Another Taser Freak

I hope this SOB cop goes to jail.



Taser gets litigious over suggestions the device causes deaths
VANCOUVER - Anyone who launches a lawsuit against Taser International Inc. or suggests a Taser electronic device was involved in a death are liable to get another shock when the company brings down the full force of its legal team.

Taser International is currently named as a defendant in at least 39 wrongful death or personal injury lawsuits where a Taser was used.

The company is aggressive in defending itself in such lawsuits and has entered into agreements to prevent its own insurance provider from settling out of court,

It has even filed a lawsuit demanding an Ohio coroner change her conclusion that a Taser was a contributing factor in the deaths of two men.

Taser also sent out legal demand letters to 60 organizations after its latest public relations black eye where a Polish man was jolted with a Taser by RCMP at the Vancouver International Airport and died minutes later.

"We are taken aback by the number of media outlets that have irresponsibly published conclusive headlines blaming the Taser device...as the cause of death before completion of the investigation," Taser Chairman Tom Smith said in a news release.

The amateur video showed RCMP officers zapping Robert Dziekanski with a Taser while he screamed and writhed on the floor at the arrivals area in the international terminal.

The footage was seen around the world on TV and Internet and provoked an outcry against the use of the stun guns by police.

Oh, for Heaven's Sake

Can anyone say "security theater"?

Holiday airline travelers urged to chuck carry-on clutter

WASHINGTON — Airline passengers, who already are required at airport checkpoints to remove their shoes, take off their coats and carry only small bottles of liquids, now have a new task: Pack neatly.
In anticipation of the most popular holiday for travel in the USA, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today launches a campaign urging travelers to eliminate clutter in carry-on bags. Pack in layers. Keep items neat.

Messy travelers could spend more time in line if their carry-ons are cluttered because such bags are more likely to be pulled aside and searched by hand, TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe says.

Brian Williams

Good. This Was a Terrible Idea

Muslim Mapping Plan Shelved

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A police plan to map out Muslim communities, a proposal that civil rights groups sharply criticized as racial and religious profiling, has been shelved, a police spokeswoman said Wednesday.

The LAPD planned to have its counterterrorism bureau identify Muslim enclaves to determine which might be likely to become isolated and susceptible to "violent, ideologically based extremism."

Several Muslim groups and the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California criticized the plan and sent a letter to Deputy Chief Michael P. Downing expressing their concerns.

"There was a clear message from the Muslim community that they were not comfortable with it. So we listened," said Mary Grady, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department. She couldn't immediately say when the plan might resume.

Grady said the remaining part of the initiative, which includes outreach efforts to strengthen ties with Muslim communities, would continue, and police planned to meet with Muslim leaders Thursday

.

Crack Dealers' Bad Deal

From TED (Technology,Entertainment,Design), Steven Levitt of Freakonomics talks about drug dealing.

Long Mouth of the Law

Killed by Alligator
SWEETWATER, Fla. — A man was killed by an alligator on the Miccosukee Indian Reservation in Miami-Dade County, Local10.com reported.

The man, who has not been identified, was running from Miccosukee police when he dove into a retention pond, Local10.com reported. There, he was reportedly attacked by the gator and bitten several times.


The man was suspected of breaking into cars with another suspect on the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, Local6.com reported. One was quickly captured.


The man's body was found at the bottom of the pond Friday. The man was bitten on the head several times, Local10.com reported. The gator was later trapped.

Line of Duty

I am sorry to hear about the increase in police deaths around the country this year. It doesn't do us any good and is a terribly tragedy for the families.

So far this year across the country, 63 officers have died from gunshots, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a total up 40 percent over the same time last year.

I do wonder whether police are being more aggressive--ever see how rough those guys are on the MSNBC Predator series, even after the guys have surrendered? Are we encouraging cops to be too aggressive? I don't know but am curious to hear more from real experts.

Mayor as Bad Landlord

This is the same character who appointed a 21-year-old intern as safety/service director just before he lost the election.

Our View: Lorain's interim mayor must get his houses in order before making law

It's not surprising that John Romoser, Lorain's interim mayor, is pushing for a ''slum tenant'' ordinance to crack down on renters who leave their landlords with damaged properties and unpaid utility bills.


After all, Romoser is a landlord in Lorain, and said he was cleaning up after one such bad tenant last week.


But before Romoser goes after tenants with a new law, he needs to get in full compliance with Lorain's ordinance requiring landlords to have their rental properties inspected by the building department.

Records show the building department tried to contact Romoser in April to have inspections done, but Romoser said he never received the message.

In July, this newspaper carried a front-page story noting that eight of Romoser's rental units had not been inspected. He said he didn't know the inspections were needed, but added that he would take care of it. Now, it's the middle of November and, so far, only two of the eight units have been inspected. Once again, Romoser said he would take care of the problem. Excuses, promises and half-way measures are not good enough for a person who carries the title of mayor in Lorain.

Romoser said he planned to speak this week with the Lake Erie Landlords Association to work out details on his proposed ''slum tenant'' ordinance. He should postpone that meeting and use the time to get his own houses in order.

WTH?

L.A. officials defend mapping of Muslim areas

Mayor Villaraigosa says the LAPD has 'good intentions' in gathering intelligence. Chief Bratton says the effort should be seen as 'community engagement.'
Los Angeles Times
City officials this morning defended the LAPD's decision to identify Muslim enclaves across the city, saying that instead of "mapping," Angelenos should see the program as "community engagement."

Civil rights groups have harshly criticized the new initiative as racial profiling that unfairly targets Muslims. The American Civil Liberties Union along with other community groups sent a letter to the LAPD this week saying the prospect of such a measure raised "grave concerns."

At a press conference about police recruitment in Elysian Park, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Police Chief William Bratton and Councilman Jack Weiss said they stood behind Deputy Chief Michael P. Downing's decision to gather extensive intelligence about local Muslim communities.

"Chief Downing has good intentions here," said Villaraigosa, who added that he had only learned of the new program through newspaper articles and at a short briefing.

The Police Department respects "the civil and human rights of Muslims in Los Angeles," Villaraigosa said.

The mapping program would be headed by Downing, who is in charge of the LAPD's anti-terrorism bureau.

"We want to map the locations of these closed, vulnerable communities, and in partnership with these communities . . . help [weave] these enclaves into the fabric of the larger society," Downing said in testimony about the program before Congress on Oct. 30.

At the hearing, Downing said his intentions were to "mitigate radicalization," and that law enforcement agencies everywhere faced "a vicious, amorphous and unfamiliar adversary on our land."

Jury Nails Another One

Reports The San Diego Union-Tribune's News Blog:

A U.S. District Court jury has convicted Brent Wilkes on all 13 counts in his corruption trial. The Poway defense contractor had been accused by prosecutors of leveraging more than $600,000 in cash bribes and thousands more in gifts to ousted Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham in exchange for Cunningham's influence in securing more than $80 million in government contracts.

Update: Wilkes faces up to 20 years for his conviction here, but keep in mind that this is just the first of two trials that Wilkes will face. The second deals with Wilkes' alleged bribes of former CIA executive director Dusty Foggo.

SCOTUS and Guantanamo

Carlin on Airport Security

Yes, I'd say so.

Kerik and Co.

I find myself unable to get angry at Bernie Kerik. Everything about him tells me he tried to play way above his class and didn't know how. That doesn't excuse his behavior; it certainly does rap those who reached out and moved him several steps above his abilities. Reminds me a little of "heckuva job, Brownie."

Robot Taser

GPS Dope

Stolen Satellite Navigation System Directs Police To Hideout
It might be the easiest arrest that police in Mt. Ommaney, Australia, have ever made.

One man has been charged with robbery after he was tracked by a GPS that he had stolen which inadvertently took police to his exact whereabouts. The bust led police to recover a humongous amount of stolen equipment taken in what appeared to be sophisticated heists.

The breakthrough is thanks to Sumner Park company Fleetlink GPS.

When thieves broke into the company’s office early last month, they stole more than $13,000 worth of equipment including a demonstration pack, a laptop computer, and six in-car navigators.

The cutting edge equipment is used by transport companies to monitor their fleets.

But five days later, a thief plugged in the software which alerted Fleetlink to the exact location of its hot equipment.

“We were fairly confident he was going to be silly enough to plug it in because it looks like something to plug in,” said business development manager Murray Griffith.

“The curiosity would have killed the cat, without a doubt.

“It was quite funny, we had a bit of a laugh and then contacted police.

“But I don’t think it took much to outsmart him though.

“If he was that smart he wouldn’t be a criminal.”

The thief’s location was traced to a residence in the nearby suburb of Camira — exactly eight kilometers or 13 minutes and 41 seconds away.

Using this evidence, police were able to obtain a search warrant and search the property which uncovered a virtual Aladdin’s Cave of stolen equipment.

Griffith said that the thief had disposed of the demonstration pack worth $3,000, but the remaining equipment, adding up to more than $10,000, was able to be recovered.

The suspected thief, an unidentified 54-year-old man, has been hit with a notice to appear in court and will do so next month.

Badges on eBay

One Messy Department

If even a third of this is true, the Lorain (Ohio) Police Department is seriously screwed up.

Courage!

Do the police who do crap like this realize how cowardly they appear?

Or this? I plan to tell my teenager, when she starts driving, to NOT pull over if she's in an isolated area but drive to a populated, well-lit spot. There have been way too many incidents of cops, real or imagined, molesting young women.

Criminalizing Kids

Bill Johnson of the Rocky Mountain News has a wonderful column about kids being treated as if they were criminals when they're just being kids.

Newark's Corruption

I'd say the jury is still out on Cory Booker but he sure is a fascinating fellow, taking on Newark's infamous history of political corruption.

DA Backs Off

Once again, authorities out of control but they've finally come to their senses. That sheriff needs investigating.


Amid uproar, county attorney drops charges against 'New Times'
Robert Anglen
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 20, 2007 12:00 AM

A criminal case against Phoenix New Times fell apart Friday amid a crush of public outrage and admissions that a special county prosecutor made serious mistakes.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas dismissed all charges against the free weekly newspaper less than 24 hours after two New Times owners were arrested for publishing details of a grand-jury subpoena that demanded the Internet records of any person who had visited the newspaper's Web site since 2004.

Thomas' announcement came just hours after the State Bar Association confirmed that it had received multiple complaints and had launched an internal investigation into Thomas and special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik for their actions in the New Times case and an unrelated one.

Thomas, who looked contrite and atypically uncomfortable as he faced cameras in a news conference, said he had no prior knowledge of the arrests or the demands set forth in the subpoena that his office sought.

"It has become clear to me that this investigation has gone in a direction that I would not have authorized," Thomas said, adding that he holds the First Amendment in great esteem and that it needs to be upheld.

"There have been serious missteps in this matter," he said. "I am announcing that Mr. Wilenchik will no longer serve as special prosecutor."

The mea culpa was a gigantic victory for New Times, which for three years has battled the County Attorney's Office over charges that reporters and editors broke the law when they published online the home address of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

"This really is a win for the Constitution," said Michael Lacey, executive editor of Village Voice Media, which owns Phoenix New Times and several other papers across the country. He also said it was a victory for readers, who won "the right to read whatever they want without government interference."

On Thursday night, Lacey and New Times owner Jim Larkin were arrested on charges that they broke the law by publishing details of the subpoena in Thursday's paper.

Lacey and Larkin acknowledged in their cover story that they risked prosecution but said the issues were too important to keep from the public.

The two said the subpoena was part of an investigation orchestrated to get back at reporters and the critical stories they wrote about Arpaio, Thomas' political ally.

Public backlash over the arrests and the subpoena was immediate and overwhelming Friday, with conservatives and liberals saying Thomas had made an assault on free speech.

"There is only one place for friends of freedom to stand at this moment: shoulder to shoulder with the New Times," the conservative Goldwater Institute wrote in defense of the alternative newspaper.

The case, which has cost taxpayers undisclosed thousands of dollars, dragged on for years. It started when New Times launched an investigation of Arpaio's real-estate holdings in 2004.