Posted on 11/23/2003 3:49:35 PM PST by PJ-Comix
Miami Police Chief John Timoney had four words for the protester pinned against a car by undercover officers: ``You're bad. F--- you!''
The remark came as Timoney himself helped secure an area behind police lines during Thursday's demonstrations by cautioning people to clear out or face arrests.
Timoney, the man who headed the policing of last week's protests against the Free Trade Area of the Americas summit, wasn't sitting in an air-conditioned office. He was displaying bravado on the streets of Miami, riding a bicycle to get around, foregoing steel-tipped boots, a gas mask and body armor in favor of a plastic bike helmet, a polo shirt and shorts.
Last week, The Herald got an exclusive look at the hands-on style that has made Timoney both a nationally respected law-enforcement figure and a police chief widely despised by the groups that clash with his officers.
One thing is clear: He doesn't like radical protesters, whom he dismisses as ''punks'' and ''knuckleheads.'' He personally hunts them like a hawk picking mice off a field.
''They look like ants scattering,'' Timoney said of the protesters after riding in a helicopter to get a bird's-eye view Thursday afternoon. ``They are not the least bit bashful about what their goals are. They were looking to raise hell, and they did.''
`A DANGEROUS MAN'
Protesters know Timoney all too well. During Thursday's protest, they lifted an enlarged picture of him on a pole with the words ''Chief Attack on Democracy Timoney'' written on it. His reaction: ``I'm better looking than that.''
''This guy has brutalized and eviscerated constitutional rights of peaceful protesters,'' said New York activist Bill Dobbs, a spokesman for the Stop FTAA media team that was in town for the week. ``He's a dangerous man.''
Timoney played a pivotal role in downtown security. He helped coordinate a complex operation with more than 40 local, state and federal agencies, all of it based out of his police headquarters.
Civil liberties groups and unions complained of unlawful arrests and violations of their constitutional rights. But almost as soon as the pepper spray settled over downtown this week, local leaders declared a major law-enforcement victory.
They claimed that Miami authorities set a standard for how to deal with the kind of volatile protests that have scarred cities such as Seattle, Washington, Philadelphia and Cancún.
HIRED TO REFORM
Much of the credit went to Timoney, a brash Irishman and former New York street cop hired by Miami leaders last year to reform their troubled police force. He had experienced similar demonstrations as police chief in Philadelphia during the 2000 Republican National Convention before taking on a private-sector job.
''The work that was done this week was massive, and it was done ethically, professionally,'' Miami Mayor Manny Diaz said at a news conference Friday. Timoney and Deputy Chief Frank Fernandez ''put together something that was unprecedented,'' Diaz said.
Timoney's constant presence on the ground, in the air and on the water last week kept officers on their toes. Like a war general, Timoney walked the front lines all week, patting the shoulders of officers dressed in full riot regalia, telling them they were doing a good job.
''He set up the vision for this and put together the team,'' said Lt. Col. Don Hollway, deputy director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Timoney had come on board the high-tech Fish and Wildlife boat Randall Wednesday night to overlook security of the water transportation of trade ministers to Vizcaya.
At that point, the week had been peaceful and Timoney was practically daring demonstrators to test police.
''If they [anarchists] don't do anything by tomorrow night, pardon the expression, but they look like p------,'' Timoney said after the boat ride Wednesday night.
THE BIG DAY
By 6:30 the next morning, Timoney, a lifelong fitness buff, hit the streets of Miami on a bicycle, joined by Assistant Chief John Gallagher and eventually Fernandez. The first report trickled in: A group of about 200 unpermitted protesters were heading toward Biscayne Boulevard just after 7 a.m.
Timoney tailed them from the next block over, crouching on his bicycle. A red pickup truck filled with undercover officers crept next to him; they said they had seen a nearby demonstrator dressed completely in black fill his backpack with rocks.
Timoney himself hustled toward the demonstrators and grabbed one by the arm.
''Take it easy. What's in the bag?'' Timoney said.
Two other officers rushed toward them and grabbed the demonstrator's bag, dumping its contents on the sidewalk. No rocks.
''Why are we being detained?'' one of them asked.
Timoney didn't answer. The cops released them.
''There's enough for a police officer to voice reasonable suspicion,'' Timoney said as he pedaled away.
A couple of hours later, Timoney joined Mayor Diaz and Miami City Manager Joe Arriola, who arrived on Biscayne Boulevard and Flagler Street in a golf cart. There were no police lines separating them from the demonstrators.
The situation turned ugly once protesters recognized Diaz. They surrounded him, yelling insults. Diaz braved it for a couple of minutes before his bodyguards escorted him away in an SUV as protesters pounded on the hood.
Timoney, who was next to Diaz, didn't flinch.
''It's street theater,'' Timoney scoffed. ``If I thought they were in danger, I would have called reinforcements in.''
ADRENALINE
By the time police began clashing with violent protesters on Biscayne Boulevard about 3:30 p.m., adrenaline was the only thing keeping Timoney on his feet. He had eaten only a banana and an oatmeal cookie since 6 a.m.
He never put on a gas mask, not even as canisters filled with gas landed around him. He fought off a gust of the acrid smoke by wiping mucus and tears from his sunburned cheeks with a loud ``Argh!''
This is Timoney's moment. He lives for this.
CORPORATE JOB
He gave up a $300,000-a-year corporate job to get back on the front lines, to take on another group of troublemakers as police chief in another city.
The gas energized him. He was the first one who wanted to leap over the police lines and tackle protesters. But he held himself back.
There was one guy in the crowd, tall, wrapped in a Brazilian flag that Timoney wouldn't forget. He was throwing things at police and yelling.
Later, three blocks up Southeast Third Street, which had been marked with graffiti by retreating protesters, Timoney noticed that undercover officers had slapped handcuffs on the man wrapped in the Brazilian flag.
Timoney biked up to him, a stern look on his face.
''You're bad,'' the chief said, his finger pointing at the man's face. ``F--- you.''
I LOVE IT!!! So unlike those woosie Seattle police. Up there they tried to "understand" the mental case protestors and got thanked for it by having their downtown businesses destroyed.
One thing is clear: He doesn't like radical protesters, whom he dismisses as ''punks'' and ''knuckleheads.'' He personally hunts them like a hawk picking mice off a field.
''They look like ants scattering,'' Timoney said of the protesters after riding in a helicopter to get a bird's-eye view Thursday afternoon. ``They are not the least bit bashful about what their goals are. They were looking to raise hell, and they did.''
FANTASTIC! I think Timoney is my favorite police chief in the USA.
They claimed that Miami authorities set a standard for how to deal with the kind of volatile protests that have scarred cities such as Seattle, Washington, Philadelphia and Cancún.
Thanx in large part to Timoney there were very few problems in Miami after the nutcases arrived.
Timoney's constant presence on the ground, in the air and on the water last week kept officers on their toes. Like a war general, Timoney walked the front lines all week, patting the shoulders of officers dressed in full riot regalia, telling them they were doing a good job.
I think Timoney is one police chief that even Joseph Wambaugh would like.
''If they [anarchists] don't do anything by tomorrow night, pardon the expression, but they look like p------,'' Timoney said after the boat ride Wednesday night.
Liberals hate this type of talk but I LOVE IT!!!
The gas energized him. He was the first one who wanted to leap over the police lines and tackle protesters. But he held himself back.
GREAT!!! I think maybe we should make Timoney the honorary police chief of the FR.
If Timoney were the police chief in Seattle when the spoiled brat nutcases began rioting, the riots would have ended PRONTO and the downtown businesses saved. Of course, Seattle being Seattle, Timoney would have been promptly fired. Thank God that the folks in Miami APPRECIATE and BACK Timoney.
I wouldn't be so quick to award such an honor. He's tough on these scum, but IIRC, he doesn't believe that peons (that's you and me) have a right to keep and bear arms.
Former Sheriff Richard Mack is a lot more to my liking and remember that he kicked some serious FEDERAL butt?
If this is true, I gotta think his behavior during the Miami demonstrations is going to give the libs running the Democratic convention real pause.
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