Posted on 06/03/2012 3:23:17 AM PDT by AmonAmarth
AURORA, Colo. Police have a person of interest in custody in connection with the robbery of the Wells Fargo back at 15301 E. Hampden Avenue Saturday afternoon.
Immediately following the robbery, police closed the intersection of Iliff and Buckley after reports the suspect might have taken hostages.
According to our crew on the scene, police stopped and searched nearly two dozen cars. The adult occupants of the vehicles were handcuffed during the investigation.
I think you should be concerned about the fact that they used illegal means on innocent citizens. They did a BAD thing when they for all intents and purposes, placed innocent people under arrest even if only for a short time.
You think suppressing free speech is a bad thing and I happen to think suppressing my freedom to go about my lawful business is just as bad if not worse.
That is a growing view. Many of us are more likely to encounter the police than a criminal. Who is the greater threat and more likely to hurt us? When you drive to work each day are you more worried about being robbed or jacked or more worried about what the police are up to. For many, the first thought is worry about the police, and the authorities should be concerned why so many people are more and more estranged from the police.
They’re alienating us one dead, beloved pet dog, one warrentless search, and one wrong address at a time. Doing a great job of it, they are.
They’ve turned this hardline, on-the-LEO’s-side, old lady off defending them in those situations.
Mama always told me I could trust a cop. Sigh... She wasn’t wrong about much, but this? Yeah.
You do realize my post was sarcasm, don’t you? I hope somebody does.
seems there have been a couple homicides, prolly drug related, and the po-po had a couple names that they thought were suspect...
under the guise of 'hiway safety checkpoint' rules, they were stopping everybody just to check the ID vs a list of names...
the players were city, county sheriffs, and state leos...
mr trooper had enuff attitiude to sink a battleship, and ole gilbo dang near got a lock up outta the deal...prolly wouldve if the Mrs hadnt been in the car behind me with the kids...
we are in 'redline' territory, and have been for a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time...
I know exactly how those people felt. It happened to us once in the eighties.
Making it illegal makes it scarce and dangerous to market, which raises the price. Which raises the potential profits. Which are tax-free!
I would love to hear what “you” think they should have done...
And I guarantee that you’d be singing a different tune if you were one of the “citizens” detained and handcuffed (for officer safety of course) for no other reason than you know YOU didn’t do anything wrong...
And all kidding aaside, I know you didn’t do anything wrong...
Sometimes commonsense is thrown out the door when emotion drives a criminal situation like this out of control...
Just remember a refusal (or consent) to search is NOT a means to determine probably cause for any detainment or arrest...
You may end up taking a ride, and of course you always have nothing to hide, but you damn well have everything to protect!!!
And which, in the case of Prohibition, gave us the Kennedys.
Be very afraid.
If you’re a cop, you need to quit and get a job you’re better suited for.
A simple phrase given to me by a lawyer friend of mine...pro bono...I did have to spring for lunch though...
“I do NOT consent to a search of my vehicle or person, am I free to go?”
Remember everything you and the law enforcement officer say is being recorded, by audio and video sometimes...
I would never answer a question like: “Do you mind if Itake a look in your vehicle?”, without using that exact statement I mentioned above...Never utter the words “Yes, or No” in response...
Yes can be interpreted as consent, or agreeing to the serch...And they can cut that very word out of a sentense you use in a court of law...
Stating “No” an also be used against you, as you just answered “No, I do not mind you taking a look in my vehicle.”
It take a little practice to get the response down,but your point should be understood by the person presenting you with the “option”...
Of course, you may feel bad about all the time they will be spending on you trying to get a judge to issue a warrant for a search of you and your property, and the real bad guys will probably get away...
But YOU did not instigate the encounter, nor are you likely to have committed a crime to warran such a fishing expedition...
I have the upmost respect for the Law Enforcement community, they have to put up with a lot of crap from us civilians...And it pains me to see them get killed for doing their jobs...
But until the nonsense and bad administrative policies stop bringing this contentuous, derived, and decisive atmosphere to the country and its law-abiding citizenry...
You need to know what to say, and how to say it to keep your rights and dignity intact...
The bottom line is you may very well have to take the ride for taking such a prinicnpled and legal stance against this abuse of power, but hey, when you walk out, you will know you were right all along...Because in the end it’ll hurt them more than it hurts you...
Unless you have to share a holding cell with Rufus, or Bubba or even Danny (a.k.a.-Daniella)...;-)
Also remember you have nothign to hide, but YOU have everything to protect...
[buzzer] WRONG!!!
You may win the hour while you focus on my refusal to a search...
I will win the day...
It is unfortunate YOU feel that way about the community YOU are supposed to be serving...
Trust is a two-way street...And you have a lot of resurfacing to do...
Being a Law Enforcement professional is not just wearing a uniform, and driving around in your car all day and night...Sometimes its good to get out and go into an establishment in your jurisdiction and introduce yourself. get to know the people and their businesses, see how things are going, let them tell you who they know whoare the problem makers...With that kind of approach, “they” will know they have a problem solver riding around, trusting you and other officers to get it done...
And that kind of approach works both ways...Civilians need to get out there and meet and greet those that ply the streets protecting you...You may actually be surprised by most of what you run into on your local Law Enforcement team...
Just my opinion...
Ah, yes, that sewer pit of a city I grew up in. Left there in '79 and haven't missed it for a nano-second.
Whoops! Missed that...{:-)
The main problem is you don’t have to be very smart to qualify for most police departments. And I doubt any psych exams are administered.
Another problem is so many cops are on power trips. Take their guns and badges away and they’re not so brave.
Finally, there’s that “thin blue line” that we’ve seen talked about on this thread.
I used to be a cop. I couldn’t hack it because of the crap I saw cops doing and getting away with.
This event sounds exactly like an active shooter event where everyone runs out of the building with their hands up. We know someone in the group is the shooter, but who is it? Obviously everyone must be detained until we determine the answer. In this case we have an armed bank robber who pointed his gun at customers and employees and then ended up among a large group of motorists. Police did the same thing they would have done for the active shooter scenario, and IMHO they did it right - got the guy out of the last car. Here are a couple of articles with more information about what really happened, without the emotional substances included:
http://kwgn.com/2012/06/04/armed-bank-robbery-caught-on-camera/
http://kdvr.com/2012/06/02/aurora-police-searching-for-bank-robbery-suspect/
One thing I haven’t seen in this thread is a recommendation for what the police should have done. So let’s try a little exercise. You’re the cop on the scene and you know that somewhere among this group of motorists at the stoplight, there is an armed robber who just held up a bank. The longer you wait to take action, the more nervous he will become until finally he will jump out of his car and start shooting wildly in all directions. What do you do? Time starts now - GO!
Chief defends detaining 40 during Aurora bank robber hunt
AURORA | Aurora police Chief Dan Oates today defended the departments decision to stop almost 20 cars and detain 40 people Saturday during a search for a pistol-wielding bank robber.
Oates said the operation, which included handcuffing all the men and some women, was unusual, but necessary.
We had a virtual certainty that the bank robber was in one of those cars, Oates said.
Officers did find the suspect in one of the cars, and he will likely face bank robbery charges in federal court, Oates said. Investigators also found a beekeeper mask they say the man wore during the robbery as well as two pistols connected to the crime, he said.
The United States Attorneys Office in Denver identified the man this evening as Christian Paetsch, 45. He was charged today with armed bank robbery and using a gun during a crime of violence, prosecutors said.
Oates said Paetsch was from Centennial and had one misdemeanor arrest on his record.
The incident started around 3:50 p.m. Saturday when police say the robber barged into a Wells Fargo Bank at East Hampden Avenue and South Chambers Road and pointed a gun several people in the bank.
The robber, who was wearing a mask that covered virtually all of their face, then fled the area.
Oates said officers determined that the robber had to be in one of 19 vehicles headed east on East Iliff Avenue near South Buckley Road at about 4:20 p.m. The intersection is about two miles northeast of the bank.
Oates declined to say exactly how officers knew the suspect was going to pass through the intersection, but stressed that investigators were certain he would.
Officers didnt have details about the suspects appearance, including gender and race, so they stopped every car, Oates said.
The operation lasted more than two hours and Oates said officers searched just the one car where they found the mask, guns and suspect.
Oates said investigative detentions like the one Saturday are very rare, but allowable under the law.
None of the 40 people detained have lodged complaints, Oates said, but the department has heard complaints form other people who werent involved in the stops.
Oates apologized for the inconvenience the operation imposed on people, but said it was needed to catch a dangerous bank robber.
No question we inconvenienced citizens, and I feel badly about that, Oates said.
The operation will be reviewed, Oates said, but he stands by the lieutenant who ordered it.
I cant find fault with the decisions that were made, he said.
http://www.aurorasentinel.com/news/chief-defends-detaining-40-during-bank-robber-hunt/
And so now those of us who remain faithful to the constitution must see you as a perjurer and crooked cop and has become a criminal as well.
Go ahead, do your job and take your 30 pieces of silver. We've seen your kind before.
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