Posted on 05/01/2013 9:18:08 AM PDT by Altariel
ames Eades of Augusta is charged with obstruction of a police officer, stemming from an incident during Operation Thunder, but he says there is much more to the story than that.
Eades says that he and a friend were driving down Alexander Drive early Friday morning when they came to an Operation Thunder Checkpoint on River Watch Parkway. What happened during that stop lead to Eades getting arrested... and he says it's all because he didn't roll down his window all the way
"We saw what appeared to be an accident scene. A couple of police cars with blue lights, a car carrier and a couple of cars sitting around with no lights on," says Eades.
James Eades says he pulled a u-turn to avoid what could be a traffic delay, but as it turns out, the police presence wasn't from a car accident, it was actually an Operation Thunder checkpoint. So when officers saw Eades turning around, they went after him.
"When he turned his blue lights on I immediately pulled over to the side of the road, put my window down about halfway," says Eades.
Eades says the officer told him to roll down his window all the way. He says he didn't want to roll it down anymore than it already was, and that's when the officer told Eades he was obstructing his investigation.
"I think in this instance the guy didn't want to let the window down, didn't want to talk to the officer and didn't want to give him the information. So when you don't give the information you can be charged with obstruction on a traffic stop," says Lt. Amelio Lamkin of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.
Eades says he was arrested and charged because he didn't roll a window down. He says he wasn't doing anything illegal, he was just protecting himself. But police say you have to cooperate with officers during traffic stops.
If you come to a road block, police say the best thing to do is to roll down your window all the way, put both of your hands on the steering wheel, and if you have to look inside of your glove box, make sure you let the officer know that before you do so.
Avoiding a road block is a big no-no and if you do so, you will be pulled over. Eades says Operation Thunder is nothing but an intimidation game in Richmond County.
"It's obviously to cite and arrest as many people as possible, and to raise as much revenue as possible," says Eades.
But the Sheriff's Office says it's about safety
"Our overall goal is to lower the number of crashes, lower the number of injuries and lower the number of fatalities in Richmond County," says Lamkin.
Eades says his bond was $1,300 and he says his court date is set for June 20th, where he will fight the charges.
As for the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, Operation Thunder will continue through May and as of right now, Lieutenant Lamkin says traffic fatalities are down 23%.
/johnny
Police harassment in a Police State.
The citizen no longer has right when we gface a police officer.
Like the rest of the things in this country we are steadily losing all rights.
The Nazification of America.
In todays world when a police officer stops you be ready to immediately kiss their royal ass.
http://www.wfxg.com/story/21191424/operation-thunder-rolling-into-richmond-county
Thunder officers will conduct safety belt and sobriety roadchecks as well as speed patrols while collecting enforcement data to document their life-saving progress.
...said Director Blackwood. “But rest assured, this is not about quotas or revenue, it’s about saving lives.”
“He says he wasn’t doing anything illegal, he was just protecting himself.”
Of course he was. And how did that work out for him?
They should show more WWII movies showing the Gestapo checking everyone’s papers. Notice that the obedient Germans never have any problems with the Gestapo. They don't complain about the inconvenience or any silly underlying issues.
A compliant citizen is a happy citizen.
So... you make a u-turn to avoid what you perceive to be an accident. You’re pulled over. You don’t put your window down all the way. You’re obstructing a traffic stop? Umm... I think there are some missing facts in this case.
Was there a “strange odor?” Were the windows tinted so dark as to obstruct the view of the officer? Was the driver acting belligerently?
Nor with the Stasi in the DDR.
Illegal aliens are free to go. Too much paperwork to create if you accidentally stop someone who isn’t a citizen or may not have the money for the fines.
“I think in this instance the guy didn’t want to let the window down, didn’t want to talk to the officer and didn’t want to give him the information. So when you don’t give the information you can be charged with obstruction on a traffic stop,” says Lt. Amelio Lamkin of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
Well sir you lost out in the first two words. It does not matter what you THINK. It only matters what actually happened. If the man was speaking with the officer and answering then case dismissed................
I can smell the Bravo Sierra from here...
We are getting regular road blocks around here to ‘check seat belts’, and tickets are mounting for those not wearing their belt when stopped ... revenue was down dont’tchaknow.
I'm not clear on all of this. When do your pants go down around your ankles?
Papers please! Comply of face the consequences, and we make the consequences as painful as possible for the non-compliant citizen!
Eades says his bond was $1,300 and he says his court date is set for June 20th, where he will fight the charges.
I'm sorry, how is this not a violation of the 8th Amendment? $1,300 BOND means his BAIL was $13,000. $13,000 for an OBSTRUCTION CHARGE? GTFO!
Don’t forget the “Respect my Authority” angle in your list of missing facts.
Pick up that can...
You don't have to talk to cops. It's called the 5th Amendment.
/johnny
I can’t even imagine what that’s like. Have lived in NH all my life, no seatbelt or even motorcycle helmet laws for adults.
My primary perspective based on observation and interaction is that Police are the Revenuers of local governments.
On a good day, they may also enforce a law or two on accident. But mainly they are there to collect money from normal citizens trying their best to go about their business.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.