Loud and Clear

Bureaucrash director Pete Eyre reports an Arlington, Virginia police officer parked in a no parking zone. The officer then follows Eyre as he walks home.

Incidentally, it's perfectly legal to open carry in Virginia. So the officer's claim that that's why he was following Eyre doesn't really fly.

Via J.D. Tuccille, who notes a couple other recent examples of police getting special treatment.

Comments

[SIV]

I'd probably follow the asshole home too so I could both be aware of who he was and avoid him in the future.
The cops seemed well behaved in this "incident".

[Jeff P]

Occasionally cops run red lights as well...

[Hugh Akston]

There's a cop who frequently parks in a fire lane on my way to work. I'm gonna call him in next time.

[Jefferson]

I think the point went over SIV's head.

[SIV]

J,

There is no point in the vid.Man tries to provoke cops,cops remain unprovoked but slightly suspicious.

[Soda]

Reporting law broken = provoking cops

Following someone around after 3 opposite turns = slightly suspicious

That sums it up, SIV?

[SpongePaul]

after all that, i would make copies, send to media, and also to the police officers IA Division for investigation. the out of uniform officer following the person who reported him, is creepy at least. and stalking at worst

[R C Dean]

So, a cop harassing a citizen who reported him for violating the law is just hunky-dory? Is that the new professionalism?

[SIV]

Calling the cops on anyone "illegally parking" on the street unless it is impeding access to your home or business is kinda petty and assholish even if the "perp" is a cop.

[Elemenope]

Calling the cops on anyone "illegally parking" on the street unless it is impeding access to your home or business is kinda petty and assholish even if the "perp" is a cop.

Yeah it is.

So....? They took an oath to uphold *the law*, not *the law when someone isn't being assholish*. And following someone home after they do something assholish to you is the very definition of intimidation, especially if you are a police officer with, y'know, a gun and and a license to do whatever the fuck you want.

What the hell is wrong with you today, SIV?

[R C Dean]

Calling the cops on anyone "illegally parking" on the street unless it is impeding access to your home or business is kinda petty and assholish even if unless the "perp" is a cop.

Now I agree.

[Jim Gannon]

Is it obvious to everyone else that the cop was trying to get his address "for future reference"?

[J]

Is it obvious to everyone else that the cop was trying to get his address "for future reference"?

That was my take. The harassment and intimidation was not the cop following him. That was just recon. The cop needed to know where he lived, what he drove, and where he liked to park so that the real intimidation could begin. Any bets on the cameraman's car getting towed for being illegally parked in his driveway one night? If he's really lucky, that's all that will happen. It may be legal, but open carry of a firearm while provoking the cops is not the smartest thing I've ever seen in my life. Invokes the whole "he may have been right, but he's still dead" thing to me.

[Some Guy]

Yawn.
What, no puppies shot recently?

[jgr]

SIV wrote: "I'd probably follow the asshole home too so I could both be aware of who he was and avoid him in the future."

"Asshole" = "Not a cop" in some cops' limited worldview.

I've never seen a cop try to avoid anyone by following him home, especially after being confronted over following him home.

[Citizen Nothing]

If we were all more assholish to the cops, the TSAr and all the other petty bureaucrats in our path, the world would probably be a better place.

[jgr]

BTW, the way this guy handled it was completely wrong. He should have copied down the unit number of the patrol car, called the PD, given that number and told them that he wanted to talk to the commander in charge of whatever cop the car was assigned to.

He should then have described the problem and let the commander deal with it. That puts a barrier between the cop and the guy.

THEN he should have sent a letter (on paper) to the commander reiterating the complaint, AND asking that a copy be placed in the officer's permanent record.

If the cop is a good one, that will help him ("The only complaint I ever got was over parking"), if he's a lowlife pinned to the back of an otherwise good badge, then it is one more nail in his coffin.

[Les]

jgr,

The process you describe is a process that demonstrably is less effective in alerting the public to bad behavior by cops. That's why cops prefer that you follow that process.

Anyone defending this obviously corrupt cop's behavior needs to examine his instinctive love of authority.

[jgr]

Depends on what your goal is. If you want to solve the problem, that comes from above, not from outside.

In a week, if the cop just lets it go, it's out of his life forever, just a blip from an "asshole." His buddies will be on his side, and you can bet that there's now a pic of the guy circulating through the department.

Going through channels, it NEVER goes away -- it might be ignored, but it will still be there every time anyone opens the cop's record.

So, again, the questions are what effect was desired, and what effect resulted. The guy is going to discover that this wasn't his smartest moment.

[Pete Eyre]

SIV, you noted, "Calling the cops on anyone 'illegally parking' on the street unless it is impeding access to your home or business is kinda petty and assholish even if the 'perp' is a cop."

I don't deny that this is not the most serious offense, especially when compared to things like the Grant shooting by by a BART officer a few weeks ago, but if we allow cops to get away with minor transgressions they'll be more likely to attempt even greater violations.

I've gotten feedback from folks applauding the documentation of this incident who note that they aren't willing to put themselves on the line to confront cops. If some people aren't willing to stand up against such minor violations then how many folks will stand up when the stakes are even greater?

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

[Abdul]

Pete, I appreciate the vigilance on cops, but I think SIV's point is that there might be a better way to go about it than to imitate the little old lady in the Condo Association who writes you up every time you leave a beer bottle on your balcony.

Man, I hate that lady.

[Eric]

But Abdul, if that little old lady allowed you to "get away with minor transgressions" you'll "be more likely to attempt even greater violations." That old lady is doing her civic duty. She shouldn't treat you and your transgression as something individual and minor, but as part of a larger, major problem that is occurring at your Condo.

[Jay]

Here's my question - would it have gone differently if the guy had not announced that he was armed?

Could it be that the cop was following to try to determine if the guy was actually armed, and on determining that he wasn't, to forcibly take/erase camera to destroy the evidence? That possibility makes that cop's behavior very intimidating and possibly criminal.

[zoltan]

I guess this cop won't turn me in for busting me for just a little tiny bit of weed then. Since that would be assholish.

[SpongePaul]

I love the fact that the officer is parked and out of uniform, not even on duty, meaning he simply disregards the law. It was not suprising, although sickining that the commander said that if it was a citizen and he had time he would give the ticket. but when asked if he would ticket the officer he said no. The officer following the guy who called and was recording was strange, possibly intimadation tactic? this tape should be brodacast on the local news of that city, just so the citizens know the cops disrespect the law and have a blue wall for trhings as minor as parking violations.

[J sub D]

If you want to solve the problem, that comes from above, not from outside.

Because we all know how well the beat cops supervisors discipline cops who misbehave.

[Gabe]

If you jsut tell his boss then the boss will probably give teh guy a promotion...you have to let the public see what is going on. I wouldn't have given them my name...why should you? You don't have to do that. You don't have to carry ID either.

[TrickyVic]

Cops feel entitled to break small laws. They think it's a perk to the job.

[bill]

Why was he worried about being followed? He called 911 and gave the motorcycle cop his real name. The cop he ratted on can just go and get all of his information in 2 seconds. He should have called from a pay phone and only given his first name or an alias. He also should have just walked home and videoed the cop standing outside his residence. Then he could have filed a complaint of harassment.