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.

[UpAllNight]

--If what is on the tape is how it actually went down, these cops NEEDED to be set up.--

Did you view the tape? I think not.

[freeplancer]

When China invades us, will you fight them or help them since they will be trying to be in authority? People don't have to tell cops a damn thing and his statement to the cops about not wanting to discus his personal life, should have given a "trained" cop more to go on than a place of destination.

[Sandreckoner]

"Thanks to groups like MADD, we are becoming a more of a police state."

Indeed. Many examples of how America is becoming a police state.

Except in the way the liberals say we're becoming a police state. That's just BS.

But the ways we say we're becoming a police state, yeah.

[Sandreckoner]

"When China invades us, will you fight them or help them since they will be trying to be in authority?"

I know one thing: When China invades us, the pigs on duty today ain't gonna be helping fight them. That much is clear, just like you imply.

[freeplancer]

It is called policing the police and every citizen has the right to do it numbnuts.

[RobRoy]

>>Sorry, but the kid began the exchange confrontationally for no reason whatsoever.<<

A: he wasn't confrontational.
B: They stopped HIM FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

MY TIME AND FREEDOM IS ABSOLUTELY AS VALUABLE AS ANY COPS. IT IS INSULTING THAT ANYONE IN THIS COUNTRY THINKS I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO COOPERATE WITH COPS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE COPS.

YES I AM YELLING!

What if you are on your way to something important, and some cop just decides to check you out. Does anybody realize how sleazy this is. Criminy!

[The KG9 Kid]

Sounds like a good skit for Reno: 911 where a cop commandeers a car from a citizen to pursue a suspect, but it turns out he can't drive a stick.

[Wormwood]

"The officer took the opportunity to undertake a thorough search of the interior without probable cause. "

For that nazi bull**** alone, the 'officer' needs to be fired and the department sued to Hell and back.

[RadioAstronomer]

Sorry, but the kid began the exchange confrontationally for no reason whatsoever.

I don't agree at all. If it were me (and I am in my 50s), I would have said the same thing. None of their damn business where I am heading in that situation.

This is still a free country.

[RobRoy]

No, I read the transcript.

[darkangel82]

Man, you could probably make a fortune off of writing homosexual 'tough-cop' pornographic literature and selling it to queers who dig that kind of stuff, McBuff.

lmao...good thing I finished my drink before I read your post.

[Natural Law]

"What kind of country have we got when little smartasses think they have some right not to answer a policeman's questions?"

The kind of country so many have fought and died for, a free country.

[UpAllNight]

--No, I read the transcript.--

It shows. I suppose you believed all those 'descriptions' added in by the kid, too?

[woofer2425]

I was going to post the same thought...and saw yours first. Yes...why was this young fellow driving with this camcorder set up in his car and running. I did not watch the video, I read the transcript. Was he wearing a wireless microphone? Was the sound fairly clear of the conversation between the officers and the stopped driver? If he was using a wireless, I'd say the driver had something in mind with his interaction with the police.

[RobRoy]

>>It is was sad day in our country when we had to start recording all of our dealings with government officials to protect our rights.<<

You just articulated the core issue here that I have. And you did it well.

Thanks.

[Wings-n-Wind]

Gutsy move... Maverick...

Don't fly-by...
The pattern is full.

[RobRoy]

Nope. I was only focused on what was actually said. Does the transcript not match the tape?

[Monti Cello]

This is absolutely great! Random police checkpoints should be challenged in every way possible. Bravo to this kid.

[lafroste]

I'll take a shot at this: A free one?

Outstanding answer. You are right, it is none of their da%^ business where the kid was going.

[Kirkwood]

"What is confrontational is obvious."

It sure isn't obvious to me. The officer's question was confrontational, however.