Plain, Oh course, alcohol is a drug. Just because it's legal does not been it's not abused.
On Nov 3, 8:54 am, plainolamerican <[email protected]> wrote: > Random and frequent drug testing as well > --- > does that include alcohol? > > On Nov 3, 8:48 am, Hollywood <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > plain, > > > Random and frequent drug testing as well. Who gives a fucK if the > > french fry salter at McD's is high? I want to make sure that heavily > > armed cop isn't higher than a Georgia pine. > > > On Nov 2, 11:05 pm, plainolamerican <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > true > > > > screening police officers should be improved > > > the same goes for soldiers and politicians > > > > On Nov 2, 12:21 pm, Hollywood <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Plain, > > > > > Well certainly not in this incidence. > > > > > On Nov 2, 11:56 am, plainolamerican <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > NEVER Seek “Help” from the State’s Armed Enforcers > > > > > --- > > > > > not good advice > > > > > > remember, they are the good guys, most of the time > > > > > > On Nov 1, 12:57 pm, "M. Johnson" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > NEVERSeek “Help” from the State’s Armed EnforcersPosted byWilliam > > > > > > Griggon November 1, 2009 08:03 AM > > > > > > Niles Leo Meservey, a 51-year-old resident of Stanwood, Washington, > > > > > > was drunk and belligerent when he slumped into the seat behind the > > > > > > steering wheel of his Corvette last June 10. > > > > > > Meservey had been cut off by the bartender after he had inflicted > > > > > > his unwanted attention on a couple of women at a nearby club, > > > > > > briefly dragging one of them onto the dance floor. > > > > > > Several people were worried about the prospect of the intoxicated > > > > > > man attempting to drive home when he clearly presented a risk to > > > > > > himself and others. One of them, Trisha Tribble,called 911. > > > > > > “We’re really concerned about a guy leaving the parking lot of > > > > > > Chuckwagon [Inn] on Evergreen Way in a white Corvette, he’s > > > > > > extremely intoxicated,” Tribble told the dispatcher. > > > > > > Several officers from the Everett Police Department soon arrived; > > > > > > among them were Troy Meade, an 11-year-veteran, and Officer Steven > > > > > > Klocker. Meade arrived at about 11:39 PM; Klocker reached the scene > > > > > > a little less than five minutes later. > > > > > > At the time Officer Meade arrived, Meservey was hedged in by cars > > > > > > on either side of his Corvette, and cut off by a parking lot fence > > > > > > in front of him. Meade pulled up behind Meservey’s car, effectively > > > > > > boxing him in. > > > > > > Joanne Hancock, who was smoking outside the Chuckwagon Inn when the > > > > > > police arrived, went inside to tell others concerned about Meservey > > > > > > that “They’ve got him!” The news prompted a small group of people > > > > > > to go outside to watch the arrest. > > > > > > By the time Klocker arrived to provide “backup,” Meade had spent > > > > > > perhaps five minutes trying to convince Meservey to get out of the > > > > > > car. Klocker would laterreportthat Meade’s tone and attitude toward > > > > > > the intoxicated man were “belligerent,” and that he “used language > > > > > > which made him [Klocker] uncomfortable because of the nearby > > > > > > civilians.” > > > > > > “I don’t know why the f**k I am trying to save your dumb ass,” > > > > > > Meade snarled at Meservey, according to Klocker’s account. > > > > > > Both Meade and Klocker withdrew their portable electro-shock > > > > > > torture devices (more commonly called Tasers). Meade, who was > > > > > > closest to the driver, shot Meservey with his Taser through the > > > > > > open driver’s side window, inflicting two separate strikes one five > > > > > > seconds long, the other six seconds’ duration. > > > > > > “Why in the f**k did you do that?” muttered the drunken man, who > > > > > > predictably enough didn’t want to stick around for any more abuse. > > > > > > He reached for his keys and started the car, but he had nowhere to > > > > > > go: It lurched over a concrete curb and ran into an unyielding > > > > > > chain-link fence. > > > > > > Bear in mind, once again, that Meservey was entirely boxed in. It > > > > > > was possible, albeit with some difficulty, for Officer Meade to > > > > > > reach through the window and seize the car keys, rather than > > > > > > escalating the situation by using potentially deadly force. > > > > > > But Meade’s pointless escalation didn’t stop with the two Taser > > > > > > strikes. > > > > > > After Meservey’s brief attempt to drive away, Meade according to > > > > > > the official police account took up a position near the left rear > > > > > > wheel of the Corvette, and pulled his gun. > > > > > > “Time to end this,” bellowed Meade, according to Klocker. “Enough > > > > > > is enough.” From a distance of six to seven feet, Meade fired eight > > > > > > shots into the car, murdering Meservey. > > > > > > When several other police officers arrived a few minutes later, > > > > > > Meade was seen pacing back and forth near the murder scene. > > > > > > “I’m out of it,” he exclaimed to one of the new arrivals. “I want > > > > > > my Garrity.” > > > > > > The“Garrity Rule”adapted from the 1967 Supreme Court rulingGarrity > > > > > > v. New Jersey, which involved a ticket-fixing scandal triggers an > > > > > > enhancement of the right against self-incrimination that only the > > > > > > government’s armed enforcers enjoy: Any statements made after the > > > > > > magical Garrity incantation is uttered can only be used for the > > > > > > purpose of a departmental investigation, not for criminal > > > > > > prosecution. > > > > > > Klocker, who witnessed the entire incident, pointed out to > > > > > > investigators that when Meservey’s body was pulled from the car, > > > > > > the prongs of Officer Meade’s Taser were still firmly embedded in > > > > > > his shoulder. > > > > > > “I’m thinking as I ‘m dragging him … why didn’t we [shock] him > > > > > > again?”Klocker told investigators.If escalation had been > > > > > > “necessary,” Klocker thought, Meade would have used the Taser > > > > > > again, or resorted to pepper spray. “I would never have shot > > > > > > [Meservey]… I don’t think we had reached that level of force yet,” > > > > > > Klocker concluded. > > > > > > What seems obvious to someone not indoctrinated in the state’s view > > > > > > of discretionary killing is this:There was no reason to use force > > > > > > of any kind in this situation, beyond the minimal amount necessary > > > > > > to take the keys away from Meservey. Once that was accomplished, > > > > > > the intoxicated man had nowhere to go, and it would have been a > > > > > > matter of patiently waiting for him to leave his car, or fall > > > > > > asleep. > > > > > > Rather that choosing an approach of that kind, Meade (who was > > > > > > involved in a prior lethal shooting a few years ago) went up the > > > > > > escalation ladder very quickly vaulting from confrontational and > > > > > > abusive language to lethal violence within a matter of minutes. > > > > > > Meade did provide an ironic service of sorts by offering such a > > > > > > compelling display of the fact that citizens face the risk of > > > > > > lethal violence ineveryencounter they have with law enforcement > > > > > > personnel. Making that point was obviously not worth the price of a > > > > > > man’s life. > > > > > > Meservey’s daughter has filed a $15 million wrongful death claim > > > > > > against Everett.Meade has been charged with first-degree > > > > > > manslaughterand placed on paid vacation (aka “administrative > > > > > > leave”); unlike a private citizen charged with lethally shooting an > > > > > > unarmed man six times in the back, Meade is loose on his own > > > > > > recognizance.Meade’s attorney defends the murderas the result of a > > > > > > “split-second decision” (it wasn’t, as we’ve seen) and predicts, > > > > > > with tragically justifiable confidence, that the officer will be > > > > > > acquitted in court.It’s entirely likely that Meade wouldn’t have > > > > > > been indicted if it weren’t for rising public concern over recent > > > > > > police shootings in Everett. > > > > > > Trisha Tribble, who called 911, was mortified by the death of > > > > > > Meservey, whom she described as “this drunken guy, [who] was > > > > > > obviously out of his mind.” > > > > > > “There was no reason for him to die,” she commented after the > > > > > > slaying. > > > > > > And that was the trouble with Tribble’s actions the night of June > > > > > > 10: Any time we seek “help” from the state’s armed enforcers, we’re > > > > > > effectively inviting them to use lethal force. > > > > > > (Thanks to LRC reader J.C. Warren for the tip.)- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
