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St. Louis County police apologize to black family for 'headless horseman' remark
Stltoday.com ^ | August 22, 2013 | Joel Currier

Posted on 08/22/2013 8:37:05 AM PDT by Uncle Chip

St. Louis County police have apologized for a white officer’s reference to the “headless horseman” while questioning a black family Friday about what they were doing at a home in the Mehlville area.

Dale C. Watson, 47, of St. Louis, said in an interview Tuesday that while he appreciates the apology, he wants the police department to discipline the officer and take steps to prevent similar behavior by its officers.

Watson said he, his wife, his nephew and his niece were fixing up a foreclosed home on Shady Green Drive for a real estate firm Friday morning when two St. Louis County patrolmen arrived and asked why they were there.

After explaining, Watson said, one officer said, “I’m going to assume that you’re legitimate, but if something happens down the road, then we’re gonna come down like the headless horseman. Do you know who the headless horseman is?”

Watson’s niece, Whitney Robinson, 25, recorded video of the conversation with her smartphone and released the clip to media. Watson said he believes the officer’s statement was racist and threatening.....

“Anyone who’s seen it knows he wasn’t inviting me to a birthday party,” Watson said Tuesday. “I’m not stupid, and I get what he was trying to give.”

Watson acknowledged he didn’t immediately understand the officer’s remarks but went online and found references to the headless horseman and the Ku Klux Klan....

St. Louis County Police Lt. Col. Ken Gregory said officers responded to an anonymous call Friday about people in a vehicle who appeared to be looking at homes and possibly lost.

Once officers arrived, they found the family at the home and asked everyone for their identification.

Gregory said officers learned that one of the men at the scene had a criminal record.....

(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: headlesshorseman; ichabodcrane; race; racism; sleepyhollow; washingtonirving
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To: Uncle Chip

Everyone knows that the headless Hessian fought to preserve slavery!
/ sarc


21 posted on 08/22/2013 8:54:46 AM PDT by Darksheare (Try my coffee, first one's free.....)
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To: Uncle Chip

good for at least one smile an hour.


22 posted on 08/22/2013 8:55:43 AM PDT by Tupelo (There are no Republicans or Democrats in Washington. Just Millionaires protecting their turf.)
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To: Uncle Chip

A while ago an airline stewardess was accused of racism for saying eene meane miney moe during seating. She did not use the n word. Interacting with some folks is a minefield.


23 posted on 08/22/2013 8:56:32 AM PDT by Brooklyn Attitude (Obama being re-elected is the political equivalent of OJ being found not guilty.)
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To: Uncle Chip

Of course there’s no connection, but that is utterly irrelevant. Racism has been charged. That trumps everything else, and the police will fall all over themselves apologizing. That cop’s career is probably over.


24 posted on 08/22/2013 8:59:32 AM PDT by cdcdawg (Be seeing you...)
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To: BenLurkin

There is a small Borough outside of Pittsburgh called Whitehall. They were very snobby and uptight.
back in the 80s they would call the police if someone saw a black person. and the police would go and make sure he was leaving the area.
Ahhhhhhh...the good old days


25 posted on 08/22/2013 9:01:07 AM PDT by Yorlik803 ( Church/Caboose in 2016)
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To: Uncle Chip

Washington Irving was white, ergo...

I suppose if he had said “I’ll be down on you like Robin Hood” that would be rayciss too because it mentions “Da Hood”.

The Klan wears hoods, after all.

perhaps because , back in the day, the KKK did their deeds on horseback, that be the connection?


26 posted on 08/22/2013 9:01:32 AM PDT by left that other site (You Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Set You Free...John 8:32)
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To: Uncle Chip

FYI, all words that contain letters from the alphabet have a racial connection.


27 posted on 08/22/2013 9:03:52 AM PDT by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: SamuraiScot

This is fun to do...

Liberal racebater: “You are a racist!”

Me: What does my racing career have to do with anything?

Liberal racebater: Your what?

Me: My racing career. I race vehicles but I fail to see what this has to do with why you’re so upset.

Liberal racebater: (confused look)

Me: Look, I find it very offensive that my recreational activities are somehow a problem for you. I have a constitutional right to race and I don’t appreciate you getting all high and mighty because of who I am.

Liberal racebater: (Walks off in a huff blathering)

Trust me. If ever confronted with a white guilt liberal type, use some version of the above. I promise you they will never bother you again. So far it has worked well for me. Just keep throwing their buzzwords back at them and never address anything they say. It makes them crazier than they already are.


28 posted on 08/22/2013 9:04:55 AM PDT by Norm Lenhart
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To: Uncle Chip

If the headless horseman is KKK, how does he keep his hood on?


29 posted on 08/22/2013 9:08:10 AM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican (If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.)
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To: Brooklyn Attitude

“eene meane miney moe....take a seat, it’s time to go”

Southwest Airlines which has many, cute, little ditties for takeoff from the stewardesses. Stewardesses? Oops! Is that sexist? ;-)


30 posted on 08/22/2013 9:12:49 AM PDT by spel_grammer_an_punct_polise (Learn three chords and you, too, can be a Rock Star!)
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To: Uncle Chip

So now ‘headless horseman’ is racist.

As I said, hate crime laws were created to criminalize anything that a White says or does, or doesn’t say or doesn’t do, and set free any non-White who attacks a White.


31 posted on 08/22/2013 9:13:54 AM PDT by I want the USA back
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To: Southside_Chicago_Republican

What’s interesting is that the law against wearing hoodies in public places to intimidate others down in Florida was written partially to prevent KKK rallies and parades.

And now the BGI is all bent out of shape over their right to wear their hoodies to intimidate people.

Talk about a twist.


32 posted on 08/22/2013 9:13:55 AM PDT by Uncle Chip
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To: pastorbillrandles

Is every cultural reference now to be considered racist? Notice too, that an apology is never enough!

Oh it is if accompanied by a multi-million dollar payout...


33 posted on 08/22/2013 9:14:25 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: Uncle Chip

Interesting. I didn’t know that.


34 posted on 08/22/2013 9:22:10 AM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican (If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.)
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To: BenLurkin
Why was donut guy threatening these people?

Good question.

Putting race aside why was he acting like a JBT?

35 posted on 08/22/2013 9:22:18 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Revenge is a dish best served with pinto beans and muffins)
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To: spel_grammer_an_punct_polise

“Stewardesses? Oops! Is that sexist? ;-)’

Darn right.


36 posted on 08/22/2013 9:31:35 AM PDT by Brooklyn Attitude (Obama being re-elected is the political equivalent of OJ being found not guilty.)
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To: Uncle Chip

Washington Irving wrote “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in 1820—more than four decades before the KKK was formed, so anyone who makes such an association should be dismissed as a fool or a charlatan. Unfortunately, in today’s dumbed-down, low-information society, this won’t happen.


37 posted on 08/22/2013 9:34:17 AM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: Uncle Chip
Watson said he believes the officer’s statement was racist and threatening.....

It isn't about facts anymore, it is how you choose to feeeeeeeeeeeeel. I'm betting this nimrod doesn't even know which NFL Team Washington Irving plays for. < / sarcasm >

38 posted on 08/22/2013 9:40:19 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Yorlik803

Sounds like my South Hills neighborhood every day (USC).

And I don’t have a problem with that :-)


39 posted on 08/22/2013 9:43:59 AM PDT by LadyBuck (....and we're off to the rodeo......)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

“Putting race aside why was he acting like a JBT?”

One of the group had a criminal record-for traffic tickets and failing to pay child support. So naturally, this horrendous miscreant has to get the third degree just to make sure his story checks out/sarcasm;)


40 posted on 08/22/2013 9:50:20 AM PDT by Frank_2001
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