Posted on 07/22/2011 7:46:14 AM PDT by marktwain
A profanity-laced dash-cam video from a Canton, Ohio police car that shows a street cop threatening a legally-armed citizen with felony charges, and possible execution, is racing across cyberspace at warp speed, enraging gun rights activists all over the country, including the distant Pacific Northwest.
According to CantonRep.com, the police department has begun an internal investigation. The officer is identified as Daniel Harless, and he has been on sick leave since Monday of this week, the newspaper said. He has also been placed on administrative leave. My colleague, David Codrea, writes about the incident here.
The video, now on YouTube, was posted Wednesday by Ohioans for Concealed Carry (OFCC). It shows a June 8 roadside encounter involving two Canton officers and three citizens in a parked car. The man seated behind the wheel of that parked car was arrested because he allegedly did not advise Harless fast enough – as is required by law in Ohio – that he was armed. There is no such requirement in Washington State. OFCC is definitely making an issue of this case.
On June 8, 2011 the following unfortunate arrest took place in Canton, OH. Notifying the policy when you have a firearm is required by Ohio Law, but when this individual with a thirty-day old license tries to do that he is repeatedly ordered to look away, shut up, or interrupted and "forced" to change what he is speaking about by the actions of an aggressive cop who maintains verbal control of the situation. A two man car dealing with three people put itself at risk when one officer started what appears to be an illegal search of the rear of the car without extracting or securing the driver - which would have given him an opportunity to notify.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
Officer Daniel Harless = Dead Man Walking!
Kasich is going to have this guy skinned alive.
So the cop was spotlighting I guess :)
One comment on that article from a police officer states that every car he stops has a gun in it. I guess Officer Harless hasn’t learned that yet.
I’m starting to worry about the behavior of police in this country,especially in smaller cities and towns where the talent pool.compensation, training ,and weeding out processes may be inferior. There seem to be more and more of these vids with out of control LEOs treating the public in threatening manner.
Well color me stupid, I still can’t find anyone who can explain why I need a license for a constitutional right.
the cop needs to be tested for drugs and steroids...... oh and donut toxicity.
The ludicrous, criminal behavior of some cops will eventually result in the death of those cops and perhaps some innocent bystanders as well. The American public, once alerted to what some of their police have become, will trust NO ONE who makes a traffic stop...either a legal OR illegal stop. And bullets will fly at the slightest provocation. Perhaps that’s what it will take to rectify the problem.
REMEMBER: Armed, we are citizens. Unarmed, we are SUBJECTS. And a few criminal cops are treating far too many like subjects. It’s an attitude which will not lead to a good ending.
The ludicrous, criminal behavior of some cops will eventually result in the death of those cops and perhaps some innocent bystanders as well. The American public, once alerted to what some of their police have become, will trust NO ONE who makes a traffic stop...either a legal OR illegal stop. And bullets will fly at the slightest provocation. Perhaps that’s what it will take to rectify the problem.
In general, under police powers, the police may ignore numerous misdemeanor behaviors in the performance of their duties. For example, an officer may speed to catch a speeder. An officer may commit trespass to catch a burglar. Therefore, an officer may drive around without his lights at night to enable him to sneak up on wrong doers. At the same time his liability if something goes wrong is much higher because of his choice to ignore the law. That isn’t the issue here.
Where is the supervisor who is supposed to review these dashboard Cameras? An officer has an obligation to treat citizens with equal respect. Dirt-bags and Bank Presidents deserve the same services. The demeaning language alone, without the threats, should have been enough to have the officers fired. Watching the officers try to trump up some charge because they aren’t able to provoke an angry response from the citizen is enough to charge them criminally.
Police are a conduit for the ethically challenged to enter the Criminal Justice System. “Protect and Serve” is a very misused piece of propaganda. Police must never be permitted to be the judge or arbitrator of what is right and wrong otherwise we really don’t need courts.
“The American public, once alerted to what some of their police have become, will trust NO ONE who makes a traffic stop”
You have a good point. Why should the police have the inconvenience of interacting live with the public at all? They have red light cameras - and UAV’s are being purchase by some police departments..... why not simply video the infraction with the dash cam and mail the ticket to the registered vehicle owner.
I've been worried about the behavior of police and other federal officers over the entire Country. It seems they forgot laws and that they work for us. If they can't stand the heat of the job then quit. Get your as@ off my streets.
That officer is a disgrace to LEOs everywhere.
I meant that the cop “alleged” that he was stupid. Still not clear exactly what the guy was doing in that neighborhood with his car pulled over to the side of the road, but from what I could tell, he wasn’t breaking any laws.
I've been drawing badges on my "terrorist" torso targets for the past 30 years, in prescient, borderline psychic anticipation of just such times as these.
It was actually 1974 when five Massachusetts State Police dragged me and a friend of mine into the barracks and worked me over for 45 minutes. It was a case of mistaken identity, but it changed my life forever.
Cops are just criminals with badges. Power corrupts, and there is no more power available to a human being than the power conferred by a badge and a gun. I don't know too many cops whom I wouldn't gladly kick the bloody snot out of. A couple, but not many.
;^\
willingness to verbalize this doesnt happen overnight, the institutionized thuggery has been evident for a looooooong time...
there are more of these incidents 'caught on tape' lately simply because there are more cameras in the world...
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