"If he did this to a city councilman and lied about the facts…imagine what he does to average citizens"
Many of us have witnessed police officers violating the occasional traffic law. New York City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Queens) watched a traffic cop blow through stop signs while talking on a cell phone and launched into hot pursuit. The New York Daily News has the entertaining/infuriating details:
The councilman was on his way to hid district office in Whitestone Monday when he says he saw Officer Daniel Chu zoom by, talking on a cell phone with his lights blazing.
"I know the traffic agents have no emergency they have to run to," Halloran said. "It immediately set my radar off."
He said he followed the car as it blasted through two stop signs while weaving in and out of traffic before illegally parking in front of a Dunkin' Donuts, where the officer went to get coffee.
It gets better:
Halloran says he pulled over and began snapping pictures of the officer's vehicle parked at the corner of Clintonville St. and 11th Ave….
Halloran said he told the surly officer that he was a city councilman.
"He said, 'Oh yeah? You want to take pictures of me? I'm going to give you a ticket,'" Halloran recalled.
Chu then wrote Halloran a $165 ticket for blocking a crosswalk.
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You will respect my authority!
Dunkin Donuts! Suh-weet!
I hope the Councilman contests the ticket in court. Don't let them drop the ticket before court, and make sure the press is there. It will ensure his re-election, if nothing else.
weaving in and out of traffic before illegally parking in front of a Dunkin' Donuts
I...I got nothing.
...Wow.
The pic of the cop has him making a his-dick-was-out-to-here gesture, too.
"Big councilman penis!"
Time to make the donuts, you bastard!
Ok, that was fucking hilarious.
Another article from this morning:
Seattle cop punches woman in face during routine jaywalking stop (VIDEO)
I tipped off Welch to that one this AM, but no post yet. A lot of the comments on a local site are very "respect mah authoritah."
I've been hassled by the SPD for jaywalking and they were rude to me, but no punching ensued. But then again, I'm not black in South Seattle.
Balko linked to it on The Agitator this morning.
What a bunch of authoritarian assholes. A synopsis:
"Cops have a dangerous job and should be able to do whatever they want. If they attack you and you fight back you just get what's coming to you. Otherwise we don't have FREEDOM."
In Seattle, their job would be slightly less dangerous if they didn't get all up in the grills of jaywalkers, and perhaps saved their pugilistic talents for dirtbags who are causing actual harm or loss to others.
Indeed, the numbers of mouth-breathers on news comment threads--who automatically assume anyone with a shiny badge and a siren on their car is a saint, a hero, a member of the Superfriends, or a combination of the three--are disturbingly high.
Yet another reason to watch the videos on how to interact with the police. Politely yes-sirring the officer about jaywalking is likely to get you a warning. Arguing with him is likely to get you a citation. Yelling at him and resisting his attempts to restrain you are likely to get you arrested and charged with big name crimes. Doesn't make it right, but reality is reality. If you back an authoritarian asshole into a "respect my authoritai" corner, he will assert his authority until you are cowed. It ain't worth it - particularly if you in fact were jaywalking.
If the asshat cop hadn't thrown a punch he would have been vindicated in everything he did, and a bunch of youngsters would be off to jail with perhaps felony charges pending without further comment from anyone. That simply underscores how fragile your freedom is. Don't fuck with the cops... let your lawyer handle that.
I keep hearing of all this "hat tipping" going on, but I don't know how to submit stories... I tried emailing one of the writers once, got no response. Is there a magic "submit link" button somewhere?
That black chick is my HERO. She kicked that fat cop's ASS! It was awesome.
I'm sure he'll get promoted to Captain.
Bwa ha hah aha
"""He did nothing wrong," Rich O'Neill said, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "If anything, I think he maybe waited a little too long to engage in force because I think he was trying to defuse the situation."
He done defused that women good.
Possible major irony alert = it was Martin Luther King Jr Blvd she was crossing. "I have been to the mountain top, and a cop kicked me off it."
You on MLK?! RUN!!!
I love that it's only on the west coast you'll get ticketed for jaywalking. If you needed any indication that the west coast is for namby pamby nanny staters, there it is.
I think the cop was stupid for hassling a jaywalker, but the girl had it coming. Cops, for better or worse, have the authoritah. So unless you are ready to go to the mat (and maybe your grave), better to do what you're told and sue later.
I refuse to make the obvious Asian-bad-driver joke.
Since it is a NYC councilman who had this problem, I am just going to sit back and enjoy the schadenfreude.
What is most shocking is that a councilman gave a shit at all.
Well, its not like he chased down another councilman.
Heck, what is most shocking is that Queens has a "Republican, Libertarian, Independence and Conservative member of the New York City City Council" who is "a member of the New Normannii Reik of Theodish Belief, a branch of Germanic neopaganism."
Pagan represent!
And the funny thing is that my cx to him is closer via my pagan friends than via my lib-activist cx. (I know his friends, Jerseyites Joe & Karen "River" Bloch.)
"I know the traffic agents have no emergency they have to run to,"
Oh really Mr. Halloran? Who the fuck are you to get between an officer of the law, and his donuts and coffee? YOU must be aware that there is DOUBLE PARKING going on in NYC! The faster he gets those bavarians and java, the faster this horror will end.
Besides, the donuts were just coming out of the oven.
Being the first to fresh donuts is important.
It's comments made by people like Aresen that bring the Libs down. What a tool he is.
Everyone worth a damn knows that donuts DON'T come out of an oven. They come out of a fryer.
You people.
Depends who is making the donuts.
Although, in the case of Dunkin Donuts, I believe they are excreted, not cooked.
Well, I believe he's one of our Canadian contingent. We cut those guys some slack, you know?
Well, I believe he's one of our Canadian contingent. We cut those guys some slack, you know?
What?
Candian's don't get any slack with regards to donuts. Anyone from the land of Tim Horton's should know quite a bit about donuts!
Balko is going to have your legs broken, Root. Know your role.
He would have gotten away with it too, if not for that meddlesome yada yada.
Police = Federal bailout of the donut industry.
Has anyone done an age-specific study of this kind of behavior? I know in a few other industries disregard of regs and guidelines gets more pronounced the younger the employee.
I was driving in my neighborhood the other day and some cop pulled up behind me and flashed his lights. So I pulled out of his way and let him by. He never ran his siren and stopped at the next stop light. He just wanted to speed and I was in his way. I took down his plate number and called in a complaint. of course nothing came of it.
Nothing feels quite as emasculating as filing an official complaint, does it?
No shit.
Nothing came of it, yet. Soon, you will be awakened at night by the sounds of your dog being shot and post-entry yells of "Police!"
In that order, too.
Precisely. By the book.
"...and post-entry yells whispers of "Police!"
Just a minor edit for ya, Pro Lib.
Or the sound of police officers' fingers moving as they shout "Police" in American Sign Language.
Nah. I didn't follow it up or go to a counsel meeting. I doubt I will be "Balkoized" over this.
COP: Oh, you want to file a complaint about this? Okay, name please?
JOHN: Uh, Paul...Krugman.
before illegally parking in front of a Dunkin' Donuts
That police officer should be ashamed for perpetuating a stereotype.
If the size 48 belt fits, wear it.
No doughnut for you!
"Bad Cop, No Doughnut" is obviously the more appropriate meme.
To all the LEOs out there, keep pissing on those councilpersons. Maybe then something will be done about your fucking egregious behavior. The pols don't do a damn thing when you fuck with regular people so this may be our only chance.
Want to bet that the only result is that the pols all get special license plates on their cars so the cops know not to hassle them?
Dammit, you beat me to it!
You should have seen it coming.
I think Dan Halloran's agenda is a bit broader than that.
oh no way i'm taking that bet
When you get caught between a cop and Dunkin' Donuts...
....the best that you can do, is fall in love...
"" I know it's crazy, but it's true""
Goddamnit, there was no reason on the planet to not go to my grave without thinking of Christopher Cross or that fucking horrible movie Aurthur ever again. A curse on you, anonymous poster.
Children do have a problem with obesity. They do have a problem with sedentary lifestyles. The variable that is common to both? Life with a two income family. More pressure to make money means more pressure to work late. When this happens to both parents, dinner is a cheeseburger instead of a real meal. Breakfasts are junk at school or chocolate frosted sugar bombs with whole milk washed down with OJ that is basically orange flavored sugar and water.
Remember when we were kids? Did your mother let you eat a bag of chips for a snack after school? Did your mother let you stay inside playing video games all afternoon? Mine didn't. We had to go outside, We had to play with our neighbors and do chores in the yard. Pretty much what was expected of all the kids in the neighborhood.
Obesity = [calories consumed] > [calories used] x time in years.
More exercise means less organized sports. These are expensive and intrusive. They bore kids and eventually exceed the ability of families to fund, then they fall away and the kids are left with nothing. When the kids are forced to play with the neighbor kids or find things on their own, they continue to be active longer thus cutting down on the number of years of caloric imbalance.
Calories in. This problem is fixed by simply making low calorie density food that tastes good and is capable of keeping a growing kid full all day. Kids chose calorie rich food because it tastes better and it keeps them full. Fix that Jamie! You are a chef. Do what you are trained to do. Let the market use your products and fix the problem you are crying about. Otherwise, from the home of the Swanson TV dinner, and Healthy Choice dinners, get out of the way.
Forgive me for asking, but what the fuck does Obesity have to do with police misconduct?
I think you were looking for the fatty chicken post above.
You mean, we should be like James Fixx, who tortured himself for hours every day running, avoided fatty foods and preached the necessity of a healthy lifestyle.
And dropped dead of a heart attack at 52. (I've beaten him by several years already.)
BTW: I think you meant to post on the fatty foods thread.
BAAHAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAAHA
I don't think that Mr. Fixx is typical of people that exercise and eat healthy food (if anyone can ever figure out what that is). Shit happens.
Fucking amatuers.
When I was a distance runner, my main reason was to feel good at present. If there were any bonus years attached, ok, but I mainly wanted to feel better while living my life. And running isn't torture - the "runner's high" is very real. Increased stamina during sex was a bonus.
Or NYC libertarian activist Bob Cogen.
Another winning quote:
"At this point, the case is being investigated by chief of transportation's investigations unit," an NYPD spokesman said. "The traffic agent observed that vehicle parked in a pedestrian crosswalk, and a summons was issued for such violation."
He noted that Halloran received a traffic summons in January for illegally parking in a school zone.""
Its sweet; the 'innocuous' mention that the councilman had previously received a *ticket*, implying that, you know... how can you trust these scofflaws??
I am not sure that it is even legal to disclose people's prior citations... I do know that in a court of law, that sort of thing is irrelevant and inadmissible, but hey, in the court of political-ass-covering, it is fair game, right?
Im surprised he didnt suggest the councilman was probably in the school zone in order to ogle children to potentially kidnap, molest, murder.
"The law: what a cop tells you it is, bitch."
There's a interesting guy out there (an air force officer) on the intahtubes who has a story about how he questioned a cop who wrongfully pulled him over, got a ticket for basically 'asking questions', and subsequently his entire military career was in jeopardy, mainly because the military wasnt interested in whether the cop was right or wrong either (it turned out the cop was wrong - ticket dropped, case dismissed)... just that the act of "asserting your rights" was something the military was also not interested in seeing their members doing. "Rights, schmights. You keep your mouth shut, boy"
He goes into great detail about how this, combined with some other minor bureaucracy-challenging acts have basically made him a target for 'speaking out', albeit in perfectly legitimate and protected ways, and put his career in jeopardy.
There's always that grey area between theoretical 'rights' and the actual costs of asserting them.
he's here - interesting guy:
http://www.pickyourbattles.net......html#more
While I do feel for the air force officer, this ex-enlised man does feel a bit of Schadenfreude. One of the reasons that made me get out was the officers do as I say, not as I do attitude. Six months on shore patrol as a 2nd class (E5) dealing with effing drunk officers was a pain in the ass.
But...but...but Naval officers don't get drunk - they're "gentlemen", don't you know. They don't puke their guts out in their stateroom sinks and leave for the steward to clean up either.
The air force is a bit different, FWIW. 'Officers' are mostly pilots, not bureaucratic middle management. Of course they have that too... this guy is an AC130 flyer, from what I've picked up. Scariest thing in the air as far as I'm concerned.
Aside from an Osprey 🙂
I always thought that the LA Daily News comments section is the most vile (and unintentionally funny) place for racism on earth. But damn NY Daily News must specialize in anti-chink commentary because LADN seem to have cornered the "dey took ar jerbs!" market.
And yet Leader Reid introduced a bill to overturn North Carolina and Virginia's bans on collective bargaining by State employees.
Fucking power-mad petty officials.
"Cops have a dangerous job and should be able to do whatever they want."
Do cops have a dangerous job? I have wondered if being a cop or fireman is dangerous when compared to say a logger, commercial fisherman, miner or even a long haul truck driver.
I've always read that being a fireman is much more dangerous than being a cop. And mining and farming are two of the most dangerous vocations.
Cops don't even make the top ten.
YOU TRY FUCK ON ME? SUCK MY BALLS, TWO TIMES!
...and these are the guys who have pensions that are bankrupting the state?
Nice.
Uh dudes you're wondering why Halloran gave a shit? Because hes the only registered Libertarian council member in NYC. Now stop your misdirected schadenfreude.
Yeah. I don't understand why Mr. Halloran gave a shit about it. I guess he is upset because he got a ticket. Is there such a rule that council members are not allow to get a ticket? For a traffic agent, I think he did what he had to do. Don't you think the traffic agent did the right thing? It's good to know that not only people or the citizens are only ones that get a ticket. Plus what's all this scenarios about traffic agent accusing and abusing his power and all that about? Isn't Mr. Halloran the one abusing his political power? What a slander. Mr. Halloran is a big lier. try to watch the latest youtube and click on chu halloran. Mr. Halloran is racist and discrimated the traffic agent through the media. He shoud be the one be shame of himself.
The councilman, along with media can made up all the scenario and accuse and blame it on traffic agent,to make it seem like this is waht happened...Imagine, they can fool anybody they want.Everything they mentioned on the news and what the news team said on the news was based on Mr Halloran's words and edited recording.