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Police discrimination, misconduct, Ferguson, MO, the Roman Legion, and now math??? (Page 51)
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BadKosh
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Aug 11, 2015, 10:35 AM
 
Yeah, George Soros paid good money for the out of town agitators.
     
OAW
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Aug 11, 2015, 01:16 PM
 
And if this right here doesn't speak volumes to you then you will simply never get it ....



Heavily-armed members of a controversial right-wing "patriot" group added an extra dose of unease to protests in Ferguson, Missouri, early Tuesday.

The Oath Keepers organization says its members — all former military, police and first responders — pledge to "defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

However, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar described their presence as "both unnecessary and inflammatory."

Protesters and police confirmed that a handful of Oath Keepers with what appeared to be assault rifles, bulletproof vest and camouflage gear were seen early Tuesday on the streets of Ferguson, which was under a state of emergency following demonstrations pegged to the anniversary of Michael Brown's death.

Several protesters confronted members of the group, asking why they were allowed to openly carry weapons.

"I'm happy that we're able to defend ourselves," one Oath Keeper replied in footage from NBC station KSDK. "It's been our right for a long time."

The St. Louis County Police Department said it would consult with the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office about the legalities of the issue.

Missouri allows individuals with concealed weapons permits to openly display firearms, unless it is done in an "angry or threatening manner."

Shawn McGuire, a spokesman for St. Louis County Police, said he did not believe officers had confronted the Oath Keepers or told to leave.

"We do not know who sent them," he added.

The Oath Keepers organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News. Members of the organization also were in Ferguson late last year when protests reignited over a grand jury decision not to indict the officer, Darren Wilson, who killed Brown.

The Southern Poverty Law Center describes the Oath Keepers as a "fiercely anti-government, militaristic group."

The organization — which claims to have more than 30,000 members — was founded in 2004 by former U.S. Army paratrooper and Yale Law School graduate Stewart Rhodes.

Rhodes has referred to Hillary Clinton as "Hitlery" and earlier this year said that Sen. John McCain should be tried for treason and "hung by the neck until dead" for going "along with the program of the destruction of this country."

Following the deadly attack on a Naval reserve center in Chattanooga, Rhodes issued a blistering critique of the Pentagon for failing to allow armed servicemen at recruitment centers and told Oath Keepers to take up station where they could.

"Go armed, at all times, as free men and women, and be ready to do sudden battle, anywhere, anytime, and with utter recklessness," he wrote on the organization's website. "That IS the price of freedom."

Patricia Bynes, Democratic Committeewoman of Ferguson Township, went to check on the protests early Tuesday and was surprised to find the Oath Keepers amid a heavy police presence.

"They just showed up, walking around carrying their assault rifles," she told NBC News. "There really was no need."

Bynes said the Oath Keepers' presence detracted from the real issues at heart: racial inequality.

"I would rather the story be on things we're working on in Ferguson and not the Oath Keepers," she said.

Several protesters asked the Oath Keepers to leave and questioned why the men were allowed to openly carry weapons given how protests over the past year have been to highlight racial inequality.

"If there were black and brown people in this country who showed up in the streets open carrying assault rifles in paramilitary garb would they still be received the same way?" Bynes asked. "It seems to be that especially when it comes to the Second Amendment there seems to be a different way that it is enforced."

The commiteewoman said that police did not confront the Oath Keepers — which hit to the core of the issues.

"There were two blocks of police. They saw them," she said. "It's more about the hypocrisy. Of wow, if anybody out here tried that they'd be met with a different greeting from police."


The Oath Keepers' website outlines a list of 10 "Orders" members will not obey — including orders to disarm the American people, conduct warrantless searches or "blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps."

Included on the list are two which might have particular resonance in Ferguson. The fourth? "We will NOT obey order to impose martial law or a 'state of emergency' on a state."

And the final item: "We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances."
Oath Keepers Turn Up at Michael Brown Protests in Ferguson, Missouri - NBC News

You certainly didn't see the STL County PD "consulting" with local prosecutors about the "legalities" of unarmed protestors ... predominantly but not exclusively African-American .... peacefully protesting. Even though the police themselves said there were "no shootings, shots fired, burglaries, lootings or property damage" yesterday ... there were still mass arrests of over 100+ peaceful protestors. But a group of heavily armed anti-government white guys weren't even questioned by the police. Wow. Just f*cking wow!

OAW
     
OAW
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Aug 11, 2015, 01:22 PM
 
And if that story above didn't make your day, try this one on for size ...

A Spring, Texas, woman has gone public with her story of having her vagina forcibly searched by cops when they claimed that they could smell weed in her car. Charnesia Corley, a 21-year-old African-American woman, had allegedly run through a stop sign when a Harris County patrol car pulled her over on June 21. When a deputy officer claimed he smelled weed in Corley's car, he handcuffed her and put her in the back of the patrol car while they searched her vehicle. The officer found nothing in the car.

However, upon returning to the patrol car, the deputy officer claimed he smelled the weed in his car now, and that he'd have to call a female officer in to search Corley's body for weed. From KTRK:

"She tells me to pull my pants down. I said, 'Ma'am, I don't have any underwear on.' She says, 'Well, that doesn't matter. Pull your pants down,'" Corley said.

She admits hesitating. Deputies say she resisted.

"I bend over and she proceeds to try to force her hand inside of me. I tell her, 'Ma'am, No. You cannot do this,'" Corley told us candidly.
Because the probe took place in a public parking lot and because Corley says that she did not give her consent, Corley's lawyer says that the search was "unconstitutional" and she is filing a complaint with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Corley told KTRK, "I feel like they sexually assaulted me! I really do. I feel disgusted, downgraded, humiliated."

A spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Thomas Gilliland, says that both officers did everything as they should have.
Cops Probe Woman’s Vagina in Search of Weed | NY Magazine

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The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 11, 2015, 01:23 PM
 
Originally Posted by OAW View Post
You certainly didn't see the STL County PD "consulting" with local prosecutors about the "legalities" of unarmed protestors ... predominantly but not exclusively African-American .... peacefully protesting. Even though the police themselves said there were "no shootings, shots fired, burglaries, lootings or property damage" yesterday ... there were still mass arrests of over 100+ peaceful protestors. But a group of heavily armed anti-government white guys weren't even questioned by the police. Wow. Just f*cking wow!

OAW
Yes, this highlights double-standards and racism by perception perfectly.
     
Cap'n Tightpants
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Aug 11, 2015, 02:32 PM
 
The Southern Poverty Law Center describes the Oath Keepers as a "fiercely anti-government, militaristic group."
Which is what they say about all militias (hint: the SPLC are themselves bigots). First the Left bitches about the right to bear arms in the 2nd Amendment being only for well regulated militias, then they get their undies in a twist when they see an actual armed, well regulated militia* in public doing their civic duty. Make up your minds.


(and they are "well regulated", with their own chain of command, proper training, and a charter ratified by the governor of Missouri.)
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
     
OAW
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Aug 11, 2015, 03:25 PM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
First the Left bitches about the right to bear arms in the 2nd Amendment being only for well regulated militias, then they get their undies in a twist when they see an actual armed, well regulated militia* in public doing their civic duty. Make up your minds.
Apparently the point went right over your head. The issue wasn't the presence of the Oath Keepers per se. The issue is the blatantly obvious disparity in how the police reacted to unarmed, predominantly minority peaceful protestors vs heavily armed white guys.

Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
(and they are "well regulated", with their own chain of command, proper training, and a charter ratified by the governor of Missouri.)
Until you produce some actual legit documentation of that highlighted part above I'm going to have to call BS on that.

OAW
( Last edited by OAW; Aug 11, 2015 at 04:48 PM. )
     
subego
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Aug 11, 2015, 04:00 PM
 
Ironically, the first thing which comes up on Google WRT the Missouri Oath Keepers and the governor is an open letter criticizing Nixon for militarizing the police.
     
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Aug 11, 2015, 04:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Ironically, the first thing which comes up on Google WRT the Missouri Oath Keepers and the governor is an open letter criticizing Nixon for militarizing the police.
Exactly.

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Aug 11, 2015, 06:03 PM
 
Originally Posted by OAW View Post
There also appears to be a dispute between the police and witnesses on whether the guy that got shot was the one shooting at the cops.

OAW
From Sunday night. It would appear the guy who was shot by plainclothes STL County PD was in fact holding what certainly seems to be a weapon. This video does NOT show him being shot. It does NOT show him shooting. More importantly IMO it does NOT show who was doing the shooting that caused all the people to scatter ... except him. Reports from Sunday night indicated two groups of guys taking shots at each other nearby ... but not as a part of the protests. Then again ... we have a group of plainclothes officers in the mix.



What we DO know is that the guy ended up being shot in the back by the STL County PD. Thus far he remains in critical condition.


OAW
( Last edited by OAW; Aug 11, 2015 at 06:51 PM. )
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 12, 2015, 09:48 AM
 
I haven't followed this tory, but it seems noteworthy because A. There was no video evidence that contradicted the police account; B. They came to a decision quite quickly
Texas officer who shot unarmed teen fired - CNN.com
An Arlington, Texas, police officer who shot and killed an unarmed college football player has been fired for "exercising poor judgment," the city's police chief said Tuesday.

Officer Brad Miller lost his job because of the August 7 incident at a car dealership in Arlington, Police Chief Will Johnson told reporters.

"Based on a preponderance of evidence available to me and the facts revealed by the investigative team, I have decided to terminate Officer Miller's employment with the Arlington Police Department for exercising poor judgment," Johnson said.
"This unilateral decision to enter the building and to continue the pursuit deeper into the building upon making contact with Mr. Taylor -- along with failing to communicate with fellow officers or develop an arrest plan -- created an environment of cascading consequences that produced an unrecoverable outcome," Johnson said about Miller's decision.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 12, 2015, 02:07 PM
 
California Bans Use Of Grand Juries In Police Shooting Cases
I fully admit this may not solve anything. But I think it's a worthwhile tactic to try. At the very least it stops DAs from hiding behind the GJ when charges fail to materialize.
     
OAW
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Aug 12, 2015, 02:54 PM
 
^^^^



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subego
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Aug 12, 2015, 03:04 PM
 
Can someone explain to me what the role is of a properly functioning GJ?

What problem is it solving?
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 12, 2015, 03:06 PM
 
Bias in the prosecutor, I'm assuming. Of course, if he can manipulate the jurors...
     
subego
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Aug 17, 2015, 05:25 PM
 
Oath Keepers plan unique demonstration with assault rifles in Ferguson | Red Dirt Report

"A Missouri Oath Keepers leader and his squad will test state law with a unique experiment by arming 50 blacks with AR-15 rifles while marching through downtown Ferguson, Mo., Red Dirt Report has learned."

Works for me.
     
OAW
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Aug 17, 2015, 07:00 PM
 
^^^

My prediction? If they do this we will have yet another example of disparate treatment in how laws are enforced between blacks and whites. It's my understanding that in order to open carry a long barrel firearm in Missouri one must have a CCL. Note how the STL County PD never even QUESTIONED any of the white Oath Keepers to see if they met that requirement. In fact, they weren't challenged AT ALL. So even if they can find 50 brothers crazy enough to try this and they manage not to get shot on sight ... I'll bet my paycheck that the cops will check to them to see that their paperwork is in order and arrest those that aren't in compliance.

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The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 17, 2015, 08:02 PM
 
My take? You undermine the experiment by letting everyone know they're oath keepers and not just citizens exercising their rights.
     
subego
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Aug 17, 2015, 08:46 PM
 
It depends what you consider the experiment to be.

If the experiment is to see how the cops (and everyone else) deal with peaceful, armed, black protesters, tipping everybody off is a requirement.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 18, 2015, 01:56 AM
 
Requirement how? Letting the cops know they've been set-up is moronic. I mean, its not outside the realm of possibility they could **** this up, but seriously, this is as low as you can set the bar.
     
subego
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Aug 18, 2015, 03:16 AM
 
"Required" was perhaps overstating it, but not by much.

It's a protest. The desire is for it to be a media event. A surprise protest makes that more difficult.

As for setting the bar low, I propose two reasons they're doing that. The first you can probably bank on. The second is more theoretical.

1) They'd prefer no one get killed.

2) Their real goal is to demonstrate a protest which won't be cowed by threats from the police or troublemakers.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 18, 2015, 08:53 AM
 
Ok, now I read they'll be part of a group of white oath keepers. That's an even lower bar.
     
subego
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Aug 18, 2015, 09:13 AM
 
I figured that would be the case.

I'm still not sure what you think the experiment is meant to test.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 18, 2015, 01:01 PM
 
Racial profiling and harassment. I'm obviously mistaken. What do you see it as testing?
     
subego
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Aug 18, 2015, 01:35 PM
 
Just what I said. They're trying to demonstrate a protest which will be cowed neither by police or troublemakers.

Also, if OAW is right, they want to throw down on needing a CCL to open carry.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 18, 2015, 02:33 PM
 
I guess that depends on your definition of cowed. Unless these guys are gonna refuse to come with unlawful orders to disperse, the point is lost on me. Ditto if they get stopped repeatedly.
     
subego
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Aug 18, 2015, 02:57 PM
 
Even in a best case scenario for the cops, you're going to see significant review and alteration of the cop playbook. They've relied pretty heavily on being able to act like thugs with impunity.

This goes back to why the Oath Keepers are telegraphing the punch. If this came out of nowhere, the cops would have close to no clue how to react, and the way they usually react...

Let's just say we'd get to see what a real state of emergency looks like.
     
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Aug 18, 2015, 06:52 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Even in a best case scenario for the cops, you're going to see significant review and alteration of the cop playbook. They've relied pretty heavily on being able to act like thugs with impunity.

This goes back to why the Oath Keepers are telegraphing the punch. If this came out of nowhere, the cops would have close to no clue how to react, and the way they usually react...

Let's just say we'd get to see what a real state of emergency looks like.
     
OAW
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Aug 19, 2015, 10:47 AM
 
Wow. A year later and STL County decides to file charges ...

The American Civil Liberties Union and two other groups have blasted St. Louis County for belatedly filing criminal cases against demonstrators arrested during the 2014 unrest in Ferguson.

“We condemn this action as a blatant violation of constitutional rights and an appalling misuse of our already overburdened court system,” the ACLU said in a statement released jointly with the St. Louis University Law Litigation Clinic and the lawyers group ArchCity Defenders late Tuesday afternoon.

The ACLU estimates hundreds of charges could now be filed against those arrested during the protests that followed the Aug. 9, 2014, shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson.

Those charged will be cited for violating county ordinances.


St. Louis County Counselor Peter Krane acknowledged his office reviewed approximately 100 reports documenting arrests in Ferguson between August and December of last year. But Krane said he expects the county will ultimately issue fewer than 100 warrants in connection with the Ferguson disruptions.

Krane said his staff reviewed the reports of arresting officers along with video and social media evidence before deciding whether to issue citations.

“If the facts did not support a charge, a summons was not issued,” the county counselor said. “If the facts supported a charge, then a summons was issued.”

Krane defended the one-year delay, noting the staff review of the Ferguson files did not begin until after County Executive Steve Stenger appointed him chief legal counsel in January.

The ACLU and other groups maintain the county is pursuing charges in cases previously rejected by St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch as well as municipal prosecutors in Ferguson and Dellwood.

“It is unclear why the St. Louis County Counselor has reached a different conclusion from other local prosecutors who have rightly decided not to pursue charges,” the statement said. “But, it is clear that many individuals will not receive notice of these delayed charges and will ultimately be issued arrest warrants.”

Krane disputed the advocates’ version of events.

“Any inference or suggestion that any other jurisdiction reviewed these charges or events that led to charging these people before we did is inaccurate,” he said. “These charges came to my office and my office only.”

Krane said he takes exception to criticism directed at St. Louis County by media groups taking exception to ordinance violations issued to reporters for the The Washington Post, Huffington Post and CTV News, a Canadian broadcast network.

“I take it personally because the purpose of my job is to oversee a fair assessment of criminal charges and my staff does that fair assessment,” he said. “And I don’t think there should be any weight given as to what it is the person does in his profession. ... I understand it’s important to protect the freedom of the press and to protect free movement of the press. But I think it’s unfair to say (the journalists) were charged simply because they were reporters. No one was charged for doing his job.”
ACLU blasts St. Louis County for belatedly charging Ferguson demonstrators : St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 19, 2015, 05:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Even in a best case scenario for the cops, you're going to see significant review and alteration of the cop playbook. They've relied pretty heavily on being able to act like thugs with impunity.

This goes back to why the Oath Keepers are telegraphing the punch. If this came out of nowhere, the cops would have close to no clue how to react, and the way they usually react...

Let's just say we'd get to see what a real state of emergency looks like.
Ok, you've convinced me. Baby steps for organization that act like a bunch of babies.


For the record, you'd have be nuts to exercise your 2nd amendment rights as a black person during these protests.
     
subego
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Aug 20, 2015, 05:09 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
For the record, you'd have be nuts to exercise your 2nd amendment rights as a black person during these protests.
Is that good or bad?

By calling the people who are trying to alter it "babies", it really implies you think it's a good thing.

I hope I'm misreading that.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 20, 2015, 09:51 AM
 
Nuts in that you're putting your life at risk for a principle.
     
subego
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Aug 20, 2015, 10:03 AM
 
Let me put it this way.

If the Oath Keepers are doing this because they jerk off on their guns, they can go **** themselves.

If they're doing this because they perceive what's been going on in Ferguson as evidence of a police state... they're not exactly wrong, now are they?

As constitutionally legal ways to make a dent in this go, I'm not convinced waiting for the democratic process to take care of this, should it even be able to do so, is unquestionably the superior option.

I don't even think I'm being a cynical jag when I say getting politicians to roll us back from where we are isn't something I have much faith in.
     
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Aug 20, 2015, 10:08 AM
 
I think you're misreading my meaning. Or you needed an opening to elaborate on some feelings you got.
     
subego
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Aug 20, 2015, 10:17 AM
 
Well, it's slightly possible (in some alternate universe) I wrote most of it before you posted.

To address your post more directly (I think), putting a dent in the police state isn't the worst principle to risk your life for.
     
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Aug 20, 2015, 10:27 AM
 
State's attorney, police announce charges against city officer in shooting - Baltimore Sun
Mosby said the first two officers were justified in shooting Johansen because he refused to heed commands and made a move toward his waistband.

But Cagle "on his own initiative" came out of an alley, Mosby said, stood over Johansen, called him a "piece of [expletive]" and shot him in the groin.
Well, then.
     
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Aug 21, 2015, 12:49 PM
 
See anything you like?
Protesters unveil demands for stricter US policing laws as political reach grows | US news | The Guardian
The manifesto was shared with the Guardian in advance of its publication. It calls for the establishment of a new national standard authorising police officers to use deadly force “only when there is an imminent threat to an officer’s life or the life of another person” and the use of deadly force is “strictly unavoidable”. Under a 1985 US supreme court ruling, officers may currently use deadly force if they believe a fleeing suspect poses “a significant threat” of killing or seriously injuring someone.

The protesters’ platform also requests further legislation mandating all police officers to wear body cameras, lowering the standard of proof for convictions in federal civil rights inquiries, and banning police union contracts that they say obstruct investigations into officers responsible for fatalities.
Among other requests, the group also called on Friday for new laws to prohibit police departments from operating minimum quotas for traffic tickets and arrests, and to limit court fines and fees for low-income people…

The campaigners also called for laws requiring departments to devise plans for “recruitment and retention of minority police officers”. …

Campaign Zero also proposes the sweeping decriminalisation of substance offences credited with blighting poorer communities with widespread criminal records, such as consuming alcohol in public and possessing marijuana, which is now legal in several states. Such offences have been aggressively policed under so-called “broken windows” theory, the abolition of which is called for by the protesters.
Black Lives Matter coalition police brutality policy proposals: "Campaign Zero" launches.

What's particularly savvy about the site is that it's not just thorough and specific but that it cites local laws that have already passed as models—linking, for example, to a Colorado law that gives residents the right to sue law enforcement agencies that seize recording devices (i.e. cell phones pulled out to tape an officer during a traffic stop) or destroy recorded material without permission or a warrant.
I'm down with pretty much all I've seen. I think we've also suggested most of these reforms ourselves.
     
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Aug 21, 2015, 01:16 PM
 
Mansur Ball-Bey death: St. Louis police use strange new tactic of baton banging to subdue protesters.
One aspect of the police’s response was distinctly unfamiliar, though. According to local black newspaper the St. Louis American, around 8 p.m. a line of police officers began “moving towards the crowd and started beating their batons on the ground” in unison. The paper reported that as the officers “advanced down the street,” the synchronous taps “seemed to further enrage the individuals who had temporarily formed pockets on the side street.” According to the paper, demonstrators seemed to take “the batons hitting the ground as taunts.”
None of the experts on crowd control I reached on Thursday could give me a name for what the maneuver is called. They did recognize it, however, and told me that it dates back as far as the 1960s, though it is not often used today, at least not in the United States. (I reached out to the St. Louis Police Department for comment but did not hear back. I will update this post if I get a response.)

“While this is somewhat common in Europe, it is pretty rare in [the] US,” wrote Alex Vitale, a sociologist at Brooklyn College who has studied police tactics for crowd control. “The idea is a kind of ‘shock and awe’ effect. It represents a concrete threat that the police are prepared to use force to disperse people. On the one hand it is an organized, measured, and intentional show of force. On the other hand it can be very provocative, inviting additional throwing of rocks and bottles.”
Interesting.
     
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Aug 22, 2015, 12:41 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post



I'm down with pretty much all I've seen. I think we've also suggested most of these reforms ourselves.
Seems like a slate of very reasonable, common sense reforms to me.

OAW
     
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Aug 22, 2015, 12:45 PM
 
So the autopsy proves that this guy's cause of death was a single gunshot wound in the back. And true to form the STL PD exacerbates the situation with such aggressive tactics.

OAW
     
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Aug 25, 2015, 03:29 PM
 
Well of course he did this to himself ....



After pictures of a bloody mug shot began to circulate, a Florida sheriff claimed that there was “absolutely no evidence” that the man in the picture had been beaten by a police officer.

According to the report filed by Martin County Deputy William Jaques, 31-year-old Jamell Adamson did not immediately pull over when Jaques tried to stop him for expired tags, and when Adamson did pull over, Jaques tried to grab him but was pushed away, at which point Adamson tried to flee.

According to the arrest report, Jaques warned Adamson to stop before he deployed his Taser to stop him, at which point Adamson fell, and the bloody injuries to his face occurred when he hit the ground.

“He made it clear he wasn’t going to surrender peacefully,” Sheriff William Snyder said on Monday. “So the deployment of that taser was 100% within our guidelines.”

But Adamson’s family members aren’t buying the story.

“We have eyewitnesses. He was beating and beating him,” Adamson’s sister, Lahareesha Mays, insisted.

Mays also pointed to evidence of blood splashed on the concrete rather than a nearby wall and added, “He has a big gash on the back of his head, too. How did he get that?”


The sheriff’s office is continuing to look into the matter and will be testing Jaques’ baton for blood.
Florida sheriff claims there is ‘Absolutely no evidence’ man in mug shot was beaten | theGrio

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The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 26, 2015, 10:56 AM
 
Has the oathkeeper black march happened yet?
     
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Aug 26, 2015, 10:57 AM
 
Ferguson judge withdraws arrest warrants before 2015 - CNN.com
The municipal court judge in Ferguson, Missouri, on Monday announced sweeping changes to the city's court system, including an order to withdraw all arrest warrants issued in that city before December 31, 2014.

Municipal Court Judge Donald McCullin, who was appointed in June, also changed the conditions for pretrial release. According to a press release put out by Ferguson, all defendants will be given new court dates with alternative penalties like payment plans or community service.

Those caught for minor traffic violations should be less likely to end up behind bars because of McCullin. Under the new policy, they won't be arrested but instead will be released on their own recognizance and given another court date.
If you're looking for something tangible those protests accomplished, this is it.
     
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Aug 26, 2015, 12:07 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Has the oathkeeper black march happened yet?
Recall what I said earlier ....

Originally Posted by OAW
So even if they can find 50 brothers crazy enough to try this ...
The answer would be no. And I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you.

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The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 26, 2015, 12:09 PM
 
Assuming they'd want to be associated with the oathkeepers to begin with
     
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Aug 26, 2015, 12:09 PM
 
I hope her family gets some measure of comfort from this ...

Sandra Bland moved back to Texas in July to take a job with her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University. On July 10, a traffic stop ended in Bland's arrest, with jail officials claiming a few days later that she was found hanged in her Waller County cell.

On Tuesday evening, the Prairie View City Council voted to rename University Boulevard—the road that that leads to Prairie View's campus and the same road on which Bland was stopped and arrested—to Sandra Bland Parkway.

According to ABC 13, hundreds of Prairie View A&M alumni gathered with current students to march from the student-union building to the site where Bland was stopped. The march then ended at City Hall, where council members agreed to change the street name.

"If every time they pull over a student, they have to be reminded of what took place here, then that will help the relationship to be more respectful between the officers and the students," protester Hannah Bonner told the news station.
Texas Street Where Sandra Bland Was Arrested is Renamed After Her - The Root

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The Final Dakar  (op)
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Aug 26, 2015, 12:13 PM
 
This strikes me as premature. Has the investigation even concluded yet?
     
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Aug 26, 2015, 01:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
This strikes me as premature. Has the investigation even concluded yet?
To my knowledge the official investigation is over by local authorities. I haven't heard anything regarding any state/federal investigation or the independent autopsy her family was seeking.

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Aug 26, 2015, 05:59 PM
 
Gotta love STL County ....





The St. Louis County counselor has filed charges against Edward Crawford, who was featured in an iconic Post-Dispatch photo hurling a tear gas container back toward police during the Ferguson protests last August.

Crawford, 26, was cited for violating two county ordinances: interfering with a police officer in performance of his duties and assaulting a person.


Crawford's court date is set for Sept. 9.

According to the assault charge filed Aug. 3, he threw "a burning gas canister at police officers." The canister hit an officer, knocking him to the ground, the charge alleges.

The interference charge stems from allegations that Crawford repeatedly failed to comply with commands from police to show his hands.

The incident was part of protests on Aug. 12-13, 2014, near Chambers Road. Post-Dispatch photographer Robert Cohen took the photo that has become well-known.

Crawford said Wednesday that he has received a letter from the county about the charges and his upcoming court date. He said he hasn't had time to talk with his attorney about what his next step should be.

Crawford disputes the account from police.

"I didn't throw a burning can back at police," he said. "I threw it out of the way of children. I didn't throw it at police."

He said the tear gas canister had landed near his feet. He said he lobbed it but didn't see where it landed or if it hit anyone. He estimates the closest police were 30 to 40 yards away.

"I can't even throw a baseball that far, let alone a burning can of tear gas," Crawford said.

Crawford complained about the county citing him so long after the incident.

"I just feel like they're trying to make something out of nothing," he said. "They shot the tear gas at us. They went home and went to sleep peacefully. Why are they bringing this back up?"


Another man, featured in a New York Times photograph, was cited this month for interfering with a police officer on Aug. 11, 2014. Rashaad Davis' court date is Oct. 5.

The counselor's office has one year from the date of an offense to file charges. The St. Louis County counselor is Peter Krane.

Some civil rights attorneys have been critical that charges were filed so long after the events of last year's protests.

The ACLU estimates hundreds of charges could now be filed against those arrested during the months ago protests that followed the Aug. 9, 2014, shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson.

Those charged will be cited for violating county ordinances.

Krane said recently that his office reviewed approximately 100 reports documenting arrests in Ferguson between August and December of last year. But Krane said he expects the county will ultimately issue fewer than 100 warrants.

Among those cited for county ordinance violations are reporters for the The Washington Post, Huffington Post and CTV News, a Canadian broadcast network.

Krane said his staff reviewed the reports of arresting officers, along with video and social media evidence, before deciding whether to issue citations. Krane defended the one-year delay, noting the staff review of the Ferguson files did not begin until after County Executive Steve Stenger appointed him chief legal counsel in January.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups maintain the county is pursuing charges in cases previously rejected by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch as well as municipal prosecutors in Ferguson and Dellwood.
Ferguson protester who threw tear gas toward police in iconic photo is charged : St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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subego
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Aug 27, 2015, 05:02 AM
 
Speaking as not-an-expert, that looks like a lob to me.

You don't get your arm that low if you want a straight trajectory.
     
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Aug 27, 2015, 11:56 PM
 
"I wasn't throwing it at the cops, honest!" What bullshit.

I still don't believe he should be charged, though. It was a tense time, as far as I know no one was hurt by it, so just get it go.
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but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
     
 
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