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?

[PatrioticAmerican]

So, in your support of this broad-based search, they did find the guy, right? I mean, after having stopped thousands of vehicles on the highways and searching an untold number of vehicles, arresting people with their face on the pavement and handcuffed, they did find this guy, right? In your opinion, this action was the absolute necessity in finding the perps, so where are they? It was all worth it, right?

Totalitarianism isn’t the answer to a problem, it is a problem. There are far smarter and more effective ways to catch these bad guys. The cops are taking the easy way out, and without any measurable results.

The dragnet was doomed to fail as it could not possibly have stopped any vehicle when it was in place more than fifteen minutes after the shooting. I am sure the people think this is all worth it. Fifteen minutes and probably not less than 5 miles away, and 28 square miles of area to search. Yeah, several dragnets later and no bad guy, but the search is all worth it.

[The Mayor]

This is getting a little close to home.

The other day there was a call out for a suspicious white van in the area where I was going. Cops were sent out in force. I stayed home a little longer and then took the back way to where I had to go.

This is my van

Maybe these stickers will help me out. I can only hope.

[SamAdams76]

I have seen numerous posts on numerous threads advocating closing the borders, rounding up all non-citizens from Arab/Islamic countries and physically deporting them. I have also seen numerous such posts that go to include the forced deportation (on pain of imprisonment) all citizens or green-card holders of Arab/Islamic descent.

What does that have to do with the subject at hand? Deporting non-citizens is not even in the same ballpark as rousting citizens out of their vehicles at gunpoint because of the color van they happen to be driving. The United States has the right to deport non-citizens and none of those advocating deportation have suggested shoving them into the ground face-first at the point of a gun, to my recollection.

[southern rock]

Yeah, you harmless creeps who sit around blowing smoke while the real men are out on the streets are too funny.

LOL! Yeah, "real men" too afraid to approach a fellow citizen unless they make that fellow citizen play a little game of Simon Says first, right? Face it, most cops are to afraid to approach someone that is on equal footing with them, i.e. freedom of movement, much less armed.

[HairOfTheDog]

You've done this successfully before? What was your plan for catching the sniper you caught?

[DAnconia55]

The police routinely lock up criminals until their trial is over -- we don't know if they are innocent or guilty yet, but we lock them up. And it's OK.

LOL! DoubleSpeak is good! DoublePlusGood!

Amazing..... we're so screwed. Our children will be slaves forever, because 'adults' don't understand liberty, or apparently even the meaning of words.

[HairOfTheDog]

Afraid? - You bet... Prepared... yes, that is what will hopefully save them.

If you are investigating something potentially very risky within your jurisdiction, like perhaps noises coming from your toolshed at night, do you walk out gun holstered? - Or a little more ready to respond than that?

[McGavin999]

Oh! Well, then, let's all just give up. I'll go shopping for my burqa and you can start practicing praying 5 times a day with your butt in the air.

[southern rock]

They are following exactly the procedure that keeps cops alive when approaching an unknown but quite reasonably risky situation. The minute we corner the right guy I hope they are ready for anything.

So not only is "safety" more important than liberty to you, but a cop's safety is paramount? Figures.

[Howlin]

LOL!

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

WEll. Face down in the street certainly adds to the seediness factor. So in one sense I guess the answer to your question is yes. It is just possibly a great truth that appearance is reality. Just a thought.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

The point is that there are those here regularly who advocate things that are far greater impositions, and far more permanent impositions, on the right of citizens and green card holders than being temporarily removed from a vehicle [at gun point or not, given this circumstance if the officer doesn't have his gun out and ready to use he's simply asking to be killed in the line of duty], while it is being searched, and then being released to go on their merry way.

[Darlin']

Have you been keeping up with the sniping deaths in the DC area ?

[HairOfTheDog]

Safety and liberty are both very important to me. Liberty is not very much fun without safety. And safety includes hiring cops to go take out as many of the bad guys as they can. And safety means cops with procedures that allow for both safety to themselves while trying to stop a killer leaving the scene of a shooting, and safety to the people in the van, by ensuring that they are given clear instructions to follow to ensure that while tension is high they do not do anything inside a dark van that could be misinterpreted in the split-second a cop has to save his own life.

[McGavin999]

LOL! Yeah, "real men" too afraid to approach a fellow citizen unless they make that fellow citizen play a little game of Simon Says first, right?

Yeah, I noticed how safe we all are with YOU around. Sigh!

[Darlin']

Dude ! Alright. Well said.

[DAnconia55]

Better brush up on your debate skills.

What debate skills? Photo posting skills, maybe...

[Rebelbase]

That pink text is hard to read.

[HairOfTheDog]

a cop's safety is paramount? Figures.

Of course. I would not hire a cop and send him out on the streets to find the kind of dangerous wackjobs they have to deal with without making their safety paramount.

Who would take the job you have offered, given the complete lack of respect for their work and concern for their safety you have given them?

[Rebelbase]

"It would be able to read the fine print on my cell phone agreement. Well, maybe not that good."

And quite a few people would probably want to cover the skylights in their bathrooms.