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St. Louis County police apologize to black family for 'headless horseman' remark
Stltoday.com ^ | August 22, 2013 | Joel Currier

Posted on 08/22/2013 8:37:05 AM PDT by Uncle Chip

St. Louis County police have apologized for a white officer’s reference to the “headless horseman” while questioning a black family Friday about what they were doing at a home in the Mehlville area.

Dale C. Watson, 47, of St. Louis, said in an interview Tuesday that while he appreciates the apology, he wants the police department to discipline the officer and take steps to prevent similar behavior by its officers.

Watson said he, his wife, his nephew and his niece were fixing up a foreclosed home on Shady Green Drive for a real estate firm Friday morning when two St. Louis County patrolmen arrived and asked why they were there.

After explaining, Watson said, one officer said, “I’m going to assume that you’re legitimate, but if something happens down the road, then we’re gonna come down like the headless horseman. Do you know who the headless horseman is?”

Watson’s niece, Whitney Robinson, 25, recorded video of the conversation with her smartphone and released the clip to media. Watson said he believes the officer’s statement was racist and threatening.....

“Anyone who’s seen it knows he wasn’t inviting me to a birthday party,” Watson said Tuesday. “I’m not stupid, and I get what he was trying to give.”

Watson acknowledged he didn’t immediately understand the officer’s remarks but went online and found references to the headless horseman and the Ku Klux Klan....

St. Louis County Police Lt. Col. Ken Gregory said officers responded to an anonymous call Friday about people in a vehicle who appeared to be looking at homes and possibly lost.

Once officers arrived, they found the family at the home and asked everyone for their identification.

Gregory said officers learned that one of the men at the scene had a criminal record.....

(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: headlesshorseman; ichabodcrane; race; racism; sleepyhollow; washingtonirving
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To: Uncle Chip

He could have said:

“I’ll come down on you like three Crips wannabes on a white jogger.”


41 posted on 08/22/2013 10:26:24 AM PDT by Iron Munro (To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize - Voltaire)
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To: Uncle Chip

This wouldn’t have been a problem if our school systems weren’t so niggardly with their literary education.


42 posted on 08/22/2013 10:28:12 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (People are idiots.)
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To: Uncle Chip
I do not understand:

a.) why Washington Irving's Headless Horseman is "ray-ciss", and

b.) WTF the officer meant when he referred to said character.

43 posted on 08/22/2013 10:33:13 AM PDT by Sans-Culotte ( Pray for Obama- Psalm 109:8)
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To: Sans-Culotte

OMG, someone alert NBC... I think its NBC... they have a “Sleepy Hollow” TV series coming out.... oh noes... have to stop that racist show from airing!!


44 posted on 08/22/2013 10:35:12 AM PDT by GeronL
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To: Southside_Chicago_Republican

Who knew that Westchester County, NY was a hot bed of Klan activity. Must of started after that couple from Arkansas moved in.


45 posted on 08/22/2013 11:29:38 AM PDT by gusty
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To: Uncle Chip

Have you seen the preview?! I mean, it’s fish out of water funny, but still, it might make a few people ask themselves, “Did he just say that?”


46 posted on 08/22/2013 11:33:26 AM PDT by Excellence (All your database are belong to us.)
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To: Excellence

It looks like it’s well done.

I hope it stays true to the book (:


47 posted on 08/22/2013 11:44:57 AM PDT by Uncle Chip
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To: Frank_2001
Dang! Traffic tickets? Well then call out SWAT.

The entire thing does not make sense to from the person calling 911 (why?) to the police answering the call (again why?) to the "come down on you like the headless horsemen" (huh?).

Maybe it is a localism that I have never heard but I believe my response to that would have been, "Pardon me?"

Yes I know who the headless horseman is but used in that context it really didn't make much sense.

48 posted on 08/22/2013 1:20:08 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Revenge is a dish best served with pinto beans and muffins)
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To: Uncle Chip

It’s set in the present day, so I can’t imagine it would be too true to the book. I just realized I donated my copy. Darn.


49 posted on 08/22/2013 2:12:09 PM PDT by Excellence (All your database are belong to us.)
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To: Uncle Chip

The actual legend of the Headless Horsement dates back, back, back, back, way to the middle ages...........


50 posted on 08/22/2013 2:49:07 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (')
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To: Uncle Chip

LOL. It was published in 1820, long before the KKK. I guess all metaphors directed at blacks are racist. /preaching to the choir


51 posted on 08/23/2013 11:54:29 AM PDT by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

I think I might have learned about him through Scooby Doo in the early 1970s.


52 posted on 08/23/2013 11:55:40 AM PDT by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: PghBaldy

What is racist about “headless horseman” or “BBQ Chicken” for that matter


53 posted on 08/23/2013 11:56:40 AM PDT by GeronL
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