Posted on 10/29/2004 6:56:10 AM PDT by Dubya
EULESS - Ashley Owen White never dreamed that one day she would be pulled over and accused of speeding by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
But on Oct. 21, that's what happened, leaving the 26-year-old family counselor scared and perplexed. All she wanted, she said Thursday, "was to vote early."
Euless police reports state that an EPA special agent pulled White over in the parking lot of Trinity High School. White, of Bedford, said the agent never gave her a badge number or name after he stopped her in an unmarked sports utility vehicle.
A Tarrant county prosecutor said the EPA agent had authority to stop her, but state laws appear to say different.
The incident is an internal matter, said Warren Amburn of the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division in Dallas, where the agent, Carlton Patton, works.
Patton could not be reached Thursday for comment.
White said she plans to file a complaint against the agent with Euless police.
"I was crying after Euless police arrived because I still didn't know what his intentions were at that time," White said. "I was shaking."
Patton saw White driving a BMW traveling 30 to 35 mph in a 25 mph school zone in front of Euless Junior High about 3 p.m. Oct. 21, according to Euless police reports.
In an interview Thursday, White said she wasn't speeding. She said she was on the access road heading toward the Euless Library for early voting.
At the next traffic signal, Patton pulled up beside White, waved at her and rolled down his window, reports state. He told her that she needed to slow down in the school zone. She looked away, but he got her attention again by waving, and then flashed a badge. White saw the badge but didn't get the number, she said.
White drove through the intersection, and reports say Patton followed and turned on his emergency lights. He stopped her in the parking lot of Trinity High School, the reports state.
The reports say Patton and White accused each other of refusing to provide identification.
"He finally said he was a special agent with the EPA," White said Thursday. "That's when I answered, 'And you pulled me over for what?' Patton said he was heading up a program to keep kids safe in school zones, White said.
"I had heard of people impersonating officers and then raping female victims," White said. "I kept asking him for his badge and name, and he wouldn't give it to me. I was on the phone with my husband and Dad, and they kept telling me to drive off, but I wanted to get his badge number and name."
Although she never got the badge number and name, Patton's business card was attached to police reports.
Sometime during the incident, Patton called Euless police for backup, according to reports. Two patrol officers arrived. White was allowed to leave without being issued a speeding ticket. Patton also left after talking to officers.
Euless police Lt. Steve Eskew said Thursday that the department was not investigating.
A Tarrant County prosecutor said Thursday that the EPA agent did have authority.
"His version was that there was a breach of peace because she was speeding and almost hit a vehicle," said Kurt Stallings, a Tarrant County assistant district attorney who spoke to EPA officials in Washington about the matter Thursday.
The Euless police report does not mention White nearly hitting a vehicle.
The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure defines 34 types of peace officers in the state, including police officers and deputies, who may arrest someone without a warrant if the offense is a felony or an offense against the public peace, including traffic offenses.
The code of criminal procedure also notes that criminal investigators of the United States are not peace officers of the state, but they have the power to arrest, search or seizure during a felony.
Under the Texas Penal Code, speeding in a school zone is not a felony.
Two words: Brown Shirt.
>>I wouldn't have stopped. <<
I had a volunteer fireman try to pull this garbage on me when I was 17. In Washington, they have a green light on the front of the vehicle that lets you know you should pull over. He was going the other way and didn’t like the swerving I was doing and did a hard u-turn.
Well, he got behind me and turned on his green light so I pulled over, with him pulling over behind me. Since he was behind me and stopped, I then left. After all, why pull over for a volunteer fireman that is off the road and stopped. He got in his car, got behind me and did it again. I pulled over again. When he stopped, I then left again. 8^>
He did this three or four times (it was 1973 and hard to remember just how many times he did it). I finally pulled into my driveway and he followed and made some smart alec comment. I simply told him he’s not a cop but “thank you for your concern.” I also mentioned what his speed must have been when he kept having to catch up with me since I was going the speed limit.
He left and that was it.
There are a lot of people in government who love to control other people. No wonder so many of them are socialists…
First Class mail is required (by law) for bills, invoices, and personal correspondence.
Again yell at your congress critter if you want "Joe fly by night" delivering some of your mail,
and "Snuffy smiths co" doing some of it. Expect to pay more.
You now have the option of automatic payments, Internet payments, and email.
I recommend those for you. So please stop buying stamps, take down your mail box, and watch your blood pressure go down.
This EPA turkey was likely hoping to intimidate a potential voter. I am a Euless resident, and when I voted a few days ago (at the Library mentioned) the parking lot was full, there were about 60 people in line (late afternoon and pouring rain outside) .. I asked an election official and he said it had been that way all day every day since early voting began [Note: most years in past we would have had no significant line at all - there were 8 voting machines]
Also, in Texas the law has a lot to say about injustices "under color of law" -- in other words officials who attempt to violate rights using their position are committing a crime.
I don't know how mad this lady is, but if it were my wife I would spend some bucks with a good attorney and go after this guy.
So would I.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1262335/posts
Officer Shot Man At Wheel From Rear
Washington Post ^ | 10/30/4 | Fredrick Kunkle and Elizabeth Williamson
Posted on 10/30/2004 12:43:07 AM EDT by SmithL
An off-duty deputy U.S. marshal embroiled in an apparent road rage confrontation along Rockville Pike on Thursday night fired repeatedly into the rear window of his adversary's car, killing the man as he sat behind the wheel, according to police and witnesses.
Numerous witnesses to the death of Ryan T. Stowers, 20, at the Mid-Pike Plaza in Rockville shortly before 8:30 p.m. were being interviewed by Montgomery County police yesterday. Authorities said no decision had been made on whether charges would be filed against the deputy marshal, Arthur L. Lloyd, 53, a 28-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals Service assigned to U.S. District Court in Washington.
"The rear window was shattered out," said Capt. John Fitzgerald, a police spokesman, who said investigators had begun to talk with at least 40 witnesses. "With that many witnesses, there ought to be a very clear picture of what went down."
Although Fitzgerald said Stowers may have driven toward the federal agent in the plaza parking lot, three people who said they witnessed the shooting told The Washington Post that Lloyd was standing with his gun drawn and opened fire after Stowers drove past him.
either the gov't stooge forgot to take his medicine or he's an imposter. that's cah-rap.
There is no 'right' or need to disarm a felon. If he's done his time then he should be armed as any citizen. If not, then he needs to be back in prison.
Enfranchisement of a felon is another thing entirely since there is no right of any sort to vote.
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