Posted on 07/22/2014 10:21:55 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
DES MOINES, Iowa —A central Iowa Boy Scout troop just returned from a three-week trip they will likely never forget
About 10 days into the trip, an innocent action by one of the nearly two dozen Scouts at the Canadian border into Alaska set off a chain of events that lead to a U.S. border official pointing a gun at a scout’s head.
Boy Scout Troop 111 Leader Jim Fox spelled out what happened to him and the Mid-Iowa Boy Scout Troop 111 as four van-loads of Scouts and adult volunteers tried to drive from Canada into Alaska.
Fox said one of the Scouts took a picture of a border official, which spurred agents to detain everyone in that van and search them and their belongings.
“The agent immediately confiscated his camera, informed him he would be arrested, fined possibly $10,000 and 10 years in prison,” Fox said.
Fox said he was told it is a federal offense to take a picture of a federal agent.
Not wanting things to escalate, Fox said he did not complain.
Another of the Scouts was taking luggage from the top of a van to be searched when something startling happened.
“He hears a snap of a holster, turns around, and here’s this agent, both hands on a loaded pistol, pointing at the young man’s head,” Fox explained.
Fox said that had them all in fear.
Ultimately no one was hurt or arrested, and after about four hours they were allowed to continue their trip into Alaska.
When he thinks about what happened to them and the fact there are people streaming across the southern border, Fox is outraged.
Charles Vonderheid with the Mid-Iowa Council Boy Scouts of America said Troop 11 learned a valuable lesson.
“We want to make sure they follow the rules. A Scout is a good citizen. It would be a great lesson in civics for that young man and that troop,” he said.
The Scouts arrived home late Sunday from their 23-day trip.
There were 17 other Scouts and three other volunteers on the trip. As of now KCCI has not been able to make contact with any of the Scouts.
Obviously this wasn’t just your average “boy scout” troop but a highly trained Canadian military unit in disguise as boy scouts hell bent on invading Alaska.
This border agent has just saved the US from invasion by an extremely hostel and dangerous military force.
It’s time to nuke Canada just to play it safe.
“Ultimately no one was hurt or arrested...”
That idiot BP agent needs to be arrested, at least fired. ASAP. I know, he’ll get a medal.
This confrontation needs to be met. I think I’m madder at the troop leader and the scouts’ parents than I am about the stupid border agent.
Has anyone tried to talk to this thug’s supervisor? Were the other agents there cool with what happened? This is just getting out of hand. I remember when Bush was talking about the Patriot Act and Homeland Security, it was scary.
Just another peek at your new brand of “public servants.”
effin a holes
I agree. What important civics lesson does the scout leader mean to imply was learned by his troop? That federal authorities have a right to deny your First Amendment rights whenever they want to?
According to the ACLU:
"Taking photographs of things that are plainly visible from public spaces is a constitutional right – and that includes federal buildings, transportation facilities, and police and other government officials carrying out their duties. Unfortunately, there is a widespread, continuing pattern of law enforcement officers ordering people to stop taking photographs from public places, and harassing, detaining and arresting those who fail to comply."
"When in public spaces where you are lawfully present you have the right to photograph anything that is in plain view. That includes pictures of federal buildings, transportation facilities, and police. Such photography is a form of public oversight over the government and is important in a free society."
These people have jobs and no gibsmedat mentally. We don’t need those kind of people in America!
The border agent was most likely not a Border Patrol agent. They patrol the border, and are not generally found working at a port of entry. It was most likely an ICE agent, Immigration Customs Enforcement. Different kind of person. BP agents are generally better trained and less likely (though not impossible) to do what was described with these scouts and their leaders.
The agent involved should be reprimanded/fired. Same for his/her supervisor. Every law enforcement officer should always work with his/her brain fully engaged. This was not one of those times.
Good information for outdoor shutter clickers. Thanks for posting.
Well that's going to be a little hard since there are no BP Agents at the ports of entry between Canada and Alaska or Canada and the lower US for that matter.
Those were Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers which have blue uniforms. The Border Patrol has no stations in Alaska and have green uniforms.
CBP officers can be real pricks and that is coming from a retired BP agent. Every time I would meet someone and they would learn that I was a BP agent they would go off about the unprofessional and demeaning treatment they received the last time they crossed the border into the US.
I would have to explain that the BP works between the ports not at them and that we don't like CBP officers either because their stupid behavior was frequently attributed to US. LOL
Tennessee vs. Garner is the standard for the use of "dealdly physical force" .
For anyone , even an law officer, who is NOT in threat of deadly physical force to unstrap his gun , and point it at someone is the threat of deadly physical force,
and should be reported to his superiors.
This demonstrates a law officer who has "gone rogue".
If the law enforcement officer believes that it is against the law to photograph any law enforcement officer, and is in violation of Federal law,
he should be prepared to cite the law , chapter and verse, as it will be required in his report to his agency.
Sounds to me that the officer has spent too much time in his own mind, or watching too many spy DVD's. !
“
a federal offense to take a picture of a federal agent”
BULL!
Sounds like the scouts learned several nice lessons on civics.
The police are your friends.
Government employees are well-trained, well-vetted, and capable individuals that should be trusted and respected.
Only kooks are afraid of an expansion of government power, decent people obviously have nothing to fear from their public servants.
If you’ve done nothing wrong then you’ve got nothing to hide.
Guns should obviously be restricted to the police and military, since they’re obviously the only ones trustworthy and capable enough to use them responsibly and intelligently.
Hopefully those scouts have enough sense between them to draw the proper conclusions from this encounter. A healthy distrust of human nature, and a very rational appreciation of the evils of government, are essential civic virtues in a republic — only dictatorships and cults have any use for fawning sheep.
The oinker pointing a gun at the kid’s head needs a 12 gage enema to clear his mind.
The LGBT crowd will be up in arms over this.
Next time take a dog that they can shoot, problem solves.
I see what you did there.
Well done
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