State police raid of Narragansett smoke shop turns violent! (Jack-Booted Thug Alert!)

The Providence Journal Online ^ | 07/14/2003 | Associated Press

[ItsOurTimeNow]

(snip) CHARLESTOWN -- The chief of the Narragansett Indian Tribe was arrested today by state police in what onlookers called a "violent" raid of the tribe's new tax-free tobacco shop.

Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and other tribal members were arrested as police entered the smoke shop through three separate doors.

A videotape of the raid, broadcast on WJAR-TV, shows state police troopers marching in a line toward the smoke shop. They then forcibly entered the shop and got into physical confrontations with the tribal members in their way.

Several tribal members were wrestled to the ground and handcuffed.

The video also shows Thomas with his arms wrapped around a state trooper at the top of the shop's front steps. Shortly afterward, two troopers pull a man down the steps, and then pull Thomas after him.

The tape also shows a police dog nipping at the clothing of a man who is handcuffed and face-down on the ground.

Paulla Dove, 63, a member of the tribal council, told The Associated Press that she was thrown against a wall. Her son, Adam Jennings, 36, was working behind the counter and was grabbed by police and thrown to the ground.

Jennings had a sore ankle, which may have been re-injured in the incident, Dove said. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Dove said the police also confiscated the cigarettes that remained on the shelves and took about $900 from the cash register.

The Narragansett Indians opened their tax-free smoke shop on Saturday on tribal land in Charlestown. The tribe is selling the cigarettes without sales tax or the cigarette tax, in an effort to become economically self-sufficient. (snip)

Click link for full article

[ItsOurTimeNow]

The State fears losing their cash-cow, so these are the methods they resort to.

On the plus side, the shop was open this weekend, and was insanely busy. I bought 3 cartons of Marlboros for about $70. The state will not get one cent in smoke tax money from me for at least 2 and a half months.

[Semper Paratus]

Rhode Island does not want to start King Philips War II.

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[ItsOurTimeNow]

Maybe not, but our state is in dire need of a good tax revolt. Hopefully this is just the beginning....

[ItsOurTimeNow]

*ping*

Just thought I'd share a little local news with y'all.

This is about 2 miles from my home.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

*ping*

Just thought I'd share a little local news with y'all.

This is about 2 miles from my home.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

*ping*

Just thought I'd share a little local news with y'all.

This is about 2 miles from my home.

[FReepaholic]

>>...A videotape of the raid, broadcast on WJAR-TV, shows state police troopers marching in a line toward the smoke shop. They then forcibly entered the shop and got into physical confrontations with the tribal members in their way...<<

They love showing off to the cameras, don't they?

No reason to do it that way other than for show or to intimidate anyone else that might think of opening a tax-free shop.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

No reason to do it that way other than for show or to intimidate anyone else that might think of opening a tax-free shop.

No doubt.

Our Gub'ner is going to have some serious 'splainin' to do. Last I checked the Narragansetts were listed as a sovereign nation...I thought that meant the State had no jurisdiction, only the Feds?

[tphil913]

This issue has been settled in the courts. NYS had been trying to collect sales tax from cigarette taxes on the Onondaga Indian Reservation and lugged the nation into federal court. The decree was: Tough Shit...NYS has no authority to collect.

These morons decided to ignore existing precident. It proves that they were more interested in brandishing weapons and butting heads as opposed to collecting tax revenues.

Keep electing these clowns into power...You get what you ask for.

[Tacis]

Hey, just because they are Indians doesn't mean they don't have to help out the local politicians with expenses (if you know what I mean). The Indians already have a significant economic advantage. It would be unfair to other local merchants who pay the sort of unofficial "tax" to allow the Indians to avoid it. Let's be fair.

[You Dirty Rats]

How absolutely great would it be if the Injuns were to sue all of the States and win in Federal Court, thus allowing them to sell all of the smokes in this country tax-free and requiring the States to pay out all of the legal fees from the tobacco extortion settlements without collecting any revenue.

Might be an 11th Amendment problem, though.

[Centurion2000]

It would appear that the mask is slipping in the NorthEast.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

mask?

[AppyPappy]

I bought 3 cartons of Marlboros for about $70.

Sweet mother of pearl. I paid $3 a carton in college.

[B Knotts]

Hey, now...I'm sure some of our favorite shill^H^H^H^H^Hposters will be along to assert that the Indians were "stockpiling dangerous assault cigarettes."

[Dr Warmoose]

Now replace the words "police" with "rival gang" and tell me if this makes the story any different.

For those who are gung-ho about decriminalizing drugs, here is the net effect. The Government will just requisition even more fire-power and instead of the occasional drive-by shootings at night in the bad areas of town, you will see the ninja inspired State goons using an armory of weapons that the 2nd Amendment prohibits citizens from owning, they will do their drive-bys in your neighborhood and during the day without fear of any reprisal.

[Redbob]

I guess the Indians can be glad at least that Janet Reno wasn't in charge of this operation...

[Centurion2000]

mask?

The mask that the government is relatively benevolent and would not turn its power on our own citizens.

The mafia is more subtle that this.

[Just another Joe]

One for the Puff List.
States going after sovereign nations for cigarette taxes.

Will they do it to Switzerland?