Deprivation of rights under color of law
Someone should introduce that concept to the Philly police:
With a shocking altercation between Philadelphia police and a 25-year-old IT worker putting the spotlight back on open-carry gun laws, local authorities are warning gun owners that they will be “inconvenienced” if they carry unconcealed handguns in the city.
Lt. Raymond Evers, a spokesman for the city police, told FoxNews.com that gun owners who open carry, which is legal in the city, may be asked to lay on the ground until officers feel safe while they check permits.
Someone should inconvenience the PD with a healthy lawsuit.
May 23rd, 2011 at 10:42 am
I like how ignorance of the law is no excuse for you and me but it actually IS an excuse for the cops.
May 23rd, 2011 at 10:50 am
If you drive a car in Philly you will be inconvenienced while officers pull you over and detain you long enough for them to feel safe on the road and check your license and criminal record.
May 23rd, 2011 at 11:45 am
If you speak your mind in Philly, you will be inconvenienced so that officers feel safe that you are not “inciting a riot”, “Conspiring to commit a crime”, or “committing slander” against the police.
May 23rd, 2011 at 12:02 pm
How about if CCW holders started proning out any cop they meet until they can be sure that the cop isn’t going to abuse them?
May 23rd, 2011 at 12:05 pm
I assume, then, that the authorities would be just as quick to support a volunteer militia that was making people in uniform lay on the ground until the militia can determine that they are genuine police and not impersonators?
May 23rd, 2011 at 12:19 pm
While the idea of making a police officer prone on the ground while you check their ID and call the station to confirm their identity, it would likely be counter productive. Giving them enough rope to hang themselves however would work out great. Sue the department and their policy will change quickly.
May 23rd, 2011 at 12:55 pm
I wonder CCW or OCW can “self identify” by proning out in front of every Philly officer they can find ?
Let the officers do this about 10 times a day each and see how quickly they tire out.
B.
May 23rd, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Ever hear of a bait car?
Well how about a ‘bait OCW’.
Have someone with a video camera film the police. But make sure the camera is well concealed. Sort of like Tom Cruise did in Mission Impossible.
That way they can’t take and destroy what they don’t see!
Can anyone say… “Good evening Mr. Phelps”?
May 23rd, 2011 at 2:41 pm
I thought they just had a fairly polite “protest march” experience with the local PD a week or so ago in Philly?
Is this a case of the news being its usual week or so behind?
May 23rd, 2011 at 6:41 pm
It’s called “harrassment”, and the Philly police have publicly stated that it is the intention of said police to practice it. The police will harrass people they suspect are obeying the law because the police do not like the law.
It seems to me that “Lt. Raymond Evers, a spokesman for the city police” should be the first witness for the plaintiff in the first lawsuit challenging this practice. It should be an open-and-shut case.
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:59 pm
I liked this statement:
So the real problem was that a citizen was recording his encounter with the police. How much you wanna bet that their tone would be very different if this recording wasn’t made?
May 23rd, 2011 at 10:12 pm
“Someone should inconvenience the PD with a healthy lawsuit.”
Deprivation of rights under color of law is a federal crime, not a civil matter;
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/242fin.htm
TITLE 18, U.S.C., SECTION 242
Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnaping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
May 24th, 2011 at 12:09 am
“…local authorities are warning gun owners that they >>>WILL<<< be “inconvenienced” if they carry unconcealed handguns in the city.” (Emphasis mine)
EXCELLENT! Since you have announced your intentions, we can tack on 18 USC 241, CONSPIRACY AGAINST RIGHTS (a Federal FELONY charge) to that 242 Deprivation charge.
Keep digging that hole fart-knocker.
May 24th, 2011 at 12:52 am
Oh man, this should help the lawsuit… since they stated that this is their policy.
May 26th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
How the hell does the Philly DA get away with charging Mark with ‘reckless endangerment’?
We need groups like the NRA and ACLU to do their jobs and yank hard on that leash while saying ‘HEEL!’ to the government. This kind of shit can’t go on.