State of the police state: Dallas

Libertarians keenly aware of the burgeoning police state are likely aware of websites like Cop Block, Cop Fails, Filming Cops, War on Cameras, Botched Military Police Raids, Photography is not a Crime, and Injustice Everywhere, among many others, which attempt to track the nationwide violence committed by police against citizens.

A Dallas cop made his debut on Cop Block earlier this month for his crimes of kicking, pepper spraying, and using a flashlight to club an already subdued and handcuffed suspect.

The suspect was guilty of the terrifying rules-breaking act of driving with a suspended license. No mention has been made as to whether he committed any actual crime of coercion, intimidation or fraud against anyone.

But the issue here isn’t about whether the suspect was right or wrong, guilty or innocent, compliant or combative.

The issue is about out-of-control, unprofessional bullies hiding behind badges to commit their violence like Catholic priests hiding behind their collars to molest young boys.

According to Fox 4 News, veteran officer Ricky Upshaw witnessed the abuse and immediately reported it. Quaitemes Williams, the offending officer, was fired and then arrested on charges of official oppression.

Once upon a time we may have had friendly, helpful neighborhood cops like Sheriff Andy of Mayberry or Bert in Bedford Falls.

Once upon a time people may have been able to claim that our law officers were brave and honorable people facing the possibility of death every day to keep us save and a cop like Officer Williams was just one bad apple in a barrel full of great public protectors.

Or maybe those days were just fantasies. Ask peaceful civil rights marchers or passive anti Vietnam War protesters or nonviolent gay rights demonstrators if they were clubbed and beaten by one bad apple.

As more clueless politicians create ever more laws designed to micromanage our lives and more police academies pass unqualified bottom of the barrel thugs through the system to enforce those laws things will continue to get worse.

Anyone invoking the One Bad Apple cliché in defense of today’s bullies in blue needs to wake up and smell the tear gas.

Original report here




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