Him: I can explain everything!
(It's his best joke yet I think)
Police officers are some of the most under informed people when it comes to general law. Many seem to do things in good faith without actually knowing the law and the citizens they are having negotiations with seem to know the law in a particular area much better than the officers.
Naming certain topics will turn this into a the P word Bloodbath but there are dozens upon dozens of videos we're altercations are between five and six officers trying to bully a civilian when they clearly know the law better than they do.
I personally think if they actually had to go to school or at least get the job and maintain monthly training towards a bachelor's degree in law it could end many bad faith arrests and police shooting altercations.
US based opinion
Happened this morning. Even though I made a complete and full stop at a 4 way stop, I get pulled over by a police vehicle, lights flashing, the works. I turn my dash cam around to face me and whomever goes in front of the driver side window.
I roll it down and ask "what seems to be the problem officer?" Officer looks at me the way one would look at a sticky piece of gum stuck to the bottom of one's shoe. "You didn't make a complete stop." he says. I adjust one of my hearing aids (lost part of my hearing due to being a touring session musician previously) and before I could speak, he firmly orders "Sir, take off your earphones when I'm talking to you!"
I take both hearing aids off and look at him. I can read lips a little but we're both masked so I can't understand what he's saying. I communicate in sign language simultaneously while speaking verbally "I'm deaf and I didn't understand what you just said. Can you communicate to me in ASL (American Sign Language) please. He points at my hearing aids that look like Apple Air Pods, motioning me to put them on. I respond "Yes officer, without those I can only communicate in ASL. Please instruct me in ASL and I will be compliant in every possible way".
He looks at the dashcam that's neatly pointed squarely at us and mumbles "For fuck's sake". He then motions for me to to go, giving me 2 thumbs up. Needless to say, I rolled up the window and drove away as fast as legally allowed.
Couldn't wipe the smile off my face all day, Lol.
Addendum: Whoa! 13K likes in a span of less than 2.5 hours. Thanks all! Don't worry, I'll update with a YouTube link as soon as I and a more gadget savvy nephew extract the footage. I will not be driving the car to preserve the video and to not risk getting it recorded over.
Cheers!
Busting a move
Credit goes to my dad for that one.
He was undercover!
You're under a vest!
They're both Snowden. Edit: my previous post was related to the incident on i-95 but nobody got it.
"Do the letters TG mean anything to you?" He asked.
"No"
"What about RP?"
"No they mean nothing to me, " I replied.
"What about AH?" He asked.
"Look," I said, "am I suspected of something?
"No sir," he replied. "These are just initial inquiries."
Body cameras are one of the few ways to enable complete transparency of police conduct. Over the past several years, videos taken by civilians and witnesses have played a vital role in exposing the abuse of power and worse on the part of police officers. There has to be an objective recording of the events! There are so many other high risk professions mandate to work under surveillance constantly, that it would not be breaking any new ground.
Police have been shown to lie, plant evidence and abuse power whenever it suits them. Simply answering back could be enough to trigger an officer to beat you or arrest you.Recording it and presenting it (It's go as so far as publishing it, but that's another debate) is the only way to force accountability. Otherwise it devolves into "He said, she said" and the system stands behind the police officer.
Additionally, ANY tampering with the camera on the part of the police officer IE covering it or turning it off should be grounds for all of his evidence and testimony thrown out. It comes close to the "Fruit of the poisonous tree".
If they are willing to use the adage "You got nothing to fear if you got nothing to hide" (which is another can of worms) it must be applied equally to them.
Edit: Need to have lunch, back in an hour or so
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