Posted on 06/21/2012 1:28:03 PM PDT by marktwain
NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE
DALLAS — It was Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, and Chris Moore — riding southbound on Stemmons Freeway in Dallas in a pack of 50 to 100 sport bikes — was pulled over while traveling below the speed limit.
"I didn't expect that at all," Moore said.
Officers were out in force that weekend, working to prevent another shutdown of a Dallas freeway like the one on Memorial Day weekend 2011 that ultimately led to three arrests.
So why was Moore pulled over?
Dallas Deputy Sheriff James Westbrook said he wanted to see what was on Moore's camera.
MOORE: "Was I doing something wrong? What am I being pulled over for?"
WESTBROOK: "The whole group of you guys."
MOORE: "No. I was not, individually. How can you pull me over?"
WESTBROOK: "The reason you're being pulled over is because I'm gonna take your camera and we're gonna use it as evidence of the crimes that have been committed by other bikers."
MOORE: "I have not committed any crimes, and you cannot take my personal property from me, sir."
WESTBOOK: "That's fine. Need to see your license and registration."
Moore's lawyer, Hunter Biederman, reviewed the recording.
"Here this officer decided to just go rogue and pull over the first guy he saw with a helmet camera on," he said.
The way Moore sees it, it's not illegal to have a video camera. But when the Deputy returned, he arrested Moore for having a concealed license plate.
WESTBROOK: "You're under arrest for your license plate being obstructed. Place your hands."
MOORE: "Are you kidding me, dude?"
WESTBROOK: "Place your hands behind your back."
As Moore continued to protest, the deputy lost his patience.
MOORE: "Why'd you pull me over in the first place?"
WESTBROOK: "Have a seat, okay?"
MOORE: "Sir. Sir. What you did to me was not right. You know it."
WESTBROOK: "I'm going to ask you one more time to have a seat."
MOORE: "That's f'ed up. Where's my bike going?"
WESTBROOK: "Sit down.I'm telling you to chill out."
Westbrook is then seen on the video shoving Moore into his squad car and slamming the door forcefully.
In a written statement, the Sheriff's Office said Moore was stopped because of a concealed plate. The video was confiscated and turned over to the gang unit as evidence.
Moore's bike was impounded; then he spent eight hours in jail — all of it, he says, on a charge that was made up after the fact.
"Completely shocked at their behavior," he said.
There is a poll at the link:
Was the deputy's action justified? Yes or No
It's a culture of corruption.
I stay out of Dallas these days.
/johnny
NO, not justified at all. He is an effin fascist with a power complex.
Mike
Why would you be. LEO forces all over the country are going rouge and trampling the constitution
Trumped up charge. His bike is going to be scratched and dinged and he will have to pay for the privilege. No way they had a right to take the video, etc.
I beg to differ the cops have it which means he will probably never seen again except in some cops garage getting repainted.
No, it will be sold at auction. The resulting funds will become part of a confiscation slush fund that's used to buy police toys (e.g., UAVs, SWAT ARs, holographic sights, night vision, robots, etc.).
wouldn’t you love to be the guy who finally handcuffs one of these pretenders, to their own cruiser?
The guy shoulda claimed to be here illegally.
Someone needs to come up with a convenient way for that helmet cam (for example) to transmit the entire recording to a second unit ‘on the fly’. Maybe a second bike. Or a HD back at home. That way the copy is preserved, out of the reach of hoodlums.
I realize that this guy had every reason to expect to be left alone, certainly from the LEO, but we’ve passed the point in the last few years where these roving gangs driving police cars and operating under the color of law are our friends. They have chosen to become our enemies.
I think my tagline fits the situation.
these bikers are a saftey hazard.Last year shut down central expressway.With over hundred so called bikers spray painted crap on hiway,were doing stunts and stupid craqp.DPD is justified in the actions.IMO
Many conservatives support the police, however they are wrong. In the end the police will side with the fascists on the left just as they did in NAZI Germany.
You are wrong. How does a group event a year ago justify the actions against an individual that may not have been there last year?
Patrolling, looking for infractions, stopping those committing traffic infractions...sure I agree that is what LEO do.
Stopping him because he has a helmet camera and telling him to hand it over? Not justified.
Then arresting him for a license plate infraction so he could take the camera? More than a little overboard.
This cop blew it and did it on camera no less...
These idiots on two wheels though are just begging to have a new law put on the books so they can be arrested as a group.
Nice!
Textbook example of “Oppression under color of law” and “How to abridge a citizens constitutional rights”.
Of course the cops will pressure him with some made-up heavy charge, then offer a “Deal” if he takes a guilty plea to a lesser charge preventing him from filing suit.
Oh, and the towing and storage are his to pay no matter what, even if all charges are dismissed.
Nice way to levy punishment without the pesky need of a conviction at trial!
Speaking from experience here.
Been down very similar roads.
Only the Sheriff is elected, deputy dufus is just an employee.
Unless the sheriff puts a stop to this abuse, he needs to lose his office.
Time to make officers who engage in such behavior personally responsible! There would be a LOT less of this if the taxpayers stopped being the ones to cover the lawsuit settlements.
Yeah, I'm amazed at my change of opinion on cops. Before, say, 2000, I was an admirer. Now, I expect trouble whenever I encounter one (which, thankfully, is very rare.)
It's to the point that when my neighbor's kid told me last year that he intends to become a state trooper, I couldn't help but think he must be psychologically-disturbed.
We're in a bad way with this nazi-wannabe-cop thing.
Hey, didn’t I see someone of your - pick one of Nationality, race, hair color, height - doing something bad here last year? Give me your camera, I”m going to use it as evidence. Oh you don’t want to give me your camera? How about I arrest you for Jay walking.
Yeah, that seems fair and justified to me *rolls-eyes*
It was wrong, and you know it.
The deputy demanded the man’s property to indict others and possibly the rider himself. When the rider rightfully refused, the cop then made up false charges, began seizing the man’s more valuable property and started arresting the officer.
We need to stop letting gang bangers and dumbed down standards for minorities into the police academy and open it up to our veterans. We need to get the jack booted thugs and those who ignore corruption out and good men and women in.
An arrest for a minor equipment violation?
Usually the LEO writes a ticket and you’re good to go.
Then you mail the fine in or show up in court.
But an arrest and vehicle impoundment?
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