Posted on 07/01/2014 7:29:53 AM PDT by circlecity
From a news release:
Indianapolis - The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit Friday on behalf of a woman who was pulled over and interrogated after her bumper sticker caught the attention of Indianapolis police officers, violating her First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights.
On June 17, Pamela Konchinsky of Indianapolis was turning into the Merchants Garage on South Meridian Street in her silver Toyota minivan when two Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers entered the garage immediately behind her. One of the officers told Konchinsky that she was being detained because of a bumper sticker taped to the rear window of her minivan, which read: "Unmarked Police Car." The officer told Konchinsky that people would think she was impersonating a police officer and that someone might shoot her. After reviewing her license and registration, Konchinsky was ordered to get out of her car and remove the bumper sticker.
IMPD officers' subjecting Konchinsky to detention, questioning, intimidation and harassment over the message on her bumper sticker violates two constitutional amendments: the First Amendment protecting free expression and the Fourth Amendment prohibiting unreasonable and suspicionless seizures.
"We contend that the police officers who detained and interrogated our client without legal grounds to do so violated her constitutional rights, said ACLU of Indiana Staff Attorney Kelly Eskew. "The promise of our Constitution is that these lines cannot be crossed."
The lawsuit, Pamela Konchinsky v. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officers John Doe I and John Doe II, Cause No. 1:14-cv-1078,was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, on June 27, 2014.
Had a friend in college that drove a 1970s-ish Benz with a “KGB Staff Car” bumpersticker. Never caught any flack for it from the various Reagan-era law enforcement in the DC area ...
It was a public parking garage, they just followed her when she pulled off of the highway and into the complex.
I like the notion that the cops suggested she could get shot for having that sticker....
Are there a lot of shootings of cops sitting in their cars?
Marked or not?
It could be impersonation of a federal agent, after all. They are using a similar color scheme.
Sheesh! Is there any common sense still out there?
It was a joke that apparently the cops didn’t get.
If it was an unmarked police car, then it shouldn’t have a sign on it that said so..................
Who knew cops were so invested in reading bumper stickers? Can’t they go at the Coexist Crowd or, even worse, the Baby on Board crowd? Or the Honor Student Crowd, or the Stick Figure crowd?
I don’t agree. This is like wearing a t-shirt saying “undercover cop”. No unmarked police car would telegraph itself as such. That is just stupid.
I certainly agree. The cops were wrong here. But just to be on the safe side, I'm going to remove my "I brake for blondes" bumper sticker.
After all, some cop might think I'm advocating unsafe and reckless driving.
I guess there are enough that various cops are paranoid about being shot.
A dipshit. Here, I thought it was going to be something to really howl about - like getting pulled over for displaying a NOBAMA bumper sticker. I’m tempted, but there are too many freeking liberals around here who wouldn’t hesitate to do some damage. I had some wacko woman stop me in a parking lot a few years ago because I had one of those fish things on the rear end of my Jeep, except mine had ears, a tail, and feet like a cat (I’m a cat-nut). Called me everything in the book. I was one click away from calling the cops when she finally gave up and left.
You can buy FBI and CIA ballcaps from DC street vendors.
Iirc there was an actor on that cop show that was filmed in Baltimore who was pulled over wearing an FBI one. The cop saw the cap, said “Have a nice day, sir” got back in his cruiser and drove off ...
There is NO common sense in this country anymore. No sense of humor, either.
How about all those retired Ford Crown Victoria cruisers driven by some kid that adds a push bar in front and has the spotlight on the drivers side. Looks exactly like a patrol cruiser to me. Maybe we should just ban all those too.
***It belongs in the you cant yell fire in a crowded theater file.***
I’ve always wondered, what if there IS a fire in a theater.
We can do without the pointless insults here.
I believe that it was a public garage.
If a person has a “Baby on Board “ sticker on their car and none are, can the cops ask/order them to have it removed?
If it was an unmarked police car it would not have a bumper sticler
Do you really think that the police mark their unmarked vehicles with stickers that say “Unmarked police car”?
That was NOT a pointless insult.
It was an insult with a point!
Lighten up, Francis.
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