Walking Stick or Gun? Cops Get it Very WRONG

[MechAg94]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2bslDHxI6g

That don't look like any gun I've seen. Columbia County in Florida will have some answering to do after locking up a legally blind man on the way home from jury duty for open carrying....a walking stick to aid him navigating the streets in the dark.

I saw this going around yesterday.  A guy is walking down the street with a fold up cane in his back pocket.  Two deputies stop him and claim something looked like a gun and they needed to investigate.  Nothing looked like a gun to me in the video.  Ended up arresting him when he refused to show his I.D.  He was a little short with them, but I have head a lot worse.  I am sure the deputies have as well.  They seemed to get upset when he didn't immediately comply with everything they asked. 

I saw this update posted by the local sheriff today.  At least he seems to know it was a mistake.
Columbia County sheriff gives update after arrest of visually-impaired man goes viral
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqtwV7WfosA

(I had to fix some typos.  Not a good nite for clear writing.)

[Hawkmoon]

Cops tend to get VERY upset when peons don't immediately comply with their requests.

My own over-the-top example is from a number of years ago when I called the firearms unit at my state's State Police headquarters to ask a simple, administrative question about gun shows. The call was answered by a female trooper who immediately asked for my name and date of birth. I declined, and she instantly went into "command voice" mode, continually repeating the demand, talking over me each time I started to tell her I had a routine administrative question, that I wasn't calling to report a crime, and just generally being a PITA.

I finally hung up on her. I called back later, spoke with the sergeant who heads up the firearms unit, got my information and had a very pleasant chat -- and he never asked for my name and birth date.

"Command voice" is what's taught in police academies now. It's why almost all of them act like such douchenozzles -- it's trained into them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQIRD57lls8

[Perd Hapley]

I was going to get upset, but he white.

[WLJ]

"Command voice" is what's taught in police academies now. It's why almost all of them act like such douchenozzles -- it's trained into them.

Put your hand in the box

[Hawkmoon]

Hoo, boy --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmtgFiPnzjk

The female officer perjured herself on her report. And her sergeant signed off on it.

She wrote that Hodges (the victim) continued to turn away from her and would not provide a clear view of the object. In fact, he actually took it out of his pocket and held it up right in front of her -- and in front of her body cam.

She wrote that she was only able to identify the object after Hodges had been handcuffed. At the end of the report, she wrote that Hodges "refused to allow identification of the object in his pocket." That's clearly shown to be untrue.

Hodges obviously knew the law better than both of those fine, upstanding jack-booted thugs.

[RoadKingLarry]

It's  cops like that who give the 1% of cops that aren't jack booted thugs a bad name..

[HankB]

My initial reaction was "The cops involved ought to be fired."

When I read that the copchick filed a false report I changed my mind, firing isn't enough: IMHO criminal charges are in order.

[dogmush]

https://twitter.com/DonutOperator/status/1589379726787112961?s=20&t=ZUtATfgSIrc2SYt4t0K_Aw

Even the normally pro cop guys are backing away from this one.

Side note: I watched the video again finding that tweet.  If she really thought it might be a gun why did she stand there flat footed and all "I'm a Tyrant" as he whipped it out from behind his back and pointed it at her?

[Hawkmoon]

https://twitter.com/DonutOperator/status/1589379726787112961?s=20&t=ZUtATfgSIrc2SYt4t0K_Aw

Even the normally pro cop guys are backing away from this one.

Side note: I watched the video again finding that tweet.  If she really thought it might be a gun why did she stand there flat footed and all "I'm a Tyrant" as he whipped it out from behind his back and pointed it at her?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgRE6BPhN2I

[gunsmith]

https://twitter.com/DonutOperator/status/1589379726787112961?s=20&t=ZUtATfgSIrc2SYt4t0K_Aw

Even the normally pro cop guys are backing away from this one.

Side note: I watched the video again finding that tweet.  If she really thought it might be a gun why did she stand there flat footed and all "I'm a Tyrant" as he whipped it out from behind his back and pointed it at her?

I was amazed the first time I saw the vid, it was on my phone so I couldn't immediately identify what it was - I must agree - she knew it was not a gun because she allowed him to "whip it out"

[Andiron]

Mr Hodge is lucky that Ilsa, She wolf of the SS  didn't have a " I thought it was a tazer!" incident.

[Doggy Daddy]

With the Americans with Disabilities Act being a civil rights law, I wonder if there is a possibility of Hodges filing an action directly against the officers involved.

[230RN]

I couldn't believe a Sergeant allowed this to happen.  Did he walk away?  I wondered if he was just going to allow her to screw up on her own as a training device...?

Anyhow, I think the Sheriff did a good job of explaining / apologizing for the incident without cringing.

Some vengeful responses I've seen from we peons aren't appropriate.  I think the brief suspensions, the water-cooler discussions among fellow officers, and the national publicity, will be enough and will discourage many other high-handed attitudes of some police officers.

First stones, and all that Good Book stuff, you know.

However, we all know that lawyers will be all over him a-kissing and a-hugging and giving him wet dreams.

Terry, 230RN

[RoadKingLarry]

This Gestapo cop bullshit has gotten way too far out of hand. The police state tactics employed against innocent citizens seem to be purposely employed to generate up the hate and distrust. I'd love to see resisting an unlawful arrest made legal.

[Hawkmoon]

Anyhow, I think the Sheriff did a good job of explaining / apologizing for the incident without cringing.

The sheriff put on a good show, but IMHO it was nothing but a show. The sergeant's punishment was (perhaps) appropriate -- suspension (with pay!), plus reduction in rank and a 2-year window with no chance of promotion or advancement. But the "punishment" for the female deputy was woefully insufficient: a 2-day suspension with pay -- which basically means a 2-day paid vacation and a note in her personnel file. The sheriff is doing his best to sweep it under the proverbial rug.

Hodges should pursue a federal 1983 (Deprivation of rights under color of law) suit against the county, the sheriff's office, the sheriff, and both deputies.

Some vengeful responses I've seen from we peons aren't appropriate.  I think the brief suspensions, the water-cooler discussions among fellow officers, and the national publicity, will be enough and will discourage many other high-handed attitudes of some police officers.

You're quite the optimist. If anything, this will just encourage more cops to "forget" to turn on their body cams.

[RoadKingLarry]

The sheriff put on a good show, but IMHO it was nothing but a show. The sergeant's punishment was (perhaps) appropriate -- suspension (with pay!), plus reduction in rank and a 2-year window with no chance of promotion or advancement. But the "punishment" for the female deputy was woefully insufficient: a 2-day suspension with pay -- which basically means a 2-day paid vacation and a note in her personnel file. The sheriff is doing his best to sweep it under the proverbial rug.

Hodges should pursue a federal 1983 (Deprivation of rights under color of law) suit against the county, the sheriff's office, the sheriff, and both deputies.

You're quite the optimist. If anything, this will just encourage more cops to "forget" to turn on their body cams.

Appropriate punishment? Public flogging/caning followed by no less than 1 year incarceration and of course lifetime ban on serving as law enforcement. No mercy or tolerance for jack booted thuggery, none.
Neither would be I shed a single tear if any of these thugs simply "disappeared".

[230RN]

Well, I've said my "peace." Take it or leave it. :)

[Andiron]

Appropriate punishment? Public flogging/caning followed by no less than 1 year incarceration and of course lifetime ban on serving as law enforcement. No mercy or tolerance for jack booted thuggery, none.
Neither would be I shed a single tear if any of these thugs simply "disappeared".

Hear hear.  Pour encourager les autres.

[JTHunter]

Put your hand in the box

Where's your gom jabber?