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Posts: 5331
Feb 12 10 2:54 PM
walkawayarchie wrote: Part of the problem around here is getting the "law" to enforce the law. Selective enforcement, thy name is Florida Deputy!The police are more apt to blame YOU if something happens, rather than deal with it. For instance, I'd been having problems (a few years ago) with a neighbor who let his pit bull run anywhere and anytime it wanted. I complained and complained (it lunged at my wife when she drove down the road, menaced both of us, and was a general problem) - and the police/dogcatcher did NOTHING.I finally warned the guy if he didn't keep his dog on a leash (It had just killed my wife's pet rooster- IN ITS OWN PEN), I would shoot it. A couple of days later, it was trying to tear into the pen again, this time after her pet hen. Then it saw one of our cats and tried to kill it.I shot the dog- and the police showed up. They were getting set to arrest ME for shooting a dog. One lady cop had to be restrained because she went to physically attack me, she was so angry that "you shot a dog!" and "You shot off a gun!!!"An old dogcatcher I knew showed up then (it was her time to be on duty) and she read the cops the riot act- first time I EVER saw the police get chewed like that (I expected them to arrest HER). She even showed them the state law in the books- a person has the right in this state to shoot a dog that is in the act of trying to kill or injure an animal, or if it physically threatens you (especially on your own property). Those cops, no, PIGS were not happy that I got away with shooting a dog (and they made that clear).Never mind that damned dog had killed, was known to have mauled children, and was a threat to the neighborhood. Never mind that I was defending my own family on my own property and that it was trying to kill one of our little kitties. They didn't like me defending myself and said so.After that, the neighbor and his family threw stuff at our house every chance they could- trying to hurt our kitties and break our windows. The pigs ignored our complaints, until I was able to get a witness who saw them and who heard their kids bragging at school how they were trying to hurt us. A subtle threat of legal action if the pigs DIDN'T act finally got them off their duffs and they "warned" the family.The family moved out a month later- and it seems the "dad" was a wanted criminal with multiple warrants out for his arrest, their electricity had been cut off TWICE (he re-connected it both times, including climbing the pole and splicing in pieces of wire), and had even tried to steal electricity and water from a neighbor (we think he even tried with us).I don't know why they didn't arrest him the first time, with the warrants, much less after all the shenanigans with the electricity and water. Maybe they were too set on arresting me for defending my family the first time. Or it be because he was a white "good ole boy" and I was already known to be Native American by the community (a very real possibility in this county!)Anyway, this is only one example of why being against the law means little in this area. I've got many, that I've personally seen/experienced, or that someone I know went through.And it also explains why I have little respect or liking for the police- there is a 50/50 chance they will turn on me rather than help/act professional.Actually, I think the Feds ignore what happens down here. I can't imagine them NOT knowing about the abuse, the racism, the dishonesty, the railroading, the profiling, and all of the other things that are done here ON A REGULAR BASIS.
Good God, had they arrested you you'd have had a pretty much open and shut lawsuit no lawyer in his right mind would've turned down, and those cops would've been in a ton of trouble for making a false arrest! It is your legal right to defend yourself and that's not up to them to like or not! You were acting within the law, they weren't, period. If it'd gone any further you'd probably have had lawyers begging to take the case, on contingency. Lawsuits seem to be the one thing that police departments are really afraid of. Not to mention I'm shocked they didn't do anything about the neighbor, period. For one thing, screwing around with electrical poles is ALSO against the law...because it can get someone killed in a particularly nasty way. I'm suprised the electric company didn't press charges on their own. I've seen that happen around here...my ex-girlfriend used to manage low income apartments and people were always stealing electricity or plugging into other people's phone lines and more than once the phone company or the power company pressed charges and the maintenance man had to go be a witness at the courthouse. (He was usually the one who found and had to fix the problems when people's electric got screwed up!)
Ironically, the place had a huge problem with drugs, people dealing AND using...and I think there were more arrests and prosecutions for tampering with electrical and phone lines! Of course, the local narcotics unit is based over an hour away and everyone around here knows it.
Just curious, Arch, but let me guess...if anything involving drugs happens down where you're at, the feds and the local cops land on it like a ton of bricks, don't they? I'm not sure they're ignoring anything...they probably have different priorities and don't much care about anything outside of those. Not much glory in busting racists, lots of it in busting drug dealers. Eventually that's bound to change...for that matter I've seen a lot of changes in Law Enforcement...most of them for the worse...since 9/11. A lot of police, especially those trained since then, seem to think they're free to beat on whoever they want now. Eventually the pendulum will swing back the other way, I just worry that people will get killed in the process.
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