Missouri: Police Roadblock Harassment Caught on Tape.

TheNewspaper.com ^ | 12/30/2006 | Brett Darrow

[The KG9 Kid]

Missouri: Police Roadblock Harassment Caught on Tape
St. Louis County, Missouri threaten to arrest a teenager for refusing to discuss his personal travel plans.

A teenager harassed by police in St. Louis, Missouri caught the incident on tape. Brett Darrow, 19, had his video camera rolling last month as he drove his 1997 Maxima, minding his own business. He approached a drunk driving roadblock where he was stopped, detained and threatened with arrest when he declined to enter a conversation with a police officer about his personal travel habits. Now Darrow is considering filing suit against St. Louis County Police.

"I'm scared to drive for fear of being stopped at another checkpoint and arrested while doing nothing illegal," Darrow told TheNewspaper. "We're now guilty until we prove ourselves innocent to these checkpoint officers."

On that late November night, videotape confirms that Darrow had been ordered out of his vehicle after telling a policeman, "I don't wish to discuss my personal life with you, officer." Another officer attempted to move Darrow's car until he realized, "I can't drive stick!" The officer took the opportunity to undertake a thorough search of the interior without probable cause. He found nothing.

When Darrow asked why he was being detained, an officer explained, "If you don't stop running your mouth, we're going to find a reason to lock you up tonight."

The threats ended when Darrow informed officers that they were being recorded. After speaking to a supervisor Darrow was finally released.

"These roadblocks have gotten out of hand," Darrow told TheNewspaper. "If we don't do something about them now, it'll be too late."

A full video of the incident is available here. A transcript is provided below as the audio is at times very faint.

[Torie]

One poster here does not have much "sympatico" with the "godless" and/or lawyers. (A little Spanish lingo there for Dennis, just to further the cause of bi-lingaulism.) I am 0 for 2 myself. And so it goes.

[dennisw]

You are a caricature of godless libertarianism which is itself a caricature of normal human thinking

[dennisw]

What if any is your religion?

[The KG9 Kid]

I don't advertise religion. You know, wear it like a medal to lend a sense of gravity to my position and then say something completely contrary to it's teachings.

Tell me, what other religions besides Islam do you think authorizes a policeman to rip the film out of another man's camera and steal it?

What do you think happens to policemen who do that?

[traviskicks]

Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.

[dennisw]

What if any is your religion? You were first to bring it up with me. Put it this way- do have a God that you relate to or are you a moral freelancer?

[dennisw]

Tell me, what other religions besides Islam do you think authorizes a policeman to rip the film out of another man's camera and steal it?

Congratulations. You have veered off in libertarian inanity

[B Knotts]

I actually have a lot of respect for the police generally. It is not, after all, really the police who have decided to move our society in this direction, but politicians and judges.

There are surely some police officers, though, who are undeserving of the extraordinary trust we, as a society, place in them. They are apparently also the ones who get assigned to work these checkpoints (and no-knock raids).

[B Knotts]

There are more of them now, but I remember at least a few of them around these parts as early as 1998.

But you're right about the general shift in ideology (or lack thereof). I think it's just a reflection of the broadening of the userbase. We used to have a very concentrated group of people uniquely concerned with restoring constitutional government, and there just aren't enough people like that to stay at the same proportion of the userbase when you get to hundreds of thousands of users, I'm afraid.

[cherry]

so maybe the young man didn't grovel at the cops feet.....in this country, he doesn't have to....he simply has to obey the law, not make nice with the police......

if this was my son, I would give him a lecture about the realities of life.......but I would also be proud of him for sticking up for himself..

[cherry]

most people on FR are police supporters...law and order rules here.....

but most of us are also suspect of govt. officials, and police are govt officials....

[Sherri-D]

it's also their "right" to give you dick police treatment.

NO, it's NOT. When did you hear him EVEN ONCE get less than polite? Never.
I hope you get it one day and when you do, don't whine to us.

[Sherri-D]

I'm not a "pig hater" but i do have a healthy disrespect for the way too many of them act!

[Sherri-D]

I thought of that and so what?? They sure fell for it, didn't they??? Fell right into a polite, well spoken 19 yo's lap. I wonder how that could happen, when they're just "doing their job"

[Sherri-D]

I do mystery shops. Do you really think that if I give a bad report, the employee can just say "she set me up" because i offer them an opportunity to do bad or good?
We're not losing our country, some are just throwing it away.

[Hatteras]

"I think it will be even easier for him with the substantial financial settlement he will receive. This is what lawyers are for. Fines and judgments will influence behavior, particularly when a small town gets a 500% jump in their liability premium (if they can get liability insurance at all)."

Dang, John Edwards? Is that you?! Where exactly on the tape does it show that the police did or said anything to warrant a financial settlement to this kid? The vast majority of the conversation is never heard and except for the opening lines, the rest is inaudible. Unless of course, you'd like to prosecute the police based on the memory of the "victim" who conveniently forgot the names of the officers. Yeah, that'll net him a substantial financial settlement. Riiiiight....

[KenmcG414]

"The cop was not professional! He's either a complete a$$hole or extremely stupid. The is the USA, and if you want to go somewhere, it's nobody's business but yours. "Show me your papers. Ve know you haf relatiffs in North Canton."
The cop's question was very confrontational, as he implied the denial of the "punk" kid's constitutional rights."

You my friend are the "a$$hole" with a comment like that. You must be anti-cop for a reason. A law-abiding citizen would have no problem with the cop's question, especially in the light of 9/11 and Islamic terrorists. I'm sure you'd be the first to scream for a "cop" when you or a loved one are in need of assistance.

[seemoAR]

I looked up the most dangerous jobs in the USA. Cab drivers are almost 3 times more likely to be killed than policemen. Loggers are are almost 5 times more likely. I am still very grateful for the good policemen. I would not want the job.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The cop was way out of line, period.

[BenLurkin]

He'll be fine so long as he never runs into truly evil people. His mouth will get him killed if he ever leaves the safety of suburban neighborhoods (gaurded and kept safe by the very LEOs he trifles with) and comes into to the realm of the urban barbarians.