The police are running amok.

posted by The Vidiot @ 5:24 PM Permalink

Seriously. Have you noticed? You're not even allowed to scream obscenities at your clogged toilet anymore.

Excerpt: A Scranton woman who allegedly shouted profanities at her overflowing toilet within earshot of a neighbour was cited for disorderly conduct, authorities said. Dawn Herb could face up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $300.

Also, even if you're a kid, you're not allowed to write on the sidewalks with chalk anymore. Really. I'm not kidding.

Excerpt: A 6-year-old Park Slope girl is facing a $300 fine from the city for doing what city kids have been doing for decades: drawing a pretty picture with common sidewalk chalk.

And this guy is suing the police department because they went all SWAT team on him for videotaping an unwarranted search of his neighbor's house.

Excerpt: When one woman was told to stop recording, she gave the videocamera to Waterhouse. He walked to the edge of the property, climbed up a dirt embankment and continued to record. At one point, he yelled to his friend, "Yes, I got it all on film. They had no right to come on this property."

He says in the suit that police immediately came after him, and yelled at him "put it down." Officers moved towards him, and he said, "Don't come after me." Waterhouse said seconds later he was shot with a bean bag gun and a Taser and fell to the ground.

I don't know what to make it of it. It's ridiculous on one hand, but on the other, it's totally frightening. When did we lose our common sense? Are the cops getting stupider? Have we become such sheep that even the most minor of bullies feels like he can act like an animal to control us? Have we always been like this and I'm just noticing it or is this a new phenomenon?

The only think I know for sure is that I do not like where this is going at all.

Addendum from The Sailor: Regarding The Vidiot's last example I just want to add the police version:

Officers wrote in their reports that Waterhouse ran off, they chased and then bean-bagged and Tasered him. One officer wrote, "He had refused to drop the camera which could be used as a weapon."

They lied. As you can see from the video, he didn't run. And the camera was only a 'weapon' because they thought it was aimed at their careers.

(Private note to Vid: (Hey, I said it was private, stop reading!) You asked "Have we always been like this and I'm just noticing it or is this a new phenomenon?"

We've always been like this, but given the example from the WH, it is worse now than ever.)

Labels: police state