Posted on 09/12/2007 8:20:27 AM PDT by SubGeniusX
A car-mounted video camera — more commonly used by police than against them — captured a loud and threatening confrontation in this tiny St. Louis County community that left an officer on suspension and the whole world able to listen in.
[snip]
A voice identified as Kuehnlein's can be heard taunting the driver and threatening to jail him on fabricated charges.
The tape, made late last week, was from a camera running in the vehicle Kuehnlein approached, police said.
[snip]
In the video, Kuehnlein, a St. George officer for about two years, approaches a young man who was sitting in a parked car about 2 a.m. in a commuter lot near Spokane and Reavis Barracks roads. Kuehnlein asks for identification. When Darrow asks whether he did anything wrong, the officer orders him out of the car and begins shouting.
"You want to try me? You want to try me tonight? You think you have a bad night? I will ruin your night. … Do you want to try me tonight, young boy?"
Darrow says no.
"Do you want to go to jail for some (expletive) reason I come up with?" the police officer says. Later, Darrow says, "I don't want any problems, officer."
"You're about to get it," Kuehnlein is heard saying. "You already started your (expletive) problems with your attitude."
After the officer notices the camera, he says, "I don't really care about your cameras, 'cause I'm about ready to tow your car, then we can tear 'em all apart."
[snip]
Darrow said he was not trying to entrap the officer. He said he pulled into the commuter lot to meet a friend. When the officer asked him for identification, Darrow said he didn't immediately present it because he believes the officer stopped him without probable cause.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Regarding post #59
The same kid?!?
OK ... so if it really is the same kid, involved in two incidents, there is some additional context involved than we're being given in this story.
Doesn't excuse the cop's actions, but it may help to explain them.
It has become"To harass and Intimidate"
don’t it feel great... livin’ in a police state?
I don't think he was targeting that particular cop. I think he was trolling to get *any* cop attracted to him and then hope for the best (for him). And at 2am at a deserted parking lot it didn't take long.
All of the info in post #59 was from the Charlie Brennan Show on KMOX talk radio today (9/12/07)
Brett appears to be on a bit of a “Mission”, if you will.
He has stated in the past that he had been harrassed by the cops, and decided to install the camera in his car ...
now I don’t know if he goes looking for this sort of thing in a kind of “citizens” sting operation (that is my guess)...
but more power to him ...
he knows his rights ..
is never “abusive” or “rude” to the cops...
he merely asserts his rights ...
the cops on a powertrip just take it from there...
More power to him ... this kind of crap needs to be exposed
Don't count on it. In my nearly 60 years I have had to call the police twice in life-threatening situations.
They were late arriving, lazy, unwilling to assist me or take any risks whatsoever.
In one instance in 2002, the deputy refused to even knock on an apartment door where two smash-and-grab thieves had just run inside after stealing over $350 from my cash register. The reason? They could be armed and they didn't steal enough to be charged with a felony anyway. "Here's your case number - call your insurer."
Thanks for "protecting and serving me, officer."
The second occasion forced me to hold a convicted stalker of my girlfriend at gunpoint after disarming him during his mid-afternoon attack on my girlfriend's home. He was already on probation and had a restraining order against him when this happened. When the police arrived, they threatened to arrest me for "taking the law into my own hands" before finally hauling the guy away. (In an interesting sidenote, my girlfriend ended up marrying the prosecuting attorney who was responsible for putting her stalker ex-boyfriend in prison.)
In these two experiences, the police (Sacramento County Sherrifs Dept.) were useless.
If I hadn't handled things myself, at least in the second example given, I could easily be dead.
I still have great respect for law enforcement in general, but I think there are a substantial amount of bad apple-bully-lazy cops out there and that if you rely on the belief that they will be there to protect and serve you, you do so at your own peril.
Evidently, the kid decided to be able to prove his case should a bad cop try to mess with him. He found a bad cop dumb enough to mess with him. More power to the kid
The camera belonged to the kid, and I don't think the cop was aware he was being recorded
You need to review your definition of "vile police corruption". Not defending the cop by any means, but using ridiculous exaggerations to describe this event is foolish.
Officer #1: What are you doin' with a camera hooked to your car seat?
Brett: I have lots of cameras in my car.
Officer #1: Why is that?
Brett: And they upload to secure sources
Officer #1: Okay. I don't really care about your secure sources. I've got one in my car. See that?
Brett: Okay.
Officer #1: It's a secure source.
Brett: Okay.
Officer #1: I really don't care about your camera system cause I'm about ready to tow your car. Then we can tear them all apart...
Brett: Oh well, it doesn't matter. The videos not even in here.
Officer #1: Okay, it doesn't matter, I really don't care about your video
Brett: I'm sure the news will like it.
[Heh heh. That kid has moxie!]
Officer #1: I don't really care cause you're about ready to go to jail.
Brett: I don't want to go to jail officer.
Officer #1: I'm gonna show you you're about ready to.
Brett: You're right officer
Officer #1: Okay.
Brett: I'm sorry.
Officer #1: You think these security cameras -- I guarantee ya, mine and my boy mic is gonna tell a little different and your attitude.
Brett: I don't want any problems.
Officer #1: You started it. Why do you have an attitude? As a matter of fact, I was gonna come in here, see if you're okay. First of all we have people try to commit suicide in here. We have car thieves come in here. We have people break into cars here. I have enough probable cause to stop you. Okay?
Brett: Okay officer, I'm sorry. I don't want any problems.
Officer #1: What is your problem tonight?
Brett: I just had a bad night officer.
Officer #1: You know what? You don't take it out on me. You don't never take it out on a cop cause we will ruin your career and life and everything else you have coming before you. Okay?
Brett: Okay.
Officer #1: What is your problem tonight?
Brett: I had problems earlier, I just came in here to sit.
Officer #1: You know what, that's all you tell me. You don't give me no problem with -- what did I do wrong cause I guarantee I come up with nine things. If you know Sean, why don't you ask Sean about me. Okay?
Brett: What's your name?
Officer #1 Sergeant Kuehnlein.
[Not for long, I'd wager.]
Officer:”You don’t never take it out on a cop cause we will ruin your career and life and everything else you have coming before you. Okay?”
Sounds like a threat to me. I grew up respecting cops, but have seen and heard enough in the last few years that my opinion has changed. I realize there are still a lot of good cops, but the ones like this power-tripping thug ruin it for everyone.
He and anyone like him should be prosecuted. They can, indeed, ruin lives at a whim and should be held accountable when caught.
Your comment is why you see most cops sitting in their patrol cars in a parking lot. Why would they want try an find a real bad guy when he knows for the most part the citizens will complain about how he did his job. They will complain you were just harassing that poor ute. The community I work in is white but they are always complaining that the popo are only stopping a certain ethnic group though that same group commits 89% of the crime. After doing this job for 20 years I have had enough and cant wait to retire.
I am not excusing the ST George cops actions but painting all cops as the same as this guy is weak
Officer:”You don’t never take it out on a cop cause we will ruin your career and life and everything else you have coming before you.”
Sounds like a threat to me. Thank God the kid had a camera. I once had respect for cops, but having seen and heard what I have in the last few years that has changed. There are still fine policemen, but the power-tripping thugs like this officer ruin the reputation for all.
He and others like him should be prosecuted. They do, indeed, have the ability to ruin lives.
Look back at the transcript. He was made aware of the camera but threatened to tear the car apart and take care of it.
Interestingly, the recording of the event from the officer’s car has mysteriously disappeared. He claimed that his camera had been malfunctioning, but it was found to be working just fine.
Look back at the transcript. He was made aware of the camera but threatened to tear the car apart and take care of it.
Interestingly, the recording of the event from the officer’s car has mysteriously disappeared. He claimed that his camera had been malfunctioning, but it was found to be working just fine.
I hope your life depends on a cop showing up to save your sorry @ss someday. You’ll be whistling a different tune.
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Wow you’re really out of touch ,, cops do not come riding to the rescue as you imply , they show up after an event has happened and write a report, if they do happen upon a dangerous situation the last thing they do is lend aid , they sit tight and call for backup while they hope the perp escapes...
ESPECIALLY as they are armed, and you are not.
An armed ego problem backed with government granted authority is a very dangerous thing. Any deviation from correct behavior should be dealt with very harshly.
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