lorenzo had carried in his hand, saying it was a BB gun that mimicked a real handgun. Capt. Robert Mathews, the department’s spokesman, said the gun was found in the backyard, where he said Lorenzo had dropped it. In an interview with The Post, Lorenzo said he did not have a gun on or near him at the time of the shooting."

Couldn't be the gutless piece of shit in blue lied to cover his sorry ass, could it?

"Holcomb was placed on paid leave after the shooting, as the homicide detectives began an investigation of the incident, which is routine when officers fire their service weapons, Mathews told The Post. Oklahoma County District Attorney David W. Prater declined to file charges in the case, Mathews said. Prater did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The department is awaiting the results of an internal investigation to see whether Holcomb complied with department policies, Mathews said."

A cover up. Couldn't be, could it? Cops would never lie, would they? ... Right, Sheriff?

"Maki Haberfeld, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and an expert in police use of force, reviewed the video after it was provided to her by The Post. “It’s a bad shooting,” she said, noting that deadly force is meant to be a last resort to be used by officers. She acknowledged that video showed only a limited perspective of the incident and said she did not fault the officer for potentially confusing a fake gun for a real one. But she said she thought he did not give Lorenzo any time to comply."

Shoot first, ask questions later.

“Watching this, I don’t see how the officer could have arrived at the conclusion that his life or someone else’s life was in danger,” she said. “He asks the teenager to drop his hands and show the gun. And then immediately he shoots. There’s no time lapse between ‘Show me the gun; drop your hands,’ and then he fires. ... He’s already pushing the trigger.” She also said she found it disturbing that Lorenzo was handcuffed as officers awaited emergency medical personnel to arrive. The video, which ends about 10½ minutes after the shooting, does not show any medical personnel arriving on the scene.

"Lorenzo’s mother, Cherelle Lee, said detectives invited her to police headquarters to show her the video and gave her a copy. “It was very unbearable to watch,” she said. “It is well established that police officers must give citizens sufficient time to comply with commands before using deadly force,” the family said in a statement. “Here, Sergeant Holcomb did not give Lorenzo any time to comply with his commands, and did not have probable cause to believe that Lorenzo posed a threat of serious physical harm to anyone when he began shooting."

"Lorenzo was charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering along with his friends, the police told The Post on Monday night; Prater did not respond to questions about the status of the case. Smolen said the charge was news to him and that he did not believe the family had been notified of it. Lorenzo’s criminal defense lawyer, David Bross, said the same thing, noting that he had asked the district attorney’s office multiple times but had not been received a clear answer."

Surprised? Why? Same old, same old. Can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit. Report goes on and on. As usual, law enforcement continues to cover its sorry, gutless ass.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

Sandra Bland revisited. In follow up to an egregious case of police brutality repeatedly covered here in this publication and elsewhere, NBC News reports:

"Video from the vantage point of Sandra Bland, the black woman found dead in a Texas jail cell in 2015 after she was arrested during a traffic stop, was made public Monday night. The clip, which aired on Dallas station WFAA, was obtained with the help of the Investigative Network, a nonprofit news organization. Bland's family and state authorities disagree about whether the video, shot by Bland, 28, on her cellphone during the traffic stop, was available during litigation."

Think the state's not lying? To cover the sorry gutless ass of law enforcement.

"Cannon Lambert, who represented Bland's family in lawsuits against the state and county jail that were settled for nearly $2 million in total, told The Associated Press he hadn't seen the clip until recently. The video wasn't a part of evidence turned over by investigators, he said. "It is troubling that a crucial piece of evidence was withheld from Sandra Bland's family and legal team in their pursuit of justice," said Democratic state Rep. Garnet Coleman, who sponsored a would-be police reform bill named after Bland that her family later criticized as watered down before it was signed into law. "The illegal withholding of evidence by one side from the other destroys our legal system's ability to produce fair and just outcomes," Coleman said. The Texas Department of Public Safety said that Bland's cellphone video was in fact turned over as part of a trove of evidence on a hard drive, according to the AP. The department said the video was also released to an Austin television station in 2017 under an open records law."

Somebody's lying. Guess who.

"Encinia was fired from the Texas Department of Public Safety after he was charged with perjury for writing in an affidavit that Bland had been "combative and uncooperative" during the incident.

"The single misdemeanor perjury charge against Encinia was dropped after he agreed to never work in law enforcement again."

No justice. ... Right, Sheriff? Nazi America.

CBS News reports:

"The clip begins at the most dramatic moment of the traffic stop near Prairie View A&M University: Encinia has opened Bland's car door and draws his stun gun as she tries to steady her phone's camera. The flashlights on the stun gun flick on and Encinia yells, "Get out of the car! I will light you up. Get out!" Bland exits the car and continues to record Encinia as he orders her onto the sidewalk. The stun gun is still pointed at her and the flashlights remain on. He instructs her to get off the phone, to which Bland replies, "I'm not on the phone. I have a right to record. This is my property." The video ends seconds later after Encinia tells her to put the phone down."

NPR reports:

"Cellphone footage shot by Sandra Bland and made public Monday night shows her encounter with state Trooper Brian Encinia that led to her arrest in 2015. Days later, Bland was found dead in her jail cell. Nearly four years after Sandra Bland was pulled over by a Texas state trooper, arrested and put in a jail cell where she was found dead days later, a cellphone video that Bland took of her traffic stop has surfaced. Bland's family members now say they want her case reopened. "Open up the case, period," Bland's sister Shante Needham said after seeing the video, according to TV station WFAA in Dallas. The family's former lawyer says the state never turned over the footage, which Texas officials dispute. The main record of Bland's controversial arrest had been dashcam footage captured by a state trooper's SUV in Prairie View, Texas. But that changed Monday night with the release of Bland's recording, which was acquired by reporter Brian Collister of the Investigative Network and broadcast on WFAA. "What this video shows is, it's almost literally through Sandra Bland's eyes," Collister tells member station Houston Public Media, in an interview Tuesday for the Houston Matters show.

"As Collister sees it, the new video undermines a key assertion by Encinia and his defense lawyer — that he was in fear for his safety. "He clearly is not acting as though he was in jeopardy," Collister says. "He sees the phone in her hand — in fact, he tells her to put it down." The reporter says Darrell Jordan, who was one of the special prosecutors who worked on the criminal inquiry into the case, confirmed that prosecutors had received the cellphone video. But Jordan, who has since become a judge, was not able to say whether a grand jury had seen the footage, citing secrecy rules around grand juries. Bland's family believes the video was intentionally not made public, Collister says. According to Houston Public Media, the reporter first obtained the video in 2017, but it wasn't used in a story at the time. It was only after Collister realized Bland's family had not seen the recording that he decided to make it public. Collister says the video should raise questions for state Attorney General Ken Paxton's office, which represented the Department of Public Safety in the federal wrongful-death lawsuit. Collister says he had been seeking information on whether prosecutors from that office complied with a discovery order and turned over the video during the civil suit. "We have not gotten a word, and we've been trying for a week," he says."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

Outright gutlessness. In follow up to a case repeatedly covered earlier in this publication and elsewhere, ABC News reports:

"The Virginia police officer who cursed at a group of black middle schoolers and promised to publicly apologize has rescinded the offer. Richmond police Chief William Smith tells The Richmond Times-Dispatch that the officer, whose name hasn't been released, no longer feels he can handle the large setting."

Poor baby. Doesn't your heart bleed? Gutless piece of shit. -- If he can't handle a school setting, how can he be expected to professionally execute his duties as a police officer? How?

"A March video shows the officer telling the Albert Hill students "wait until your asses turn 18, then you're mine." Student Cameron Hilliard filmed the video and says someone outside of her group yelled an obscenity directed at officers, launching the confrontation. The officer apologized to the students and their guardians last week and signed an agreement to publicly apologize at a school assembly. The chief says the officer is sorry for not being able to meet with the school."

Jesus Christ. This guy is unfit to be in law enforcement. ... Hey, Chief? Why are you protecting his identity? The public has a right to know.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

An American gulag. ABC News reports:

"A woman with mental illness gave birth in an isolated jail cell hours after she asked jail officials for help, in a case that is now being investigated. Tammy Jackson was taken into custody on March 27 and being held in the North Broward Bureau, a minimum to medium security jail in Pompano Beach, Florida, on charges of possession of cocaine and various misdemeanors and municipal ordinance violations across several cases, according to the public defender's office. The sheriff's office knew she was pregnant since March 27, public defender Howard Finkelstein, who is representing her, wrote in a letter to the sheriff. "She had been placed in the infirmary specifically so her medical issues could be monitored and addressed," Finkelstein wrote. "Yet in her time of extreme need and vulnerability, BSO neglected to provide Ms. Jackson with the assistance and medical care all mothers need and deserve."

Gross understatement.

"In the early hours of April 10, Jackson reported she was having contractions and asked the jail staff for help, according to Finkelstein's letter. Officials tried to contact the on-call physician at 3:16 a.m. but did not speak to the doctor until 7:22 a.m. She was not transported to the nearby hospital, the letter states. "Hours passed as Ms. Jackson continued in labor, alone in an isolation cell," the letter states. More than an hour and a half after speaking with the on-call doctor, a sheriff's office employee "notified medical staff that Ms. Jackson was holding her newborn baby in her arms, having delivered her baby without medication or the assistance of a physician," the letter states."

Nazi America. Adolf and Benito would have been proud. -- 'High-fiving' on their fiery perches.

"It is unconscionable that any woman, particularly a mentally ill woman, would be abandoned in her cell to deliver her own baby. Your staff did not protect either Ms. Jackson or her child. Despite their neglect and callous indifference, both Ms. Jackson and her child survived. It remains to be seen how this gross negligence will affect Ms. Jackson's already fragile mental health," Finkelstein wrote. Gina Carter, the public information officer for the Broward Sheriff's Office, released a statement to ABC News saying their internal affairs unit was notified of the incident on April 12 and "immediately launched an internal investigation."

Means shit squat. Fox guarding the chicken coop. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Following the delivery, a Well Path medical team, including a physician and two nurses, attended to the mother and child. Child Protective Investigations Section was notified, and the baby was placed with an appropriate caregiver. The Internal Affairs investigation continues," Carter said in the statement. "I demand an immediate review of the medical and isolation practices in place in all detention facilities to ensure that no mother endures the ordeal Ms. Jackson survived," Finkelstein wrote."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

Another example of Uncommon Valor. This time of a woman who stood tall against her rapist husband. NPR reports:

"In Minnesota, Jenny Teeson testified at the state capitol about being raped by her husband at the time. This week, Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill removing any protections for spouses who rape their partners. Jenny Teeson says her husband made plenty of sexual requests during their marriage that made her uncomfortable but she didn't discover until they were going through a divorce that he raped her. She was reviewing files on his hard drive and made a shocking discovery: four videos he filmed raping her while she lay unconscious. In one video, the camera zooms in on Teeson's face and lying next to her in the bed is her young son."

This predator is one, worthless piece of shit. An exigent threat to women.

"He was next to me and I have no idea because I was so out cold," she says. "This person, who I'm supposed to trust, would drug me and make me be so out cold that I couldn't respond if something was wrong with my children." Teeson says it's a hard story to tell but she's been making the rounds at the Minnesota Capitol convincing lawmakers to change a law she says prevented her from getting justice."

Outrageous travesty of justice. This woman is not the only victim of this violence across our country.

"Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, signed the bill that repeals a little-known provision in law shielding people from prosecution in cases where they rape their spouse. It's part of a broader push in the wake of the #MeToo movement to change and roll back outdated laws on the books related to sexual harassment and assault."

What took so long?

"What's known as the marital rape exception can be traced back hundreds of years to British common law, which was eventually imported to American colonies. Then, it was believed that a woman's unconditional sexual consent was just part of the marriage contract."

Jesus Christ. Unbelievable.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

5-10-19

Finally, reason rules. NPR reports:

"Many jails and prisons won't give prisoners buprenorphine, a drug which controls heroin and opioid cravings, known also by the brand name Suboxone. This week, a federal appeals court addressed the right to treatment for an inmate who suffers from opioid addiction, a move that legal advocates say could have wide repercussions. The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston ruled that a rural Maine jail must provide Brenda Smith with medication for her opioid use disorder. One of her attorneys, Emma Bond, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Maine, says the new ruling has the potential to create a "big signal" for jails across the country and combat the social barriers preventing incarcerated people from receiving treatment."

Don't treat? Expect recidivism. Ancillary crime. Guarantied.

"This is the first federal appeals court in the country to address the right to treatment for opioid addiction in jail," says Bond. "It represents a huge step forward in the fight against the opioid crisis and for our client who will get her medication in jail."

No-brainer. Would they deny heart medication? Antibiotics? Medication for epilepsy? Cancer?

"Brenda Smith, a resident of Madawaska, Maine, was sentenced in 2018 to 40 days in the Aroostook County Jail for theft at an area Walmart, according to statements in an earlier court decision. Smith currently receives a twice-daily dose of buprenorphine — more commonly known by the brand name Suboxone. This medication helps people with opioid addiction control cravings and maintain recovery. Smith has been in stable recovery for five years on the medication."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
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