Most of us would probably think that a man who found himself being followed down a dark street by two people at midnight and turned to ask, "why are you following me?" while holding a folding pocket knife pointed down along his leg was just being careful. His actions seem especially reasonable when you know that he put the knife away upon hearing that his apparent stalkers actually meant no harm. But in New Hampshire, Dustin Almon was convicted of a misdemeanor because the two fellow pedestrians were plainclothes police officers. [More]So naturally the "Only Ones" charged and arrested him upon determining that he was compliant and no criminal threat, and the judge took full advantage of an opportunity to put a presumptuous peon in his place.
Anthony Cattabriga sure is teaching that trainee well.
And while I generally find much to agree with Examiner colleague J.D. Tuccille on, in this case I have a difference of opinion: Based on results, the stalkers did mean harm. Otherwise, once they determined he was not a menace, they'd have congratulated him on his preparedness and maybe suggested he get a gun instead.
UPDATE: MarkofaFreeman has more.
[Via Mama Liberty]
4 comments:
I haven't seen a picture of these two undecover only ones. Who wants to bet that they looked like a couple of roided up ex cons? I have never seen an uncercover cop who didn't look that way. Especially ABC officers.
Anybody willing to bet the cops weren't armed? Or that they didn't make that known when they made the arrest?
The judge is an asshat. Being prepared to defend one's self is not the same thing as "threatening". Now, some would say, and I expect it will start soon that he became threatening when he took out is knife and had it handy. If so, then every cop you ever talked to is guilty of "threatening". Don't believe me?
Next time you talk to a cop, even at the lunch counter, watch where his gun side hand goes. It will almost invariably go to the butt of his sidearm. Try to file charges of threatening against him.
Oh, and yes I have called them on it. Told one in Pennsylvania that if he wasn't going to use it, quit grabbing it every time he spoke to me or I was going to take it away from him.
He said "I don't do that." Then he caught himself reaching for the butt of his gun as he was denying he did it. To his credit, he apologized and seemed genuinely surprised that he had developed that habit.
My son was with me, and said "Dad, you're nuts." Ok, but I don't like to be threatened nor reminded that someone is trying to intimidate me.
There's a PDF on the 'Net captioned
"Managing Unknown Contacts" Author
is a former undercover officer now
doing training programs. IOW he's
an "unknown contact" himself. Look
at it and think, given what we know
today, what would happen to a mere
peon should they attempt to employ
his teachings in an encounter with a undeclared "Only One"
Post a Comment