Bizarre, Criminal law

Meet Officer James Kuehnlein

I just saw this video which reportedly shows an abusive encounter between a citizen, Brett Darrow, 20, and St. George (Mo.) Police Sergeant James Kuehnlein. Kuehnlein is reported to have lost his job after this evidence was reviewed from 2007.


The question is what would have happened if there was no such videotaped evidence? As we see the continuing trend of officers arresting people for filming them in public, this video is a chilling reminder of value of such evidence. The officer is heard taunting Darrow with his ability to charge him with virtually any crime — relying on the fact that it would only be his word against the driver’s. He was mistaken.

12 thoughts on “Meet Officer James Kuehnlein”

  1. Every cop who does this should be shot!! There are too many who abuse power and do nothing productive. The spend their time writing speeding tickets, harrassing and arresting harmless people while the thugs, rapists, murderers and drug lords run free!

  2. Brett,

    Thanks for both the update and your work in bringing this criminal with a badge to light.

  4. Officer Friendly, to be sure…

    (As others have said, “tape” these thugs.)

    There are many in law enforcement who don’t abuse their positions or authority — many who believe in the rule of law and the Constitution — but, unfortunately, there are too many who behave as if they’re “above the law.” The good ones need to rout out the scum in their ranks.

  7. He should ask his friend Sean about this guy. Oh wait, he doesn’t work with him anymore.

  8. I’m surprised the video didn’t accidentally get lost or that there wasn’t some kind of malfunction with the camera that meant it really wasn’t running while this was going on.

    My SO used to enjoy “Cops” & the few times I watched it I noticed how often the police really gloated when they caught some one, which I can understand. But they often questioned suspects when they had no idea what the facts were & lied to them about what they could or would do to them in ways I found to be abusive, often in a taunting manner. I couldn’t help but think “if that is how they act when they know they are being filmed what must it be like when they are free to do whatever they want?”

  10. Officer Kuhnlein is due for a career transition to the private security business, at half the pay and zero benefits. His job will be to observe and report. He will be exactly where he should be.

  11. Unlike so many of the cases we see of officers abusing their authority, at least this one had the right outcome and the guy got fired. Let’s just hope he doesn’t do what so many do in the Blue Brotherhood and move to another city and get issued another badge and a gun. Filming the police in action shouldn’t be a crime. It should be mandatory.

  12. Viva la Video…..One Day away from Bastille Day…just one day…..

    In an unrelated story and spying upon citizens at work…..

    Tarrant County Sheriff Investigating Surveillance Camera Breach

    FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – People expect law enforcement officers to watch suspects, following them and doing surveillance without anyone finding out.

    Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson was recently surprised to find out that someone may have been listening in on his deputies and other employees.

    The county has a state-of-the-art surveillance system. Cameras can be found all around the county’s main office building. That building houses the sheriff’s office, district clerk and the county IT department.

    Sheriff Anderson is now trying to figure out if the cameras are being used to spy on people inside the building, including his own deputies. “Almost any conversation that was being had in a earshot of one of those cameras was being overheard if someone was listening.”

    http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/07/12/tarrant-county-sheriff-investigating-surveillance-camera-breach/

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