Here's a copy of the offensive letter written by one of Matthews' buddies.
Posted on 08/16/2002 9:04:51 AM PDT by wimpycat
A letter discovered over the weekend at a makeshift memorial for Eric B. Taylor, the 31-year-old Massillon patrolman killed in a shootout Friday night, defends his killer and predicts that more police officers will die in traffic stops.
The one-page note begins: ``Eric, Sorry you had to die for a speeding ticket.... you now know it was NOT WORTH IT!''
The letter says that because ``peace officers'' will not ``take a lesson from your death and think twice about stopping people... more will die.''
Police are taking the letter seriously. ``It gives insight into how these people are thinking and that they can represent a danger,'' said Massillon Police Chief Mark Weldon.
Investigators know that Donald W. Matthews, the 61-year-old Jackson Township man who was killed by return fire, was not alone in his anger.
Stark County officers have been advised to be more attentive. ``Obviously, because of the incident, we're being more sensitive to traffic stops than we have been,'' said Jackson Township Police Chief Harley Neftzer. ``We're just telling our guys to use some extra precautions, take some extra measures to assure that they're safe.''
The typed letter closed with the name of a woman associated with a group called the Kitchen Militia. The identity of the writer could not be verified Tuesday.
Weldon said he has heard third-hand stories about Matthews' supporters threatening to retaliate.
``While you don't want to be paranoid about it, you have to be a little extra cautious,'' he said.
No one answered the door Tuesday at the Jackson Township apartment where Matthews and his wife lived.
Friday night's confrontation was not Matthews' first with police over a traffic stop, according to Jackson Township police reports.
In January 1998, police tried to stop Matthews for speeding in Jackson. Matthews didn't stop until he reached his Casper Avenue apartment.
The police report says Matthews threatened to kill any officer who might attempt to arrest him. He told the officer who approached him that speeding laws and driver's licenses are unconstitutional. He also said he would not honor a court summons or ticket, the report says.
``I have lived a full life and am willing to die and will shoot any officer who attempts to take me into custody,'' Matthews said, according to the report.
Matthews later accepted a citation for driving without a license, but would not sign it.
In a separate police report, officers describe their encounter with the owner of a shooting range who said he had overheard Matthews talking about a constitutionalist group the day after the traffic stop. Police say the range owner told them that Matthews was target practicing and bragging that he would kill officers if they stopped him again.
Another warning came in February 2000 when Matthews was at a food and catering business in Jackson. Police said he made remarks about killing officers who tried to stop him and spoke about being aligned with anti-law and anti-government organizations.
Eatery bars meetings
Matthews was president of a local study group called the National Constitutional Academy, which meets weekly in area restaurants.
The group was scheduled to meet Tuesday night in a Denny's restaurant in Perry Township, but they will no longer be allowed to hold their discussions on the U.S. Constitution there. ``The meetings are no longer going to be held here for the safety of all involved,'' said area manager Paul A. Adamczak, who was at the restaurant Tuesday night.
Group member David Gatto said cars have been following him, and he suggested that other members may fear police retaliation.
``The whole city of Massillon is honoring their hero,'' said Gatto, 71, of Canton. The police ``are afraid because they think we're in a militia group and we're evil, but we're not in a militia group.''
He said he doesn't think other members are out to kill police.
``We don't do business that way. Christians don't go around killing people,'' Gatto said.
Tracking extremists
Experts who track constitutionalist groups say, however, that the extreme political views often lead to violence. ``Aside from their stated purposes, this movement on a regular basis produces people who are extraordinarily angry at government, extraordinarily dismissive of all authority,'' said Mark Pitcavage, the Anti-Defamation League's national director of fact finding.
In the initial traffic stop by a state trooper Friday night, Matthews gave telltale clues that he was an extremist: opening the window only a crack, citing the Constitution, refusing to hand over his license and speeding off, Pitcavage said. ``This was a textbook example of a constitutionalist traffic stop,'' he said.
Pitcavage, who is based in Columbus, has long followed the activities of anti-government extremists, including militias, tax protesters and constitutionalists. In general, he advises that officers call for backup when possible if they suspect they are dealing with an extremist.
He said police should also try to avoid confrontation, either by playing dumb or distracting the person with questions about the person's beliefs. Anything that makes an extremist explain rather than argue his position can help.
Finally, if a situation looks too risky, the officer should back off and pursue the matter at another time, Pitcavage said.
Police probe continues
The three Massillon police officers who responded with Taylor -- Thomas P. Rogers, 32; Kenneth W. Smith, 34; and Thomas J. Solinger, 35 -- remained on paid leave Tuesday along with State Highway Patrol trooper Joseph Hershey, 25.
Massillon Detective Sgt. James Mizeres, who is heading his department's investigation, said he interviewed two of the patrolmen but has not pieced together the circumstances of how Taylor was shot.
Also undetermined was where in the off-and-on chase Matthews and Hershey were when the civilian allegedly reached for his gun as the trooper approached his car, a maroon 1992 Ford Taurus registered to his wife, 55-year-old Catherine M. Matthews.
Police say it was unlikely that Hershey could have known that Matthews was an extremist when he made the initial traffic stop in Wayne County. ``I'm sure the trooper had no inkling in the world who this guy was, or he probably would have called for backup when he first made the traffic stop,'' Mizeres said.
That's how I got here, but if you'd like to jump into the fray, feel free
Here's a copy of the offensive letter written by one of Matthews' buddies.
It's like the deafening silence from the Islamic community. One might be forgiven for thinking that the Moose Limbs actually APPROVE of 9/11.
In the same way, one might get the idea that Matthews' buddies, and this "Emma Shlarp" in particular, might APPROVE of Matthews killing Taylor.
Reviewing the rules, I note that you left out bitin' and punchin'. I smell a loophole.
I feel like being silly...I am too tired to throw tomatoes tonight. ;-)
See ya later wimpycat.
Mr. Robinson;
Relax the rules? What rules? Listed below please find the complete total of all eight posts I made to two Massillon threads.
In none of them did I suggest anything other than the possibility there were lessons to be learned from this inane incident. For my limited effort I was threatened with assault, had my intellect questioned a number of times, and was confronted with the Freeper equivalent of McCarthyism-(Are you now or have you ever been a Constitutionalist?)
Gadzooks man! If you relax these rules any further you may as well bring back the honorable tradition of duelling.
Rather than a Smoky Backroom Forum, may I humbly suggest you consider an Emily Post Forum, or a Roberts Rules of Order Forum, or any other location where people might for once in their lives be required to put on a suit and tie, polish their shoes, wash the back of their necks and learn minimal standards of polite discourse including the words "please" and "thank you".
I have the highest regard for your accomplishments vis a vis Free Republic so forgive me if I appear to question your judgment in this matter. But I really wonder if this is the path out of the wilderness.
As Wm Bach(Freeper) observed:"Reaganism this ain't"
Yours for a stronger Republic,
TEXT OF POSTS TO MASSILLON THREADS:
To: dighton; ResistorSister; *bang_list
"Unlike the familiar anemic .32 pistol ammo, the 7.62x25 appears to be rather formidable. Googling for 7.62x25 turns up stuff "
(My one reply in an early Massillon thread):
There are several components necessary for a cartridge to achieve "stopping power" or lethal effectiveness-speed is just one and frequently the least important.
Most authorities argue that mass, bullet design,and diameter as well as "controllability"(the ability to place shots into the intended target area) are at least as important as speed.
Describing a weapon as a "military" style handgun throws a double element of confusion into the mix for the 2nd Amendment community since the public mind considers military weapons extra lethal while military thinkers point out the primary purpose of a military cartridge is to inflict incapacitating (but not necessarily lethal) damage to an opponent the better to tie up resources and deplete the will to fight. The hollow point bullet design, for example, remains banned by the Geneva Convention.
There are many aspects to this story not easily discussed in a forthright and intellectually honest manner in a public (or private, for that matter) forum.
Best regards,
36 posted on 8/11/02 7:13 AM Pacific by Copernicus *************************************************************************************************
(All remaining posts are to one thread)
To: YOMO; All; *CCRM
"Yet another "Nutcase" to worry about. Where do they find them?"
(My Reply):
I've watched this story unfold over the past few days on Free Republic and tried, to the best of my ability, to understand the various comments on various threads about these tragic events.
Two observations, for what they are worth:
Everything about this story has been driven by a handful of print media reports. In truth and by every standard of objective inquiry no one here on Free Republic or even in Ohio KNOWS what occurred that night. The people who participated in the event do not completely KNOW what happened that night. The undignified exchanges between various individuals on this topic have done NOTHING to bring any insight to a necessary debate. I see very little separation between the irrationality of the events in Ohio and the discussion of those events on this forum.
A second observation: Be very careful for what you wish -it may be granted. Random, summary ad homeniem dismissals of events from afar have a funny way of bouncing back to people who generate them. YOU are a member of group of people who are widely known as "Freepers". Freepers have a mixed reputation around the country and around the world. At some point the muddlestream press may take it into their heads to engage an all out assualt upon the group of people known as "Freepers". At such time every action and every advantage may be used to denigrate and embarrass and destroy this group known as "Freeper". Think carefully, many Freepers who post to this forum are not exactly photogenic. They do not always use the best language and their thoughts are not always completely coherent. Nevertheless, they are accepted as part of this forum and they can be used to destroy it if necessary.
For what it is worth.
Best regards,
42 posted on 8/13/02 6:31 AM Pacific by Copernicus
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To: Freemeorkillme
We do not exist in a vacuum. Let's not forget this important fact. There are those who are wittingly and unwittingly bringing the stench of ill-repute on Free Republic and her members which can lead the the effective destruction of all the positive results accomplished through this wonderful website by FReepers.
(My Reply):
Thank you for your comments. The lynch mob atmosphere that develops on these threads should be genuinely disturbing to all who witness it and possibly more than a few of the participants.
Best regards,
268 posted on 8/13/02 4:49 PM Pacific by Copernicus
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To: one_particular_harbour; wimpycat; All
"Spare us the sanctimonious "we don't really know" garbage."
(My Reply):
At your earliest convenience please investigate minimum standards of objective inquiry. At one time in this country the Scientific Method was a required part of the High School Syllabus.
Reassure me and others reading this that you can recite the steps of the Scientific Method and connect those steps to an analysis of the tragic events in Ohio in a meaningful and objective way.
It will be a useful exercise for all concerned.
Best regards,
271 posted on 8/13/02 4:58 PM Pacific by Copernicus
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To: Wm Bach
"The former justifies insult to the Constitution over the murder of an officer. The latter tries to justify murdering an officer over insult to the Constitution. Reaganism this ain't."
(My Reply):
Laughing out loud. Good job!
Best regards,
274 posted on 8/13/02 5:08 PM Pacific by Copernicus
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To: wimpycat
"Those are facts that no one disputes."
(My Reply):
You demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt you do not understand the concept of minimum standards of objective inquiry.
There are few "facts" in this case. The only information anyone has about these events come from a small group of select individuals who generated an even smaller number of reports about an incident they may or may not completely understand.
As of right now I acknowledge about three "facts"
1.Shots were fired.
2. Two men are dead.
3.Of the dead and injured only one who was at the orginal incident is still alive.
Everything else is pretty much speculation. Police logs, radio transmissions, analysis of on scene evidence, meticulous review of diaries,medications,personal histories etc. may possibly result in other indisputable "facts".
I have no access to any of that material. The reporters covering this story may or may not have access to some or all of that material.
One fact IS certain: YOU have no access to that material and have not demonstrated any ability to interpret it if you did.
Those are the facts with which I am familiar and which I will be pleased to debate.
Best regards,
286 posted on 8/13/02 5:27 PM Pacific by Copernicus
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To: one_particular_harbour
"Moron".
(My Reply):
Sir or Madam,
I have not used any derogatory terms addressing you.
I expect you to observe the same etiquette when you address me.
I will not respond to any more comments from you until you demonstrate better manners.
292 posted on 8/13/02 5:37 PM Pacific by Copernicus
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To: wimpycat; All
"You took the word of the Harnett County police and the news media as a good argument against trigger locks, but what the Ohio police and news media presents is mere speculation, according to you. ROFL!"
(My Reply):
You demonstrate the same inability to spot internal inconsistencies in the North Carolina story as you do in the Ohio story.
Further your manner is not conducive to a rational intellectually honest discussion about this topic. Consequently I will not attempt it.
The fault is mine. I should have known better than to step into a FREEPirhanana feeding frenzy.
I regret this will be the last post I make in this thread lest I find myself subjected to "when did you stop beating your wife" questions as a logical extension of this "debate".
My condolences go out to all the survivors of this senseless tragedy.
I think the Massillon Police Chief in particular needs to investigate very closely how one of his men became involved in a fracas unrelated to his department and died through no fault of his own.
The ripples from this event will move in a 360 degree circle to touch everyone in undesirable ways.
It is Franz Kafka, not George Orwell who most accurately captured the nuances of this situation. You may want to read his work sometime.
Best regards to all,
308 posted on 8/14/02 6:28 AM Pacific by Copernicus
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Swords or pistols, sir?
Unfortunately for you the tradition of duelling demands a discipline and self control which appear to be beyond your capabilities.
It would be premediated homicide for me to accept your offer with swords or pistols.
Best regards,
The medium is the message.
You apparently have never been confronted by a small child who solemnly swears he has not eaten chocolate unaware you can see the dark circle around his mouth.
Best regards,
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