"FRESNO, CA — Police are present 'on every street corner,' visibly carrying rifles through neighborhoods. Extra squad cars, including armored police vehicles, patrol the streets. The excess police presence prompted the police chief to remind the public, 'We are not an occupying force.' Residents may feel otherwise." Continue reading →
"As politicians exploit the Newtown tragedy to promote new laws to restrict firearms and implement universal background checks that could lead to gun registration and confiscation, another parallel trend– namely, the increasing militarization of law enforcement, most visibly demonstrated by the growing use of massive, SWAT-type raids on businesses and individuals, sometimes with federal involvement or authorization – is heightening concerns that America is moving toward a police state. The increased militarization of police forces and the associated use of SWAT teams for routine law enforcement are a dangerous trend." Continue reading →
"The speed and deadliness of recent high-profile shootings have prompted police departments to recommend fleeing, hiding or fighting in the event of a mass attack, instead of remaining passive and waiting for help. The traditional advice to the public has been 'don’t get involved, call 911.' But research on mass shootings over the last decade has bolstered the idea that people at the scene of an attack have a better chance of survival if they take an active stance rather than waiting to be rescued by the police, who in many cases cannot get there fast enough to prevent the loss of life." Continue reading →
"Project Veritas visited police stations nationwide and asked law enforcement officials how they could protect themselves in the event of an armed break-in. 'Go get some bleach. Go get ammonia,' one officer instructed. Yet another officer instructed the undercover journalist to, 'lock yourself in a bedroom' and 'start yelling and screaming.' Vice President Joe Biden recently advised Americans to, 'get a shotgun' for home protection. But when asked whether or not they should follow the Vice President’s advice, law enforcement officials told the undercover journalists they would be arrested for doing so." Continue reading →
"Awakened by his 75-year-old wife, Wright confronted a 19-year-old burglar who had broken through some plywood over a bathroom window in hopes of stealing liquor, according to police. Wright grabbed his 38.caliber pistol, loaded with four rounds, and shot the intruder in the leg. The suspect was arrested -- but so was Wright. Because of prior weapons convictions, Wright was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, sparking calls by his family and neighbors for prosecutors to back down." Continue reading →
"Richard Ahlstrand, of Auburn, Massachusetts, faces criminal charges after encountering a bear in his back yard and shooting the damned thing to avoid being mauled or eaten. Specifically, as noted at Reason 24/7, he's charged with 'illegally killing a bear, illegally baiting a bear, illegal possession of a firearm and failure to secure a firearm.' All of these charges, once translated from Massachusetts to American, seem to stack up to outrage that Ahlstrand didn't make his yard completely inhospitable to animals that are rarely seen in the area." Continue reading →
"A state trooper who said he was 'cutting a break' to a speeding legislator has been fired because he decided instead to falsely cite the lawmaker for not having proof of car insurance. Trooper Charles Swindle, a six-year veteran of the Florida Highway Patrol, is appealing his March 15 firing and says the state highway patrol has an unwritten policy of not issuing tickets to lawmakers who set the patrol’s budget, a charge the agency hotly denies but which raises new questions about whether politicians get favored treatment on Florida’s highways." Continue reading →
"Encryption used in Apple's iMessage chat service has stymied attempts by federal drug enforcement agents to eavesdrop on suspects' conversations, an internal government document reveals. An internal Drug Enforcement Administration document seen by CNET discusses a February 2013 criminal investigation and warns that because of the use of encryption, 'it is impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices' even with a court order approved by a federal judge." Continue reading →
"Judge Hamlin reasoned that the law's intent was to prevent all manual operation of the cellphone to curb distracted driving. Hamlin felt this even though Sprigg argued that when the original law specified voice calls, it was felt necessary to append the law to add texting to its purview. Using that example, if the law didn't specify the other operations it covered, then it shouldn't apply to those other operations. Hamlin's decision countered that there was no legislative history that demonstrated the bill's original supporters didn't want texting covered by the law originally." Continue reading →
"Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter filed a complaint with that city’s Human Rights Commission accusing a magazine of 'racial incitement' for publishing a story dealing with race relations. Downey, California resident Hashim Bomani was hit with a restraining order after using his blog to criticize Steven Golightly, director of the LA County Child Support Services Department. Dominic Ray Aguilar, a 37-year-old cab driver from Roseville, California, has been charged with making 'terroristic threats' against Police Officer John Moody in a Facebook post condemning Officer Moody for gunning down an unarmed man named Ernesto Duenez." Continue reading →