This video of a San Bernardino police officer circling and confronting a woman hiking in the desert has raised the anger of many about the increasing intrusion of police surveillance and operations. The officer lands his helicopter and confronts the woman without any evidence of reasonable suspicion, let alone probable cause.
The video shows the officer circling over the woman and shining its light at her. He then confronts her and demands to know what she is doing. She is polite and friendly, explaining “just exploring and picking up rocks.” The officer then demands her ID, which she does not have, and takes down her name and date of birth. He then makes her wait while he runs her name through the police computer. The only explanation the officer gives the woman for being detained is that “We’re investigating something right now.” It is not clear why that investigation would involve checking to see if there was anything he could arrest her on.
Even after she is cleared, the officer demands to know if she has any weapons and tells her “don’t put your hands in your pockets.” He then searches her without a scintilla of reasonable suspicion.
The assumption is that the officer was part of the search for Christopher Dorner on January 24th. Given the recent shooting of two women by the LAPD looking for Dorner, she might have to consider herself lucky to have only been delayed.
By the way, landing a helicopter near a road in the middle of an field brings a host of risks of its own. Yet, this officer thought that a woman hiking was sufficient justification for the confrontation.
This “stop” is wrong on so many levels. Landing this helicopter In this terrine must have involved a number of risks including but not limited to the destruction of a very expensive piece of equipment, the possibility of death and injury to the pilot/police officer and anyone on the ground. To take these risks without any basis is ridiculous. To stop a person because they are walking a trail without any cause except they are walking the trail is another sign that the police are being trained to treat everyone as a criminal and that the rights provided in the Constituion no longer apply. The prevalence and number of these incidents proves that this type of police misconduct is not just “one bad apple”. It is about traing and a system that has gone made with unaccountable power.
The search for Dorner is a huge story out here in SoCal. I just found it amusing that a large, black man went to a ski resort to hide out. This man is an amazing mix. He is an Obama and Hillary supporter. He believes in strict gun control, and he’s a spree killer. I would suggest folks read his manifesto. It kind of makes Ted Kaczynski look normal.
His probable cause was he probably wanted overtime. Collars for dollars.
Fear that is not of God compelled the person in the helicopter to do what he did.
I might add, I have just been served last week with a complete restraining order preventing me from coming within 1000′ of my daughter, for the simple and sole act of speaking to her about the Constitution and our court case.
This is all documented. I had filed suit on this issue, http://www.tinyurl.com/ulsterfederallawsuit, and this was their retaliation, complete denial of association with my own daughter, under threat of imprisonment if I do.
And if it had been Dorner, then the cop is lucky he could land the copter with out drawing fire and/or having his blades shot out. I guess common-sense for police officers is no longer a requirement.
Unfortunately I think DLS is correct, and I don’t blame hir for being disenchanted, I have been for a long time.
The safety net of our civil rights is there, it is just that it is made out of tissue paper.
Unfortunately probable cause or a warrant isn’t mandatory at all. All that is required for a stop is “reasonable suspicion.” The SCOTUS has found reasonable suspicion when people in high drug areas run from the police or when people in high traffic drug areas keep looking at the police. While I think this standard is absurd it is clearly met here, the area that she is in is a high traffic drug area, she is walking in the desert by a highway, based on his experience (something which must be factored in per the SCOTUS) he could have reasonably suspected she was trafficking in drugs. Once she has been stopped the SCOTUS has held that the officer can search her to make sure she doesn’t have weapons if he has reasonable suspicion that she might, a standard met because the drug trade is “inherently dangerous” and at some point (wasn’t clear just how it came up) she tells him that she had an old weapons charge. I think this is absurd and is an abuse of police power but per the SCOTUS it was totally legal.
“Probable cause or a warrant is mandatory” -rafflaw
Not for some Americans.
“Paranoia strikes deep … into your life it will creep … starts when you are always afraid …step out of line and the man comes and takes you away …” – Buffalo Springfield
Cops gone wild… In the dessert…
I guess that San Berdo is within the constitution free zone of 100 miles to the border, where the water counts as a border. I recall passing it on the way west from AZ to LA.
When do they declare that we can forget the constitution totally, anywhere. Obviously the WH is already such a zone.
You never know what his superiors said to him prior. “Show some action. We need something to report. Look busy! Go harass somebody.”
Dog,
I was thinking much the same.
Get the officers ID, and file a formal complaint, DO NOT let this slip by without protest.
As one who has worked the helicopter-spots-all trade in a place just as dangerous as California, I would point out that the pilot is very vulnerable as he is landing. If she was armed and wanted his hide, she would have had it. Even if they had a machine gunner in the door of the helicopter they would be vulnerable to a grenade. And if they were not concerned about such things as weapons then why did they stop, frisk and harass her? Dumb schmuck as well as a igPay. LEO in the highest (Law Enforcement Offender).
She was a person, that is probable cause for anything.
God made rifles for a reason.
He’s a loser, just like the team he’s wearing around his neck. 😛
Keep publicizing this sort of behavior.
Things won’t change until people are angry enough to push their police departments.
A few unemployed senior officers will lead to some needed change.
The cops have gone nuts! Probable cause or a warrant is mandatory..not a suggestion.