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Drivers of White Vans are being treated as criminals
Vanity | Self

Posted on 10/20/2002 7:48:19 AM PDT by SamAdams76

The photos above currently on the Drudge site concern me. I followed the link and the article clearly stated that nobody was arrested last night.

Why then, do we have drivers of white vans, innocent civilians, evidently being pulled out vans at gunpoint and treated like dangerous criminals? One photo shows a man on the ground, evidently in handcuffs, with police officers standing over him as though they have just captured Whitey Bulger. When I first saw the photo, I figured the man was obviously a wanted criminal that police just so happened to come across during their search. But since there were no arrests last night, this man was obviously released and was no criminal after all.

The other photo shows a man by another white van with his hands in the air and a police officer has a gun drawn on him. Again, this was evidently just another innocent civilian who had the misfortune to be driving a white van on I-95 last night.

Now I understand the need for these roadblocks and for the police to be very thorough in their search for the sniper(s). But I cannot see the point of innocent people dragged out of their vehicles at gunpoint with no pretext other than the fact that they happen to be driving a white van.

Now maybe somebody here has an explanation why these two individuals were treated like criminals. Maybe they tried to evade the police or maybe they were driving stolen vans. But again, there were no arrests made last night. So what is the deal with our citizens being treated like Jesse James just for driving a white van?


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: Virginia
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To: HairOfTheDog
I agree that the best chance for catching this/these guy(s) will be that a relative or a friend speaks up.

Look how well they carried off their plane hijacking plans for Sept 11, 2001 and not one snitched. Those were elaborate enough plans, they were enrolled for months in flight schools specifically with that one goal in mind. There had to be recruitment efforts to find 19 hijackers (likely more). The secrecy they managed to keep worked.

101 posted on 10/20/2002 9:08:40 AM PDT by FITZ
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To: luvtheconstitution
Your argument is moronic.

And your handle is ironic.

102 posted on 10/20/2002 9:09:32 AM PDT by NittanyLion
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To: soozla
I say lets work together proactively with the law enforcement agencies i.e. be alert, attentive and observant so you can provide good clues and help to bring this person/persons down..................worry about the "civil rights violations" after the perp is caught!

Yep lets take all guns away from everyone! Right now the ATF, FBI, and the CIA should be busting down every single door to make shure that they do not have any guns. If they do shoot and ask questions later...maybe they will get the sniper!

Thousands of americans were killed last year in murders yet less then 15 people die and all of a sudden some of you morons want to turn this country into nazi germany.
103 posted on 10/20/2002 9:10:00 AM PDT by Brush_Your_Teeth
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To: Alamo-Girl
He says that policemen must anticipate that a person they just pulled over might attempt to use lethal force on them.

That only makes sense, doesn't it? But to hear some tell it, that's a violation of their rights, even to ASSUME that.

Police officers have a thankless job and are in a no win situation. My hat, if I had one, goes off to them. I cannot imagine what this country would be like without them. I am positive your relative has your complete support.

104 posted on 10/20/2002 9:10:08 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: SamAdams76
Bump
105 posted on 10/20/2002 9:11:25 AM PDT by Fiddlstix
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To: GirlShortstop
Well, your own hypothetical says that the case would be tossed if it was an improper search.
106 posted on 10/20/2002 9:11:33 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: EggsAckley
Yes, but I remember back in the sixties when all hippies called cops pigs, wished for revolution/anarchy, "lived" to create distractions/stalls in LE investigations......sounds vaguely like you guys on this thread.

Show me where. Other than criticizing the tactics used, I have nothing but respect for law enforcement officers.

107 posted on 10/20/2002 9:12:02 AM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: Howlin
I think we need to police to protect their own lives, I'm just afraid looking for the lone nutcase sniper in the white van isn't the right approach. It's probably more complex and if there's a group behind this, they're probably using white vans as decoys or hiding them immediately.
108 posted on 10/20/2002 9:12:52 AM PDT by FITZ
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To: Howlin
your own hypothetical says that the case would be tossed if it was an improper search.   Question posed was:  Possible?
109 posted on 10/20/2002 9:13:34 AM PDT by GirlShortstop
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To: Howlin
Thank you for your reply!

Police officers have a thankless job and are in a no win situation. My hat, if I had one, goes off to them. I cannot imagine what this country would be like without them. I am positive your relative has your complete support.

I agree with you absolutely and yes, he has my full support. He has already lost one friend from the academy who wasn't "on his toes" - my relative will not make that mistake.

110 posted on 10/20/2002 9:14:06 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: per loin
But the brilliant minds running this keystone cop operation havn't figured that out yet.

So your plan is sit back and wait for somebody to turn him/her/them in?

111 posted on 10/20/2002 9:15:11 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: SamAdams76
Bump
112 posted on 10/20/2002 9:15:36 AM PDT by Fiddlstix
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To: SamAdams76
What tactics should the officers use? Should they approach the vehicles with Tootsie Rolls and collection jars?
113 posted on 10/20/2002 9:15:41 AM PDT by Velveeta
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To: FITZ
Your scenario works for me.
114 posted on 10/20/2002 9:16:04 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: Brush_Your_Teeth; soozla
That is NOT what soozla said. But I guess you were just looking for somewhere, anywhere to post that rant, eh?
115 posted on 10/20/2002 9:17:58 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: SamAdams76
People are now getting a taste of thier own venom. MANY here cheer and hoot when a "drug suspect" is treated like a mass murderer, even when it turns out said suspect is totally innocent of any crime. Even when innocent people are shot dead during these so-called "no knock" raids, many find it just a small price to pay for the "war on drugs".

Well people, the same tactics and police state mentality are being applied in this case, so don't be so upset....

116 posted on 10/20/2002 9:18:07 AM PDT by FormerLurker
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To: GirlShortstop
I don't "do" hypotheticals. We're talking about what is happening here.
117 posted on 10/20/2002 9:19:02 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: FITZ
It's beginning to seem more and more like terrorists to me, too. It's just to darn "slick," IMO. After all, they used our own "laws" and "resources" against us before. Why not now.

Richmond is AWFULLY close to Raleigh, you know?

118 posted on 10/20/2002 9:20:17 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: Velveeta
What tactics should the officers use? Should they approach the vehicles with Tootsie Rolls and collection jars?

When one runs out of arguments to make, they usually resort to absurdities like the one made here.

Do you support repealing the 2nd Amendment? No? Then you must support handing out loaded guns to teenagers at shopping malls.

That's just as silly as the argument you just made. Please try to engage your brain next time.

119 posted on 10/20/2002 9:20:52 AM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: FITZ
Look how well they carried off their plane hijacking plans for Sept 11, 2001 and not one snitched. Those were elaborate enough plans, they were enrolled for months in flight schools specifically with that one goal in mind. There had to be recruitment efforts to find 19 hijackers (likely more). The secrecy they managed to keep worked. The secrecy they managed to keep worked.

I know it worked! Masterfully. Look, it is really easy to be a bad guy in this country and not get caught. It is one of the features of a free society. The police have just had a really hard job put in their laps. Our best hope is still that our sniper has a girlfriend he hasn't been treating very well, or that they will make a mistake driving away from one of these shootings. I hope one of those things happens soon. Because this is a threat to us. There is a tiny chance of getting shot by him, but there is a higher chance that this kind of crime spree, unsolved and continuing, will erode the patience of the public, and their target will be our guns... It will be the only thing they think they can do.

120 posted on 10/20/2002 9:20:52 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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