Posted on 09/15/2022 9:18:03 AM PDT by MeganC
(Text for the vide from this link: https://thecivilrightslawyer.com/2022/08/05/police-harass-innocent-citizens-on-their-porch-lawsuit-filed-today/ )
Police Harass Innocent Citizens on Their Porch – Lawsuit Filed Today
Posted on August 5, 2022
What you’re about to see here is outrageous body cam footage that has never before been seen by anyone, other than law enforcement. It shows what happened to my clients, Jason Tartt, the property owner and landlord, as well as Donnie and Ventriss Hairston, his innocent and mistreated tenants, on August 7, 2020, when they were subjected to civil rights violations by two deputies with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, Dalton Martin and Jordan Horn.
Today we filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, which is posted below. But you can watch the footage for yourself. Before the body cams were turned on, what you need to know is that there was a complaint received that an abandoned church, in an overgrown parcel of land not owned by any of these individuals, apparently had four marijuana plants growing there, among the thick brush. Crime of the century, right? The perpetrators must be one of the elderly African American residents nearby, of course. Instead of treating them as human beings, let’s accuse them first thing, then mistreat, harass, and retaliate against, them if they dare to get uppity, or not know their place.
Donnie and Ventriss Hairston were sitting on the front porch of their rural home, when two deputies approached and began to harass and intimidate them. Their landlord, who lives next door, joined them shortly afterwards and began to ask questions. When they asserted their opinions and rights, retaliation ensued. The landlord, Jason Tartt, was seized and arrested. The Hairstons were shoved into their home against their will. This is never before seen footage, outside of law enforcement of course. Take a look and form your own opinion about what happened.
I just saw this and I know it dates from August.
Worth watching along with his other videos.
Translation: Police doing their job and obstinate minorities getting in the way. Even in West Virginia. Question: Are you growing marijuana? Answer: I demand your name and badge numbers. This was not a “civil rights violation.” The police are allowed to drive up to your house and allowed to ask you if the marijuana growing in your backyard is stuff you are growing. The black couple made this a “racial” issue.
I agree. I like his thoughtful and level headed analysis of topics that most everyone else gets all upset about.
“The police are allowed to drive up to your house and allowed to ask you if the marijuana growing in your backyard is stuff you are growing.”
The marijuana wasn’t on their property and the police knew this when they approached the neighbors and started the conversation with a very threatening question.
How would you feel if a cop asked you, “Are you growing marijuana?” when that’s a criminal offense?
The police officers may think they were doing their job but if the pot is not on the persons’ property the police have nothing.
Agreed. Only people with White Privilege may ask for names and badge numbers.
“an overgrown parcel of land not owned by any of these individuals, apparently had four marijuana plants growing there, among the thick brush...”
Gee, it’s not like marijuana grows wild in all 48 contiguous states. To the point where it is universally referred to simply as “weed”...
Any rational person would know better than to to make such an accusation. Marijuana grows, well, like a weed. There was no reason to believe the plants belonged to anyone.
"You will respect my authortah!"
“What is with the police and their obsession about demanding ID from people?”
It’s an excuse for them to force an interaction with citizens when they have no actual probable cause to interact with them.
Look up “Terry Stop” to find out why they do that.
Not surprised they were being obstinate...his wife made it clear they are racists by her statement “about the season we are in”.....she put it right out there in front.
That would have been a red light to me immediately ‘problems ahead’.
Heck I avoid certain checkout clerks in order to avoid potential issues.
The guy who got arrested does not own the property and the police knew this. So far as I can see the reason the idiots arrested him was because he didn’t want to give them his date of birth.
One of the idiot cops even said, “Jason Tartt, why won’t you tell us your name and birthdate?”
That’s a special kind of stupid right there.
It wasn’t in their back yard or even adjacent to their yard and the suspicion that a nearby marijuana grow belongs to them based merely on location is not a reasonable one.
“The police are allowed to drive up to your house and allowed to ask you if the marijuana growing in your backyard is stuff you are growing.”
It wasn’t their “backyard”. And police may be allowed to ask questions, but citizens are allowed to refuse to answer a police officer who is on a fishing expedition with no probable cause. Or even to refuse to answer a police office who has rock solid probable cause.
I had an issue with this Attorney prefacing his narrative along the way......that was an alert to me from the get go he was going to manufacture the story as he wants us to believe.
Just put up the vido and let people determine how they view it!
Cop. "It's near your property" "Give me your name or I will put you in a cage"
Good grief, violent crime is through the roof...Do these cops not have anything to do? They're out there threatening and hassling these non-violent homeowners, even after the cops admitted the plants were not on their property....This is the kind of bull shit that makes people hate cops.
I can't believe they way they treated these folks.
I would have told them to GTF off my property and come back with a valid warrant.
Damned uppity black people!
The alleged marijuana was nowhere near their house.
The police have NO power to identify you on your own property without a warrant. Doing so IS a 4th amendment violation.
You may now resume licking the boot on your neck.
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