Guest Post by Eric Peters
I’ve “eluded” cops who came after me for the victimless crime of “speeding” because the potential consequences of pulling over have become severe enough to make it worth stomping on the gas (rather than the brakes) and leaving the porker receding (hopefully) in the rearview.
You can be jailed in my state (VA) for driving literally just a few MPH over the posted speed limit. Anything over 80, anywhere, is statutory “reckless” driving and you are subject to arrest on the spot. Even on a highway with a posted speed limit of 70 and traffic flowing – as it usually does – considerably faster than that.
The prospect of being put into a cage – and if you’re a car journalist, your professional life ruined – over something as innocuous as driving 82 or so MPH on a highway is more than enough incentive to make a run for it rather than trust that the cop (“hero,” in police state parlance) will be decent and merely leave you with a hefty fine to pay.
Now comes another reason to flee.
The shooting the other day of Minnesota motorist Philando Castile by a trigger-happy Hero Cop who had initially pulled Castile and his girlfriend over for the capital offense – as it turned out – of having a burned out tail-light.
Castile was armed – legally, according to news reports. He possessed a concealed carry permit – which for the record is something you can’t get if you have a criminal record. He reportedly so advised the Hero who had pulled him over, then proceeded to make the fatal mistake of reaching for his wallet.
Whereupon the Hero – whose name is reportedly Jeronimo Yanez – pumped four shots into Philando, who is then left to bleed out in the car while the jumpy and cursing Hero continues to level his weapon at the now rapidly expiring victim while his girlfriend – who has more control over herself than the armed and murderous Hero – sits beside him and narrates.
Here is the video, which has already gone viral:
Update: Yesterday, several Heroes were shot in Texas, apparently by a “black lives matter” sniper. This is not Good News (get ready for North Korean-style wailing and gnashing of teeth for the “fallen” Heroes). It will almost certainly result in things getting worse – for us and them. The Heroes will become even more paranoid and trigger-happy than they already are. Probably, new laws will be passed further anointing their persons as sacred – necessarily making our persons less sacred.
It is time to have a serious conversation.
First, about this “hero” business.
Armed government workers – whose primary concern is their safety and (secondary to that) the enforcing of laws, no natter how picayune or unjust – aren’t “heroes.”
They are … armed government workers. Mercs, basically. Or a PraetorianGuard. Either or – it’s the same difference.
Heroes – real ones – put their lives on the line for the sake of other people’s lives. Their primary concern isn’t their safety.
Do most cops fit this profile?
The truth is that our safety isn’t a priority.
Legally, it doesn’t matter at all.
The explicit job of Heroes is to enforce the law. Period. They have no legal obligation to protect us – including from themselves.
And so, they don’t. Have been trained not to.
They have been inculcated with a sense of entitlement and a martyr complex. That non-Heroes are “skells” and worse. To be handled with gloves and Tasers (and Glocks). That we are all a “threat” to “officer safety.”
Presumptively.
Which trumps everything.
For example, this comment in the wake of the shooting of Philando Castile from TN Hero cop Anthony Venable: “Yeah, I would have done five.” That is, Venable would have shot Castille five times rather than merely four times. Just to make sure, you understand. (see here):
Until this changes, until our lives are regarded by those empowered to enforce laws as being at least as precious as theirs, it might be the smart thing to take off when you see those wig-wags. Especially if you happen to be armed – even if you have a permit.
Particularly if you have a permit, arguably.
Because in that case, your firearm will likely be concealed on your person (that’s why it’s called concealed carry) and this could be very bad news for you when the Hero notices the bulge in your waistband and screams “Gun!” and opens fire.
This is what happened to Philando Castile, who is now very much dead.
Some will think to themselves: Well, he was black and I am a white solid citizen and this would never happen to me.
Think again.
It could.
Unless the Cop Cult is deprogrammed and Americans insist on restraint, de-escalation and accountability (not paid vacation) when things such as this happen, they will continue to happen.
Perhaps to you next time.
If you want to be a cop, you need to understand that you are going to be in some dangerous situations. If you don’t have the balls / judgement / mettle to handle tense / confrontive situations , that you shoot a guy with his family in the car, then don’t be a cop – be a security guard with some pepper spray.
After killing the father of her child (he was shot 4 or 5 times – sitting in front of the wheel!) – they handcuffed the woman – and put her in the back of the squad car – WTF. Also they seperated the child from the mother, as her father died. As the guy was dying, his mother showed up – and they would not let her be with her son.
These are PIGS.
I’d give you 100 thumbs up on that post if I could, Dutch. One will have to do.
Police Chief (MNPD) Anderson:
“Our training emphasizes the sanctity of human life,”
What he meant: Our training emphasizes the sanctity of a police officer’s life.
Thoughts on the Minnesota shooting
Posted on 07/07/2016 by Wirecutter
Something I was thinking about while I was trying to get my gun/libarry/interesting shit/no girlz allowed room together:
With the shooting in Minnesota I posted about (HERE) earlier, one thing that seems to blow past everybody is the fact that he was a concealed carry permit holder. He had a license to carry a firearm. In order for him to obtain that license he had to pass a background check which means he’s a good citizen, committed no felonies and washed his hands after he pissed. It did say that he had some minor offences, but what the hell, so do I – a DUI in 1982 and a simple possession of marijuana in 1987, and then there’s that pigeon kicking incident in 1979 but I won’t bore you with that story.
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that because he was a black gentleman all dreaded up and shit, he was probably extra careful and tried to follow the officer’s orders to the letter. See, I can kinda sorta relate to that – most of you folks know that while I’m generally a law abiding citizen, my appearance says otherwise. I mean think about it: long hair and beard, brutally handsome, covered in jailhouse style tattoos and KD glasses? It surprises me when I don’t get fucked with when I get pulled over. No, I’m not screaming ‘profiling’ here – I look like an outlaw, I expect to be treated like one. But seeing as getting shot will pretty much ruin the rest of my day I try to avoid that at all cost. I got shit to do, you know? My attitude will make the difference whether I get business taken care of in a timely manner or not, you know?
I’m thinking the cop didn’t take attitude into consideration and I’m not even sure he took race into consideration. He heard the word gun and bam! his spidey sense was tingling. If what the girlfriend said is true and he informed the cop he had a firearm and permit, you can be pretty sure the cop didn’t have to worry too much about him suddenly going all ghetto and busting some caps on his happy ass, you know?
As far as folks coming down on his old lady for live streaming that instead of trying to help him or her daughter or freaking out or whatever, I got a couple of things to say about that. First off, people react to stressful situations in different and unpredictable ways. Ask any Paramedic – a dude that got bit by a chihuahua will flat out be freaking and some chick who’s been in a car accident and leg is laying above her head is telling jokes to them while they’re trying to save her life.
Who the hell knows what she was thinking? Shit, she may have been extremely-clear headed about the whole deal and was streaming it to make sure Justice was served, but to be straight up with you I’m gonna say she probably had the phone in her hand texting and driving when the whole deal went down and just did what comes natural to most people nowadays – posted that shit on Facebook.
But you can be pretty damned sure that as soon as her old man was shot, she didn’t make a single move to reach for anything – her daughter, her boyfriend, nothing. Nobody wants to get shot if it can be avoided, you know?
Anyways, my two cents worth. We’ll see how it plays out, but that’s my initial reaction.
I think your assessment is spot on. Especially with all the praying, “Dear Gods.” When people are in tight spots, they pray like that and repeat themselves. Not to mention she was probably trying to maintain in front of her daughter. But the breakdown at the end, I believe, is the proof that she was actually in shock. It sunk in and she went with it.
I have to admit, I cried through this entire video. (After all, I am a female, if I must state it once again, so I’m allowed.)
I have to say that I love the site and have been a lurker and a poster and a supporter of TBP for years. I do not agree with all of the LEO hate that is spewed, (but some of the animosity appears to be earned.)
The problem that appears to be the case with shootings such as in Minnesota is communication. When stakes are high and apprehension and tension are bowstring taut, the least little miscue leads to disaster. A cop for example, stating “keep your hands where I can see them” followed by the command, “show me your ID” is bound to give conflicting signals to a citizen who is otherwise desperately trying to comply in a timely and non hesitating manner. This kind of thing happened with the killing of a young white red haired professional man leaving a Costco in Vegas a few years back. Was not a black man or a tattooed thug.
Disagree with your communication theory. It is obviously a cop that is not suited to be a cop, or lousy training or both.
As I’ve stated once before, in my younger days I was the worlds biggest asshole when it came to driving and alcohol. I’m always thankful that I never killed anyone. During those younger days and also a bit later, with my limited personal experience with LE, I’ve had nothing but admiration for the CT, RI, and MA State Police.
However, what has been happening in the recent short number of years is sickening. The CopFucks are shooting people, that have no weapon, in the back while walking or running away from the CopFucks – mother-fucking cowards would have enjoyed being a member of Einsatzgruppen.
Did you happen to catch that wonderful female Police officer that was standing over a guy spread-eagled face down on the ground, pointing a gun at him while screaming like crazy. Then, she pumped his back full of holes.
It’s times like these that you harken back to the days before the drug war started. Anybody care for a little Mayberry returning to their back yard? I’m all for it.
We’ll see whether Castile actually had a carry permit. These stories of dead innocent black males (Mike Brown, Trayvon) routinely turn out to be 180 degrees different than the first reports.
Iska, i ‘ll bet you turn out to be right
I once considered being a cop.After talking to them i was told i would have to pull over a lot of cars.I pictured myself walking up to all those cars,Most here have dark tinted windows(legal here)and AZ is a state where people can carry weapons with almost no problem. That and my not being an aggressive sort.I decided i wasn’t into arresting people.
If you get pulled over here the cops well ask if you have a weapon,You say yes and they ask for it.Legal carry is the gun in a holster.The cop will run it to see if it is not stolen.Then after dealing with why you were pulled over,Hand it back to you unloaded before you go.They don’t get all freaked out since this is normal.Unless they had some serious reason for pulling you over or your lic.plate gave them some kind of attitude. I have seen videos from other states and the cops see a gun and are freaked!
Here in the PNW I’ve never been asked if I had a weapon despite having a CCP for decades. In that time I’ve probably been pulled over 6-7 times in two states. Each time I was pulled over I was guilty of the offense stated. That resulted in two tickets. I fought one in court and it was tossed out and I just paid the other one.
I usually try to get my wallet out before pulling over and I wait with both hands on the wheel and my wallet laying on the dash.
That shows why open carry would be a better idea. They may not think they’re as quick to the draw.
When I was kid, carrying a rifle down the street or on a gun rack in the back of your pickup was normal behavior. Again, it’s the drug war. End it and set yourselves free.
Bad things happened when the courts ruled that departments had to diversify Cops. That meant passing over beaucoup people with 120 plus IQs and hiring Affirmative Action candidates. The Cops that murdered the two Blacks were White and may or may not have been “racist” (leery of young Black males) but both had to be low IQ.
Being an old paramedic there was nothing she could have done to help him. He was bleeding out to quickly. The only chance he had was if she immediately drove him, without waiting for an ambulance, to a level one trauma center with the ER notified that they were coming so they could be preparing an operating suite. And the cops having a we are in control of everything mentality wouldn’t have let that happen. Very sad. Also why was she placed in handcuffs. In my opinion it wasn’t nessisary. Frickin control freaks.
Death penalty for this cop, plain and simple. Same as you or I would get. That’ll stop the bullshit quick.
You’re jumping to conclusions, mike. Slow down, let’s get some facts
The worst part – he was a Neegrow that actually had a job.
The problem is trigger-happy cops with an “everyone’s a criminal until proven otherwise” attitude.
The only cure for this is to take away the cop’s guns. Let them have a riot pump that stays in the cruiser until and unless they’re being fired upon. Otherwise they can use non-lethal weapons but only as necessary. It should be a big deal when a citizen is injured by a cop, much less killed by one.
This cop in MN was obviously way out of control and went apeshit on the poor citizen.
I know, up until the ’90s, the cops in England didn’t carry guns. They had a special gun squad to handle anyone with a firearm, or a hostage situation, etc. I don’t know if things have changed since then, since every Western government is “terrorist” crazy. But back then, everyday cops didn’t carry.
I think it’s time we go back to that.
Does video exist of the moment when Castile was shot? In the girlfriends video the cop is standing about even with the front on the passenger door which seems odd based on the method cops use here. Anytime I get pulled over or I see anyone else pulled over around here, the cop is always standing near or behind the trailing edge of the doors. This affords the cops a few moments to see what is coming before a driver or passenger can aim a gun at them.
She said she didn’t want the actual shooting on the Internet, so she only posted the part after the shooting. She never said whether there was more footage available of the shooting.
Also, by then, the cop who shot him was going apeshit, to quote Westcoaster, so he didn’t know what the hell he was doing. It was obvious from the video the guy wasn’t even going to move because he was obviously dying.
Nevermind, turns out he was just another feral, gangbangin’ dindu. The cunt with him was lying about the tail light too.
Looks like a righteous shoot according to ConservativeTreehouse.
Yeah, whatever Indebted Suckup. Shine the cop’s shoes while you’re down there slobbing his little pink knob.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3679678/Man-shooting-death-hand-cop-streamed-live-pulled-31-times-charged-63-times-officers-near-home.html
This just goes to show once again that traffic charges are generated for the city’s budget. My own city is notorious for it. But traffic charges do not warrant death, I’m sorry.
Whether it happened to just blacks or everybody else, too, is up to question.
When my brother and I were in our late 20s, my brother was an alcoholic and had received several DUIs. One day he realized how much this was costing him in mandatory classes he had to take (which did nothing but take his money) and expensive insurance, etc. He went cold turkey and has been alcohol free for over 35 years. But every cop in the city at that time knew he was susceptible to DUI, and pulled him whenever they could. I was once pulled over driving my mother to the store in his well-known red Camaro. They said I swerved, and I know damn well I didn’t. They just thought I was him and they were hoping they could get an easy DUI. In fact, my mother said every time she rode in the car with him he got pulled over.
I’m telling you, once they know your “bad behavior,” they track you. He used to be pulled over all the time for “swerving” or not using his blinker or his tail light was out, when he was a drinker. They don’t pull him over at all any more, I’m happy to say.
I have posted this on other sites, and possibly this one…apologies to those who have previously seen this. I repost it as it is relevant to the present situations involving cops…
Ever notice that police unions are “fraternal”? This should tell you something. The “thin-blue-line” is a gang, little different than street gangs–at least when it comes to “covering-up” their questionable and quite often, illegal and criminal behavior.
In today’s day and age, “officer safety” trumps de-escalation of force. This, in part, is due to the militarization of the police along with training in Israeli police tactics. This becomes a problem, with the “us vs. them” attitude that is fosters, along with the fact that Israel is a very different place, being on a constant “war footing”, and by necessity, its police tactics are very different.
There are too many instances of police being “given a pass”, even when incontrovertible video and audio evidence is presented. Grand juries, guided by police-friendly prosecutors, quite often refuse to charge those police officers who abuse their authority.
Police officers, who want to do the right thing, are quite often marginalized and put into harms way, by their own brethren…When a police officer is beating on someone that is already restrained while yelling, “stop resisting” THAT is but one reason police have a “bad name” in many instances…
Here are changes that can help reduce the police-induced violence:
1. Get rid of police unions. Police unions (fraternities) protect the guilty, and are responsible for the massive whitewashing of questionable police behavior that is presently being committed.
2. Eliminate both “absolute” and “qualified” immunity for all public officials. This includes, prosecutors and judges, police and firefighters, code enforcement and child protective services officials, and others who deal with the citizenry. The threat of being sued personally would encourage them to behave themselves. Require police officers to be “bonded” by an insurance company, with their own funds. No bond= no job.
3. Any public funds disbursed to citizens as a result of police misconduct should come out of police pension funds–NOT from the taxpayers.
4. Regular drug-testing of police officers as well as incident-based drug testing should take place whenever an officer is involved in a violent situation with a citizen–no exceptions.
5. Testing for steroid use should be a part of the drug testing program. You know damn well, many police officers “bulk up” with the “help” of steroids. Steroids also affect users mentally as well, making them more aggressive. The potential for abuse of citizens increases greatly with steroid use.
6. Internal affairs should only be used for disagreements between individual officers–NOT for investigations involving citizen abuse. State-level investigations should be mandatory for all suspected abuses involving citizens.
7. Prosecutors should be charged with malfeasance IF any evidence implicating police officer misconduct is not presented to the grand jury.
8. A national or state-by-state database of abusive individuals who should NEVER be allowed to perform police work should be established–a “blacklist” of abusive (former) police officers.
9. Most people are unaware that police have special “rules” that prohibit them from being questioned for 48 hours. This allows them to “get their stories straight” and makes it easier to “cover up” bad police behavior. Police must be subject to the same laws as civilians.
10. All police should be required to wear bodycams and utilize dashcams that cannot be turned off. Any police officers who causes a dash or body cam to be turned off should be summarily fired–no excuses. Today’s body and dash cams are reliable enough to withstand harsh treatment. Body and dashcam footage should be uploaded to a public channel “on the cloud” for public perusal.
11. All interrogations must be video and audio recorded. Police should be prohibited from lying or fabricating stories in order to get suspects to confess. False confessions ARE a problem in many departments. Unknown to most people, police can lie with impunity while civilians can be charged with lying to police…fair? I think not…
12. Any legislation passed that restricts the rights of ordinary citizens, such as firearms magazine capacity limits, types of weapons allowed, or restrictive concealed-carry laws should apply equally to police. No special exemptions to be given to police. Laws must be equally applied.
Police work is not inherently dangerous…there are many other professions that are much more dangerous.
A little “Andy Taylor” could go a long way in allaying fears that citizens have of police.
That being said, I have no problem with police officers who do their job in a fair, conscientious manner…however, it is time to call to task those police officers who only “protect and serve” themselves.