Larry Davis can be excused if he is a tad confused. Austin police pulled him over for running a red light. As we have seen before (and discussed in this column), police often use pretextual reasons to conduct drug or alcohol stops. In this case, police asked Davis to take a voluntary breath test and he consented and blew a 0.0. He also agreed to a blood sample and was later cleared of seven types of drugs. Negative on everything, but he was arrested and spent the night in jail under a bizarre “take-no-chances” policy which seems to boil down to “arrest them all and let God sort them out.”
This is not the first such case. In an earlier arrest, Biana Fuentes below a 0.08 – below the threshold but was still arrested. The cases are routinely dismissed but not after citizens have to spend the night in jail and secure lawyers. No officers have been reportedly disciplined. Indeed, they appear to be following this take-no-change policy that amounts to little more than blind arrests. Police insist that the officer had a reasonable suspicion that he was high on another drug like marijuana and did not want to take a chance. That is quite a standard. The driver voluntarily passes every test, but he is still arrested.
You may recall Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo from the recent story where he defended a controversial jaywalking arrest by noting that it was not so bad when women are being sexually assaulted by officers in other cities. Of course, under the take-no-chances policy, his department can simply arrested everyone on the sidewalk on the chance that they might have previously jaywalked (or are about to jaywalk). One can’t be too careful. After all, with no one on the streets, there can by definition be no jaywalking.
Source: WFAA
Look at the picture above of the man attempting to walk the line. It appears he is having some problems. Doing this exercise is impossible for many people who never drink or drug. I refuse to take those preliminary tests. Try them for yourself sometime. They prove nothing, except to prove uncoordination. Just opt to be tested, either breath or blood. Cops probably thought he was not able to drive as a result of the way he maneuvered the roadside test.
But they should not have arrested him without more evidence. Suppose someone was experiencing a neurological breakdown, they might appear too incapacitated to drive.
Running a red light alone is not sufficient cause to think a person is unable to drive.
Cops should have investigated more before making an arrest. Hope he makes them pay.
Maybe he was conning the cops into believing he was high, who knows? Should cops allow someone exhibiting lack of motor skills to continue on down the road if they suspect something amiss?
Lots of unknowns here.
This amounts to a police department deciding what is best for the community, instead of its elected officials. The city fathers better get ready to dig deep into their pockets to pay for this kidnapping under color of law.
If the city of Austin wants to “take no chances,” it would be well-advised to can its police chief while a few dollars remain in the city treasury.His replacement will need to retrain the entire department.
“After Police Shootings, Anaheim Launches Citizen Oversight Board”
“Back-to-back police shootings in the city in 2012, sparked unrest and calls for a citizen panel to oversee the department.”
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/After-Police-Shootings-Anaheim-Launches-Citizen-Oversight-Board-246083121.html
“Citizen Oversight Committees in Law Enforcement”
http://cpp.fullerton.edu/cpp_policeoversight_report.pdf
Well we know where the American border starts. Texas and Louisiana line. East of Corfu the Ten Commandments Don’t Apply. Texas is Mexico.
Notice the man’s color. Austin is deep South when it comes top race. A black kid gets shot by cops nearly every year. A white kid, on all sorts of drugs invaded a party and caused violent trouble some years back. He was arrested and lived. There is not what would happen had he been a Black teen. Austin was great, once upon a slacker Armadillo time. Now it is an armpit of expat Californians a nd tech workers. I am kinda stuck here, but it used to be utopia.
I’m saddened by this…. Austin used to be a fun town to party in….
This police force needs serious reform. Get that police chief out of there.
Processing an arrest increases overtime hours which increases the pension payout
Sue their asses off!!!!
Another very sad day in Texas. Ever wonder why incidents like this rarely happen to legislators, their staff, or other attorneys? It only happens to regular people. I wonder if the State will expunge his record for free to be on the safe side? More money spent for nothing.
Sue for false arrest. Teach this jokers a lesson.
“Stand your badge.”
George Orwell called it “The Bully Religion.”
The Austin clown prince general himself Art Acevedo master of the three ring circus of tyranny strikes again.
So much for life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
Americans desire/demand local government with powers that equal or surpass a central government. This has its advantages. The peculiarities of the place are addressed without blanket laws originating from a national or even state capital. This has its disadvantages. The peculiarities of the place are addressed without blanket laws originating from a national or even state capital.
Strong local governments can be easily purchased for state and national political sway by the likes of the Koch Brothers and Soros. This post routinely gives examples of travesties of justice and human rights that originate and are protected by strong local governments. The big picture of social evolution: individual rights, freedom of speech, freedom from persecution, etc originate in the national capital. They are interpreted in the petty fiefdoms.
“Vigilantes with a Badge: The War Against the American People”
By John W. Whitehead
February 25, 2014
https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/vigilantes_with_a_badge_the_war_against_the_american_people
Excerpt:
This brings me to the looming question, the one to which there is no easy answer: what can “we the people” do to protect themselves from the police? While there are scattered attempts to combat police abuses underway, ranging from increased surveillance of on-duty police officers through the use of lapel cameras, and campaigns to film police interactions with one’s smart phone, to legislation authorizing citizens to use force against a police officer who is acting unlawfully, few bring about any lasting change.
The solution is far simpler yet so much more difficult to achieve. As with all things—no matter what level of government, whether you’re talking about abuses within law enforcement, Congress, the National Security Agency, or within your own community—for real change to occur, it will take Americans getting outraged enough to speak up and speak out. It will take them showing up at City Council meetings, picketing in front of police stations, and demanding that their concerns, complaints and fears about police brutality—not only for themselves but for their fellow citizens of lesser incomes, darker skin tones and questionable lifestyles—be acknowledged and acted upon.
To put it another way, there can be no hope for freedom unless “we the people” recognize that every time the police shoot an unarmed citizen, taser an elderly person, or beat someone senseless or crash through a homeowner’s door, they are really shooting me, tasering you, and beating senseless your children, your neighbors and your loved ones.
Americans… Arm yourselves, there’s going to be a war! Right here in ‘River City’.
Time to riot.
This IS a police state.