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IL: Man charged for failing to aid officer
St. Louis Post Dispatch ^
| 8/17/2005
| Leah Thorsen
Posted on 08/19/2005 6:06:40 AM PDT by NuclearDruid
"It's not what Peter Skinner did, but rather what he didn't do, that landed him in jail.
Skinner saw, but did not help, a Wood River police officer subdue a teen suspected of stealing a car.
And that is why Skinner, 41, is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 26 to face a misdemeanor charge of refusing to aid an officer. "Why I'm involved as anything but a witness is beyond me," he said Wednesday in an interview in his apartment in Wood River."
"Illinois law states that a person must help an officer who asks for help 'apprehending a person whom the officer is authorized to apprehend.'"
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; illinois; jackbootedthugs; peterskinner; woodriver
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I'm pretty certain there is a Supreme Court ruling to the effect that there's no obligation for a law enforcement officer to come to the aid of a civilian. Seems to me that should be a two-way street. Of course, this did happen in the City-State of Chicago aka Illinois.
To: NuclearDruid
I think you're spot on ND.
-CT
2
posted on
08/19/2005 6:07:56 AM PDT
by
correctthought
(Hippies, want to change the world, but all they ever do is smoke pot and smell bad)
To: NuclearDruid
If I wanted to help a copy arrest a perp I would have become a cop. This is completely ridiculous.
3
posted on
08/19/2005 6:10:09 AM PDT
by
T.Smith
To: NuclearDruid
Exactly. I believe in CCW precisely because courts have ruled many times that a cop is not required by law to assist a civilian during a crime in progress. It should go the other way, too.
4
posted on
08/19/2005 6:10:19 AM PDT
by
Excuse_My_Bellicosity
("A litany of complaints is not a plan." -- G.W. Bush, regarding Sen. Kerry's lack of vision)
To: T.Smith
5
posted on
08/19/2005 6:10:32 AM PDT
by
T.Smith
To: NuclearDruid
If he is not paid for the aid, then it's involuntary servitude, aka SLAVERY!.........
6
posted on
08/19/2005 6:15:15 AM PDT
by
Red Badger
(Want to be surprised? GOOOOGLE your own name. Want to have fun? GOOOOGLE your neighbor's......)
To: NuclearDruid
Policeman asks for help say ok, take his gun and shoot the thief. :D /obvious sarcasm
7
posted on
08/19/2005 6:17:25 AM PDT
by
Echo Talon
(http://echotalon.blogspot.com)
To: NuclearDruid
I suspect that the law will unconstitutional if it is ever placed to the test. You cannot take work from a citizen without just compensation; then there are all of the other issues involving the personal liability of the deputized citizen; and their relative ability and personal risk of injury. This does not seem like a well thought out law.
8
posted on
08/19/2005 6:17:29 AM PDT
by
ARCADIA
(Abuse of power comes as no surprise)
To: T.Smith
Yes, particularly when you consider the possiblity of litigation. LEOs are
imdemified for against these sorts of problems, civilians are not.
More evidence that society is in a state of collective madness.
To: Echo Talon
Policeman asks for help say ok, take his gun and shoot the thief. :D /obvious sarcasm Police would have ALOT more help here in Illinois...if they let us freely exercise our second ammendment rights.
10
posted on
08/19/2005 6:20:51 AM PDT
by
BureaucratusMaximus
(The function of socialism is to raise suffering to a higher level.)
To: NuclearDruid
the part about "helping your fellow man" ??? yeah right - who gives a s**t anymore, right?
That is what I hear on this board - The man should NOT have been charged with a crime for not helping the police, but on the same token, he SHOULD have helped to his utmost ability.
This is the least/left coast big city liberal mentality - gimme gimme gimme - but I won't lift a finger to help.
all you, please never move into my neighborhood.
To: BureaucratusMaximus
12
posted on
08/19/2005 6:23:01 AM PDT
by
Echo Talon
(http://echotalon.blogspot.com)
To: ARCADIA
it's probably either a 100 year old law where cops were fewer and actually worth something, and the citizen were more likely to volunteer to posse up, or a law dating back to 30s where officers might require a citizen's help against mobsters.
13
posted on
08/19/2005 6:23:37 AM PDT
by
absolootezer0
("My God, why have you forsaken us.. no wait, its the liberals that have forsaken you... my bad")
To: NuclearDruid
14
posted on
08/19/2005 6:24:32 AM PDT
by
L98Fiero
To: NuclearDruid
Isn't this why Jerry, George and Elaine went to jail?
15
posted on
08/19/2005 6:26:34 AM PDT
by
JIM O
To: NuclearDruid
What if the perp suffers a real, or imagined, injury during the arrest? Or what if the indidual himself is injured? Is the individual who aided the Cop covered for this libility?
I hate to even ask these questions, but let's face it, the lawyers are in control.
To: JIM O
To: hombre_sincero
big difference. i'll jump to help a neighbor, but if i see a cop arresting someone, i'm gonna stay back in case the cop turns out to be a jackboot thug and shoots ME thinking i'm attacking him.
18
posted on
08/19/2005 6:28:34 AM PDT
by
absolootezer0
("My God, why have you forsaken us.. no wait, its the liberals that have forsaken you... my bad")
To: NuclearDruid
I would put this in the same category as helping a drowning person. I am not a life guard and I am not a good swimmer. If I see someone who is in danger of drowning I am limited in what I can do to help in view of my lack of aquatic skills. As tempting as it might be, I have to remind myself that it will do no good for me to drown trying to save the other person. Regardless of the merit of my intentions if I act beyond my demonstrated abilities I will end up leaving a widow and three fatherless children behind. My actions would, however, benefit the local funeral home community.
In case of the law enforcement officer needing help I would be limited to using his/her radio or my cell phone to summon backup.
19
posted on
08/19/2005 6:30:07 AM PDT
by
jwpjr
To: NuclearDruid
The city state of Chicago is about 300 miles from Wood River.
Wood River is across the Mississippi River from St. Louis
20
posted on
08/19/2005 6:30:11 AM PDT
by
Tspud1
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