Author Topic: Police State - Official Thread  (Read 983013 times)

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #550 on: August 05, 2011, 12:27:56 PM »
]

He appinted napolitano 

and what did Napolitano di?

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #551 on: August 05, 2011, 12:29:39 PM »
and what did Napolitano di?

They unionized these thugs and made them less accountable tot he public and taxpayer. 

Its another GWB disastrous policy that obama latched on to. 

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #552 on: August 05, 2011, 02:45:04 PM »
DOD, DHS Among Agencies Dedicated To Environmental Justice
Judicial Watch/facebook ^ | 8/5/11 | staff




Though it is unrelated to their mission, the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce and Housing are among the federal agencies that will focus on helping minorities get green under an Obama Administration plan that aims to bring “environmental justice” to poor and underserved communities nationwide.

The effort was launched by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last fall and the agency has doled out millions of dollars in “environmental justice grants” to dozens of leftwing groups, including some dedicated to helping illegal immigrants. Earlier this year the administration dedicated an additional $7 million to study how pollution, stress and social factors affect “poor and underserved communities.”

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2010/oct/u-s-gives-liberal-activists-environmental-justice-grants

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2011/jan/another-7-million-environmental-justice

The goal is to help low-income populations obtain the same degree of protection from health and environmental hazards as wealthy communities. The organizations that receive U.S. tax dollars reportedly teach black, Latino and indigenous folks how to recycle, reduce carbon emissions through “weatherization” and participate in “green jobs” training.

As if it weren’t bad enough that millions of dollars have already gone to this initiative, the president is further wasting valuable taxpayer resources by forcing other federal agencies, most with unrelated duties, to participate. Besides the previously mentioned, the Department of Education, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation, Justice, Health and Labor have all been forced to develop “environmental justice strategies to protect the health of people living in communities overburdened by population.”

This week the agencies signed an official Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Justice outlining some of their new duties. Under the agreement the agencies will make environmental justice part of their mission and they will provide the public with annual progress reports on their efforts. In a written statement, the Obama Administration proclaims that it’s the latest effort to address the inequities that may be present in some communities.

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c27/28420a5ae8467cf5852578e200635712!OpenDocument

Obama’s EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson, has promised to bring minorities environmental justice since getting appointed, saying that all too often they live in the shadows of our society’s worst pollution and, as a result, face disproportionate health impacts and greater obstacles to economic growth. She assures that every agency has a “unique and important role to play in ensuring that all communities receive the health and environmental protections they deserve.” The broad collaboration will translate into real progress for overburdened communities, according to Jackson.


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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #553 on: August 07, 2011, 04:55:38 AM »
America's Third War: The U.S. Cut a Deal With the Sinaloa Cartel, Say Court Documents
By William Lajeunesse
Published August 05, 2011 | FoxNews.com
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U.S. federal agents allegedly cut a deal with the Sinaloa drug cartel that allowed it to traffic tons of narcotics across the border, in exchange for information about rival cartels, according to documents filed in federal court.

Click here to view the Sinaloa Cartel case document.

The allegations are made by Vicente Zambada-Niebla, a top ranking cartel boss extradited to the U.S. last year on drug charges. He is a close associate of Mexico's most wanted man, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and the son of Ismael "Mayo" Zambada-Garcia. 


Both remain fugitives, in part, because of the deal Zambada- Niebla made with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, according to a defense motion filed last Friday in the case.

Alvin Michaelson, the Los Angeles attorney representing Zambada- Niebla who wrote the brief, refused comment.

The deal allegedly began with Humberto Loya-Castro, a Sinaloa cartel lawyer who became an informant for the D.E.A. after a drug case against him was dismissed in 2008. 

According to the motion, the deal was part of a 'divide and conquer' strategy, where the U.S. helped finance and arm the Sinaloa cartel, through Operation Fast and Furious, in exchange for information that allowed the D.E.A. and FBI to destroy and dismantle rival Mexican cartels. Operation Fast and Furious is the failed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives anti-gun trafficking program which allowed thousand of guns to cross into Mexico.

"Under that agreement, the Sinaloa Cartel, through Loya, was to provide information accumulated by Mayo, Chapo, and others, against rival Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations to the United States government. In return, the United States government agreed to dismiss the prosecution of the pending case against Loya, not to interfere with his drug trafficking activities and those of the Sinaloa Cartel, to not actively prosecute him, Chapo, Mayo, and the leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel, and to not apprehend them.”

Zambada- Niebla was arrested in Mexico City in March 2009 and extradited to the U.S. in February to stand trial on narco-trafficking-related charges. The indictment claims he served as the cartel's "logistical coordinator" who oversaw an operation that imported tons of cocaine into the U.S. by jets, buses, rail cars, tractor-trailers, and automobiles. Zambada-Niebla is now being held in solitary confinement in a Chicago jail cell.

The motion claims Mayo, Chapo and Zambada- Niebla routinely passed information through Loya to the D.E.A. that allowed it to make drug busts. In return, the U.S. helped the leaders evade Mexican police. 

It says: "In addition, the defense has evidence that from time to time, the leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel was informed by agents of the DEA through Loya that United States government agents and/or Mexican authorities were conducting investigations near the home territories of cartel leaders so that the cartel leaders could take appropriate actions to evade investigators- even though the United States government had indictments, extradition requests, and rewards for the apprehension of Mayo, Chapo, and other alleged leaders, as well as Mr. Zambada-Niebla.”

In 2008, "the DEA representative told Mr. Loya-Castro that they wanted to establish a more personal relationship with Mr. Zambada-Niebla so that they could deal with him directly."

In March 17, 2009, Loya set up a meeting at the Sheraton Hotel in Mexico City with two D.E.A. agents, identified as Manny and David. There, the four men met and Zambada-Niebla claims he received immunity from an indictment out of federal court in Washington D.C.

"There is also evidence that at the hotel, Mr. Zambada-Niebla did accept the agreement and thereafter in reliance on that agreement, provided further information regarding rival drug cartels. Mr. Zambada-Niebla was told that the government agents were satisfied with the information he had provided to them and that arrangements would be made to meet with him again. Mr. Zambada-Niebla then left the meeting. Approximately five hours after the meeting, Mr. Zambada-Niebla was arrested by Mexican authorities. “

Experts who reviewed the document say the U.S. typically has written agreements with paid informants that spell out each other's responsibilities. They doubt Zambada-Niebla had one, although Loya probably did. The defense here is hoping to obtain DEA reports that detail the agencies relationship with the Sinaloa cartel and get the agents on the stand.

In response in court, the U.S. doesn't dispute that Zambada-Niebla may have acted as an informant - only that he did not act with D.E.A. consent.

The D.E.A. and the federal prosecutors in Chicago had no comment.

Former D.E.A. director Karen Tandy told Fox News "I do not have any knowledge of this and it doesn't sound right from my experience.”

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #554 on: August 08, 2011, 05:10:04 AM »
DEA Agents Raid Wrong House in Sterling Heights
Updated: Monday, 01 Aug 2011, 10:15 AM EDT
Published : Saturday, 30 Jul 2011, 11:38 PM EDT


http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/alexis_wiley/agents-raid-wrong-house-in-sterling-heights-20110730-rs




STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WJBK) - Drug Enforcement Agency Officers bust into a home in Sterling Heights, armed with a search warrant. The only problem? The guy they were looking for doesn't live there. Fox 2 talked to the man who opened the door, and was stunned by what happened next.

Click on the video player to watch Alexis Wiley's report.

Ramsey Tossa is a lot of things. He's a U.S. citizen, a retired military translator and a proud father. But a criminal, he's not. Still, he says he was treated like one Tuesday morning around 2:00 a.m. when he woke up to find DEA agents banging loudly on the door.

"As soon as I opened the door, somebody grabbed me and took me outside and put me on the grass," Tossa said. "The first thing I thought was they were terrorists who want to kill me because I served in Iraq."

The DEA agents were executing a search warrant. Tossa said he started having what he thought was a heart attack. Paramedics took him to the hospital. When it was finally over, the agents took a few pieces of mail addressed to someone the Tossa's say they've never met. The DEA says the person they were looking for is actually the landlord's son. He uses that house as his address. The Tossa's are demanding answers. The DEA tells us they are taking the complaint seriously. They deny anyone was thrown to the ground. They also indicate there was likely cause to search the house.


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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #555 on: August 14, 2011, 05:14:25 AM »
Government calls buying 'night flashlights,' making 'extreme religious statements' indicators of terrorism
Posted: August 12, 2011
11:00 pm Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2011 WND



Just days after the White House announced a community-based approach to combating terrorism in the United States, the FBI and other agencies are asking managers of surplus stores to spy on their customers, watching whether they pay in cash, make "extreme" religious statements or purchase products such as waterproof matches.

And the request from the government also is going to gun shops, fertilizer suppliers, motels and hotels, authorities say.

Earlier this month, the Obama administration announced a new plan titled "Empowering local partners to prevent violent extremism in the United States." In it, Obama wrote, "Communities – especially Muslim American communities whose children, families and neighbors are being targeted for recruitment by al-Qaida – are often best positioned to take the lead because they know their communities best."

The report warns that while the Constitution recognizes freedom of expression, "even for individuals who espouse unpopular or even hateful views," it also is the responsibility of government to deter "plots by neo-Nazis and other anti-Semitic hate groups, racial supremacists, and international and domestic terrorist groups."

Get the prescription for reclaiming America's heritage of liberty, justice and morality – Joseph Farah's "Taking America Back," autographed only at the WND Superstore.

"The best defenses against violent extremist ideologies are well-informed and equipped families, local communities, and local institutions. Their awareness of the threat and willingness to work with one another and government is part of our long history of community-based initiatives and partnerships dealing with a range of public safety challenges," the report says.

(Story continues below)


    

 
 

One of the apparent elements of the White House strategy is a series of brochures being handed out to farm supply stories, gun shops, military surplus stores and even hotels and motels. The brochures ask proprietors, clerks and others to watch out for "potential indicators" of terrorism, including "paying with cash," having a "missing hand/fingers," making "extreme religious statements coupled with comments that are violent or appear to condone violence" and making bulk purchases of "Meals Ready to Eat" or "night flashlights."

The following was handed out to surplus stores by agents of the FBI in Denver in recent days.


The flyer was reminiscent of the Department of Homeland Security's 2009 report "Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment" that suggested "the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups."

The report from the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis defined right-wing extremism in the U.S. as "divided into those groups, movements and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups) and those that are mainly anti-government, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration."

The DHS report had followed only by weeks a report from the Missouri Information Analysis Center that linked conservative groups to domestic terrorism.

The Missouri report warned law enforcement agencies to watch for suspicious individuals who may have bumper stickers for presidential candidates such as Ron Paul, Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin. It further warned law enforcement to watch out for individuals with "radical" ideologies based on Christian views, such as opposing illegal immigration, abortion and federal taxes.

Officials with Oath Keepers.org noted the document was similar to one earlier given to gun store managers in Utah. Authorities in Denver confirmed to WND that related brochures are going to surplus stores, hotels and motels, farm supply companies that handle fertilizer and gun shops.

"This new handout expands the absurdity by now also targeting customers of military surplus stores, and by specifically targeting the purchasing of very common, and very popular, preparedness items such as Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) as 'potential indicators of terrorist activities,'" said a statement from Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes.

"Islamic terrorists are not known to hang out in local Army-Navy surplus stores, stocking up on MREs, high capacity magazines and bi-pods for their long range rifles," the statement said. "As Brandon Smith, over at Alt-market.com notes, 'These are very common purchases, not for terrorists, but for Preppers and Survivalists, who are obviously the targets of the FBI profile, not secret al-Qaida agents.'

"Spot on," Rhodes wrote. "Obviously, the current crop of FBI 'leadership' considers anyone who wants to be self-sufficient and prepared to be a 'threat' that should be relentlessly tracked and reported."

An FBI spokesman in Denver confirmed to WND that the flyer is genuine.

"It has been disseminated throughout the United States by the FBI. The flyer and the information on it, stands on its own merit. It was created by FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., the Denver Division has placed our contact information on the flyer and distributed it to local businesses within the states of Colorado and Wyoming.

"I assure you the process and the information has been well vetted by the Department of Justice before being released."

In addition to contact information for the FBI, the flyer also had a telephone number for the Colorado Information Analysis Center, a law enforcement "fusion" center where director Dana Reynolds told WND it's just part of the information-collecting done by the government.

He said when tips are turned in about suspicious activity, they are evaluated to determine whether there should be a police investigation.

"If it turns out to be nothing, if there's no probably case, then the contact is ended there."

However, when asked about profiling for suspicious behavior, such as that done successfully by security authorities in Israel, he said that was not being done, and why it is not being done "is a good question."

One-time Colorado congressional candidate Rob McNealy, who also is a decision-maker in the Libertarian Party, told WND he came across the flyer to surplus stores among his circle of friends and quickly confirmed it was genuine.

He pointed out to WND the irony that the government, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, specifically advises citizens to collect "ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables" as well as "flashlight and extra batteries" and "matches in a waterproof container."

Then the FBI asks store managers to report the "suspicious" activity of buying the same items.

"It's almost like entrapment," McNealy said.

He warned that such practices could be used as attacks on free speech, the right of association and other constitutional provisions. And he believes authorities are targeting Americans who choose to prepare themselves for emergencies.

"Al-Qaida terrorists are not running around buying MREs," he said.

McNealy said he has information "from somebody who sat in on one of the [fusion-center type] training things in their class they will talk about all the groups out there who are dangerous to cops, sovereign citizens, neo-Nazis – and Oath Keepers and tea party groups."

"They lump them all together," he said.

Oath Keepers reported last year that it appeared the Southern Poverty Law Center had become "officially" part of DHS. That was because the chief of the SPLC "now sits on the DHS 'Working Group on Countering Violent Extremism' along with the leaders of other so-called non government organizations," the group reported.

The move came after a government agency accused a father of being associated "with a militia group known as Oath Keepers."

"It should come as no surprise to see Joint Terrorism Task Forces in states now listing the purchasing of firearms, high capacity magazines, bi-pods, night vision, MREs, weatherproofed ammunition containers, etc. as 'potential indicators of terrorist activities' since SPLC is almost entirely focused on going after the militia movement and the Patriot Movement, and is also focused on relentlessly demonizing and smearing nearly any individual or group on the political right that advocates strict adherence to the Constitution or who advocates for the right to bear arms, for state nullification of unconstitutional federal laws, etc. which is why SPLC also has a special animus toward Oath Keepers, which it has labeled as one of the most worrisome groups out there, because it contains active duty police and military who advocate for strict obedience to the Constitution and who pledge to refuse to obey unconstitutional orders," Rhodes wrote at the time.

"They see all of us on the patriot right as being terrorists or potential terrorists, and they intend to use all the power of government to control, suppress, marginalize, investigate, track, and if possible, prosecute us all until they stamp out our beliefs and views," Rhodes told WND.

"How far we have come from the Founder's ideal of a 'well regulated' (well equipped and well trained) citizen militia where ALL able bodied citizens were expected to keep and bear their own weapons, ammunition, field gear, and other supplies essential to personal military capability and competence. And the Founders expected us to keep that military gear at home and to actually train together in its use so we would 'be prepared' for anything, you know, like the Boy Scouts motto. That motto is a sad remnant of the Founders' ideal of a prepared citizenry," Rhodes wrote.

"Under the logic of this most recent handout, the Boy Scouts should be reported as 'suspicious,'" he wrote.

"The Founders would have wanted all of us, every one, to 'be prepared' for 'any old thing.' They would have wanted us to have night vision, gas masks (which come in handy in many situations), 'high-capacity' magazines – and the powerful military pattern rifles that use them – bi-pods so we can shoot accurately at long distance, and plenty of ammunition in 'weatherproofed' containers (also known as surplus ammo cans). They would have wanted us to have plenty of MREs for handy field use, and even 'night flashlights.' I suppose 'day flashlights' are OK with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, but those dangerous 'night flashlights' are verboten, and anyone who buys one must be reported! I certainly hope it wasn't actually someone at the FBI who wrote that.

"Funny thing is, who exactly do the authors of these handouts think they are talking to when they ask gun store and military surplus store owners and staff to spy on their customers and serve as a network of government snitches? These stores are usually owned and staffed by veterans, who are also very preparedness minded – in other words, just like the customers the government wants them to inform on. That's like handing the MIAC report to Ron Paul and Chuck Baldwin supporters and asking them to keep an eye on those pesky, subversive, and potentially dangerous Ron Paul and Chuck Baldwin supporters. It's absurd," Rhodes wrote.

The U.S. administration has made clear in a number of cases that it is concerned about conservatives as a potential danger and even has argued in court that it wants the authority to track American citizens in order to develop "probable cause" needed for search warrants.

That argument is being made before the U.S. Supreme Court in a dispute over whether police investigators and other authorities should be allowed to track American citizens who have not done anything that would ordinarily prompt a judge to issue a search warrant.

"The court of appeals' decision, which will require law enforcement officers to obtain a warrant before placing a GPS device on a vehicle if the device will be used for a 'prolonged' time period, has created uncertainty surrounding the use of an important law enforcement tool," said the government's brief in the case, U.S.A. v. Antoine Jones.



http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2763382/posts


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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #556 on: August 14, 2011, 06:58:16 AM »
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FBI adds ‘preppers’ to potential terrorists list
Gun Rights Examiner ^ | 11 August, 2011 | David Codrea
Posted on August 12, 2011 8:39:07 AM EDT by marktwain

“An FBI Denver Joint Terrorism Task Force handout being distributed to Colorado military surplus store owners lists the purchase of popular preparedness items and firearms accessories as ‘suspicious’ and ‘potential indicators of terrorist activities,’” an exclusive report by Oath Keepers reveals.

Essentially, the government is conflating Americans who believe in being prepared for disruptions in normal circumstances with potential domestic enemies who bear scrutiny, and are recruiting those they patronize to spy and snitch on their customers. As potential terrorists. For such suspicious activities as buying storable food. And paying in legal tender.

This is not a new tactic. Oath Keepers themselves have been targets of a campaign to portray their organization and membership as “militia extremists” and haters, due in large part to the smear efforts by the Southern Poverty Law Center. It has been used against people who champion the Constitution and warn against the United Nations. And it’s not confined to the FBI, but is also used by the Department of Homeland Security and so-called “Fusion Centers” and…

(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #557 on: August 15, 2011, 08:35:59 PM »
Police officer shot dead after pointing stun gun at man's dogs as he attended domestic
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2025812/Police-officer-Robert-Lasso-shot-dead-pointing-stun-gun-mans-dogs.html ^
Posted on August 15, 2011 6:43:35 PM EDT by Orange1998

A police officer killed while responding to a domestic disturbance in a small eastern Pennsylvania borough had pointed a stun gun at two dogs before being shot, court records reveal.

Freemansburg police officer Robert Lasso had pointed at the attacking dogs when the homeowner pulled out a shotgun and fired the fatal blast on Thursday evening.

In police custody, the alleged gunman, 46-year-old George Hitcho Jr, said he had told Mr Lasso to get off his property and not come on unless he had a warrant, authorities said. Killed: Robert Lasso was shot dead as he attended a domestic disturbance

'He tried to kill my dogs and pointed a gun in my face,' Hitcho said, according to the documents. 'I do not care if you a cop or not ...Unbelievable.'

The officer had been responding to a report of a disturbance and ended up at the back of Hitcho's house, authorities said.

Police Chief George Bruneio, who arrived after Mr Lasso requested assistance, instructed him to 'shoot the dogs' and that's when the homeowner pulled out a shotgun and fired, authorities said.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #558 on: August 18, 2011, 11:15:00 AM »
Woman’s yard sale to pay medical bills gets shut down
Salem.katu.com ^ | 8/18/11 | Emily Sinovic, Reporter




A woman fighting a terminal form of bone cancer is trying to raise money to help pay bills with a few weekend garage sales, but the city of Salem says she’s breaking the law and is shutting her down.

Jan Cline had no idea, but the city of Salem has a clear law that states a person can only have three yard sales a year.

Cline has been selling her stuff in the backyard for a few weekends and said she thought she’d be fine by keeping the sale out of everyone’s way.

“It’s a struggle,” Cline says. “It’s a struggle for me because I’m very independent, used to taking care of myself.”

She’s run businesses and supported herself for years but this summer she was diagnosed with bone cancer.


(Excerpt) Read more at salem.katu.com ...


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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #559 on: August 18, 2011, 02:05:02 PM »
Woman’s yard sale to pay medical bills gets shut down
Salem.katu.com ^ | 8/18/11 | Emily Sinovic, Reporter




A woman fighting a terminal form of bone cancer is trying to raise money to help pay bills with a few weekend garage sales, but the city of Salem says she’s breaking the law and is shutting her down.

Jan Cline had no idea, but the city of Salem has a clear law that states a person can only have three yard sales a year.

Cline has been selling her stuff in the backyard for a few weekends and said she thought she’d be fine by keeping the sale out of everyone’s way.

“It’s a struggle,” Cline says. “It’s a struggle for me because I’m very independent, used to taking care of myself.”

She’s run businesses and supported herself for years but this summer she was diagnosed with bone cancer.


(Excerpt) Read more at salem.katu.com ...


Tea Party to this woman: Fuck you. You should have been rich. Don't be a socialist and try to get medical help. Die in the fucking ditch. God bless America.
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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #560 on: August 18, 2011, 02:14:33 PM »
No, no,   she should ask Michelle Bachmann to bail her out.  After all, Bachmann voted yes to 190 Billion in bail outs. 

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #561 on: August 18, 2011, 02:28:46 PM »
No, no,   she should ask Michelle Bachmann to bail her out.  After all, Bachmann voted yes to 190 Billion in bail outs. 

Bachmann took care of 23 foster kids, so most likely she would have helped her out. 

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #562 on: August 18, 2011, 02:36:34 PM »
Bachmann took care of 23 foster kids, so most likely she would have helped her out. 

That's right.  Ayone who voted for billions in bail outs can't be all that bad. 

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #563 on: August 19, 2011, 08:01:32 PM »
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Family gets $333,000 for 2009 raid in which cops killed dog
Chicago Tribune ^ | August 19, 2011 | David Heinzmann
Posted on August 19, 2011 7:20:35 PM EDT by Immerito

A federal jury awarded $333,000 to a Chicago family Thursday after Chicago police officers raided its South Side home with guns drawn and shot its dog in a search that found no criminal activity in the apartment.

Teenage brothers Thomas and Darren Russell were in their second-floor apartment in the 9200 block of South Justine Street in February 2009 when officers announced they had a warrant to search both units of the two-flat. Thomas Russell, then 18, opened the door and found officers with their guns drawn, according to the lawsuit. Russell said that he put his hands in the air and asked permission to lock up his 9-year-old black Labrador, Lady, before they entered.

Police refused the request and came into the house, the lawsuit said. When Lady came loping around the corner with her tail wagging, Officer Richard Antonsen shot the dog, according to the suit, which alleged excessive force, false arrest and illegal seizure for taking the dog's life.

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #564 on: August 19, 2011, 08:06:32 PM »
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Family gets $333,000 for 2009 raid in which cops killed dog
Chicago Tribune ^ | August 19, 2011 | David Heinzmann
Posted on August 19, 2011 7:20:35 PM EDT by Immerito

A federal jury awarded $333,000 to a Chicago family Thursday after Chicago police officers raided its South Side home with guns drawn and shot its dog in a search that found no criminal activity in the apartment.

Teenage brothers Thomas and Darren Russell were in their second-floor apartment in the 9200 block of South Justine Street in February 2009 when officers announced they had a warrant to search both units of the two-flat. Thomas Russell, then 18, opened the door and found officers with their guns drawn, according to the lawsuit. Russell said that he put his hands in the air and asked permission to lock up his 9-year-old black Labrador, Lady, before they entered.

Police refused the request and came into the house, the lawsuit said. When Lady came loping around the corner with her tail wagging, Officer Richard Antonsen shot the dog, according to the suit, which alleged excessive force, false arrest and illegal seizure for taking the dog's life.

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...

good!!!

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #565 on: August 19, 2011, 08:56:33 PM »
Did the cops lose their jobs?
Who pays for their fuck up, meaning where does the money cone from?
Did the cops have to pay any money out of their own pockets.
Seems like a hollow victory under tragic circumstances. I love dogs, especially lovable labs. Pisses me off. I'd wanna find the cop later and kick his face in.

Agnostic007

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #566 on: August 20, 2011, 08:59:32 AM »
Did the cops lose their jobs?
Who pays for their fuck up, meaning where does the money cone from?
Did the cops have to pay any money out of their own pockets.
Seems like a hollow victory under tragic circumstances. I love dogs, especially lovable labs. Pisses me off. I'd wanna find the cop later and kick his face in.

Cops unlikely lost their job. It would depend on many things. Unfortunately in this case a dog was killed and that's horrible. I'm glad the family got compensation to ease the pain but I'm sure they'd rather have their dog back.

The money comes from the taxpayers. The cops likely didn't pay any of it. There are some protections for cops otherwise we would have none. In cases where the officer acts so far out of policy or the law, then they are not covered and have to pay. In this case, it COULD be argued on the cops behalf;

1. The cop who fired was part of a team and was operating in good faith that due diligence was done on the part of the person who secured the warrant.

2. It is NOT good policy when serving a warrant to allow the person answering the door to then leave your sight or control. This was learned by trial and error in which occupants would then retrieve a gun and shoot the officer or would destroy evidence. So you can understand their reluctance to let the person do that.

3. is "the dog wagging his tail" version from both parties or the plaintiffs only? I've entered many a residence in intense and stressful conditions and have yet to shoot fluffy or bowzer just because..

So when you find out those circumstances, it MAY not be the prudent thing to do. If you find that the officer was willy nilly set on blowing a way a lab just for fun, then not only should he pay, lose his job, I'd suggest a little prison time for cruelty to animals.

I've run search warrants many a time and I still can't figure out how I still read about cops who run them on the wrong address. There is no excuse for it.     

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #567 on: August 20, 2011, 09:34:48 AM »
Cops unlikely lost their job. It would depend on many things. Unfortunately in this case a dog was killed and that's horrible. I'm glad the family got compensation to ease the pain but I'm sure they'd rather have their dog back.

The money comes from the taxpayers. The cops likely didn't pay any of it. There are some protections for cops otherwise we would have none. In cases where the officer acts so far out of policy or the law, then they are not covered and have to pay. In this case, it COULD be argued on the cops behalf;

1. The cop who fired was part of a team and was operating in good faith that due diligence was done on the part of the person who secured the warrant.

2. It is NOT good policy when serving a warrant to allow the person answering the door to then leave your sight or control. This was learned by trial and error in which occupants would then retrieve a gun and shoot the officer or would destroy evidence. So you can understand their reluctance to let the person do that.

3. is "the dog wagging his tail" version from both parties or the plaintiffs only? I've entered many a residence in intense and stressful conditions and have yet to shoot fluffy or bowzer just because..

So when you find out those circumstances, it MAY not be the prudent thing to do. If you find that the officer was willy nilly set on blowing a way a lab just for fun, then not only should he pay, lose his job, I'd suggest a little prison time for cruelty to animals.

I've run search warrants many a time and I still can't figure out how I still read about cops who run them on the wrong address. There is no excuse for it.     

I have a few friends that are officers, I understand some of the bullshit they go through but there seems to be an epidemic of dogs getting blown away by law enforcement.

 In this instance the officers didn't just break the door open, they announced they were there and offered enough time for  the kid to  open the door for them and he obviously didn't have a weapon at that time.  He was complying to their orders and had his hands up. He asked permission to do something. Doesn't sound like a situation where you have some belligerent asshole refusing orders that would create cause for concern.  I also think officers need more training on dog breeds and what to look for. Why didn't they ask, is your dog aggressive after they were informed that there was one there? How many aggressive labs does a person come across in a life time and even so I don't feel threatened by one even without a gun, especially when I'm around a group of my peers, I'd rip its head off bare handed if I needed to.

I think there are way to many trigger happy or nervous police officers around that shou;dnt be in the position they are in. They aren't able to make proper decisions in a short amount of time. I see how some people react to my dog sometime, they shit themselves and he isn't even doing anything. Those types of people shouldn't be executing warrants like this.

Agnostic007

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #568 on: August 20, 2011, 09:43:40 AM »
I have a few friends that are officers, I understand some of the bullshit they go through but there seems to be an epidemic of dogs getting blown away by law enforcement.

 In this instance the officers didn't just break the door open, they announced they were there and offered enough time for  the kid to  open the door for them and he obviously didn't have a weapon at that time.  He was complying to their orders and had his hands up. He asked permission to do something. Doesn't sound like a situation where you have some belligerent asshole refusing orders that would create cause for concern.  I also think officers need more training on dog breeds and what to look for. Why didn't they ask, is your dog aggressive after they were informed that there was one there? How many aggressive labs does a person come across in a life time and even so I don't feel threatened by one even without a gun, especially when I'm around a group of my peers, I'd rip its head off bare handed if I needed to.

I think there are way to many trigger happy or nervous police officers around that shou;dnt be in the position they are in. They aren't able to make proper decisions in a short amount of time. I see how some people react to my dog sometime, they shit themselves and he isn't even doing anything. Those types of people shouldn't be executing warrants like this.

You raise some good points. But I have been to some scenes where the dog has torn up a neighbor and the owner is still saying "Fluffy never did that before" so you really can't rely on what your told anyway.

I was a K-9 trainer/handler in the military for 10 yrs and we had Labs for police dogs that were aggressive. But I hear what you are saying.. the breed is important as far as size, if it is a poodle, yorkie etc.. changes things.

I consider myself very experienced when it comes to dogs. But I could not tell a group of cop cadets that they don't have to be concerned with ______ breed because that would be opening them up to injury when they need to climb a fence to get a 360 on a house with a burglar in it and they see breed _____ in the back yard and think.. Oh, they told me that breed is ok, and then they get their ass handed to them when they enter the yard. taco bell dogs and the like excluded.. they will nip the hell out of you but are more an annoyance than a danger. 

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #569 on: August 20, 2011, 10:02:25 AM »
This is the kind of cop you want doing what that other asshole cop was supposed to be doing. Stayed cool under pressure and didnt have to execute the dog, (even though the dog is probably toast after that incident). That lab probably would have been alive if they had just tazered it instead and the tax payer wouldnt have to dish out 300 000 dollars for the screw up.


Agnostic007

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #570 on: August 20, 2011, 03:04:48 PM »
This is the kind of cop you want doing what that other asshole cop was supposed to be doing. Stayed cool under pressure and didnt have to execute the dog, (even though the dog is probably toast after that incident). That lab probably would have been alive if they had just tazered it instead and the tax payer wouldnt have to dish out 300 000 dollars for the screw up.




Good response by that officer. In the entry case, likely the officers didn't have a Taser in his hand but a hand gun. By the time he put it away and drew the Taser a lot of time elapses. Tasers have no lasting effects on the dog so that one was probably fine.

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #571 on: August 20, 2011, 07:08:41 PM »
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Beach ATV cop: My blood test was illegal
miamiherald.com ^ | 20 Aug 2011 | David Smiley
Posted on August 20, 2011 9:55:54 PM EDT by smokingfrog

The fired Miami Beach police officer accused of plowing his ATV into a man and woman during a drunken, on-duty joyride last month says he was illegally blood tested and deserves his job back.

Derick Kuilan, who faces two felony counts of reckless driving with serious bodily injury and two of DUI with serious bodily injury, wrote in a grievance filed with the city of Miami Beach that investigators wrongly took his blood after the July 3 crash.

Prosecutors say the blood test — taken more than five hours after the pre-dawn crash — showed Kuilan’s blood-alcohol levels were above the legal limit. Police Chief Carlos Noriega told The Herald during a recent interview that his department took steps to ensure that Kuilan’s blood test was drawn legally, including contacting the state attorney’s office, before taking a sample. He said those efforts are what led to the five-hour delay.

But Kuilan and his defense attorney, Evan Hoffman, are challenging the test.

“The city based their arbitrary decision to terminate me on an unconstitutional/unlawful test and false, inflammatory and unsubstantiated allegations and information,” Kuilan wrote in his grievance, filed July 27, the day after he was charged by prosecutors.

(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #572 on: August 22, 2011, 07:19:04 PM »
Federal Asset Seizures Rise, Netting Innocent With Guilty (Big Government Tyranny Alert)
The Wall Street Journal ^ | 2011-08-22 | John R. Emshwiller & Gary Fields
Posted on August 22, 2011 10:12:50 PM EDT by rabscuttle385

New York businessman James Lieto was an innocent bystander in a fraud investigation last year. Federal agents seized $392,000 of his cash anyway.

An armored-car firm hired by Mr. Lieto to carry money for his check-cashing company got ensnared in the FBI probe. Agents seized about $19 million—including Mr. Lieto's money—from vaults belonging to the armored-car firm's parent company.

He is one among thousands of Americans in recent decades who have had a jarring introduction to the federal system of asset seizure. Some 400 federal statutes—a near-doubling, by one count, since the 1990s—empower the government to take assets from convicted criminals as well as people never charged with a crime.

Last year, forfeiture programs confiscated homes, cars, boats and cash in more than 15,000 cases. The total take topped $2.5 billion, more than doubling in five years, Justice Department statistics show.

The expansion of forfeiture powers is part of a broader growth in recent decades of the federal justice system that has seen hundreds of new criminal laws passed. Some critics have dubbed the pattern as the overcriminalization of American life.

(snip)

The more than 400 federal statutes allowing for forfeiture range from racketeering and drug-dealing to violations of the Northern Pacific Halibut Act, according to a December 2009 Congressional Research Service report. The report shows that seizure powers were extended to about 200 of those laws in 2000 in a major congressional overhaul of the forfeiture system.

Top federal officials are also pushing for greater use of civil-forfeiture proceedings, in which assets can be taken without criminal charges being filed against the owner.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...

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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #573 on: August 26, 2011, 11:29:28 AM »
Class action suit says Florida Highway Patrol illegally tickets
motorists who warn others about speed traps


 9:51 AM, Aug 26, 2011  |   comments

  Tampa, Florida -- When the Florida Highway Patrol pulls someone over on the
highway, it's usually because they were speeding.



But Eric Campbell was pulled over and ticketed while he was driving the speed limit.


Campbell says, "I was coming up the Veterans Expressway and I notice two
Florida Highway Patrol Cars sitting on the side of the road in the median, with lights
off."


 Campbell says he did what he always does:

flashed his lights on and off to warn drivers coming from the other direction that there
was speed trap ahead.

According to Campbell, 60 seconds after passing the trooper, "They were on my tail
and they pulled me over."

Campbell says the FHP trooper wrote him a ticket for improper flashing of high beams.
Campbell says the trooper told him what he had done was illegal.

But later Campbell learned that is not the case. He filed a class action suit which says
"Florida Statue 316.2397" -- under which Campbell was cited -- "does not prohibit
the flashing of headlights as a means of communications, nor does it in any way
reference flashing headlights or the use of high beams."

However, the FHP trooper who wrote the ticket either didn't know or didn't
care. "You could tell in his voice he was upset," Campbell says. "He was



http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories/article/207550/250/FHP-sued-for-giving-out-illegal-tickets


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Re: Police State - Official Thread
« Reply #574 on: August 27, 2011, 04:18:29 AM »
When Heroes Become Bureaucrats: Why cops and firefighters stood by as a man drowned in San...
City Journal ^ | Summer 2011 | Steven Greenhut
Posted on August 27, 2011 1:50:33 AM EDT by neverdem

Why cops and firefighters stood by as a man drowned in San Francisco Bay

On Memorial Day, a suicidal man waded into San Francisco Bay outside the city of Alameda and stood there for about an hour, neck-deep in chilly water, as about 75 bystanders watched. Local police and firefighters were called to the scene, but they refused to help. After the man drowned, the assembled “first responders” also refused to wade into the water to retrieve his body; they left that job for a bystander.

The incident sparked widespread outrage in northern California, and the response by the fire department and police only intensified the anger. The firefighters blamed local budget cuts for denying them the training and equipment necessary for cold-water rescues. The police said that they didn’t know if the man was dangerous and therefore couldn’t risk the safety of their officers. After a local TV news crew asked him whether he would save a drowning child in the bay, Alameda fire chief Ricci Zombeck gave an answer that made him the butt of local talk-show mockery: “Well, if I was off duty, I would know what I would do, but I think you’re asking me my on-duty response, and I would have to stay within our policies and procedures, because that’s what’s required by our department to do.”

If you stand a better chance of being rescued by the official rescuers when they are off duty, it naturally leads people to question the purpose of these departments, which consume the lion’s share of city budgets and whose employees—in California, anyway—receive exceedingly handsome salaries. In Orange County, where I worked for a newspaper for 11 years, the average pay and benefits package for a firefighter is $175,000 a year. Virtually every Orange County deputy sheriff earns, in pay and overtime, over $100,000 a year, with a significant percentage earning more than $150,000. In many cities, police and fire budgets eat up more than three-quarters of the city budget, and that doesn’t count the unfunded liabilities for generous pension packages, which can top 90 percent of a worker’s final year’s pay. It’s hard to argue that these departments are so starved for funds that they’re entitled to stop saving lives.

After I wrote a newspaper column deploring the Alameda incident, I received many e-mails from self-identified police officers and firefighters. Though a few were appalled by the new public-safety culture they saw on display, most defended it; some even defended Zombeck’s words. Many made reference to a fire in San Francisco that week that had claimed the life of at least one firefighter. The message was clear: Don’t criticize firefighters, because they put their lives on the line protecting you. There’s no doubt that firefighters and police have tough and sometimes dangerous jobs, but that doesn’t mean that the public has no business criticizing them—especially as they become infected with the bureaucratic mind-set spread by public-sector union activism. The unions defend their members’ every action; to the extent that they admit a problem, they always blame tight budgets.

The unions that represent first responders also have a legislative agenda to reduce oversight and accountability. I recall when a state assembly member closely aligned with public-safety unions contacted me about a union-backed bill that was too egregious even for his taste. Sponsored by a firefighters’ union after a district attorney prosecuted an on-duty firefighter for alleged misbehavior that led to a death, the bill in its original form would have offered immunity to firefighters even for gross negligence on the job. The legislation failed after the media started paying attention and ignited a contentious public debate. Perhaps the outrage at the Alameda incident will likewise cause a far-reaching discussion—one that helps restore the principle that the real constituency for public safety is the public, not bureaucrats and government workers.

Steven Greenhut is the director of the Pacific Research Institute’s Journalism Center, editor-in-chief of CalWatchdog.com, and a columnist for the Orange County Register.