Posted on 10/27/2014 10:02:35 AM PDT by relictele
The Springfield Police Department, along with the Clark County Sheriff’s Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol were in for a big surprise last night when members of a local “Cop Block” chapter turned up to warn drivers about the disturbing “sobriety” checkpoint that was set up.
The Clark County OVI Task Force said that their sobriety checkpoint was a “no refusal” inspection of drivers, to “make sure no one’s out drinking and driving,” an officer with the Springfield Police told us. The checkpoint was conducted at State Route 40 and State Route 68 in Clark County and began at 8:00 p.m.
At this “no refusal” checkpoint, every car was checked, regardless of the absence of any probable cause to stop and inspect.
Police said that the checkpoint also sees a lot of ticketing for seatbelt violations, which again are inspected without probable cause. “There is zero tolerance for any offense,” and officer with the Sheriff’s Department said.
Most disturbing to many citizens was the mention of forced blood extraction by a nurse who waited on standby for officers to give her the word. A media contact with the Sheriff’s Department told Counter Current News that they still have to obtain a warrant in order to take blood. But that is something that they were ready to do. If a driver refused to consent to a breathalyzer test or field sobriety test, then officers would call for a warrant and the restrained and arrested driver would then forcibly have their blood extracted by the nurse on standby at the checkpoint.
Members of a local Dayton, Ohio Cop Block chapter set up down the street from this checkpoint, and another 30 miles away last night. They held signs that warned drivers to turn around to avoid the police “vampire” checkpoint.
Hundreds of drivers took their advice and turned away, much to the dismay of the officers at the check point. That’s when Springfield Police called in Detective Beau Collins, who showed up, shining his blinding cruiser light in their faces, and trying to intimidate the activists.
Watch the video below, where Detective Collins tries to tell the protesters that they must leave the sidewalk, but gets “Cop Blocked” instead. It all starts around 4:30 in the video, when Collins pulls up.
Watch the Springfield Police Chief, in another video from last night, saying that Americans are not allowed to travel without a vehicle!
These checkpoints are about ticket revenue and power, not about protecting us from drunk drivers. Should your travel be interrupted, and your car and demeanor inspected by police when they have no probable cause that you have done anything wrong?
When we stand up to these bullying checkpoints, they lose their power. If you enjoy seeing cops who are violating the law and Constitution get shut down, then SPREAD THE WORD!
The debate about the legitimacy of checkpoints has more or less settled into a sort of detente but this really isn't about DUI.
As was entirely predictable, the incrementalism that is inevitable when freedoms are ceded to government is on full display in the age of the 'no refusal checkpoint.'
The very concept and practice are premeditated violations of the 4th Amendment. The police, who seemingly can never resist an opportunity to spout hackneyed tough talk, have taken leave of their law enforcement remit, their oaths and their senses. When a phlebotomist i.e. a blood-drawing nurse is on duty at a checkpoint site you know the coppers have lost their collective minds in the pursuit of political pats on the head and - more important - overtime money paid for by Uncle Sam.
And who declares the 'no refusal' policy? Why, the police of course. It's enforcement of a sort but it has little to do with the law.
Cop Block organizations don't do themselves any favors when they wind up the police with their I'm-standing-here-and-won't-move games but on the other hand they are doing nothing illegal and have every right to question and/or decline requests. But if Cop Block occasionally act juvenile they are nothing compared to the police who rely on a silly litany of intimidation tactics: lots of cruisers with bright strobes and spotlights, lots of milling around as if a crisis were unfolding, lots of terse radio conversations, etc. Usually, they sheepishly walk away when the video cameras are rolling and/or their stunts fail to impress.
Related article with absolutely chilling photo at: http://benswann.com/federal-funds-fuel-nationwide-increase-in-no-refusal-blood-draw-dui-checkpoints/
Just claim you recently returned from Africa and say “leave me the hell alone”.
There is a net minus in ticketing and fines. We need a new Flash-bang thrower, grenade launcher,command post, MRAP, queer gear, and a whole lotta stuff - to serve you better.
This is ‘Swingfield’ Ohio we’re talking about.
The response from Deputy Dolt might have been ‘I don’t give a **** what bar you was at. Step out of the vehicle.’
Happens here in Bexar County occasionally, usually instigated by Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed (running for re-election against an equally unsavory Democrat, Nico LaHood).
These “No Choice” blockades really irk me.
They are done under the guise of sobriety but, they cast a net for anything and everything.
Further, having been to countries where roads are frequently blocked by the military, this wholly unAmerican.
It violates the Bill of Rights and the commerce clause as far as I’m concerned.
DUI checkpoints should never have passed Constitutional muster in the first place.
And I actually thought the Cop Block guys on the video did a nice job of staying put on the sidewalk. The LEO had no basis to ask them to move other than to bust their chops.
Sometimes you need to assert your rights just because you need to remind the cops they operate under legal authority and are not authorities unto themselves.
Other than a person with a weapon, the scariest thing to (most but not all) cops is a person with a knowledge of the Constitution and his/her rights (real ones).
“Officer, I’m an illegal immigrant from Liberia. I just arrived yesterday. Leave me alone or I will sue!”
Given the opportunity COPs will always do the wrong thing. They’re govt agents and employees following the dictates of their masters (the judges, pols and bureaucrats). They have a vested interest in monies collected/confiscated and increase of perceived power over the Little People.
“make sure no one’s out drinking and driving,”
Clark County NV?
A very ambitious goal indeed.
I was flagged into one of these in Chino CA about 15 years ago. It was 5 pm on a Monday in a shopping area with a lot of soccer moms out in SUVs grocery shopping. I had on business suit including tie.
I asked if they get a lot of drunk drivers on Mon at 5 pm as opposed to Fri night between 10 and 12. The officer said “You’d be surprised.” He was right, I WOULD have been, but I let it go.
My take was they were set up at their convenience and not at the optimum time for prevention.
Unconstitutional either way. USSC wake up, you’re wrong on this one.
This is an honest question...what would you consider to be constitutionally valid, and also effective, method(s) that police may take to remove DUI/DWI drivers from public roads?
“DUI checkpoints should never have passed Constitutional muster in the first place.”
Who gives a crap?
They are the “law of the land”, “If you don’t like the law, then change it”, “Move to Iraq”, “If you don’t have anything to hide...”, “drunk drivers kill(insert # here) people every year.”, “It’s for the children”
Blaa, blaa, blaa.
These “checkpoints” shouldn’t be done, but under the most extraordinary circumstances, like if there’s a killer on the loose that has been seen in the area. The so-called “sobriety checkpoints” are nothing more than fishing expeditions where they look to charge people for anything and everything they can.
If someone actually supports these, they couldn’t POSSIBLY support the 4th Amendment(and probably a few other Amendments as well).
If one of those roadside nurses of theirs were to try to take blood from me, they had BETTER hope that I wouldn’t flinch for some reason, injure me, and I’d call ‘Saul’, then sue their asses off.
Thank God I live in a no checkpoint state. Unfortunately to avoid one I need to go the long way around to get out of the state and can’t get any further than Minnesota.
http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/checkpoint_laws.html
Oh, really? I think I read something on that topic one time.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Everyone participating, from judge to cop to medical tech, is a traitor to his or her country and ought to be hanged for it. How's that for "no tolerance"?
I find it interesting that Supreme Court justices who are chauffeured everywhere in DC saw fit to overrule drivers’ rights.
I don’t see this as anything new, nor do I see it purely as a revenue enhancer. I remember being stopped at the only sobriety checkpoint I have been through twenty years ago - and there was no way out of it. It was around 2 a.m. in NJ, route 202, and other than losing 10 minutes or so of my life, it was totally unoffensive. And it was totally about DUI. We did have our seat belts on.
“and the restrained and arrested driver would then forcibly have their blood extracted by the nurse on standby at the checkpoint. “
The people who founded this nation and fought the Revolutionary War; would have looked at us with disgust for allowing such a thing.
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