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.

[Publius Valerius]

Looks to me like it was very carefully planned, to maximize the "piss him off" potential, and, to start the ball rolling by giving an answer indicating that the kid was high -- but doing it in a very Clintonian "plausible deniability" way (high/hi).

Were you people actually serious about this? The first time I read this, I thought it was a tongue-in-cheek joke, but the more I see people bring this up, I think they are actually serious.

The policeman said hello. See, in normal circles, when one person greets you, it's typical to greet them back. Do you find yourself wondering why people ignore you or give you strange looks? Why they think you are anti-social? Let me give you some tips on what otherwise might be an awkward meeting. I'll be Person 1, and you can follow along and pretend to be Person 2.

Person 1: Hi, how ya doing?

Person 2: Hey.

--Or--

Person 1: Hey, what's up?

Person 2: Hi.

--Or--

Person 1: Hi there.

Person 2: Hello. How are you today?

See, if you follow these simple rules, you too can be a functioning member of society. Give it a shot.

[rbmillerjr]

"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams"

As I said if you think that our country is jack bootted and oppresive, you have free will to leave.

"..it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless
minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.." - Samuel Adams

Of course brush fires may be set to burn up real wrongs or they may be pitiful attempts which hide one's choice to truely act upon his beliefs.

[Don Joe]

Further, according to the transcript, he did answer the question about whether he had been drinking (in the negative).

Well, yes and no.

When the cop asked how he was that night, he replied that he was high.

Oh? You say he actually said "Hi!" -- as in "Hello"?

I'll grant that it says "Hi" on the kid's typed transcript. But, I've got two ears, and I happen to know that the words "Hi" and "High" are the SAME spoken phoneme.

Furthermore, the idea that he said "Hi" (rather than "High") makes no sense in the context. If I ask you "Do you know what time it is?" and you reply "Hi!", it would make just as much sense as for him to reply "Hi!" to the cop's question.

So, from the cop's perpective, right then and there, the ONLY thing that made ANY sense -- and, it made perfect sense -- was to accept that the kid said he was high, when asked how he was that evening.

It all went downhill from there -- rapidly (and, by-design, IMO) -- and I suspect that within thirty seconds, the cop was on the defensive, too busy trying to keep up with the kid (and his "team"? coaching him via wireless earplug, perhaps?) -- too busy to even remember that, hey, this kid said he was HIGH!

In short, we've got a bad situation being challenged via a disingenuous tactic. NEITHER side has anything to be proud of.

[rednesss]

Wow now he had a wireless ear piece. What's next, black helicopters hovering just out of sight??? Do you make your own tin foil hats or do you have them custom tailored????

[Don Joe]

Cops are allowed to conduct sting operations against the citizenry. Surely they can have no objection whatsoever to having the favor returned? After all, if the police are obeying the law, they have nothing to fear, right?

The fact that I find it disgusting when the cops do it to the citizens does not mitigate against it being disgusting when the tables are turned.

Foul is foul.

God save us from the day when the best standard of practice for American citizenship is defined as "whatever corrupt agents of the state can get away with doing."

[rednesss]

"God save us from the day when the best standard of practice for American citizenship is defined as "whatever corrupt agents of the state can get away with doing."


You assume that we aren't already living in that world.

[Don Joe]

Wow now he had a wireless ear piece. What's next, black helicopters hovering just out of sight??? Do you make your own tin foil hats or do you have them custom tailored????

Go ahead. Quit your day job. (Michaels just lowered the bar, you're good to go!)

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

The fact that I find it disgusting when the cops do it to the citizens does not mitigate against it being disgusting when the tables are turned.

If said turning of tables were to become more commonplace, the cops might be far less willing to engage in sting operations, thus obviating the necessity for the citizenry to engage in them.

Think of it as MAD for the relationship between government and citizenry.

[rednesss]

"Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." -- Thomas Paine

[Publius Valerius]

Furthermore, the idea that he said "Hi" (rather than "High") makes no sense in the context.

It makes exact sense. "How you doing" is a meaningless phrase that people say when they greet each other. They really don't mean "how are you doing," because they don't want an answer like, "well, actually, my herpes is flaring up, and wow! let me tell you, that sure is rough!"

Instead, they expect an answer back like "hello," or "hi" or "hey."

In fact, I can't tell you how many times in a typical day that I'll pass someone in the hall and respond to a "how you doing" with a "hey."

[SwankyC]

Play friendly, and you will be surprised how easy life can be!

I agree, just keep in line and dont do nuthin the gubmint desn't tell you that you can do and all will be good.</sarc>

You'd make a good Baathist.

[rwfromkansas]

Just what right does the police officer have to randomly harrass citizens?

I don't see that in the Constitution, KG9.

[rawcatslyentist]

Would a little civility kill you? Especially when presented to armed individuals?

Just because they're cops doesn't mean they aren't humans also.

I am NOT saying roll over and play dead. Just be appreciative of others POV, and maybe a little shred of empathy.

Flies... Honey... Vinegar.....

This forum is becoming populated with more of the perpetually offended everyday.

[rwfromkansas]

arrested for videotaping?

[rednesss]

They can go first.

[rwfromkansas]

The cops were harrassing this man.

He didn't provoke anything.

He was very calm throughout the whole ordeal and did not shout at them or something.

[Don Joe]

---

Were you people actually serious about this? The first time I read this, I thought it was a tongue-in-cheek joke, but the more I see people bring this up, I think they are actually serious.

The policeman said hello. See, in normal circles, when one person greets you, it's typical to greet them back. Do you find yourself wondering why people ignore you or give you strange looks? Why they think you are anti-social? Let me give you some tips on what otherwise might be an awkward meeting. I'll be Person 1, and you can follow along and pretend to be Person 2.

Person 1: Hi, how ya doing?

Person 2: Hey.

--Or--

Person 1: Hey, what's up?

Person 2: Hi.

--Or--

Person 1: Hi there.

Person 2: Hello. How are you today?

See, if you follow these simple rules, you too can be a functioning member of society. Give it a shot.

---

Aw, ain't that sweet of you, to go to all that trouble to cook up a doctored "transcript" of a scenario that didn't happen, to try to make a fool of me for quoting the exact words that DID happen.

Normally at this point, I'd say "Nice try", but I cannot bring myself to say it with a straight face. Instead, I'll suggest that you get a life.

And for the benefit of anyone who might have jumped in mid-thread, and wondered what the heck you're blithering about, here is the actual material, from Post ! -- the very start of this thread:

---

Transcript of audio made by Brett Darrow:

00:40
Officer #1: How are you tonight sir?
Brett: Hi.

---

Well golly, looks like your "The policeman said hello" must have happened in some alternate universe. How about that.

So, I tell you what. Next time, try reading what actually happened, and then replying to it without fabricating an entirely different scenario in your head, to flog as a strawman, in your hilarious effort to... hell, all I can figure is that you were trying to make a fool of yourself, in which case I guess you won.

If that wasn't your goal, they go with Plan A -- i.e., read what actually happened, and then discuss it on a rational basis. Then, who knows, maybe YOU "can be a functioning member of society. Give it a shot." LMAO!

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

Would a little civility kill you?

The cop sure as hell acted as if it would kill him. The kid was civil. The information was none of the cop's business.

Especially when presented to armed individuals?

Interesting notion of citizen-government relations you have. Be civil to people with guns, solely because they have guns.

You want to live in a society like that, feel free to leave this one.

[Don Joe]

Whatever.

Don't worry, I have no intention of trying to barge in on your, um, "reality." *chuckle*

Go have a nice day, or something.

[rwfromkansas]

You are apparently one of them based on your view of this young man protecting his rights.