ThePoliticalCat

A Blog devoted to progressive politics, environmental issues, LGBT issues, social justice, workers' rights, womens' rights, and, most importantly, Cats.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Police State: More Misbehaviour

Cheye Calvo and Trinity Tomsic walk their dogs Payton and Chase

More information available here and here.

Those sworn to protect and serve have increasingly been doing the exact opposite, of late. These days we seem to be suffering from a surfeit of stories of bad behaviour by these so-called "public servants." They're beating up and jailing innocent citizens, subjecting them to strip searches and repeated taserings leading to death, kicking in their front doors, shooting them, and generally acting like the worst thugs of the third reich. But today's outrage is really beyond the pale.

The county police of Prince George's County in Maryland, working with the Sherriff's Office SWAT team, kicked in the door of the Berwyn Heights Mayor's home and shot his two black Labs to death — one, in the back, as it tried to run away. What, exactly, was the Mayor's offense?

Apparently, the police, posing as deliverymen, delivered a parcel that contained 32 lbs. of marijuana to the house, and the mayor took it inside. The county police and the Sherriff's office didn't bother to inform the police of Berwyn Heights that they were on a pet-killing spree. What the hell is wrong with these people? Oh, yeah. Their president is a lawbreaking thug. So why the hell should they abide by the law when their own leader (probably the chimp they voted for) can't be bothered to do the same?

Of course, what this means is the cops can deliver a parcel of marijuana to anyone's door and if you take it in, they can kick your door in, and handcuff you and your elderly mother-in-law for hours while they interrogate you. Really, Mayor Calvo, you should be grateful they didn't waterboard you.

So who is this Mayor Cheye Calvo? Commenter Pete over at Raw Story unearthed this information about the Mayor:
Cheye Calvo
National Conference of State Legislatures

Cheye (pronounced "shi") Calvo directs the National Conference of State Legislatures' (NCSL) transportation and financial services committees and represents state legislatures in our federal system of government on banking, insurance, securities and transportation issues. Cheye played a leading role in efforts to create state-friendly federal driver's license standards as part of the intelligence reform in December 2004 and more recently in opposing the driver's license provisions of the REAL ID Act. Cheye has spoken, testified and written extensively on a wide range of public policy matters, and has co-authored and co-edited studies on human genetics policy, genetic privacy, and auto insurance ratemaking. He also serves as the part-time, elected mayor of the Town of Berwyn Heights, Maryland.
Calvo, 37, has been mayor of the 3,000-person town near College Park since 2004. His wife is a finance officer for the state, he said. He works part time as the mayor and serves as director of expansion for the SEED Foundation, a well-known national nonprofit group that runs urban public boarding schools.

Sounds reeeeal threatening, people. Of course, those of us who are working-class, or poor, or dark of skin have had stuff like this happen to them pretty routinely. But, goodness me, when a middle-class white working couple like the Calvos have it happen to them ... isn't it time to, um, do something?

To their credit, the Berwyn Heights police department had a reaction pretty similar to ours:
Berwyn Heights Police Chief Patrick Murphy said county police and the Sheriff's Office had not notified his department of the raid. He said town police could have conducted the search without a SWAT team.
"You can't tell me the chief of police of a municipality wouldn't have been able to knock on the door of the mayor of that municipality, gain his confidence and enter the residence," Murphy said. "It would not have been a necessity to shoot and kill this man's dogs."
Common law holds that a person's home is their castle — that every person has the same right to freedom under their own roof, whether rented or purchased, as a king or queen has in theirs. And the Constitution is explicit regarding search and seizure:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Do you see anything in there about kicking down doors and shooting people's pets? The fucking police fucking SWAT team is scared of black Labs? A turtle could outwit a Lab, and there isn't a dog like it for sheer friendliness and sweetness of disposition. And why would you shoot a dog that is running away from you?

Want an action item? Call the PGCP Chief, Melvin High, at 301-772-4740 to let him know what you think of his high-handed tactics.

Melvin High! What a name.

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4 Comments:

At 9:48 PM, Blogger Chuck Butcher said...

I would put it this way, I own firearms and if you come in my house discharging such I will not hesitate to make you extremely sorry you did that thing. I can be an absolute cold hearted son of a bitch about some things. I also like my damn dog better than many people.

 
At 12:15 AM, Blogger BadTux said...

Oh boy, Prince Georges County. This is a county whose police force is so corrupt that they refuse to tape or video record their interrogations and have repeatedly denied people access to their lawyers. There have been times when the lawyer has been standing in the lobby waiting to see his client, his client is demanding access to his lawyer, and the PGCP won't allow the lawyer in. My guess is that this mayor complained about the treatment one of his constituents got from the PGCP, and this is their retribution for his audacity in believing he lived in a democracy rather than a police state.

The PGCP are a law unto themselves, and I do *not* suggest calling their police chief to complain if you live in Prince Georges County, because you'll find a SWAT team coming through *your* door shortly thereafter. This is the most corrupt county Sheriff's department in America -- even more corrupt than Sheriff Joke over in Maricopa County (Phoenix AZ) -- and regularly conducts operations in a way that is indistinguishable from what happens in the most sordid of police state dictatorships with, apparently, nobody giving a shit about it or doing anything to rein it in.

And that's Prince Georges County. And I can tell you this because I don't live there. If I *did* live there... you better believe I'd be mum until I got away from that hellhole.

Oh, for the brave soul who says he would shoot anybody who came through his door with a no-knock -- sorry, you probably won't get a chance to get your gun, and if you do manage to make it to your gun you'll probably be so woozy and blinded from the flashbangs and stun grenades that they'll just shoot you down like a dog. Our fine paramilitary police forces regularly take down thugs *far* scarier than you can ever dream about, thugs who kill without hesitation as part of their drug trade. You... you're a "soft target". Sorry. Civilians just don't have a chance when a paramilitary unit comes storming in.

- Badtux the News Penguin
(who has seen PGC in the news *far* too often when it comes to police misconduct).

 
At 12:20 PM, Blogger ThePoliticalCat said...

Most dogs are much more likable than most people. For one thing, no opposable thumbs: they can't stab you in the back. %^)

 
At 12:20 PM, Blogger ThePoliticalCat said...

Mein gott in himmel! It's time to clean up these corrupt vipers' nests.

 

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