To Protect and Serve? Apparently not in Baltimore

[robwbright]

http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/9229472/detail.html

"The first thing that she said to us was no -- you just ran that stop sign, pull over," Brook said. "It wasn't a big deal. We'll pay the stop sign violation, but can we have directions?"

"What she [police officer] said was 'You found your own way in here, you can find your own way out.'" Kelly said.

 

[tony91]

There are bad apples in every bunch.

 

[3KDXXR2]

There has to be more to the story, how could a police officer be that stupid?

 

[Vic]

how could a police officer be that stupid?

Have you ever been to Baltimore? :)

 

[FruDaddy]

That story sounds real fishy to me. I believe that there is much more to it that has been left untold.

 

[kdx200chick]

Could be that the frustration and anxiety level was extremely high. Maybe this couple didn't approach the police exactly as calmly as they should or could have...She had her father on the phone, lost and confused trying to get directions. If they had done something wrong, should they not have been charged with something??

I personally got lost in New Orleans once w/ my husband... We were driving in the WRONG part of town... We also found an officer sitting in a patrol car and instead of verbally giving us directions, he pointed toward the direction we needed to go. We left also frustrated since we didn't feel like we had a solid answer to our question.. But, we didn't want to hang around either!

 

[robwbright]

Have you ever been to Baltimore? :)

Or D.C.? I went to Law School in D.C.

Neither one of those are places I ever want to hang out again any time soon.

More coverage:

http://www.examiner.com/a-111572~Co...sing_hire_attorney__plan_to_sue_the_city.html

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.lost18may18,0,4774896.story?track=rss

 

[ls1cameric]

There has to be more to the story, how could a police officer be that stupid?

Sounds like some of the crooked redneck wilimason county cops around here!

< ADMIN EDIT: DO NOT USE THAT LANGUAGE ON THIS BOARD >

 

[FruDaddy]

I once found myself missplaced in SC, I missed a speed limit reduction and was stopped be the local law enforcement. After writing me a citation with carried a very large fine, he was happy to provide me with directions to the nearest interstate.
It is my understanding that the police can hold a person for a set amount of time without charging that person with anything. Often when a person tells a tale, that person will alter parts of the story to appear more like a victim.
Perhaps, and this is only speculation, this couple were being beligerant. Being that this couple were coming from a sporting event, it is quite possible that one, or both, of them had been drinking. If the officer had detected the presence of alcohol, he might have questioned the odor. It is possible that the lack of charges was and act of kindness and the overnight stay was a sobering exercise.

 

[ls1cameric]

Margaret Burns, spokeswoman for the State’s Attorney’s Office, said her office declined to prosecute the couple based on the arresting documents. “There are thousand of cases like this being thrown out every month,” Burns said. “In the month of February, we threw out 902 cases; in March, we threw out over 1,200 cases — that means 70 cases a day.”


Now tell me somebody's head isnt up thier ass! :whoa:

Curtis said that even though the charges were dropped, the couple will have a permanent record that can be expunged only if they agree not to sue. “It’s ridiculous and also unconstitutional.”

Thats where layers come into play. I'd take the hit and have some major cash in my wallet! B.S. none the less!

 

[ls1cameric]

It is my understanding that the police can hold a person for a set amount of time without charging that person with anything. Often when a person tells a tale, that person will alter parts of the story to appear more like a victim.
Perhaps, and this is only speculation, this couple were being beligerant. Being that this couple were coming from a sporting event, it is quite possible that one, or both, of them had been drinking. If the officer had detected the presence of alcohol, he might have questioned the odor. It is possible that the lack of charges was and act of kindness and the overnight stay was a sobering exercise.

I dont think thats the case at all. You have to be charged with something for them to hold you at all. They can later drop the charges but they cant just walk up and arrest someone standing on the street and later release them for no reason at all which appears to be the case in this story. And Nowhere does it state anything about the couple drinking. I'm sure that would have been the defense of the officer if that were true.

What's more likely to be the issue here, is that the b*tch cop was having a bad day and wanted to screw someone so she did and now she's probably going to get a slap on the wrist and turn around and do it to another unexpecting person in a month or so!

 

[FruDaddy]

I think it's more that you have to be suspected of something. I have noted that nobody has mentioned alcohol. I really have no idea what really happened, and probably never will. If I do learn the truth, I'm sure it will be interesting.
Of course, if the couple were instructed to leave, they should have at least driven out of the cops sight.

 

[robwbright]

From what I can see on a demographics map (and correct me if I'm wrong), Cherry Hill is an area with a very high African American population.

When I was living in DC, I missed a stop on the subway and ended up taking the train to Anacostia (perhaps the highest crime section of D.C. and very low percentage of whites). I was the only white person left on the train, and had to get off at the last stop and wait 5-10 minutes for the next train to come.

I was in a significant degree of fear when waiting for the next train to get me out of there.

On another occasion, two unsavory characters attempted to mug me on 13th and Massachusetts one night when I was walking home from school. It's not a pleasant experience or environment.

Here's my theory of what happened in the Baltimore situation:

Those kids who got lost in Cherry Hill were probably highly stressed in that neighborhood because they were afraid. They probably rolled through the stop sign because they were stressed by the situation and/or relieved to see a police officer. I haven't seen a pic, but it's likely that the officer was African American given the demographics of the area.

The officer probably treated them with some measure of contempt when informing them they were getting a ticket (as many officers do) and the kids got a bit mouthy or insistent. The officer then became belligerent and refused to give them directions. The situation escalated from there.

Even if the kids were mouthy, it's not NECESSARY to put them in jail. That's RIDICULOUS.

 

[robwbright]

This area of the law is gradually changing as the government is slowly undermining the Constitutional protections of the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments. However, the following is my understanding of the law as it currently exists:

First:

A police officer has no right to detain you unless there exists reasonable suspicion that you committed a crime or traffic violation. However, a police officer is always allowed to initiate a voluntary conversation with you. Sometimes it is unclear whether or not a person is detained. If you are in doubt, you should ask the police officer if you are in fact free to leave.

Second:

You are never required to consent to a search. If a police officer has a search warrant, you must permit the search. However, if a search warrant has not yet been obtained, you should insist the officer obtain one before you voluntarily allow a search. The fact that you insist upon a search warrant does not mean you have something to hide. Rather, it is a confirmation of the constitutional concept that police do not have the right to arbitrarily conduct searches of your property.

 

[ls1cameric]

You are never required to consent to a search. If a police officer has a search warrant, you must permit the search. However, if a search warrant has not yet been obtained, you should insist the officer obtain one before you voluntarily allow a search. The fact that you insist upon a search warrant does not mean you have something to hide. Rather, it is a confirmation of the constitutional concept that police do not have the right to arbitrarily conduct searches of your property.

Yeah thats supposed to be the case. They CAN search your property for probable cause. Meaning that if they ask to search your car and you refuse, then your obviously hiding something and therefore they have "probable cause" to search w/out a warrant being issued.
I know from personal experience. maybe thats just Texas though.

 

[FruDaddy]

No, ls1, that's a loophole that allows the law to be manipulated.
Rob, you theory sounds plausible, do you think the young couple might have been stupid enough to make threats, or even touch the officer. Having not heard the officers full statement, and knowing that the media loves to manipulate things (Durhamtown Plantation), I am not yet ready to comdemn the cop, but the couple's complaint may have merit. It also seems that the female would have been OK had she not refused to leave her man.

 

[skunk30]

Yeah thats supposed to be the case. They CAN search your property for probable cause. Meaning that if they ask to search your car and you refuse, then your obviously hiding something and therefore they have "probable cause" to search w/out a warrant being issued.
I know from personal experience. maybe thats just Texas though.

It's that way in Georgia too you wouldn't beleive some of the b.s laws around here

 

[380EXCman]

This stuff really gets under my skin, admittedly though I have a problem with authority.

However it is made worse when I hear about these kinds of stories. This type of abuse happens more often that some people like to believe. Many people write it off and say that there is a bad one in every bunch. In my mind this should not be the case. These people are placed in positions of authority and are suppose to honorable and trust worthy. If and when they fail to due there job properly they should be relieved of duty. No ifs ands or buts. What makes these types of situations even worse is the protection and support they get from a majority of their co-workers. Those fellow officers in my opinion are no better and in some ways worse than the offending officer.

 

[snobdrbutch]

as someone that lives in the baltimore area and works with some of the baltimore police on a regular basis i have to say that i am probally 85% sure that the way its being told is the way it probally went down. i ve been thru that part of bmore and it is not pretty at all and i was a little scared ( let me ad that i am 6'2" and 240lb and am a federal law officer) but i know quite a few officers that really dont want to be bothered and the officer might of been having a bad day it happens who knows but she did come across two white kids in a well known drug hot spot and they probally asked for directions to get out of there and she could of thought they were there to get drugs or something. now i have heard that in baltimore they can hold you up to 24hrs. on any thing but if you are held longer they have to release you unless you see a judge. i dont know if i feel the cop was right but she did have every reason in the world to stop them and search and question them for being there but locking them up was a little much. especially if they didnt have anything. oh and one more tid bit i learned about this story while they were both in central booking for 8 hrs. there car that was left on the side of the road. well it was broken into and everything was taken and the car was trashed. WELCOME TO BALTIMORE!!! :moon: