Posted on 02/24/2005 7:06:18 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
Teen boy, mother with baby had been arrested after confrontation with shouting, 'crazy' officer
Not only have the charges against a South Carolina teenage boy and a homeschooling mother stemming from a confrontation with a plainclothes police officer been dropped, but the officer involved has been fired.
The two were arrested – the boy for carrying a concealed weapon and the mother for assaulting a police officer – after the cop confronted the boy in a picnic shelter where a homeschool support group had gathered for socializing and play.
As WorldNetDaily reported, the incident occurred at Simpsonville Park in Simpsonville, S.C. Feb. 16. A group of mothers and children from Upstate Homeschoolers Unlimited were meeting together when a plainclothes policeman rushed into the picnic shelter where some of the homeschoolers were gathered, reportedly after a call came in to police about someone in the park having a knife.
According to parents who witnessed the event, the policeman began shouting at two teenage boys, pushing at least one to the ground. When he went to grab one of the boys, a mother, who at the time was holding another woman's baby, stepped in to stop him, not realizing he was a police officer.
Priscilla Adams and Jan Blanchard were two of the other moms present.
"(The intervening mother) turned to Jan and said, 'Call the police.' That's when he told us that he was the police," Adams said.
The 16-year-old boy was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon, a small hunting knife on his belt, and the mother was arrested for assaulting a police officer, even though witnesses say the man's badge and gun were not in a place where they easily could be seen.
Continued Adams: "The plainclothes officer was incredibly belligerent and angry right from the moment he rushed under the shelter. He could so easily have stopped as soon as he came up to us, announced that he was a police officer and needed to talk to the boy with the knife, but he didn't do any of that. Instead he shouted, shoved, verbally abused, intimidated. He acted so horrible it never occurred to me, or to any of us, that he was a police officer. He just seemed like a crazy man."
Police Chief Charles Reece told WND today that charges have been dropped.
"I am in the process of dealing with it right now," he said.
A press release Reece issued also mentions that the plainclothes officer, identified in earlier press reports as Investigator Michael Snow, "has been terminated."
Adams, reflecting on the latest development, told WND: "This is great news!"
I have always felt that police, unless working undercover, should always be clearly uniformed and wearing badge and photo ID.
It bugs me no end to see a "police" officer wearing blue jeans with a gun on his hip and a stupid badge alone on his belt in front. From behind he looks like someone engaged in open carry. Also, badges are hard to tell if real until you are very close to the wearer.
I am licensed as an armed private investigator in Oklahoma. As one I can carry a concealed firearm both on or off duty, but it must remain concealed (unless of course it is drawn for self protection, etc.). I consider this to be a reasonably requirement. I think the same should be required of "lawmen" not in uniform.
Whatever, this officer was entirely wrong in his behavior and demeanor. Dismissal is not enough. He should be charged with assault and permanently lose his "peace officer" status. Otherwise he will just transfer to another department in that state. This guy sounds like a really lose cannon.
This guy had a history - mark my words.
Huh? I keep going back to the article, did I miss the part where they were suing?
Ping
I disagree. Liberals will only learn when they have the tables turned. Termination ought to be enough but do-gooders need to be hit in the pocket. Sue the bastards and give the money to charity or their church.
If my kids scout troop were having an outing at the park there would be LOTS of knives!
I hope the elementary school teacher who started the whole incident by calling the police can be made to pay some price.
I know.
One less future Gestapo agent.
Well said BUMP.
Un f'ning believiable!!!!! I can't believe how STUPID (for lack of a better word) people have become these days. When I went to school (back in the '70's), EVERY male student either carried a pocket knife or a belt knife. Every hunting season, EVERY truck with a rifle rack in the back window had a hunting rifle in it, usually more than one! And guess what? NOBODY was shot, and NOBODY cared one way or the other!
(Seen on a bumper sticker: Guns don't kill people, I DO!)
I was responding to post #5.
That's funny. But the realities that make it funny aren't funny at all.
Don't be too enthusiastic. I find that idiot cops that get fired from one police force invariably move to a small town to bully and harass people there. It could be your town.
a small hunting knife on his belt,
Doesn't sound like a concealed weapon to me.
Once more, typing without proof reading claims another post. It's a shame.....
Where do you get it that a "cowboy" would act that way? Anybody from Tenn should know better. Your statement is typical of a NE Liberal!
That doesn't sound like it's comcealed.
You ain't a cop-killer if he never identified himself ("and that's a good thing"™). His bad. It's guaranteed he'd never do it again.
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.