Drivers of White Vans are being treated as criminals

Vanity | Self

[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?

[sweetliberty]

"...while I'm still in the terror camp, the one arguement that is most persuasive against it is that the perp(s) seem to have a great knowledge of the "local" area(s). Something a long-time resident would have"

I think we have seen that sleeper cells could have been here for many years or even have been American born, as were the the ones in Buffalo. In my opinion this does nothing to diminish the possibility of terrorism. The last time I was in the Washington DC area was probably about 14 years ago and even then I was overwhelmed by the number of mideasterners there.

[Howlin]

Yeah, I saw that. Right out of Tom Clancy.

[eddie willers]

There is NOTHING unreasonable about asking to search a vehicle of whatever color on a street that has been used as an escape route immediately following another bloody and senseless crime.

Good comment
Good post.

[GirlShortstop]

Are you saying that if we don't happen to be cops, then we should not comment on their actions?   Point blank question... good one!

[HairOfTheDog]

Another excellent post!

If we don't start pulling together as a country we're never going to defeat the threats we are facing. Bashing the police for trying to protect us under these circumstances are not only counterproductive, they are downright dangerous.

[McGavin999]

Sorry, big guy but the right to question authority is a basic necessity for a free society. Obviously, your opinion is that ANYTHING is justified in police work.

Yeah, you harmless creeps who sit around blowing smoke while the real men are out on the streets are too funny. BTW "big guy" I'm a woman, but since you weren't bright enough to figure that out, maybe it's best that you allow the real men to be out on the streets protecting us.

[Iron Eagle]

I just read post 256. Thank you. My thoughts exactly. Boy, I love when I get Constitutional and legal interpretations from some of these folks who have NO, and I mean NO, idea about which they speak. My favorite is when they tell me because I am a lawyer, I have become part of the system that corrupts teh true meaning of the Constitution. I had one guy tell me my only job as a lawyer is to know the Constitution backwards and forwards.

The debate has turned south here since I first started lurking in 1999. I keep coming back though, because 10 the people amaze me and 2) it is still great place to see breaking news from multiple sources.

[GirlShortstop]

the perp walked up and shot him exectution-style in the back of the head. He died in the street.   is that yabba-jabba-mumia-jamal?  Yuck, the thought of him!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for sharing your experience!

These tragedies are why policemen are alert and why my LE relative strongly suggests to:

1. turn on the interior lights of the vehicle,
2. put both hands on the steering wheel, and
3. never, ever 'smart mouth' the cop

In the above pictures, I cannot see whether the interior lights were turned on in either vehicle. That simple act makes a lot of difference.

[Howlin]

First of all, the police should be doing stakeouts at every restaurant, gas station and shopping mall possible along I-95.

Okay; get started! :-)

INTERSTATE 95

• Number of Miles- 1907
  • Florida- 381 miles
  • Georgia- 112 miles
  • South Carolina- 201 miles
  • North Carolina- 183 miles
  • Virginia- 178 miles
  • Maryland- 110 miles
  • Delaware- 26 miles
  • Pennsylvania- 58 miles
  • New Jersey- 44 miles (see note)
  • New York- 29 miles
  • Connecticut- 118 miles
  • Rhode Island- 47 miles
  • Massachusetts- 97 miles
  • New Hampshire- 17 miles
  • Maine- 306 miles
• Southern End- Miami, FL at US 1
• Northern End- Houlton, ME at the Canadian border
• Major Cities Along the Route-
  • Miami, FL
  • Jacksonville, FL
  • Savannah, GA
  • Richmond, VA
  • Washington, DC
  • Baltimore, MD
  • Wilmington, DE
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Newark, NJ
  • New York, NY
  • New Haven, CT
  • Providence, RI
  • Boston, MA
  • Portland, ME
• Intersections with other Interstates
  • I-4 in Daytona Beach, FL
  • I-10 in Jacksonville, FL
  • I-16 in Savanna, GA
  • I-26 near Harleyville, SC
  • I-20 in Florence, SC
  • I-40 in Benson, NC
  • I-85 in Petersburg, VA
  • I-64 in Richmond, VA
  • I-76 in Philadelphia, PA
  • I-78 in Newark, NJ
  • I-80 in Teaneck, NJ
  • I-87 in New York, NY
  • I-91 in New Haven, CT
  • I-93 in Dedham, MA
  • I-90 in Newton, MA
  • I-93 in Woburn, MA
• Spur Routes-
  • Miami, FL- I-195, I-395, I-595
  • Jacksonville, FL- I-295
  
  
  
  • Richmond, VA- I-195, I-295
  • Washington, DC- I-295, I-395, I-495
  • Baltimore, MD- I-195, I-395. I-695, I-795, I-895
  • Wilmington, DE to Trenton, NJ- I-295
  • Wilmington, DE- I-495
  • Spur to NJ shore points- I-195
  • New York, NY- I-295, I-495, I-695, I-895
  • Spur to Worcester, MA- I-395
  • Providence, RI- I-295
  • Spur to Eastern MA from Providence, RI- I-195
  • Wareham, MA to Amesbury, MA- I-495
  • Portland, ME- I-295
  • Spur through Lewiston ME, I-495
  • Bangor, ME- I-395

[Howlin]

It has been reported that there were NO arrests made that night.

It was also "reported" that his guy was 60 years old. He wasn't.

[GirlShortstop]

I'm saying that you can't sit at your keyboard and complain about someone being dragged out of a van when you have no idea what was said or what the circumstances are.    Problem... you speak of "have no idea what was said or what the circumstances are".    Do *you* know all of the circumstances? If not, you are not in a position to blast someone for raising questions or commenting on what they've seen.

[Wonder Warthog]

"When will the strict Constitutionalists bark that it is illegal to bring in federal troops to catch a criminal? (And it isn't illegal. The military CAN help in a civilian investigation, as long as they do not participate in the actual arrest)."

Unless "federalized" (i.e. called into active duty), the National Guard answers to STATE government, so the governors of Virginia and Maryland could certainly use the NG in this mode if they choose to do so. This has been done in the past.

[PatrioticAmerican]

" esquire", a faggy way of sying that you are a lawyer?

So, no, probable cause is not a description of "stop all white vehicles", and if you think otherwise, state the reference. I'd love to hear it.

[Howlin]

First of all, the idea that we can do these things come from watching too many movies.

EXACTLY!!

[sweetliberty]

"Use intelligence satellites to monitor the area, and record all data to disk. Once a shooting occurs, determine the trajectory, locate the position that the sniper fired from, then zoom in on that area to see the sniper arrive at the site and then leave."

Sounds simple and logical in theory, but is it really and if so then why the h*ll aren't they doing that? And do we know that they aren't?

[Howlin]

Obviously not ALL drivers of white vans are being "busted".

Isn't THAT the truth. Judging from just the white vans I see, people would be lying in the road from Maine to Florida if that was the case!

[PatrioticAmerican]

"That you know of..."

As a space systems professional, I can honestly say that no GEO bird sees people on earth. Of course, there are plenty of LEO birds that can.

[McGavin999]

I’d like to respond with this: Why don’t YOU go out there and make find the guy instead of cowering behind the police to do your dirty work for you? I don’t see your butt out there anywhere, but you sure do think that the rest of us ought to put up with anything the police might want to do.

First of all, I'm not the one complaining about the job the police are doing, you are. Second of all, I DO carry and if necessary, I would hit what I aimed at. AND, I'm bright enough that if I was stopped immediately following a crime, I would not only let them search my van, I would show them where I keep my gun, and give them my permit. I take care of myself when necessary, but allow the professionals to do their job. That's what we pay them for. We do not pay them to risk their lives while we carp about how they're performing. That's so September 10th, or haven't you heard?